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September 2026

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MANITOBA

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204-947-1807 The last leg of our miraculous Manitoba journey

Seafood lasagna for sinners and saints

A modern-day “Tale of Two Cities”

Winnipeg's permits department fails homeowners again

Joe Pye weed

Kevin Klein

Winnipeg homeowner’s video is going viral this week for all the wrong reasons. She had booked a pool inspection and stayed home all day waiting for the city to show up. No one rang the doorbell, and she had no missed calls or voicemail. Yet the inspector’s report claimed he had called and that the backyard could not be accessed because the gate was locked. Her response gets at the real issue: the inspection existed to confirm the gate was properly self-closing and selflatching, the very feature it was meant to verify. Now she has to pay $200 for a second visit. The comments under that video are full of other Winnipeggers describing something similar. This is not one bad afternoon or one bad employee. It is what happens when a city government stops answering to the people paying for it, and it is why residents need to use the ballot box this October. u 10 ‘Winnipeg's permit department'

Joe Pye weed in full blossom.

Dorothy Dobbie

NEWS FLASH: As we go to press, we have just learned that Kevin Klein has tossed his name into the ring for Mayor!

Nostalgia concert to mark radio station CJNU 20th anniversary Garry Moir

Joey Gregorash.

innipeg’s nostalgia radio station is celebrating a birthday. Community radio CJNU turns 20 this year. To kick off celebrations, the station is staging a Night of Nostalgia...a variety concert featuring music, dance, comedy and memories. “We promise a night where ev-

erything old is new again,” says Garry Moir, who is helping organize and promote the event. “Winnipeg has some fabulous talent, and we intend to showcase it, because that's what community radio does.” The all-star lineup features a women’s quintet known as the Nostalgics, Broadway classics, the St. Charles Big Band and special guest artist...Juno Award winner Joey Gregorish. Also on hand will u 13 ‘CJNU 20th anniversary'

had heard of and seen Joe Pye weed throughout my gardening life, but I did not learn to respect it until I saw it taking pride of place in a lovely English garden. It was tall and imposing, showing off its purple and dark green leaves and in full rosy bloom, buzzing with bees. I fell in love. Joe Pye Weed is the common name for Eupatorium. This versatile plant has many qualities and therefore has a long list of common names: boneset, kidney root, gravel root, snake root, and thoroughwort, to name a few. In the early days, various types were used medicinally to treat infectious diseases carried by ticks, lice, mites and rat fleas. It was used to treat fever, headache, rashes, rheumatism, gout, breathing problems, and diarrhea. The name Joe Pye weed is attributed to a Mohican named Joseph Shauquethqueat, known to settlers in New England as Joe Pye. He saved a community from death by typhus using E. purpureum, whose leaves, flowers and roots are all useful. The plant contains flavonoids and euparin, a mild antioxidant. Today, we grow Joe Pye weed for its ornamental value and because it is pollinatorfriendly. Goldfinches love to feast on the u 11 ‘Joe Pye weed'

Tough Duck still a going concern after more than 85 years in business

Nonetheless, Abe persevered and, gradually, the busiough Duck, one of Canada’s leading producers of premium Canadian workwear and safety ap- ness began to grow. The breakthrough came with his parel, is still going strong and even expanding its order for Eaton’s in 1946. footprint in our city after more than 85 years in busiIt was in the 1960s, coinciding with David joining his ness. father in business, that the growing manufacturer relo“We owe our success to the gift of our customers, the cated from Jarvis to the Bedford Building (which was drive of our employees and the partnerbuilt in 1903) in McDermott in the Exship that we have forged with industry change District. In the 1970s, the Rich leaders,” says Gavin Rich, Tough Duck’s family moved around the corner to its president and the third generation in his current head office at 85 Adelaide Street. family to lead the company. (His father, “When we moved here, this building David Rich, is CEO and Chairman of was the centre of the apparel market in the Board.) Winnipeg,” David Rich recalls. “There “Throughout our journey, we have were wholesalers, full retail outlets here, grown and evolved with an unwavering sales reps’ offices, suppliers. Everything commitment to excellence,” Gavin Rich anyone in the apparel trade needed. We continues. “With our uncompromising started with two floors. Now we have all focus on durability and performance, we five floors.” deliver high quality work wear built for At one time, he remembered, there those who demand more – always putwere 400 sewing machine operators in ting customers at the heart of our misthe building – but that was long ago – Myron Love sion.” before North American manufacturers It was Gavin Rich’s grandfather, Abe began outsourcing production to China Rich, who started the company – formerly known ini- and other Asian countries. tially as Winnipeg Pants, later becoming Richlu Sports“It was a slow decline,” says Gavin Rich. wear – in 1939. As David Rich tells it, his father arThe Rich Family was among the first to see the writrived in Canada from Poland as a teenager in 1925. Like ing on the wall. In 1998, Gavin notes, Richlu began many an Eastern European immigrant, Abe’s path to outsourcing production overseas – mainly to China and employment and, eventually, success was through the South Korea. booming garment industry. “We still do all of our design, specifications and ac“My father’s ambition was to start his own busi- counting here,” he points out. ness,” recalls David Rich. “After several years working It was David Rich who began diversifying Richlu’s as a cutter for different manufacturers, one day in 1939, products beyond pants and sportswear. “Under my he found himself laid off and he decided to take the dad’s leadership, we began creating new labels and foplunge.” cusing on producing better-quality workwear.” Rich opened on Jarvis Avenue in the old North End. Among those new labels was “Tough Duck,” which The first years were a struggle, recounts, David Rich. was brought to life in the early 1980s and eventually Abe initially employed four cutters. His first wife, Gertie became the company’s premier brand. About ten years (who died in childbirth in 1943), made the patterns. ago, the Rich Family adopted Tough Duck as the com“Dad had a real hard time getting fabric in the begin- pany name. ning,” David Rich says. “My dad saw the potential for a line of workwear

Lifestyles55 MANITOBA

All about living at the

age of maturity

that, though it was more expensive than competitors’ brands, was longer lasting,” Gavin says. Gavin himself joined the family business in 1997 after working several years in management at CBC, followed by some time working with Drew Craig at the thennew CITI-TV. “I was advised to get some outside working experience before jumping into a family business,” he recalls. “At CBC, I learned about the internet (which was still relatively new back then), the World Wide Web and using email. I also learned about the importance of budgeting and managing costs.” Today. Tough Duck employs 65 workers divided among the main building on Adelaide, warehouses on Gomez in the East Exchange and on Inkster, sales offices in Toronto and Montreal, and a quality control team stationed in Southeast Asia. We couldn’t have succeeded the way we have without the contributions of our talents and (in many cases) long-term staff,” Gavin Rich says. He further points out that Tough Duck operates with a half million square feet of space. So, what does Tough Duck do with all that space? The company uses most of it for storing product. “We stock an 18-month supply of inventory,” Rich explains. “We believe in staying well ahead of demand. So, if Toronto, for example, is going through a particular cold period and there is a run on our workwear, we can quickly replenish the stock.” Despite the many challenges businesses face in operating from the Exchange District, Rich avows that Tough Duck remains committed to the area. As proof of that, he reports that the company – already one of the Exchange’s largest property owners – has recently increased its footprint with the purchase of another large, historic warehouse around the corner from their current headquarters, and they will soon be moving head office to the new site while increasing storage capacity in the Adelaide location. Will there be a fourth generation to carry on the business? Time will tell.

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ISSUES IN THE NEWS

PUBLISHER Pegasus Publications Inc. EDITOR Dorothy Dobbie dorothy@pegasuspublications.net ART DIRECTOR Karl Thomsen karl@pegasuspublications.net GENERAL MANAGER Shauna Dobbie shauna@pegasuspublications.net CONTRIBUTORS Greg Barrett, Marianne Cerilli, Romel Dhalla, Dorothy Dobbie, Shauna Dobbie, Zofia Dove, Stefano Grande, Evelyn Jacks, Kevin Klein, Ian Leatt, David Leis, Myron Love, Kathryn McBurney, Garry Moir, Fred Morris, Seneka Samarasinghe, Trudy Schroeder, and Wayne Weedon. Canadian Publications mail product Sales agreement #40027604 PRINT ADVERTISING Gord Gage • 204-940-2701 gord.gage@pegasuspublications.net SUBSCRIPTIONS If you would like to receive Lifestyles 55, we offer both monthly newspaper and online formats. To place your order, call 204-9402700. Subscriptions are $36.00 per year, plus tax. American Express, MasterCard, Visa and cheques are accepted. To view a back issue online visit lifestyles55.net Published monthly by: Pegasus Publications Inc. 70 Jewett Bay Winnipeg, MB R3R 2N1 204-940-2700 Lifestyles55.net pegasuspublications.net

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Manitoba, the transportation hub of central North America, opens the gateway to the world

he world is looking to Canada’s north and particular- things I love is the “weather station”, a tiny park featuring ly its connection to tidewater. In mid-September, the local weather wisdom such as, “If the rock is wet, it's rainFrontier Centre is hosting an important symposium, ing!” The folks here have a great sense of humour. Reclaiming the North: Strategic Utility Corridors for SovAs for the railroad, it has been in operation for almost ereignty and Economic Development in Canada's Arctic, to 100 years, but it has had a chequered history. First, it takes explore options. Robyn Lore of NeeStaNan is one of the the scenic route from Winnipeg, West to Dauphin then furpresenters, and will explore the value of making informed ther west to Saskatchewan, sling-shotting back east through and rational decisions about the best way to realize our po- The Pas to Thompson and then up to Churchill. The leg of tential. the trip is the most picturesque. I would counsel people to There can be little doubt about the value of opening Can- drive to Thompson and hop on there for the last 16 hours. ada’s most accessible northern gateway to tidewater through If VIA Rail had any imagination, it would add a couple Hudson Bay. The deal is not only doable but imperative. of first-class tourist cars – complete with dining cars and The original choice for a port was at the mouth of the berths, (which are never available) for a unique luxury expeNelson River, very familiar to ocean-goers as the first en- rience. Capitalize on the stunning scenery and the romantic trance point to central North America. Even though the rail cars swaying over the muskeg, making it part of the Port Nelson site was much closer to the new capital of Win- uniqueness. nipeg, reachable by building a railroad over hard ground, it Churchill has a wonderful future if its true advantages are was moved to Churchill despite access impediments – the respected. Let Port Nelson handle the other side to feed the spongy permafrost that is still a barrier to coffers of Manitoba and Canada. its success today. After building the basics Port Nelson advantages from 1911 to 1918, due to politics and war, Let’s list them: the idea and the work were abandoned and • A hard-bed road to the Bay so trains can resurrected a decade later, but redirected to run at speed. Churchill. • An all-weather road from Winnipeg to The Churchill advantages Amery, so adding another 120 km would not Churchill never lived up to its promise as a be a big deal. port of any significance. • Saltier water that doesn’t freeze to a That doesn’t mean that Churchill should be depth of five or six feet, abandoned. It does mean that the two ports • Fewer bears in the vicinity. should act in concert, providing backup and • The ability to ship all year long with just support for each other. reinforced-hulled ships in the Bay and iceBy working together, shippers will have breakers needed in Hudson Strait. important reassurance that there is an alter• An offshore terminal that will avoid the nate route should something happen to eibelugas who give birth in the fresh water Dorothy Dobbie ther. Meanwhile, each location must rationalcoming out of the river, avoid the silt, and ize its best use and focus on that. could accommodate Panamax-plus-sized Churchill has spent the last several decades turning itself ships. into a worldwide tourist destination. The Bay teems with • And, perhaps most important of all, Port Nelson, Neewildlife. Belugas are born in the freshwater of the river. StaNan, will have true Indigenous majority ownership with Seals congregate here in fall, seeking out the food that is experienced partners walking alongside them. This probeing swept to the surface at freeze-up. This attracts Polar vides real economic opportunity for previously isolated and bears, who depend on the fall seal hunt to get them through deprived communities, opening the door to true economic the winter. It is a perfect ecosystem for wildlife which at- freedom and reconciliation. tracts tourists. However, the conditions that make this posLet us not forget the internal advantages for our province sible also present difficulties for shipping. Freshwater freez- and our country. While all eyes are on oil and gas these es solidly, great for the bears when stalking seals, but not so days, critical minerals are just as important, and a ready port great for ships that need that ice broken up to navigate the with a rail line that could accommodate the heaviest loads harbour in winter. Doable with icebreakers, but what of all would be an added incentive to development. According to that wildlife? our Finance Minister, Adrian Sala, a special concierge sysSecondly, the port is much too small to accommodate to- tem has been created to advance projects rapidly. He says day's transport ships. While the port at Churchill was built several new mines are apparently in the works. to berth two ships at a time, that is no longer possible. Even But there is also a huge market for moving the said oil ordinary carriers have grown in size. There is just no way and gas from Alberta, potash from Saskatchewan (and soon Panamax or larger ships could squeeze in here. from Manitoba), agricultural goods from all three provinces, So, what to do with Churchill? I think it has answered manufactured products such as heavy farm equipment, fire this with its natural progression towards tourism after the trucks, buses, mining equipment, commercial trailers and Americans pulled their military base in 1980. But, imagine vacuum cars, agricultural storage bins – the list is endless. what could happen if the port were rebuilt to properly acAnd so is the market. There is interest in northwestern commodate cruise ships as well as supply vessels to service Ontario and the Ring of Fire. There is also a vast market in Nunavut, which is growing at a record rate. the Midwestern USA, which is just as land-bound as central As for the town, imagine taking a page from the Wally Canada. Daudrich playbook and making it picturesque with locaNeeStaNan, Port Nelson, has not gone away. It is just tion-appropriate buildings and highlighting the lovely, picking up steam. The Port will be built, and Churchill will quirky things that are part of the Port’s identity? One of the be happy.

