STROKES OF GENIUS

The longevity of any exterior finish hinges on the effort spent preparing your wood surface. Following the tips below will help to ensure the success of your outdoor painting or staining projects.

FUNDAMENTALS OF EXTERIOR FINISHING

For early spring and late fall paint/ stain projects, keep in mind that freezing temperatures may damage your freshly applied paint or stain. The first week of any freshly applied exterior finish is very vulnerable to the weather elements.

When painting or staining in warm temperatures, avoid applying in direct sunlight. You may need to start early or work late to avoid the direct heat of the sun.

Take note that fog and dew fall can also contribute to damaging freshly applied paints and stains and will also be contributing factors as to when you can begin your project in the morning or how late you can work in the evening.

Always take a look at weather conditions prior to painting or staining. If precipitation is in the forecast, it is best to hold off as rain can damage your freshly applied paint or stain. Your wood surfaces should always be dry prior to priming, painting or staining. Low to the ground wood structures are subject to premature failure of your paint or stain and ultimately wood decay.

Benjamin Moore's oil based stains need to be applied wet on wet meaning you DO NOT allow the first coat to dry before applying the second coat. It's best to roll your stain on using a 20mm pile roller onto 2 or 3 boards, then roll on again a second time, then back brush once working the stain into the wood surface. This may require working in small sections and/or with multiple people.

When priming exterior wood surfaces it is best to use an oil based primer. Oil based primers offer better adhesion, better stain blocking abilities and deeper penetration. When painting or priming exterior concrete or brick surfaces it is best to use a water based primer or paint system which offers more breathability and is therefore less prone to peeling.

When applying white or pastel colours of solid colour stain onto raw wood, it is best to prime the surface with Benjamin Moore's 366-00 stain blocking primer to prevent tanin bleed.

When painting stucco it is best to wet down the stucco with water the night before you plan to paint. This assists in keeping the surface cool and prevents the paint from penetrating too deep into the stucco.

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For more detailed information and answers to any related questions you may have, contact Janzen's Paint & Decorating Ltd. @ 204-325-8387 • Winkler

Strokes of Genius

Katie’s Cottage

From a young age, Katie was already committed to making a difference in the lives of others. She was creative and intelligent, someone with a great sense of humour and a big heart. Her passion was to live life to the fullest and knew what it meant to be fully herself, being just fine with others seeing her as different from the crowd. She was known for befriending kids who were out on the fringes or even seen as outcasts, not caring about reputation or status, but seeing all people as worthy of love and acceptance as her friend.

Katie had always been an active, healthy child, consistently involved with sports and activities. This made her cancer diagnosis at the age of thirteen all the more shocking. “I would have never thought in my wildest dreams that Kaitlyn would have cancer” said Katie’s mother, Ruth Reimer, as there were no signs or cause for suspicion regarding Katie’s health. Katie and her family would experience the fight of their lives following that day, a day that would change their lives forever. Katie initially experienced a seven week hospital stay followed by Chemo therapy. It was during this initial stay that Katie’s eyes were opened to the extreme practical difficulties that came with being sick, realizing that not everything is provided or covered by Medicare, and that there were gaps in the system that could be filled. Then there were the traumatic scenes of children suffering greatly that deeply pulled on her heart. “She saw something so incredibly sad and horrific while in the hospital” said Ruth, “a little girl had been badly beaten, from head to toe and front to back. She said to me and her dad that she wanted to make a difference.” It was early in her battle with cancer that Katie’s wheels were already turning, and in her mind she was creating ways to give back and help other children who are sick in a tangible way. During her year of Chemo, she managed to go to school and live as normally as possible. That year, Katie was able to speak at multiple elementary schools, sharing her story and how she was currently dealing with it, while encouraging kids to not give up when facing hardships.

After a year of treatment, she was diagnosed cancer free. Four months later, the cancer came back. “It was angry and came back with a vengeance” said Ruth, describing the aggressive form of cancer that Katie was experiencing. After her initial diagnosis, Katie started to put plans down on paper for creating a charity called Katie Cares, with the specific goal of supporting children in their medical journey while helping families stay close together during this difficult time by building a respite home where they could stay. She even came up with a slogan for her charity, See It Believe It Achieve It, which came out of her hopeful and optimistic attitude despite the challenges she was facing.