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How to handle Donald Trump

What to do about Donald Trump

s Donald Trump a human be- your point of view. What if we try ing or some kind of ogre risen it this way?” No need to make a from the swamps of Florida? significant adjustment to your ofLet’s take a hard, critical look at fer – just frame it differently. the guy. He has no horns; his feet Some of you will be wanting to are not cloven. He has only one tell me to give my head a shake. tongue. When you poke him, he Why do I think an unreasonable flinches. man of his kind would be affected Despite apparent evidence to the by this treatment? But that’s the contrary, he is just a mortal man. reason. Because he is Given that fact, we should be able just a man. to determine how to deal with Of course, it is more him. difficult if you are not First, his appearance: tall – over in the same room and 6 feet – good-looking as a young if others are making man with a wide, often closed- your deals for you. mouth smile. So far, so good. Nev- But why accept that? er smoked or boozed. Has a bach- Let the negotiators elor’s degree in economics. Always do their thing. Thank had more money than most of us. them and then seal the Married to three different beauti- deal one-on-one. “Noful women. Has five kids – three body can see reason men, two women, plus 10 grand- the way you can. So children. He has a here are some stickwarm relationship ing points which I with them overall. am sure you and I He was born in can solve together.” 1946, so he is 80 One of the things years old now. Today, that struck me about he has reddish skin the broken deal was and he sports blondthe number of apparish-reddish hair, the ently serious issues colouring of both and the kind of deapparently due to artail Carney came out tificial aids. Is that a with. That struck a clue to his personalfalse note right away. ity? A bit of vanity, Nobody says, “We perhaps? have a deal!” then But there are other completely rehashes Dorothy Dobbie clues, too. His frethe whole thing, inquent bragging, saycluding all the details, ing things such as "Nobody knows two hours later. Deals broken at more about (fill in the blank) than the last minute come down to one, me”, or bragging about his presi- maybe two points at the most. dential accomplishments, saying This is perhaps why some are saythat he had done things "that no ing Carney didn’t want a deal in other president could do". These the first place. That he deliberately are habits of people who are deeply broke this off to support his byinsecure and need to overcompen- election prospects by looking like sate to cover up a sense of inad- the “strong man”. Regardless, I am sure of one equacy. They need acknowledgement (Oh, good for you) followed thing: Donald Trump is run by his by the introduction of a new topic ego. Carney’s constant public putdowns must rankle. They certainly to move the agenda forward. Trump is often accused of being do not encourage stronger relaa narcissist, but is he driven by nar- tions and friendship. cissism or insecurity? His frequent So why is Carney doing this? reversals seem to point to the lat- Well, he apparently is also run by ter. Remember, he is called TACO, his ego. In many ways, he and an acronym for Trump Always Trump are a lot alike. They both Chickens Out. That seems to fit have an insatiable need to be the the profile. biggest, best, smartest. Is he a narcissist? Many people Trump believes he can win by think he is, but on closer examina- virtue of being bigger, taller, and tion of his character, I am not so having more cards. Carney thinks sure. His actions seem to speak of he can win because he believes he a lost kid on the playground, not can win even though he is smallfully mature, trying to measure up er, shorter and less powerful, by and failing. He bullies weaker kids stealth – by seeking to divide the to cover this up. world with the US as the bad guy Is that why he cheats in business? (the Davos speech), and by using Maybe. Perhaps his need for vali- that to leverage new allies (Eudation outweighs every other con- rope). (I think his China foray will sideration. fail.) I am not a psychologist, obviIf Carney really wanted a deal, ously, but observing him and talk- I am sure there is one to be had. ing to people who know him, and Despite all the posturing on both reading his book and others about sides, this pointless strategy of rihim, there seems to be a manage- diculous tariffs and counter-tariffs able animal on the other side of can only hurt them individually in the table. the long run as their countries run First is his constant need for out of patience, sick of being the validation. What does it cost to pawns in a zero-sum game. give it to him? Nothing. Smile, What will happen now? I cannot nod, agree. And persist with your imagine that they will not get back point. “I would love to do what to the table sometime after the byyou ask, but here is why I can’t – election – maybe even as late as what other approach do you think November after the midterms. I we could find to reach our mutual dread to think of what will happen goals?” Or “Yes, of course, I see if Trump wins them.

The question this month is what shelves. That is not within Federal Canada should do about Donald purview. Carney can ask the premiers Trump. I have been giving this seri- to do that. He cannot order them ous thought, which was probably my any more than Trump can order US first mistake. dry counties to sell liquor at all. Questions normally have answers. The language dispute is equally peThis one has Friday. culiar. The United States requires cerCanada could agree to every Amer- tain information on many imported ican demand presented on Thursday products to appear in English. Canand discover on Friday ada requires certain consumer inforthat the numbers have mation in English and French. That changed, another griev- costs American exporters money. It’s ance has appeared or the the cost of doing business. agreement itself proves It is crazy to pretend that language that we’ve been taking requirements are an outrageous inadvantage of the United terference with trade. The American States all along. position appears to be that consumThat makes the situa- ers have a right to understand a lation absurd in the prop- bel when the language is English, er sense of the word. We but that the same principle becomes are being asked to solve protectionism when the language is a problem that depends French. upon remaining unAmerican negotiators also object solved. to Canada’s so-called Trump says the cultural protectionism, US should not have including rules requira trade deficit with ing large online streamCanada. That sounds ing services operating straightforward until here to contribute to you look at what we Canadian programsell. ming. The burden falls In 2025, Canada heavily on American sold the United States companies. But those $126.1 billion in companies earn money crude oil and bought from Canadian sub$13.2 billion in Amerscribers while comican crude. That is not peting with Canadian evidence of Canadian broadcasters that have trickery. Canada has long been required to Shauna Dobbie oil. American refinerhelp finance Canadian ies want it. Pipelines work. connect the producers Canada is hardly with the refineries, and businesses on alone. The European Union requires both sides make money from the ar- streaming catalogues to contain at rangement. least 30 percent European works If the trade imbalance is the prob- and requires those works to be given lem, Canada has an obvious solu- prominence. France requires subtion: sell the Americans less oil. scription streaming services to invest That isn’t what Trump wants. He at least 20 percent of their French wants Canada to sell fewer goods to revenue in European and Frenchthe United States, except for the oil, language productions. natural gas, electricity, uranium, potCanada’s system of public broadash and critical minerals Americans casting, broadcaster obligations, tax need. Apparently, resources stop credits and the Canada Media Fund counting as Canadian exports once helped make Schitt’s Creek, North of the United States becomes accus- North and Heated Rivalry possible. tomed to receiving them. Netflix helped turn Schitt’s Creek Then there are automobiles. into a global phenomenon and coFor decades, governments and commissioned North of North; manufacturers deliberately built an HBO Max took Heated Rivalry integrated North American auto abroad. These are not obscure proindustry. A vehicle may contain an grams being kept alive for our own engine from one country, a transmis- good. They are Canadian shows that sion from another and components audiences elsewhere really want to that cross the border several times watch. before the finished vehicle reaches a The United States can reasonably dealership. argue about contribution rates or This was not a Canadian plot car- how the rules are applied. Demandried out under cover of darkness. It ing that Canada abandon cultural began with the 1965 Auto Pact, ex- protections is something else. A panded under NAFTA and contin- country of 41 million people living ued under CUSMA, an agreement beside Hollywood will not preserve Trump himself negotiated, praised its own voice by hoping the algoand signed. rithm feels charitable. Now the same integrated supply Ottawa was reportedly also exchain is presented as evidence that pected to accept restrictions affectCanada has stolen American manu- ing Canada’s future trade agreements facturing. The proposed remedy is to with other countries. In other words, force more production in the United we should reduce our dependence on States, even though American auto- the United States, but not by trading makers warn that tariffs on Canadian too freely with anyone else. components will raise their costs. It’s natural to assume that Trump Trump is defending the auto com- has an ultimate objective, that if panies by making it more expensive Canada can identify it and make the for them to build cars. Maybe they’ll right concession, perhaps normal resend him a thank-you note once they lations will resume. finish recalculating the price of a It doesn’t work that way. Trump pickup truck. wants every relationship to remain American negotiators also want a contest that only he can settle, reu 13 ‘What to do about Donald Trump' US liquor returned to Canadian

Dobbie vs Dobbie

lifestyles55.net

September 2026

Trade wars: why income tax filings matter more now

t’s hard not to get caught up in the trade wars saga, 3. Protection for workers. The Employment Insurand of course it has serious economic repercussions. ance (EI Work-Sharing Program will be adjusted to help In times like these, our tax system can help. There companies affected by the tariffs to prevent layoffs and are new measures, the details of which are to come in the retain key talent in the trades. We have been here before next few weeks and quite likely, in the fall with the pandemic supports and it apFederal Budget which will no doubt be peared to work quite well. For workers, a difficult balancing act. However, there this will mean reporting both salary and are lots of tax-related provisions available EI components in income; for employright now, especially for people who are ers, it will mean extra record-keeping and behind in their taxes. further audit potential in the future. Long-term: The important miss – so The fourth pillar. There are a myriad far, at least. Tax professionals have been of income-tested provisions already prescalling for comprehensive tax reform for ent in the Income Tax Act, poised to help some time. That time is now. If Canada Canadians. Because of its complexity, so is serious about being competitive intermany miss out. However, you can reprovincially and on the world stage, this cover missed provisions up to 10 years is a critical first step and something we back – tax year 2016 forward, specifically. should all be looking forward to as an anThis includes access to federal provisions nouncement in early fall, given the envisuch as Evelyn Jacks ronment we are currently in. • The Canada Child Benefit Short term: What the Federal Govern• The Canada Groceries and Essentials ment Intends to Do. We have been here before in the Benefit (formerly the GST/HST Credit) pandemic. Now the federal government must act to sup• The Canada Training Credit port the business community again, as well as the work• The Canada Worker’s Benefit ers it employs. Specifically, we know that three pillars of It’s also important to file a tax return to qualify for support will be enacted: the Canada Dental Benefit. In the case of job loss and 1. Business loans through regional development resulting lower income, families may qualify for some agencies. The Business Development Bank of Canada of these provisions for the first time. Students may also and regional agencies will be empowered to provide wish to check into the forgiveness of Canada Student rapid liquidity and working capital to businesses im- Loan programs. pacted. This means tax write-offs for interest costs on For Families with Disabled and Senior Members: the loans provided and capital cost allowance claims that There are a host of provisions that are missed out on could create losses that can be carried back to offset busi- because these families have not had time or supports to ness income in the previous three years under current help with income tax filings. This includes: tax rules. • The Canada Disability Benefit 2. Specific industry relief. The Prime Minister an• The Refundable Medical Expense Supplement • The Home Accessibility Tax Credit nounced on Friday that financial and structural aid for • The Refundable Home Renovations Tax Credit firms specifically hit with the 50 percent tariffs will re• The Canada Child Disability Amount main in place as long as necessary and may extend be• The Canada Caregiver Amount yond the life of the current U.S. Administration as well. • The Disability Tax Credit This will provide some assurance, from a long-term • Refund of Federal Excise Tax if Disability Prohibits decision-making point of view, that investments by businesses in Canada will be supported until we get past the Use of Public Transit • Revisit of Pharmacare Deductibles next U.S. election.

• Canada Dental Care Plan There are also options for those who may have been considering retirement and for whom this time of turmoil seems like the right time to pull the plug. You may wish to consider; 1. Taking Early Canada Pension Plan Benefits 2. Initiating Old Age Security benefits, or postponing them, if a large lump sum severance payment or other windfalls or planning scenarios may cause a clawback of the benefits. 3. Guaranteed Income Supplement to help low-income households, even if this is only in the transitional years There are provincial options for low-income earners as well, which include social assistance, workers' compensation and a wide variety of child benefits. Tax filing is your ticket to success. The ticket to most of these benefits is the filing of a tax return. If you haven’t done so yet, it’s high time to catch up! The good news is that if you do, it’s possible the government will owe you money – often more than most people think – as a result of missed refunds, credits and deductions. Remember, you can go back 10 years under the Taxpayer Relief provisions to recover these benefits. You can also catch up on important provisions like creating RRSP contribution room, recording capital losses that can reduce your taxes in three prior years or indefinitely into the future, or the important aggregation of the Canada Training Credit, which can offset your tuition fees if you are going back to school. The bad news is that catch-up time can trigger a tax audit. But it’s always better if you initiate the correction of errors or filing for omissions to avoid gross negligence or even tax evasion penalties. Get your affairs in order now. The future may be cloudy with business and job security in doubt for some. But be comforted that filing a tax return is always a good idea. Get organized and see a professional tax practitioner for help. These folks are highly trained and can help, especially if you fear aggressive collection efforts. Evelyn Jacks is a best-selling Canadian financial author and podcaster. Listen to Real Tax News with Evelyn Jacks and Friends to understand your tax system better. Go to learn.knowledgebureau.com/courses/real-tax-news-podcast.

The 1990s at SJCI and the curling team of SJCI principals

he 1990s brought a lot of changes to SJCI. Student Council. David Hocker another deaf student Recycling became part of the culture. Teacher excelled at basketball and volleyball. Lynn Fowler, an Wayne Warren helped introduce the computer early 1970s SJCI student, was confined to a Wheelage. For the first time since June 1951, SJCI shared chair with MD. On April 29, 1997, Lynn returned to their facility with another school. On November SJCI as the representative of the Royal Bank for the 24, 1993, George Waters cut the ribbon for George 10th Anniversary of the Man in Motion tour. Rick Waters Middle School. The middle school became a Hansen spoke at this event. The event was broadcast separate entity within the High School campus. The on 220 Cable Television stations across Canada. George Waters School is located in the In 1992, Winnipeg City Council1954 addition to SJCI. Ironically durlor Ernie Gilroy held a public meeting ing its early years, the building at 190 to talk about community policing. In Ferry Road, although part of SJCI, was 1996, General Clive Addie presented the not connected to the main building at United Nations Peace Keeping award to 1900 Portage Avenue. In May 1992, the Miss Triolo and her Senior 1 students. Students’ Council commemorated the The students wrote letters to Canadian 40th Anniversary of the Portage Avenue Forces members serving in UN Peace School by donating a stained glass winKeeping Missions. dow. In 1996, Dawn Hicks, a business The 1990s began with a couple of Jimteacher, and Brownnen Yewdall of the mies winning back-to-back outstanding Astra Credit Union helped set up a Stuperformance awards. Bob Heighton in dents Credit Union. Lori Anne Lewis, Fred Morris 1990, followed by Ric Cavalieri in 1991, Ryan Fry, and Gavin Johnstone were both won Manitoba’s Most Outstanding involved as students. In February 1992 From the desk High School Basketball Awards. A 1992 Cheryl Rose San Juan, a student, wrote of a gadfly newspaper archive mentioned Coach a Letter to the Editor praising the concept. Dawn Hicks went on to become Jim Feasby and Vince Runchey as part the Vice Principal and Principal of SJCI. of the long-running SJCI Rugby Program. In 1998, SJCI won an Addictions Awareness Week Entertainment remained an important part of the SJCI experience. The productions included Boy award for their campaign against Teens Drinking and Friend, the Little Shop of Horrors, Our Miss Brooks, Driving. The students all signed a petition and held a Much Music Video Dance. Winnipeg Blue Bomband the Beverly Hillies. In the early 1990s, Tiffany Hogue scored the high- ers kicker Troy Westwood spoke to the students and est possible mark in an European history exam. Tif- walked with the students to Bruce Park. Some of the fany later received two gold medals and several schol- students involved were Lucia Giancola, Matt Foster, arships at the U of W. Kimberly Chartrand won a Jeremy Funk, and Kyle Ushock. 1997 Scholarship from the Children's Legacy of Ma As the century drew to a close, I noticed of couple Mawi Chi Itaa Foundation. School newspapers were of obits that spanned much of the then 83-year SJCI part of the 1990s SJCI experience. The Jimmies Jour- history. In 1996, Don McNabb died at the age of 77. nal, a newspaper, included contributions from Shelly Don had attended SJCI and later became a St. James Bernardin, Sherri, Thompson, Diana Carlyle, Arlan School Trustee. On Christmas Eve 1999, Wilma CarGates, Graham Newman, and Shelly Wilkie. din, a long time school secretary, died at the age of 80. Many SJCI students with disabilities have signifiDuring the 1990s, student presidents were Vince cant achievements. In 1989-90, Niki Revoy, a deaf Runchey, Arlan Gates, Andrea Gantzel, Stacey Wiebe, student, was elected President of the Junior High Athena Bafaloucos, Terri Lee Truttman, Richard ViSeptember 2026

erira, Jennifer De Vera, Karen DeVera, Rob L'Arrivee, and Michelle Stone. The Governor General Medalists were Nancy Scott, Arlan Gates, Shelly Bernardin, Diana Caryle, Aaron Gunson, Min Phan, Richard Vieira, Bonnie Land, Mimi Tran, David Miller, and Andrew Roberstson. What do SJCI Principals do in their spare time? The answer is curl. John Proudfoot, Dennis Stefanson, Gordon Tovell, and Chris O’Grady curled on the same team for over 30 years. Between 1975-95, these gentlemen, all born in 1939, served as the Principal of SJCI. Reunion reminders The 75th Reunion will be held on October 23 and 24, 2026. The 100th reunion will be held sometime in 2051. I am starting to collect names of staff and students who live to be 100. Goodbye to the Arlington Street Bridge. Coming soon – a new Arlington Street Bridge. As early as 2021 in this publication, I called for the immediate demolition of the Arlington Street Bridge. The Bridge is finally being slowly demolished. Since the 1981 decision not to build the Sherbrook McGregor overpass, rail relocation has been studied. A front-page story in the August 13, 2026, Winnipeg Free Press pointed out that the rail yard relocation will take another 20 years. It is obvious that the rail yards will not leave their current location. The people of the West End and North End deserve a replacement bridge. During this century, underpasses have already been built on Kenaston (2014), Plessis (2016), and Waverley (2019). The new Arlington Street Bridge will enable people from the West End to travel to the North End by bus for the first time since the 1960s Coming up next A&W MS Fundraising Day. My first Shift at A and W in 49 years. There is only one candidate running in two City Wards in the October 28, Winnipeg election. There will NOT be an acclamation in the Daniel Mac Ward. ••• Fred Morris is a Grandfather, Sports Fan and Political Activist. lifestyles55.net

11 critical questions would-be donors should ask about themselves about planning their legacy donations Can this organization help me to make a difference for future generations? I have pondered the strange irony that people who give more are happier than people who get more.

chures or handouts that are available to the public. 2. Does the organization have information on their legacy giving n last month’s column, I wrote program that you can read and reabout the many good reasons search? If you reach out to the develfor supporting organizations and opment department of the charity or causes you care about speak with the executive through your estate director about a legacy planning. This month, giving program, the I want to outline the individuals should be indicators that an orgaable to efficiently pronization is prepared and vide a package of clearly ready to be a partner described and thoughtwith donors in planfully presented materining and implementals to show you some ing legacy planning of the options that are with supporters who available to you. This care about the longis information that you term importance of the can take to your lawTrudy Schroeder services and programs yer as you do your esRandom offered by a charitable tate planning, but you organization. should also be able to Notes One of the great privimeet one-on-one with leges of my professional representatives from the life has been the opportunity to work organization to be sure that you unwith generous community members derstand the program options. who are interested in leaving a legacy 3. Does the organization have of generosity for the community in orientation and information events which they have lived well and expe- for people who may be considering rienced success. The remarkable simi- making a legacy gift? An organizalarity of joy in giving that I have seen tion that has a well-developed legacy in these individuals has been a very giving program will host legacy givbig life lesson for me. Researchers ing information events on a regular in happiness have found that philan- basis. The events will be advertised thropy is one of the truly great indica- in their programs, on their websites tors of happiness in individuals. and through information emails to I have pondered the strange irony members and donors. The events that people who give more are hap- themselves will be positive and clear. pier than people who get more. How Usually there will be a representative can that be explained? What I have of a bank, investment firm, or finanobserved is that people who live gen- cial planner who will clearly outline erously have developed a practice of the financial and tax advantages of gratitude. They are thankful for the planned giving. The event should also professional and economic success include a presentation by senior perthey have experienced in their lives, sonnel in the organization who can and they want to make contributions describe the specific program options to others in their community and the for legacy circle members for that orworld in thankfulness for the success ganization. This should include the they have achieved. No one convinces types of specific programs that can these people to contribute to commu- be supported by a legacy gift. This nity causes and projects. They know might include youth and access prothat they want to help the commu- grams for specific population groups, nity, and they want to make a differ- capital campaigns, scholarships, proence, but they are also very discerning gram naming opportunities, and spein the ways they make contributions cial events that can be attached to a and the organizations and causes to legacy gift. There should also be a which they contribute. folder of information about the proNot all organizations and causes gram available for pickup at the event have prepared themselves to be ready and the opportunity to set up a oneto help generous potential donors on-one meeting with a representative make contributions to their cause. of the organization. The legacy gifts that you plan to make 4. Does the organization have a will come from a lifetime of work, range of program options available careful savings, and thoughtful in- for every level of gift that may be vestments. You want to know that the made? Sometimes we believe that organization will treat these resources legacy gifts can only be made by very carefully, responsibly, and respectfully. wealthy people who have millions of Here are some of the indicators you dollars to leave to an organization. should look for in organizations that An organization that has a well-develwill treat your generous legacy gift oped program will have a wonderful with the care and attention that the program of giving options for givers gifts deserve. of gifts of all sizes. You should never 1. Does the organization have get the impression that an organizaa planned giving program that is tion is not interested in your generdeveloped and visible? An organiza- osity because your potential gift is tion that is prepared to engage with not large enough. Also, you should potential legacy donors in a convinc- not feel at all pressured to provide ing way will be very clear and orga- specific information of the size of nized and visible about their legacy your planned gift to the organizagiving programs. You should be able tion. That is your business. Specific to easily find information about the gifts of modest size can make a huge legacy giving program in organiza- difference for an organization if there tional program guides, in their annual are many people who have made this reports, on their website, or in bro- type of planned gift.

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5. Does the organization have an endowment fund that is held or managed by a respected and responsible board? Before making a commitment of a legacy gift to an organization, you should check to see that the organization is responsibly managed by good professional staff members, that if you desire your gift can be contributed to an endowment fund operated by a reputable board, and that there are good restrictions on the access to endowment funds so that boards are not tempted to squander the funds that are meant to be a support to the organization for the long term. In many communities, there are community foundations that can hold funds on behalf of organizations in the community. In Manitoba, the Winnipeg Foundation is a highly reputable community foundation that has hundreds of agency funds that are held on behalf of charitable organizations in Winnipeg. The proceeds of the endowment funds are directed to the specific charity every year, usually at the rate of 5% of the fund size. Your gift of $10,000 would provide annual income of $500 per year in perpetuity to the cause that you care about. If you contribute $1M to the endowment fund, the annual contribution to the organization would be $50,000. That can do a lot of good over time. 6. Is there evidence that the organization thanks and recognizes legacy donors in an appropriate and sustainable way? While you are making your gift to an organization because you care about the service the group provides to the community, you should also see evidence that the organization is consistent and responsible in the way that it remembers and recognizes those who make legacy gifts to the organization. You should see the names of legacy givers in the organization’s annual reports, program guides, and on websites, or on walls on capital projects. If an annual event or concert is to be held in honour of a donor, that event should come up regularly. There should be profiles of legacy donors in development newsletters or on websites. You should see evidence of the generosity of previous generations of givers on building names, or program names. 7. Is there some documentation around planned gift that will give you reassurance that your planned gift will be used for the purposes you have identified? When you decide to join a legacy circle for an organization, you should be able to fill out a program registration form that indicates your intention to make a legacy gift. The form should allow you to select the area or program to which you plan to make a gift. There should be an opportunity to share a personal profile with the organization that can be used for future recognition of your gift. There should be a description of the way in which your gift will be recognized, and you should be able to determine the way in which your name appears on recognition vehicles. Some organizations will send back a legacy giving agreement that is authorized by the CEO and will have an official seal or stamp of the organization on the document.

8. Is there a legacy circle membership protocol and program elements? In some organizations, special legacy giving membership pins, lists on donor walls or legacy donor books are kept. Find out about the program elements and plan to participate in the events. What you will discover is that the enthusiasm and stories of the other members of the planned giving group will inspire and amaze you. If you can make connections with others who plan to remember their community in their will, you will be delighted by the wonderful people you meet. 9. How will your gift be recognized? The way in which your gift will be recognized should be clearly outlined in writing. Do keep this information with your will and estate planning documents so that your executors and family members can be sure of the recognition and benefits that are linked to your planned gift. If there are term limits to the recognition, this should be clearly outlined. 10. Does the organization have regular meetings to thank members of their legacy circle for their legacy gifts? It is a good sign that the organization is serious about its planned giving program if they have an annual event to which members of the planned giving program are invited on an annual basis. This may be a reception, a tea, a dinner, or just a meeting to talk about the status of the organization, recognize the members that have made a gift in the past year, welcome new members, and generally thank planned givers for their generosity in planning for a gift for the organization. If you join a planned giving program, you should be thanked for your gift while you are still alive. 11. Will there be any lasting signage, naming rights, legacy benefits, or other elements that should be clearly documented so that there will not be any misunderstandings or disappointments later? If you are giving a very large gift that is attached to very specific expectations of signage, program naming, or access benefits for future generations of members of your family, be sure that this is well documented, and find out how the organization keeps records of these kinds of commitments. Staff members change, technology changes, offices change, and sometimes files disappear. It is best to be sure how the promises made while a legacy gift is being organized will be kept. Giving to organizations that you care about should be a joyful process for you. If you have been passionate about a cause or an organization in your lifetime, the opportunity to make a legacy gift that will help to sustain the program or service for future generations should be an engaging and memorable experience for you in your life. Whether your favoured charities are protecting prairie wetlands, grasslands, Celtic dancing, pet rescues, historical sites, museums, art galleries, orchestras, classic car races, festivals, churches, summer camps, or your university, know that your generosity and thoughts for future generations will make a difference. September 2026

The saint and the tailor

Items from the Underground Church.