Katie had a stuffed animal which was greatly important to her throughout her battle with cancer, a stuffed dog which she could always take with her during procedures when her parents couldn’t join her. This was something she wanted to make sure other kids were able to have for their hospital stays. “We promised her we would try to carry out her dreams for Katie Cares” said Ruth, “but at that time we needed to focus on her, and not her charity.”

Katie passed away on May 20 2012, leaving her family and countless friends mourning the loss of a truly unique human being. True to their word, Ruth and Randy, along with family and friends set out to pursue Katie’s dream and attempted to build the charity which she had already created in her heart. “We had zero dollars in the bank for this project” said Ruth, “but during October of 2014, going by faith, we announced our vision for building the cottage publicly.” The year 2015 was a year for creating a plan, writing letters, grants, and approaching potential partners. “It was a very unexpected response” said Ruth, as they raised just shy of seven hundred thousand dollars that year. The money allowed them to build Katie’s Cottage, a respite home for those who have a loved one staying at one of the following facilities: Boundary Trails Health Centre, Eden Mental Health Centre, Salem Home, or Tabor Home. Morden Nurseries heard of the vision and generously donated an acre of land sitting directly across from Boundary Trails. The cottage was beautifully built by Grandeur Housing, and is now a welcoming place to stay for those who have a loved one in a nearby health centre. Ruth never imagined a place so beautiful and peaceful to offer those who needed a contrast to the disruption of their lives. “I wish I had a picture of every person who has walked through the doors and says, Wow, because it’s not what most people imagine when coming to a respite home.”

Those who come in exhausted have a quiet place to rest and be refreshed by meals, snacks and drinks that are offered. “Are there tears here? Absolutely,” said Ruth, but we also have really joyful moments as well, such as families who are having a baby born.” While Ruth and her staff do not profess to be counselors, they do have big hearts and are always ready to listen to those who need to talk through the hardships they are being forced to deal with. Ruth and Randy know from experience the difficulties that come with fighting for a loved one’s health and desire to meet every need that they possibly can, hoping to make the journey just a little bit easier.

The 4200 square foot cottage sits on a well kept one acre property, and contains eight rooms which can be rented for $45.20 per night, while day visits to the cottage are completely free of charge. Each room is furnished with two double beds, a mini fridge, wifi, satellite T.V. along with a private bathroom and shower. There is also a wheelchair friendly room and bathroom, along with a donated wheelchair at the cottage for those who need it. There is a full sized kitchen where continental breakfast is served, and homemade baking and snacks are provided for the guests. Since opening, they have housed guests from ninety different communities in Canada, with 2019 being a peak year as 947 rooms were rented.

Extreme care is taken to clean each room used by guests, whether they rent a room or just stay for the day. “People should be able to feel very comfortable in coming here” said Ruth, “we have a very clean facility, and follow every protocol that is in place due to Covid.” Parts of the cottage have been transformed into Covid rooms, secluded spaces for people to be alone. There are also spaces outside to enjoy, such as in the gazebo, the pergola covered deck, and other seating spaces to relax on your own.

The gazebo and pergola are examples of the ongoing projects that take place at Katie’s Cottage to better meet the needs of their guests, which is the highest possible priority in operating the respite home. A current project which is almost complete is the installation of a full service coffee bar, stocked with dishes and a microwave oven. This will give guests more freedom and independence for preparing meals and drinks on their own as the kitchen has been more restricted due to Covid regulations. These

projects are able to be completed through grants that have been afforded to them and through the gifts of generous donors who are recognized throughout the cottage by way of plaques. Katie Cares is operated on the foundational principals of integrity, transparency and honesty, using any money that comes in to continually meet the needs of cottage guests and those staying at health centres.

Katie Cares is able to keep operating through donations and fundraisers and is a registered non-profit organization; as all donations over twenty dollars are eligible for a tax receipt. More information on the charity, cottage and upcoming fundraisers are available on their website, katiecares.ca, as well as a link to donate. Checks can also be sent to 255 13 St. Winkler, MB, R6W 1S5.

For Katie’s family, the charity and cottage have been a way to find some closure in losing Katie, as there is a sense of satisfaction from being able to accomplish the many dreams she had of giving back. It’s a way to celebrate Katie’s life, someone who experienced more in her few years than some will experience in a lifetime. And while the hole that she left can never be filled, the cottage has given Ruth something meaningful to pour her life into. “Katie’s Cottage has been my therapy” said Ruth, “I don’t know where I would be today without it.”