Greg Barrett Part 2 of 5 Last month we left off here . . . . . . . . the period of the Second World War, Ukraine became the principal battleground on the Eastern Front. Yet despite these conditions of war in the midst of killings, atrocities, hunger and exploitation, Father Vasyl continued to carry out his ministry of serving anyone who needed his help.

y then the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church throughout Ukraine had been truly martyred and crucified and had gone underground and was seen as living its spiritual life in the catacombs. Vasyl recognized the continuing needs of his people living in the spiritual shadows and without hesitation continued his work as a shepherd in the new reality of this underground Church. The very fact that the Ukrainian Catholic church went underground was a calculated strategy and was in itself an act of resistance against the repressive soviet regime that went on for decades. He knew that being “in the midst of wolves” he would have to pay heroic attention to the instructions of Jesus to “be wise as serpents and innocent as doves”. He knew also that this would be secretive and dangerous work - but he could do no other. Father Vasyl took charge of the situation and began to pump life back into this hidden church. He reasoned that if we can celebrate the Divine Liturgy in mine shafts and prison barracks, why can’t we do this in our homes? Over these years he so conducted himself that he became known as the Father of the underground church. Years later when the Church was allowed to exercise its faith in public it did not have to start from scratch. Thanks in large part to the work of Blessed Vasyl there was an energetic group of the faithful upon which to build the future. Rome was acutely aware of his ministry and the conditions under which he worked. Accordingly, in 1959 Rome appointed him as Bishop of this underground church but there were no bishops left in Ukraine to consecrate him. As Blessed Vasyl carried out his duties, other events were taking place in other parts of the world that would have a major impact on his life. At the initiative of Pope John XXIII and with the help of U.S. President Kennedy, aided by the work of Monsignor Johannes Willebrands in the Vatican, negotiations were taking place with Nikita Kruschev of the USSR with the goal of effecting the release of Metropolitan Josyf Slipyi from his incarceration in the Gulag. An agreement was finally reached between the parties and on January 12, 1963 after 18 years of imprisonment, the Metropolitan was released. Under the conditions of his release, he was forbidden to return to Lviv and was exiled. On his way to Rome, he stopped in Moscow. Monsignor John Willebrands was sent by the Vatican to Moscow to meet Metropolitan Slipyi at the Moskva Hotel and he describes their first meeting as follows: “Upon my arrival in Moskwa Hotel, sixth floor, I identified Slipyi, who was coming from the opposite corridor, by his stature, the look of his eyes. I went to meet him and said: “Are you Archbishop September 2026

Slipyi? He answered: ‘Are you coming from Rome? I said yes. He continued: ‘I waited eighteen years for you.’ In the meantime, Metropolitan Slipyi had asked Father Vasyl Velychkovsky to join him in Moscow and under conditions of extreme secrecy he consecrated Father Vasyl as Bishop. This event was reported by Giampaolo Mattei of L’Osservatore Romano as follows: “But in Moscow, before leaving for Rome, he was able to confer episcopal ordination on the Redemptorist Vasyl Velychkovsky. Mons., now Cardinal, Johannes Willebrands was present.” Metropolitan Slipyi then continued on his exile journey to Rome while Bishop Velychkovsky returned to the underground church in Lviv and Ukraine. While acknowledging the honor of being consecrated Bishop, Vasyl Velychkovsky knew and embraced the fact that he was going back into harm’s way. On his journey home from Moscow, he stored up in his heart and mind the words of Metropolitan Slipyi that “During times of persecution consecration is not an honor but first and foremost a burden.” From the time he returned to Lviv as Bishop in 1963 until 1972, Bishop Vasyl Velychkovsky was recognized as the Primate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Galicia – a church of the catacombs. Once again picking up the cross of his ministry, Bishop Vasyl went to work as priest and bishop – hearing confessions, giving encouragement and consolation to his people, organizing underground seminaries, ordaining priests and with any eye to the future consecrated Fr. Volodymyr Sterniuk as bishop. Bishop Sterniuk was asked to keep a low profile and only to act as bishop if and when something happened to Bishop Velychkovsky. Blessed Vasyl carried out his work under conditions of intense risk knowing all the time that he was being watched on a 24-hour basis. At any time, as he traveled in and around Lviv, he was likely to be picked up and arrested by the KGB.

Mug Shot for arrest in January 1969. Inevitably, on January 27, 1969, after 6 years of constant pressure, his time ran out and he was again arrested. He received another prison sentence - this time, however, he was not sent to the Gulag but given a 3-year sentence in Komunarsk (now known as Alchevsk in the Donbas Region). He was taken to a hospital for the mentally ill and over the next three years Bishop Velychkovsky was subjected to harsh, physical, psychological and chemical torture.

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To be continued next month . . . lifestyles55.net

How far it goes, one never knows

She reminded me that one day we had been standing t was during COVID that I decided to show, indirectly, what a wonderful multicultural society we in line for coffee. We were strangers, yet I started talking to her. have here in our beautiful province of Manitoba. Only then did I remember. I decided to visit three local stores, each owned and I had been standing behind her and somehow sensed run by people from different cultural backgrounds. Being an immigrant to Canada myself, I understand that she was going through a difficult time. Perhaps it was her facial expression, her body lanwhat it means to find food that tastes like guage, or simply her lack of energy. I told home – food made the way our mothers her that I sensed she was struggling. made it. It means so much. I also told her, at that time, that I had When we eat traditional meals, the food been through difficult times myself and not only nourishes our bodies; it uplifts that, eventually, everything passes. our spirits and fills our hearts with love. The wheel of fortune turns. The food of our childhood reminds us of At the time, I had no idea what those family, friends, gatherings, laughter, camafew words would mean to her. raderie, and the people we loved. Food is Now, years later, she wrote to me that so much more than nourishment. It is part those seemingly insignificant words had of our human experience. given her hope, uplifted her, and given her Do you remember your favourite childthe strength to live another day. hood meals? Who made them? Who did I never saw her again after that coffeeyou share them with? What were the occaZofia Dove sions when you had them? What feelings Dove's Discoveries shop encounter. I didn't know what happened in her life afterward, or whether my come back when you remember? words had made any difference. The truth After immigrating to Canada, I missed my mother's cooking. I searched for the same ingredi- is, I had completely forgotten that brief conversation. She hadn't. ents and spices so I could cook and bake the traditional Because of that experience, she made a promise to Polish dishes she had made. It wasn't only about pleasing my taste buds. It nourished something deeper in me. herself to pay kindness forward. She told me that ever And when I cooked those familiar dishes, I wanted since, she has encouraged people whenever she can and to share them not only with my family, but also with looked for opportunities to help others. Think about that. friends and Canadian colleagues at workplace potlucks. A conversation I had long forgotten had stayed with Knowing that people from other cultures have similar connections to food and memories, I chose three stores her. And through her, those few words may have indirectto visit and made short videos about each one. The first was a grocery store owned by an Indian man. ly reached countless people I will never meet and may He imported ingredients and spices for the Indian com- never know about. That is the mystery of small things. munity, but his customers also included people from AfWe rarely know where they go. rican countries who came to find the foods and spices We often underestimate the power of what we say familiar to them. The second was owned by a woman from Pakistan. and do. We imagine that making a difference requires Her store offered ingredients, spices, and foods from wealth, influence, or power. Sometimes it requires none of those things. Pakistan, the Middle East, and across Asia. Sometimes it requires only noticing another human The last was an Italian store owned by two women. They offered authentic Italian and Southern European being and having the courage to respond with sincerity. Her message came back to me at exactly the right ingredients, as well as ready-to-eat Italian food. time. I posted the three videos on Facebook. I had been wondering whether anything I say or do Then something happened that I never expected. After I posted the final video, featuring the Italian actually makes a difference. And just when I needed the store, a woman sent me a friend request. Being cautious answer, it came to me. Life is truly magical when we pay attention. about whose requests I accept, I checked how we were Her story reminded me once again to be intentional connected. I discovered that we were connected through about using my voice to “change the world” if only the the two Italian women I had interviewed. I accepted the request, and almost immediately re- world of a one person. She reminded me that encouragement and kindness are gifts we already carry within ceived a private message. It turned out I had met this woman years earlier, but I us. They cost nothing. had completely forgotten our brief encounter.

They require no special occasion. They simply require us to make the decision – the choice – to share them. Just last week, while leaving a grocery store, I noticed an elderly woman. I stopped and told her how elegant she looked. She smiled and said, “Thank you. You made my day.” It took only a few seconds. No money. No preparation. Just the willingness to say what I genuinely saw. And perhaps that is all it takes. We often think, I have no time. I don't want to be late. I'm in a hurry. And sometimes, of course, we truly are. But perhaps once in a while, we can pause for a few seconds and ask ourselves: What if this moment matters? What if the person in front of us needs something we can give without costing us anything? If you want to make a difference, don't wait for the perfect opportunity or imagine that your contribution has to be extraordinary. Be sincere. Be attentive. Be willing to pause, even when you're busy, and speak because your words matter. But make sure you mean what you say. People can sense pretence. After all, we all have a B.S. detector. Never underestimate what may seem insignificant. We may forget the moment while someone else carries it for years. We may never know what our words set in motion. And that is the mystery—and the beauty—of small things. So the next time you think, “It's only a small thing. What difference could it possibly make?” Remember: You may never know whose life your small act is changing. You may never know how far your words will travel. That doesn't mean they didn't matter. It means we don't always get to see the impact. So let's practice kindness. In a world that can sometimes feel overwhelmed by negativity, division, anger, and indifference, kindness may be one of the simplest—and most powerful—antidotes we have. And the beautiful thing is, it is already within all of us. It is free to give. Give it generously. Zofia Dove is a professional keynote speaker, author and producer, host and director of series “ReDISCOVERING the beauty of Manitoba, Canada”.

Pathways into and out of homelessness

his October, civic elections might see the homeless- systems-level strategies in 5 areas. ness and addiction crisis become a vote-determining 1) Housing: how to build a 1,000 rent-geared-to-inissue, even in suburbs, as they are now more affect- come units in Manitoba per year, and how to re-regulate ed by the presence of people panhandling, rents to stop housing inflation and renovasleeping in parks and discarding needles. tions. In 1998, when I held the housing portfolio 2) Stop the pathway to homelessness for the NDP Official Opposition, I wrote a from cutting people off EIA and instead paper called We All Need a Home: Houstransform Employment Income Assistance ing Ideas for High Need Manitobans. It to a basic income program with staff supwas based on consultation with dozens of ports for education, retraining and recovcommunity groups representing 12 differery of people rather than policing them. ent populations with different pathways to 3) Ensure CFS is not a pathway from homelessness, such as family violence and multiple foster homes and poverty. Inabuse, exiting CFS, Indigenous populastead support people to be healthy partions on and off reserve, people leaving ents, breaking the cycle of family abuse. 4) prison and other institutions, for example. Similar supports to address gender-based Now in 2026, the terminology has violence, and evolved, but the situation has deteriorated 5) Create those 23,000 child care spaces Marianne Cerilli further. End Homelessness Winnipeg rethe governments have promised for Maniports that over 8,400 people are houseless toba. in our city, plus more hidden homeless. The waitlist for Like harm reduction programs that offer a pathway to social housing is about 10,000. treatment, basic income, CFS reform, and other traumaWe have learned a lot since the 90s about trauma and informed approaches for therapy and universal child care what leads to mental health problems, addiction and do not create dependence; they prevent the long-term relichronic homelessness. We know that systems like CFS, ance on the inadequate system we now have. During the EIA and even mental health services are now part of the last provincial election, the NDP promised a bold goal problem. We know unresolved trauma from childhood to end homelessness in two terms, or eight years. The abuse and neglect, intergenerational trauma from resi- province recently announced it had successfully housed dential schools and other forms of colonization, as well as about 250 people from encampments, but there is no net wars and displacement, are at the root of poverty, addic- number as new people are evicted, cut off welfare and left tions and mental illness. to fend for themselves every day. The approach they are Essentially, we know we must stop seeing home- taking looks at supporting individuals, not closing syslessness, addictions and mental health as entirely the tem gaps. Nor, for example, closing other pathways like personal failure of individuals and start seeing these releasing people with no fixed address from hospitals to as systemic deficiencies. Reweaving Support Project, the streets. a project I led recently, did this; it applied a traumaIn the last city election, the current mayor promised informed, gender lens to our social safety net to outline to prioritize homelessness. We all know the situation has 8

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worsened. The recent pre-election sweep of homeless encampments emphasizes policing as the solution, which allocates about $1,000 to $1,200 per shift to off-duty police officers for overtime at the grocery store. Meanwhile, the people being policed if on EIA are expected to live on that same amount for a month. Along with disincentives to work, with EIA clawing back of 70 cents on the dollar, after earnings of $200 per month. Who else is taxed at 70% rate? The most effective city solutions are in land assembly to build affordable housing and zoning. There has been progress on ensuring land is targeted for infill housing, but there has not been an inclusionary housing by-law to require 10 to 20 percent of all housing builds to include affordable or rent-geared-to-income units. This is what other jurisdictions have done. And it could prioritize urban design that links transit to new housing development, more than subdivisions near the Perimeter Hwy. The City of Winnipeg has a small public housing portfolio, WRHA, but it can play a larger role in converting buildings to housing. The city could also use the assets it has, like recreation facilities, to make life better for people who need a place to shower, library literacy programs, exercise and recreation programs, and nutrition support. This can be in partnership with community groups, the way the city does for people with disabilities. Each level of government and community agency has a role to play. Agencies like West Central Women’s Resource Centre, where I worked for eight years leading the HOMES program, to mentor women to improve their housing and economic security, prevent eviction and get their benefits. Marianne Cerilli is an educator, and former MLA working in community development and social innovation. Listen to Marion on CKUW radio, or check out her website at Mariannecerilli.ca. September 2026

Canadians are surrendering free speech one restriction at a time

Well-intentioned online harms laws can give the government powers we may find very difficult to take away

anadians are unlikely to wake up one morning and idence and more debate—not government deciding which MPs should not hand regulators or cabinet broad powers discover that freedom of speech has disappeared. lawful ideas Canadians should be allowed to hear. over lawful speech and information. There will be no announcement that they are no That does not mean anything goes. Threats, fraud, harassBut this is not simply Parliament’s responsibility. It is longer free to question governments, challenge prevailing ment and other criminal conduct should be dealt with. But ours as citizens as well. ideas or express unpopular opinions. we must keep a clear line between criminal We have to tolerate hearing things we dislike. We have It will happen much more quietly than conduct and unpopular expression. to defend the right of people with whom we profoundly that, one reasonable-sounding restriction There is a simple test Canadians should disagree to speak. We have to challenge legislation that exat a time. Each will come with a persuasive apply whenever the government asks for pands government authority even when its purpose and justification. Protect children. Stop hate. new authority over speech or information. justification sound entirely reasonable. Fight misinformation. Make the internet Would you willingly give exactly the And we have to tell our MPs that freedom of expression safer. Protect vulnerable people. same power to a government you deeply is not a partisan issue. Who could possibly object? distrust? Canada is unlikely to lose free speech because Canadians That is precisely why Canadians should If the answer is no, the government consciously choose censorship. We risk losing it because pay attention. should not possess that power in the first we accept one reasonable restriction after another, each inThe greatest danger to free speech does place. Governments change. Ministers tended to solve a problem we understandably want solved. not come from restrictions Canadians recchange. Political priorities change. The We should think very carefully before giving the governrules and agencies they create can remain ment more power over what we may say, hear or debate ognize as censorship but from restrictions with us for decades. we are persuaded are reasonable. because once we give that power away, we may not easily David Leis A power that seems harmless when ex- get it back. Ottawa’s proposed Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, provides a timely exercised by politicians we trust can look David Leis is the President and CEO of the Frontier Centre ample. The government says the legislation very different when exercised by politicians for Public Policy and host of the Leaders on the Frontier podcast. is intended to protect children from online harms. Among whose judgment, values or motives we question. A seasoned commentator on Canadian public policy, he focuses other measures, it would establish a Digital Safety ComThat is why good intentions are not enough. Parliament on restoring accountability, economic common sense, and civic mission of Canada and impose new rules on social media must set clear limits on any restrictions on expression and health to the country’s national, provincial and municipal inand AI chatbot services, including rules governing accounts ensure the government can justify why they are necessary. stitutions. for children under 16. The concerns behind those proposals are real. Any parent who has watched what social media can do to children understands why government feels pressure to act. That is exactly when Canadians must be most vigilant. The more compelling the justification, the more carefully we must examine the power the government is asking us to surrender. Of course we should protect children from genuine online harms. But that doesn’t mean handing the government broad powers over lawful expression. Bill C-34 itself recognizes the tension by requiring the proposed commission to consider freedom of expression and privacy. But many of the details would be worked out later through regulations, with the new system overseen by a regulatory body. Of course, government should protect Canadians from criminal and genuinely harmful conduct, but it should not decide which lawful ideas we are free to express, encounter or debate. Canada has spent years giving the government a bigger Choosing funeral and cemetery plans can role in what happens online. The Online Streaming Act be overwhelming to a grieving spouse. expanded the CRTC’s authority over online broadcasting. The Online News Act sought compensation from large Plan the details now. Together. digital platforms for Canadian news organizations, leading Meta to remove news from Facebook and Instagram Order your FREE Estate Planning in Canada. Kit by calling or visiting the locations The direction is clear: the government is becoming more involved in what Canadians see and do online. listed below. Restrictions on liberty rarely arrive advertised as restrictions on liberty. They arrive as solutions. No single measure Chapel Lawn Funeral Home & Cemetery has to destroy free speech to weaken it. Government power 4000 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, MB can grow a little at a time, with each reasonable-sounding restriction making the next one easier to accept. 204-819-4297 Why does this matter? Because free expression is not Glen Lawn Funeral Home & Cemetery simply another right. It is what allows us to defend all the others. 455 Lagimodiere Blvd., Winnipeg, MB Without freedom of expression, how do we challenge 204-900-8547 bad legislation? How does a journalist expose government failure? How does a minority challenge the majority and Glen Eden Funeral Home & Cemetery persuade others that it may be wrong? Free expression is also essential to science, innovation 4477 Main St., West St. Paul, MB and ultimately prosperity. Science advances because ac204-817-8621 cepted ideas can be questioned and experts can be proven wrong. Innovation depends on that same freedom to chalDesjardins Funeral Home lenge conventional wisdom. When a society discourages people from questioning what everyone else assumes to be 357 Des Meurons St., true, it risks discouraging the independence of thought on Winnipeg, MB which progress depends. Something even more fundamental is at stake. Freedom 204-813-6063 of expression recognizes that human beings are capable of *Research conducted by Willful and Arbor Memorial Inc. in a 2020 survey. thinking, judging and deciding for themselves. The freedom to reach our own conclusions, express them, challenge others and sometimes discover that we are wrong is part of what it means to be a free human being. John Stuart Mill understood this nearly two centuries ago. He argued that silencing discussion assumes infallibility. Governments are not infallible. Experts are not infallible. Institutions are not infallible. Majorities are not infallible. That is why free societies tolerate arguments that many people consider wrong, offensive or even foolish. Popular speech does not require much protection. The real test of Arbor Memorial Inc. our commitment to free expression comes when someone says something we strongly believe should not be said. The answer to bad ideas is better arguments, stronger ev-

66% of Canadian families haven’t discussed their final wishes*

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Velvet tides: A seafood lasagna for sinners and saints “IT doesn’t whisper “eat me” – it drowns you in it.”

of course, it is dessert.) Pair her with chilled white wine, dimmed lights, and the kind of silence here are dishes you eat because that only comes from mouths too full to speak. you’re hungry, Chef ’s Tip: Poach your and then there are seafood in white wine with dishes you eat because fennel fronds, citrus peel, something else is hungry. and a smashed clove of This is one of those. Velgarlic. Reduce that liqvet Tides is not for first uid down to a shimmering dates, calorie counters, concentrate and fold it into or delicate appetites – it’s your hollandaise. What for the bold, the bare, the you’re doing isn’t just makones who know that a ing sauce – you’re bottling little seafood, a little butthe tide. ter, and a lot of nerve can Wicked Twist: Tuck in ruin you in the best posa thin layer of caviar-laced sible way. Ian Leatt ricotta – yes, caviar. Just This is lasagna like enough to pop salty pearls of you’ve never seen it. No Foodies decadence between the folds. red sauce, no safe corners, And for the final kiss? A no predictable layers. It’s lemon-saffron butter drizzle been dipped in molten hollandaise – made scandalous with the just before serving, to light it up like forbidreduction of its own juices. Yes, that’s den gold. right. Every drop of seafood poaching liquor – every briny, buttery breath of Here is what you will need: shrimp, scallop, cod, and salmon – gets 15 lasagna noodles folded back into the sauce like a lover’s 500 grams shrimp last words. And that’s what makes it 500 grams fresh salmon, cubed dangerous. It tastes like the ocean had 500 grams large scallops (quartered) a secret affair with your butter dish. It 2 cups mozzarella cheese 2 cups Parmesan cheese feels like satin sheets at noon. You’ll need to go slow. Let the pasta sheets soak in the seduction. Let the Hollandaise Sauce sauce whisper into the seafood. Layer 2 large egg yolks by layer, it builds – dripping, golden, 2 tablespoons lukewarm water unctuous – until the whole dish is prac- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice tically panting under the broiler. And 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard when that top layer bubbles and browns 1/2 cup unsalted butter, (1/2 cup = 8 just enough to make your mouth water? tbsp) That’s your cue. Bring it out. Let it rest. 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or more to taste Tease the table with the scent. But it’s not done yet. Because hidden 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more inside – just between the folds, where to taste things get a little messy – is a scandalous little secret: a flicker of caviar-laced Cheese Mixture ricotta. A whisper of salt and silk. Just 1 large carton ricotta cheese enough to make you pause mid-bite 1 egg and close your eyes like you’ve just been 2 teaspoons minced garlic ½ cup fresh chopped parsley kissed a little too hard. Velvet Tides isn’t here to behave. It’s ½ teaspoon salt here to make you forget your diet, your better judgment. It’ll stain your table- The all-important how-to: Seafood, Lasagna, and Cheese cloth, melt your morals, and demand a Boil the lasagna noodles until soft, second helping before dessert. (Unless,

then drain and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350˚F and prepare a 9 × 13-inch baking dish by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray. In a large skillet, cook the shrimp and quartered scallops until the shrimp is pink. Mix the crab meat in, then set to one side. In another bowl, mix the 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 2 cups parmesan cheese. Hollandaise Sauce Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Store the egg whites in an airtight container in the fridge for another recipe. Add the egg yolks to a small saucepan with water, lemon juice, and Dijon, and whisk until well combined. Cut the butter into small pieces and gradually add them to the egg mixture. Place the pot over medium-low heat, whisking the mixture constantly. Continue whisking constantly for about 3 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken, then immediately remove from heat. It should be thick enough to coat

the back of a spoon. Season with salt and a touch of cayenne pepper, adding more seasoning to taste. Serve right away or cover to keep warm. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a teaspoon of warm water to loosen it up. Pour a thin layer of sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Place a layer of cooked lasagna noodles over the sauce. Next, spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the seafood mixture, then 1 /3 of the shredded cheeses. Repeat the process with sauce, noodles, ricotta, seafood, and cheese twice more, finishing with the cheese mixture on top. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover the lasagna, then return to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Serve with fresh warm crusty bread and a nice white wine. Ian Leatt is a trained chef from across the pond.

Winnipeg's permits department fails homeowners again Continued from page 1

Start with the money, because that is where most sources matter and cannot be discussed. That is the people feel this first. Property taxes are up more same evasive language this administration uses on than 35 percent since Scott Gillingham took his almost everything. People do not buy it anymore, current seat at City Hall. Water rates have climbed. and they should not have to. Now there is a garbage collection fee stacked on Then there is enforcement, or the lack of it. A top of the property tax bill, a fee that duplex went up next to a home in this functions as a brand new tax no matcity with its exterior wall inches from ter what label the city puts on it. Winthe property line and a mechanical exnipeggers are not asking for miracles. haust vent inches from a fence, leavThey are asking why they pay more ing little room to reach the backyard. every year for potholes that do not get Winnipeg’s zoning by-law calls for fixed, a permits office that does not a minimum side yard, and building answer its phone, and a downtown rules prohibit unprotected openings that keeps emptying out. A rising bill within 1.2 metres of a property line. is easier to accept when the services The neighbours raised the issue with attached to it are improving. That is the city. Nothing happened. A departnot what residents are experiencing ment that finds time to flag a pool here. owner over a locked gate but cannot The permits story matters beyond respond to an apparent setback and Kevin Klein one afternoon. Years ago, it came safety violation next door to a family out that several City of Winnipeg inhome is not short on resources. It is spectors were skipping appointments short on priorities. while clocked in and getting paid anyway. A numDefenders of city hall will say permits exist to ber were let go. As a former city councillor, I asked keep people safe, and they are right. Nobody is arstraightforward questions afterward: were they all guing against inspections. The problem is not that terminated, did any receive settlements, were any the rules exist. It is that the department enforcing moved to another department, and are any still on them treats homeowners as the obstacle instead the payroll. The answer was that it is a human re- of the client, while looking past actual violations 10

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built next to someone’s fence. When honest people who are trying to comply get punished with fees and no-shows, and people who cut corners get ignored, you do not get more compliance. You get more homeowners who decide to skip the permit next time, which is the opposite of what public safety requires. I do not object to taxes. Cities cost money to run, and costs rise. What I object to is paying more every year and getting less in return. A resident should be able to reach a real person at the permits office. A duplex built in apparent violation of the fire and building code should draw a response within weeks, not silence. And when city staff are dismissed for not doing their jobs, taxpayers deserve a straight answer about what that cost, not a shrug about personnel privacy. I have watched friends leave this city, some no farther than across the perimeter highway, to get out from under Winnipeg’s tax bill and its broken permitting system. Almost every one says the same thing: they wish they had done it years ago. My answer is different. Leaving is not how you fix a city you still love. Voting for someone new in October is. We need change, but change that makes sense, built on competence and accountability rather than another four years of the same excuses. Kevin Klein is the publisher of the Winnipeg Sun. September 2026

Joe Pye weed Continued from page 1

seeds produced at the end of the summer. Echinacea (purple coneflower), Helenium, Monarda It is also a forgiving perennial in the garden, and Persicaria. blooming for about six weeks but, Spotted Joe Pye weed, E. maculatum, under the right conditions, up to ten when wet and happy, can grow to eight weeks. It likes sunlight to light shade feet tall. This is the one with the fluffy in rich, moist but well-drained soil flowers. It is one of the very long bloomconditions. It is not that fussy and ers, putting out umbels that can, in some will generally grow wherever you put species, get as large as eight inches across. it. However, that beautiful specimen On the other hand, Sweet Scented Joe I saw in England was responding to Pye weed, E. purpureum, is often consome garden empathy. I would sugfused with spotted Joe Pye weed, but it has regular blossoms and smells like vagest giving it lots of water because in nilla. the wild, it thrives at the margins of Hollow Joe Pye Weed, E. fistulosum, sloughs and wet ditches. is the tallest of the Joe Pye Weeds, reachJoe Pye is generally a large plant that ing 10 feet tall and sending out whitishcan create a four-foot-wide clump, so Dorothy Dobbie pinkish flowers in late summer to early if you have a small garden, there are The Gardener fall. Leaf cutter bees will overwinter in its now dwarf varieties you can grow. You hollow stems. can also cut back stems to half in June, Clearly, Joe Pye weed is best loved by which will result in a shorter plant with those who like large plants and love to attract pollinamore stems and more flowers. Good plant companions include Karl Foerster grass, tors and birds.

Joe Pye weed in bloom up close.

Canada protects its banks – but who is protecting Canadians?

anada is proud of its banks, misremembered: resilience came from with reason. They are large, conservative mortgage rules, rigorous profitable, well capitalized supervision, emergency liquidity and and internationally respected, and not federal purchases of tens of billions in one failed in 2008 while the Ameri- insured mortgages. Regulation and can system buckled. But stability has the state saved the system, not the become the all-purpose answer to ev- absence of competitors. Capital rules ery hard question about protect depositors. Entry the industry behind it. barriers protect market So ask directly: after share. One is public poldecades of protecting icy. The other is a favour. one of the most concenCanadian banks, meantrated banking markets while, spent decades in the developed world, competing in someis the protection still one else's market: TD serving Canadians, or built one of the largest just the banks? U.S. retail operations; Canada has dozens of BMO, RBC and CIBC smaller banks and hunexpanded aggressively, dreds of credit unions. It not always cleanly. BMO also has six institutions paid US$ 40.7 million to Romel Dhalla holding 96 per cent of settle SEC charges over On The banking-sector assets mortgage-securities disMoney (IMF, 2025). The Unitclosures (Reuters, 2025). ed States, as of the first Open doors demanded quarter of 2026, had 4,278 FDIC-in- abroad; the home door barely ajar. sured banks and savings institutions Then there is what happened inside (FDIC, 2026). TD. The barriers are specific. Under From January 2018 through April the Bank Act, a full-service foreign 2024, TD's American operations branch cannot accept a deposit under failed to automatically monitor ap$150,000; retail entry means building proximately 92 percent of transaction a Canadian subsidiary from scratch. volume, roughly US$ 18.3 trillion Foreign banks are not banned; they in activity (Department of Justice, are priced out of bothering. When 2024). HSBC left in 2024, no foreign comNot billion. Trillion. petitor replaced it. A domestic giant For nearly a decade, the bank added absorbed it. no new monitoring scenarios; interFor consumers, the result functions nally, the approach was called the "flat like a private tax. Measured against cost paradigm." Three laundering Britain and Australia on monthly ac- networks moved more than US$ 670 count fees, non-sufficient-funds and million through TD accounts: drug overdraft charges, and ATM fees proceeds in bags of cash through abandoned abroad, the excess runs to branch lobbies, employees taking $7.7-billion a year (North Econom- bribes, staff communications showics, 2024). Switching barely helps; ing they understood. In October even the "alternatives" are often in- 2024, TD became the largest bank in cumbents. Tangerine belongs to Sco- U.S. history to plead guilty to Bank tiabank, Simplii to CIBC. Secrecy Act failures, and the first ever For businesses, the cost is access to to plead guilty to money-laundering capital. SMEs everywhere pay more conspiracy: roughly US$3.1 billion to borrow than large firms, but the in penalties and a cap on its Amerigap is wider in Canada than in other can growth (Department of Justice, OECD countries (Competition Bu- 2024). reau, 2025). In January, the Bureau Be precise about what this proves. opened a market study into SME It does not prove that competition lending. The study is welcome. That at home would have prevented failit is necessary is the indictment. ures abroad; the collapse happened Concentration has real benefits: in the world's most competitive marscale, diversification, easier super- ket. It demolishes the premise bevision, nation-scale balance sheets. neath the protection: that Canada's Every one of them argues for strong sheltered giants are so well governed banks, not entry barriers. And 2008 is that shielding them serves the public. September 2026

If comparable deficiencies existed in their Canadian operations, would we ever know? Consider the machinery. Until this spring, the maximum FINTRAC penalty for a "very serious" violation was $500,000. Its record penalty, $ 9.2 million against TD for failures in its Canadian operations, was administrative, not criminal; RBC and CIBC drew $ 7.5 million and $ 1.3 million (FINTRAC, 2023-24). B.C.'s Cullen Commission concluded police could not rely on federal financial intelligence for timely, actionable leads (Cullen Commission, 2022). Those are not tools built for watching banks. Ottawa has conceded the point: in March, Parliament raised the caps forty-fold, to $20-million per very serious violation with cumulative penalties up to three per cent of global revenue (FINTRAC, 2026), and revived the long-promised Financial Crimes Agency. Welcome, and an admission that for decades financial crime here was priced as a rounding error. Weak competition does not cause weak enforcement. The thread is deference: a culture that treats the largest banks with a solicitude no other industry enjoys. Deference at the border. Deference in merger review. Deference, until this year, in the price of misconduct. Now look at Canadian streets. Ottawa's own risk assessment estimates that $45 billion to $ 113 billion is laundered here every year, names drug trafficking the largest threat, and rates the big banks among the most vulnerable sectors (Department of Finance, 2025). A fentanyl trade measured in bodies cannot run on cash under a mattress; it needs banking. No one should claim the Big Six knowingly run drug money. The documented problem is quieter and worse: the system billed as the envy of the world was, by Ottawa's own accounting, not built to stop it. Merger review does not correct it. When RBC absorbed HSBC Canada, the Competition Bureau documented HSBC's sharper rates and lower fees, and instances where its pricing forced RBC to respond, yet reasoned that HSBC was too small for its loss to "substantially lessen" competition; Ottawa approved (Competition Bureau, 2023). In a concentrated market, that logic runs backwards: a

maverick's value is its behaviour, not its share. If that is what the test permits, the test is the problem. So, change the incentives. Keep every prudential safeguard; dismantle the moat. Rework the $150,000 foreign-branch rule. License credible entrants on an aggressive clock. Give open banking a statutory deadline: it was legislated this spring, eight years after Britain's went live, and the regulations remain out for comment with no launch date (Department of Finance, 2026). Use the new penalties at a scale that changes behaviour, not budgets. Treat further consolidation among the majors as presumptively against the public interest. Stop confusing the market share of Canadian-owned banks with the national interest. A well-capitalized foreign bank under Canadian law and supervision deserves the same treatment here. Our banks are sophisticated enough to win abroad. They should be required to win at home. Real competition would squeeze the incumbents: fees would fall, deposit rates would rise, margins would compress. That is not the system failing. That is the system finally working. Canada built its banking system around stability, and stability is worth keeping. But protecting stability became protecting incumbency, and incumbency became an end in itself. The purpose of banking policy is not to produce comfortable banks. It is to produce a system that is stable, serves Canadians at honest prices, finances the people who build this country, and keeps criminal money out of it. On the evidence, we are one for four. Romel Dhalla, is President of Dhalla Advisory Corp., provides strategic corporate finance advice to companies and high net worth individuals. He was a portfolio manager and investment advisor with two major Canadian banks for 17 years. Contact him at romel@ dacorp.ca. Any views or opinions represented in this article are personal and belong solely to the author and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the author may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual. lifestyles55.net

The last leg of our miraculous Manitoba journey

Highway in southern Manitoba.

ow it’s time to head south again, along Highway 10. I encourage you to take a detour along PTH 366 and travel south through Duck Mountain Provincial Park to visit Old Baldy (Manitoba’s highest elevation at 833 feet above sea level). Dauphin Back on Hwy 10, you will be heading to Dauphin, a city and RM of 10,850 with all the amenities. It is home to the Dauphin’s Country Fest, usually held in late June and the Dauphin Ukrainian Festival, usually held in August but cancelled this year due to flooding, But Riding Mountain National Park is calling. It was the second Canadian location named as a national park (after Banff) and was once the home of the famed Grey Owl, the Englishman who travelled the world posing as a native person. If you are travelling early in the morning or just around dusk, you may see some amazing wildlife – an elk, or a black bear. And if not, the scenery is worthwhile. Near the south end of the park, is the summer townsite of Wasagaming. It is teeming with cottagers in summer and offers some very good accommodation as well as fine restaurants. This picturesque little town is on the shores of Clear Lake and there is a very beautiful golf course just outside of town. Brandon Next stop is Brandon, population about 50,000. It’s a pretty town on the banks of the Assiniboine

River that owes its existence to the railroad as the first terminus west of Winnipeg. When it was under development, it was called the Wonder City of the Northwest as European immigrants poured into the region to take advantage of farmland offers. It then became the Wheat City. It is home to Brandon University, founded in 1899, which has one of the best schools of music in Canada, and it is home to Keystone Centre, one the Canada’s largest agriculture complexes, combining sports, entertainment and accommodation. Just over an hour south is the International Peace Garden but be sure to take a quick detour to experience Souris and its swinging bridge. The longest swinging bridge in Canada at 184 metres, it was first constructed back in 1904 to connect the two sides of the town together across the Assiniboine River. While in Souris, stop by and see the 550-year-old Mystical Oak, now designated a heritage tree in Manitoba. You are just 40 minutes from Boissevain, home of Tommy the Turtle and some mouth-watering cinnamon buns at the Sawmill Café, and from there, another 20 minutes to the International Peace Garden. The one-and-only in the world, International Peace Garden Opened in 1932 as a symbol of brotherhood and everlasting peace between Canada and the United States, once inside, the garden allows you to pass freely from one side of the border to the other with no barriers. The beautiful new conservatory also houses one of the most extensive cactus and succulent collections in North America. The perennials gardens are worth the visit, but there is also the exclusive monument to the World Trade Centre that contains some of the twisted girders from the wreckage, a symbol of what happens when peace is discarded.

Since the trade dispute of the past two years, the garden has hosted a Hands Across the Border event where folks from both countries line up and shake hands as a symbol of their commitment to continued peace. There is a café and gift shop in the interpretive centre and vintage buildings and picnic shelters to explore as well as a fully serviced campground. The International Music Camp with both an indoor and outdoor theatre is worth visiting in summer when the park resounds with the sound of young musicians. Home to Winnipeg From here you will have to find your own way home, but look for highlights such as the tiny village of Ninette, once the home of the tuberculosis sanatorium in Manitoba. The town is nestled on the pretty little Pelican Lake. You may pass by or through towns such as Wawanesa, home of the insurance company and once home of a museum which illustrates the life of famous bigamist Percy Criddle and his talented family, or Glenboro, near the Manitoba’s Spirit Sands celebrated with a gigantic statue of a camel named Sarah, a hotel built in 1881, and the bow timbers of the last of the prairie navy with steamboats that plied the river between 1875 and 1885. Holland, Manitoba proclaims its Dutch heritage with a very large windmill. Treherne has a bottle house and church, complete with a bottle-built biffy, all made out of whisky bottles! You have been on a 2,130 km journey as the crow flies, just 200 km short of a road trip to Vancouver or about 100 km further than a trip from Winnipeg to Toronto (U.S. route), but you haven’t left your province. And we have barely touched the surface of all there is to see and do on other routes!

The Dauphin train station, is now also a museum.

Sarah the Camel at Glenboro near the Whispering Sands.

International Peace Garden looking down the boundary line.

So far, we have been up the west side of Manitoba, all the way to Churchill. So what about the return down south?

Dorothy Dobbie

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September 2026

Nostalgia concert to mark radio station CJNU Anniversary Continued from page 1

be “George and Gracie”, whose comedy routine was a smash hit at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. “Who knows, Groucho Marx might even put in an appearance,” says Moir. “It will be a night of surprises.” CJNU General Manager Adam Glynn says the event will also be a chance to say thank you to the radio station’s loyal supporters over the past two decades. “We Garry Moir want this to be a gift for our listeners and supporters. It will also give Nostalgics. us an opportunity to recognize and celebrate our pioneers who launched the 774-3190. Website tickets may be purradio station 20 years ago.” chased with credit card...telephone tickCJNU is also promising nostalgic ets by cash or e-transfer. pricing for the event. The cost of a tickIf available, tickets may also be puret is just $25. chased at the door, cash only. CJNU “The Night of Nostalgia” concert can trace its roots back to 1995 when will be held at the Gas Station Arts CKVN radio went on the air for a few Centre at River and Osborne, on Satur- days, bringing back memories and muday, October 17, at 7 pm...rush seating. sic of World War II. The station proved Tickets can be obtained by going to to be so popular that it continued the CJNU website or by calling 204- broadcasting on a month-by-month ba-

Groucho Marx. sis. While there were many twists and turns along the road, the station eventually evolved into a fully licensed operation known as Nostalgia Broadcasting Co-operative. CJNU was granted a community license in October 2006 and went on the air in December of that year. Contact: Garry Moir 204774-3190 Ed Note: Garry Robertson, who revived the original attempt to make the station

a staple on the air in Winnipeg, would be so pleased to see how far it has come. He passed away August 3, 2012, but as his obituary noted, “…he saw the establishment of CJNU as a permanent spot on the radio dial. He was truly delighted to be a part of this, and his contributions were recognized when he became an honorary board member of the station” just before he passed away. Please raise a toast to Garry at the reunion. – Dorothy

What to do about Donald Trump Continued from page 4

open or escalate. A durable agreement would limit his leverage. An unstable agreement allows him to demand another concession whenever he wants attention, political advantage or a new headline to take attention away from something like the Epstein files. That does not mean Canada should refuse ever to speak with him. It means we should stop treating negotiations as a search for the combination of concessions that will finally make him satisfied. There is no such combination. Canada can’t solve Donald Trump. And yet we must deal with his presidency. That means building trade relationships elsewhere, strengthening energy links within Canada and transportation links to the rest of the world, developing more capacity to process our own resources and helping affected industries survive the disruption. We need to insist that access to Canadian energy is part of the broader

relationship, not an unconditional American entitlement. Sometimes it may mean retaliating, but only where retaliation creates useful American pressure. We can’t put tariffs on American goods just for the (undeniable) emotional satisfaction. Carney has suspended negotiations while leaving open the possibility that useful talks could resume. That is about right. Leave the door open but stop standing in it with a cheese tray. If Washington eventually proposes an agreement that respects Canadian sovereignty and offers something reasonably durable, we can discuss it. Until then, Canada should concentrate on becoming more difficult to bully. That is not an answer to the question of what to do about Trump. There probably is no answer that will make him predictable, satisfied or harmless. It is an answer to the question we can actually control: what Canada should do about Canada.

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East and West Berlin – a modern-day “Tale of Two Cities” Joseph C. Ben-Ami

y isolating West Berlin as they did, East German authorities created the ideal study of competing political and economic systems. On every metric West Berlin outperformed its socialist competition. Last week, the 65th anniversary of the building of the Berlin Wall passed with virtually no notice. That’s a shame. Given the resurgent popularity of socialist doctrine, particularly among our youth, it’s well worth recounting the experience of those who lived in East Germany, their desire to escape, and the determination of those in charge to prevent that escape. East and West Berlin were artifacts of World War II. After the surrender of Germany in 1945, the country was divided into four zones of occupation, each administered by one of the four major allies: America, Britain, France and the Soviet Union. Its former capital, Berlin, was likewise divided into four sectors, each administered by one of the four major allies. As tensions between the Soviets and their former allies grew into the Cold War, Berlin, due to its geographic location in the heart of the Soviet zone, was an easy target for intimidation. Very early on, the Soviets attempted to force the Western Allies to abandon their positions in the city by imposing a blockade. Beginning June 24, 1948, no food or supplies were permitted to enter West Berlin by land. In response, the Western Allies mounted the Berlin Airlift, flying everything from food and medicine to clothes and fuel into the city, daring the Soviets to intercept and shoot down their planes. This went on until May 2, 1949, when the Soviets lifted the blockade, but that did not end their effort to dislodge their former allies. Soviet harassment led to numerous stand-offs over the course of the next decade-and-a-half, each threatening to spark a wider confrontation between East and West. The construction of the Berlin Wall had nothing to do with formal East-West relations though. It was built to prevent the migration of citizens of socialist East Germany – officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR), created in 1949 out of the Soviet occupation zone – from using West Berlin as an entry point to West Germany, also created in 1949 out of the combined zones occupied by the Western Allies.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall, 1989 Although Berlin remained under occupation until 1990, West Berlin enjoyed a remarkable degree of independence, with a democratically elected mayor and governing council, political freedom and a free economy, a tiny island of liberty and prosperity in the heart of the socialist paradise. The contrast between life in West Berlin and that in both East Berlin and East Germany in its entirety could not have been more pronounced. Residents of East Germany had only to make their way to Berlin’s western neighbourhoods to purchase virtually anything they wanted without line-ups. They could eat at restaurants, attend the cinema, and above all, talk, argue and debate every subject under the sun in public, without fear of being observed and reported by undercover police, paid informants or just plain citizens wanting to ingratiate themselves with the authorities. In West Berlin, one was free to praise socialism; in the east, it was a crime to be critical. It is estimated that as many as 3.5 million East Germans fled to the West in this period, most passing through the open border into West Berlin before flying or traveling on to West Germany. Unsurprisingly, this was something that the East German government could not tolerate. On the morning of August 13, 1961, residents of West Berlin awoke to find themselves surrounded by barbed wire, concrete barricades and armed troops stopping East Germans from entering their sector of the city. This aspect of the Berlin Wall is often forgotten. It

is a common misperception that the wall was constructed to divide East Berlin from its western counterpart. It was designed to prevent any movement in or out of West Berlin. 155 km long, with 300 watchtowers, the Wall divided West Berlin, not just from the Eastern sector of the city, but from the rest of the country immediately adjacent to the enclave as well. Ironically, in isolating West Berlin, East German authorities created the ideal study of competing political and economic systems. Here they were for almost 30 years, side by side. On every metric, West Berlin outperformed its socialist competition, including in the lack of desire of its residents to move east in contrast to the longing of so many East Germans to move West. In the 28 years of its existence, more than 5,000 fled to West Berlin by climbing over the wall, tunnelling underneath it, and even using zip lines from rooftops and home-made gliders to cross over it. An estimated 150 lost their lives in the attempt, and hundreds more were caught and imprisoned. Who can forget the completely unforeseen events of November 9, 1989, when the gates of the wall were suddenly thrown open, or the electrifying spectacle of jubilant Berliners hacking away at the concrete barrier with hammers and chisels. Before that night there had been no fewer than seven popular uprisings by citizens of Eastern European countries seeking to end the economic and political tyranny imposed by their Soviet “liberators” following the end of the Second World War. None succeeded. After that night, none failed. Today’s socialists fancy themselves the vanguard of human progress. In fact, they are just regurgitating the same old policies, justified by the same old slogans that have caused so much misery and cost so many lives since “The Terror” was unleashed by French radicals as a means of imposing their vision of “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” on society almost 250 years ago. Robespierre, Napoleon, Lenin, Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler, Mao, Ho Chi Min, Pol Pot… the list goes on and on. Today’s youth would benefit greatly from learning the history of these charlatans and the malignant creed they peddled. A good place to start would be the history of post-war Germany, and especially the city of Berlin. It’s a modern-day Tale of Two Cities well worth reading.

A people’s republic

braham Lincoln envisioned a rises to the top. Black oil floating on ‘Government, of the People, by water creates a tomb-like condition by the People, for the People’. This blocking the sunlight and the fresh air. can only happen if people learn how to It is only when the pot is stirred up will think for themselves and the organisms living in the country they live in is the water be swept to the a direct democracy where surface where they can see individual citizens vote on the light and breathe fresh all laws and policies inair. As explained by Joseph stead of voting for elected Atwill in his book, Caerepresentatives. The American founding sar’s Messiah, Roman fathers were determined emperors created many to keep all religions out religions which varied to of government business, suit each newly subdued stating that a self-sufficient populace. These emperpopulace was entirely caors followed the advice of pable of self-governance Cicero, known as the first Wayne Weedon without the need of help Machiavelli. Cicero adFood for from any supernatural vised, “We must persuade Thought entity or religious leader. our citizens that the gods After all, religion is a dicare the Lords and rulers tatorship. In a religious nation, citizens of all things and what is done, is done have no say in making laws and how by their will and authority; and they are the state is run. All rules and laws come the great benefactors of men, and know from a higher power, which is usually who everyone is, and what he does, and one or more fictitious gods who sup- what sins he commits, and what he inposedly give laws and rules to a selected tends to do, and with what piety he fulfew who pass these commandments on fills his religious duties.” to the general populace, who, under Power-hungry dictators and majority threats of punishment and promises of governments will try to keep the popurewards, are forced to follow these di- lace uneducated, ignorant, stupid, and vine commands. docile, just like sheep. Sheep have no Like water and oil, religion and de- logic and are immune to rebellion and mocracy are not compatible. The oil they are easily herded to form a cohewill always float to the surface. As long sive flock. Ordinary citizens, if properly as the pot is being stirred, this mix of educated so they can think in a critical oil and water may appear to be homo- and rational manner, are fully capable geneous. But, once the agitation ceases, of governing themselves and preventand we have peace, the oil separates and ing the rise of an unchecked majority 14

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government which will inevitably take away property and rights. In Canada, if a simple majority holds all the power, it will abuse it. A Canadian political party becomes a dictatorship when it has a majority in the House of Commons, a majority in the Senate, and has appointed a loyal sycophant as the Governor General. On this planet, throughout the ages, there have been many revolutions against dictatorships which eventually result in some type of democratic republic. All of these republics have rotted from the inside out, only to be taken over by another form of dictatorship, usually after the populace has been militarily subdued. The United States

of America is now run by Big Money, which is controlled by an oligarchy. The populace does not know who these oligarchs are, and they do not know who is actually running the show. All they know is that they have no control over their individual lives, nor do they have any control over what is happening in their country. History tells us that societies go through cycles. Inevitably, a small number of wealthy will eventually rise to the surface above a large number of poor people who will remain below them financially and educationally. Eventually some of the poor will begin questioning this caste system. As discontent spreads, the populace will rise up and take over the country. Money and property will be redistributed as the wealthy are slaughtered or expelled. Inevitably, the former rich will return, often with an army. They will regain power and once more enslave the poor. The solution is that if the poor can be educated enough to take control of and manage their own personal lives, to become independent of the system, they will not be subject to enslavement and they will be capable of governing themselves and their nation. They may eventually create a people’s government much like Lincoln imagined. Will this ever happen? Wayne Douglas Weedon is a Canadian published author who has written fiction and non-fiction. He has contributed to Lifestyles 55+ magazine for several years. Although currently retired, he continues to write. September 2026

Sri Lankan seniors everyone and introduced Ram’s wife AITAA Canada Chapter: Vijitha, my wife Chandani, and my Manitoba Province The Asian Institute of Technology two granddaughters, Chamathi and Alumni Association-Canada Chap- Senuri. Then Chyngyz conducted ter (AITAA-CC) Manitoba Provin- his presentation: Smart Sensing cial Coordination Meeting (MPCM) and AI-Driven Tools. Chyngyz conwas held on 12-6-2026. Mandayam ducted a lengthy discussion with our members on this preSriram (Ram), Presisentation. dent (2026-2028), In 1985, my emAITAA Canada, joined ployer, the Mahaweli via Zoom. Ram inAuthority of Sri Lanka structed us to decide (MASL), offered me a on the date of the scholarship to AIT in MPCM so he can arHuman Settlements. range such provinAt AIT, one of my arcial meetings in other eas of study was “Inprovinces. Therefore, stitutional Developduring this meeting, it ment”. Main outputs was decided to conduct were: (a) Back in my the MPCM meeting on service, more than 800 26-7-2026. Senaka Samarasinghe Farmer Organizations Discussed with Smitwere formed across all ty’s Restaurant; decided to conduct a luncheon meeting at systems in Mahaweli areas. (b) On its VIP room from 11.00 am to 2.00 8-7-2016, the AITAA Canada Chapter was formed. (c) On 23-6-2017, p.m. As it was a short period to orga- Sri Lankan Seniors Manitoba was nize the provincial meeting, my third established as a partner-association email (27-6-2026) was sent to our of the Sri Lankan Association of members to inform them about the Manitoba. Thanks to AIT. At the beginning, I convinced Malgood news of Ram's arrival for the MPCM. He informed us that he will wila Dissanayaka in Edmonton to esbe accompanied by his wife, Vijitha. tablish the AITAA Canada Chapter. Following the agenda, I welcomed We organized regular dialogue over

the months and communicated with AITAA Head Office at AIT Campus in Bangkok, which requested a draft constitution and other formalities. Sanjeev Jayasinghe, Director, Advancement and Alumni Affairs, greatly helped us. Sanjeev was one of my coworkers in the MASL. The first meeting was held on 8-5-2016. Malwila was the President. Chetna

was the Treasurer, and I was the Secretary. In 2027, it was discussed how to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the AITAA Canada Chapter. Several suggestions were: a cap, a Tshirt, a hanging bag, a souvenir, and a coffee table book. The meeting adjourned at 2.00 pm after posing for a group photo.

PUZZLES

SUDUKO

Answers page 19

crowblack, fishingboat-bobbing ---" (Dylan Thomas) 67 Egg holders 68 Peter Pan's pal 69 Blunder

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Concert appearance 4 Dirty 9 Cooking meas. 13 100 square meters 14 Contradiction 16 Chief Hawaiian island 17 Short for the least 18 Tennis great --- Gonzales 19 Tax 20 Applications 22 Tap's partner 23 Hoop dunk 25 Added for free September 2026

27 About this size 28 Surrounded by 30 Subject of spectacular bankruptcy case 33 Very similar to 35 Flashy 37 Tokyo Yoko 38 The Pobble had none 39 Engender 41 One of four 42 "You've Got Mail" company 43 "The hour --- hand": St Matthew's Gospel 44 Dangerous feats

46 G W T W's --- Butler 48 Green, blotchy frog type 50 Toque wearers 52 To do with plants 55 A machine's productive hours 57 Honorific title in India 58 --- of the above 59 Happy feline rumble 60 Letters, these days 63 Of a thing 64 Surrounded by 65 I'm sorry --- you waiting 66 "The sloeblack, slow, black,

DOWN 1 Complete range 2 Whiskey choice 3 Thomas Edison was once a director of it 4 National economic indicator 5 State of preparedness 6 Baseball segment 7 Clickers or squeakers 8 Expression of derision 9 Add as a bonus 10 Hi-fi is not supposed to suffer from it 11 Card dispenser 12 Golfing short shot 15 Gray wolf 21 18-wheelers 24 Sleeping

26 Stir-fryer 27 Pack 29 Election list 31 That show's going to be --- 9 pm 32 Silently indicates assent 33 State emblem on Old Glory 34 Expression of amazement 36 Pristine 40 Chums 41 Holy book of Islam 43 Agenda topic 45 Make lace 47 Musical intervals 49 "1984" antagonist 51 Bases 53 Bury 54 Hotelier --- Ritz 55 Poisonous Javanese tree 56 Catamountain 57 Japanese rice wine 61 Cut 62 Intelligence officer lifestyles55.net

LETTERS

“Isreal’s (sic) Demise.” Really? A response to Wayne Weedon

ver the August long weekend, my attention was drawn to the above referenced article by Mr. Wayne Weedon. I read Mr. Weedon’s column carefully, and thrice before determining that as a scholar and religious leader, I was morally obliged to respond in some detail. My initial thoughts were several. First, I recalled Mark Twain’s cogent and pungent observation on the disinformation published about his own demise was immediate: “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” So, with Mr. Weedon’s article concerning Israel. (Which either he or his editor is unable to spell correctly.) My second thought was that this was not the most specious, most shallow, silliest article on the topic presented; but it was a contender for the first-place ribbon. My third was that if Mr. Weedon is a regular contributor to the column, “Food for Thought,” then, then the discerning reader of his work must suffer from a continuous diet of intellectual dyspepsia. Mr. Weedon’s article is simply a banal and hackneyed rehearsal of sophomoric atheism employed to promote longstanding and discredited yet virulent antisemitic tropes to the uninformed and gullible reader. To add insult to injury, Mr. Weedon exploits, utterly out of context, the work of two prominent Canadian writers and public intellectuals who were both acquaintances and sometime colleagues of mine, Professor Northrop Frye and Tom Harpur. I hold Dr. Frye, who died thirty-five years ago in great esteem as among the greatest literary critics of the twentieth century, with an unsurpassed understanding of the interpretation of language and meaning of texts sacred and profane. Dr. Frye was a colleague in the ministry of The United Church of Canada, though I knew him mostly through Victoria University of The University of Toronto. Mr. Harpur, gone these nine years, was among Canada’s greatest popularizers of religious questions, a fine writer, and a provocative thinker. Mr. Weedon’s caricatures of both men are a disservice to their memories, and to the intelligence of his readers. How best to dismantle Mr. Weedon’s unmitigated and bigoted nonsense? Which block of his teetering Jenga tower of unfounded pseudo-intellectualism to withdraw first? So many choices . . . Permit me to continue with some further reflection on Dr. Frye and Mr. Harper. Contrary to Mr. Weedon, neither man was concerned with prophecy. Mr. Weedon would do well to study more and write less until he learns the difference between prophecy and piffle. Both Dr. Frye and Mr. Harpur focused on description, interpretation NOT prophecy. As to Biblical studies and theology, yes, both were familiar with the Scriptures of both Jews and Christians and loved them. But neither were theologians. Dr. Frye was, as noted, a literary critic of the first water. Mr. Harpur was a talented dabbler and charming iconoclast. Neither ever presumed to be in the first ranks of theologians. Northrup had other fish to fry (pun intended), and Tom’s seven years of teaching New Testament era Greek to Anglican evangelical undergrads at Wycliffe hardly gives him any standing at all as a theologian. As to the Bible itself, any commenta16

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tor upon any sacred text or any world religion would be well advised to demonstrate at least some familiarity with those texts before presuming expertise. I am, unapologetically, referring to Mr. Weedon. Some 1,600 years ago, philosopher and theologian Augustine of Hippo, of North Africa, observed that “the Bible is like a river, shallow enough for a lamb to wade, and yet deep enough for a hippopotamus to swim.” The problem with the metaphor is that the lamb might still drown even in the shallows when weighted with the burdens of ignorance and Jew hate. I hope you have a lifeguard near at hand, Mr. Weedon. A century later, Jerome was happily engaged in the translation of both the Old and New Testaments from the original languages of (for the most part) Hebrew and Greek into the Latin vulgate. Jerome noted that “the creation stories in the book of Genesis are told in the manner of a popular myth or folktale.” Your “food for thought, Mr. Weedon, reached its best before date hundreds of years ago. Dr. Frye and Mr. Harpur were continuing in the self-reflection of religious communities which has prevailed since time immemorial, save perhaps in poorly-run Sunday Schools, bad sermons, and middle school science classes. Then there is the question of the Age of Reason, and Mr. Weedon’s longing for a new such age. Reason is not antithetical to religious faith, although it is too often lost on religious leaders. The worlds of organized religion are no less subject to the depredations of the venal and the vainglorious than any other enterprise run by humans. But if religion did not prize and promote the gift of reason, then religious and textual criticism would not and could not exist. As to the Age of Reason itself, much good has derived from it. However . . . Mr. Weedon’s paradisal age barely if ever existed. By the early 19th century, ten principles of reason which demand humans see the world as it is gave way in Europe in general, and Germany in particular, to Romanticism, which demands humans see the world not as it is but as they desire it to be. Expend a little effort, Mr. Weedon, and explore how Romanticism births totalitarianism in individuals and nations, including the ultimate irrationalism, Nazi Germany. A new Age of Reason? Not likely; not while people lap up the poison of populism. Not while the Donald Trumps of this world hold sway. Back to the Bible. The Bible is not simple history, as the enlightenment invented the modern study of the human story. The Bible, unapologetically, is history theologized: a quest to discern meaning in story. The contemporary state of Israel is not founded on the Bible. It is founded on the Biblical principles of justice, equity, and peace which you, Mr. Weedon, appear to think emerged from the primal goo of creation. What the Hebrew Bible does, in collaboration with archeologists and serious historians, is to reliably document 3000 years of Jewish indigenous presence in their ancestral homeland. As to your depiction of religions, all religions, you appear to be ignorant of every aspect of them; and equally ignorant of science. But no doubt you see yourself as superior to the great thinkers of science as well as those of religion. Perhaps you are unaware of Professor Einstein’s dictum that, “science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.” Or physicist Freeman Dyson’s (think Manhattan Project and Dyson Spheres) conviction that only two voices speak to the future: the voice of science and the voice of religion.” Or Canadian Robert J. Sawyer’s insight that science and religion are symbiotic one with an-

other; that the complexity of the cosmos demands multiple perspectives on the same questions of where we come from, who we are, where we are going. Yes, both the religious and the nonreligious have voices, voices which we all need to hear. But let those voices be informed and grounded, not propagandist screeds promoting a jejune atheism or knee-jerk antisemitism. Consider the advice of the great Indian Statesman, Sri Jawaharlal Nehru, given at the 1961 Sri Lankan Academy of Science, “the time has passed for religion and politics. The time has come for science and spirituality.” Perhaps in the future, this column may afford real food for thought. One can only live in hope. Dr. James Taylor Christie, BTh, MA, MDiv, DMin Professor Emeritus, Former Dean of Theology and Inaugural Dean of the Global College University of Winnipeg Past President, Canadian Council of Churches Ambassador Emeritus, Canadian Multifaith Federation

Response to Wayne Weedon’s historical illiteracy

ver many years, I have read widely on many areas of history – present and past – and I must say that I have rarely seen anything as historically illiterate as Wayne Weedon’s comments in the last issue of this newspaper about Zionism, Judaism and, by extension, Christianity and Islam. I was – to use an old expression – gobsmacked. Not only do his words fit a tee the definition of antisemitism but he also seems to be claiming that Christianity is also based on lies. First, allow me to define what “Zionism” means: it is the continuous yearning by the Jewish People for over 2,000 years to return to their ancestral homeland – a connection that is and has been verified by both Christianity’s Old Testament and Judaism’s “Five Books of Moses” – on which the Old Testament is based. In addition, that Jewish connection to the “Holy Land” has been reaffirmed by the written historical record over 2,000 years and more, the archaeological record and genetic studies. I recently watched a YouTube video about a study comparing the DNA of several Jewish populations with a larger sampling of non-Jewish populations from all over the world. The findings were that the only peoples with a DNA matching Jewish DNA were the Druze – a peoples found only in northern Israel, southern Lebanon and southwestern Syria – and a miniscule group called the Samaritans – readers who know the Bible will remember the tale of the “Good Samaritan” – who are also found in northern Israel and claim descent from the ancient Jewish kingdom of Israel that was destroyed by the Assyrians more than 2,500 years ago. (An historical note – after the death of King Solomon, his kingdom split into Israel in what is now northern Israel and Judea centred around Jerusalem in the south.) There has been a continuous Jewish presence in the land for the past 2,000 years, as it was ruled variously under larger Roman and Muslim empires as well as the Crusaders for a short time. There has never been an independent land called “Palestine” – even if the Pope claims that Jesus was a “Palestinian”. (Jesus was a Judean – meaning “Jew-

ish” – as were all of his disciples. The “Last Supper” was a Passover seder (meal) commemorating the exodus of the Jews from slavery in Egypt – an event that Wayne Weedon claims never happened.) (“Palestine” was the name given to the land of Judea by the Romans after they crushed the last Jewish revolt against Roman rule in 135 A.D.) Fast-forwarding to modern times, Mr. Weedon starts by writing that “Zionists created the new state of Israel – quoting from their holy books to justify their seizure of lands”. Who were these “Zionists’ and where did they come from? He doesn’t say. Did they magically appear in 1948 out of nowhere? Does he mean the Jews? The remnant of survivors of Hitler’s Holocaust? People who had been traumatized by as long as six years in concentration camps and death camps or hiding in sewers and forests? People with no military training or access to weapons? Is Mr. Weedon not aware that for the previous 30 years, the region was under British control? How is it conceivable that this supposed Jewish army of “Zionists” could defeat the world’s premier military force at the time? Or does Mr. Weedon not believe that the British occupied the area known as Palestine in the aftermath of World War I? The truth is that prior to 1948, the Jews living in Palestine identified as Palestinians. The Arabs identified with the larger Arab populations of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. In fact, the country now known as “Jordan” was part of British Mandate Palestine. After WWI, the British lopped off two-thirds of Palestine and created Jordan so that its WWI allies, the Hashemite royal family, could have a kingdom after they were ousted from their former kingdom in Arabia. And Mr. Weedon’s allegation that Israel has always acted “antagonistically” to its neighbours. It is in fact the other way around. In 1948, the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states – the “two-state solution”.. (There obviously was no “Zionist” invasion.) Even though the Jews were given a smaller share of the land – areas that were largely desert and swamp – the Jewish leadership accepted. The Arab leadership rejected the vote. Almost immediately after the new Israeli state was proclaimed, the armies of five Arab countries invaded the new Jewish state, vowing to “drive the Jews into the sea”. That set the pattern over the past 80 years. Every war between Israel and the Arab states (up until 1973) and Palestinians (not to forget Hezbollah – who are not Palestinians – in southern Lebanon has been initiated by Israel’s enemies. Every time, the Western World urges Israel “to show restraint” after being attacked. And almost every time, Israel comes out of the war stronger than before. As for modern Israel, while it is a Jewish majority state, Arab Israelis, Muslim and Christians numbering about 2 million, make up about 20 percent of the population and enjoy all the same rights as their fellow Jewish Israelis. Arab Israelis comprise almost 50 percent of Israeli medical personnel. Arab Israelis teach at the universities and are elected members of Israel’s parliament and some of them even serve in the Israel Defence Forces. There is even an Arab Israeli judge on the Supreme Court. Compare that to the 40 or so Muslimmajority countries where non-Muslims have no rights whatsoever. Yet no one in the West seems to. In future, I would encourage Mr. Weedon to refrain from commenting on issues he obviously knows nothing about Myron Love u 17 ‘Letters' September 2026

Dry eyes or fall allergies? Here’s how to tell the difference

f your eyes have been feeling un- the day or after screen time. Ironicalusually dry, itchy, watery, or irri- ly, dry eyes can also produce excessive tated lately, you’re not alone. As we tearing – the eyes trying to compensate head into fall, changing for dryness by flooding temperatures, seasonal alwith tears that don’t actulergens, and drier air can ally soothe or hydrate the all contribute to uncomeye surface. fortable eye symptoms. Why it’s so common But how do you know if right now it’s allergies or dry eye? Fall can be tough on What’s tricky is that your eyes. Seasonal allertwo common eye condigens, cooler temperatures, tions – dry eye syndrome wind, and drier indoor air and eye allergies – share can all contribute to irrioverlapping symptoms tation. For some people, but require different treatthese factors trigger itchy ments. And to complicate Dr. Romie Dhaliwal and watery eyes associmatters even more, many ated with allergies, while All About Eyes people experience both for others they can worsconditions at the same en dry eye symptoms. time. Knowing the difference What’s the difference? can help you find the right relief. While both dry eye and eye allerFor those over 55, the situation can gies can cause burning, redness, watery be even more frustrating. As we age, eyes, and blurry vision, there are a few our eyes naturally produce fewer tears, key differences. Itchiness, for example, and the tears we do make can be of is the hallmark of eye allergies. If your poorer quality. Hormonal changes, cereyes are itchy enough that you feel the tain medications (like antihistamines, urge to rub them constantly, you’re decongestants, or antidepressants), and likely dealing with an allergic reaction. underlying conditions such as thyroid Swelling of the eyelids, puffiness un- disease or arthritis can all contribute to der the eyes, and even dark under-eye dry eye. circles – sometimes called “allergic shinAt the same time, environmental alers” can also be signs of eye allergies. lergies to pollen, dust, mould, and even Dry eye, on the other hand, is more pet dander or fragrances can cause the often described as a scratchy or gritty immune system to react with eye infeeling, like an eyelash in the eye. Peo- flammation. This results in histamine ple with dry eye may experience tired release, which increases swelling and eyes, light sensitivity, and intermittent itchiness. The treatments for one conblurry vision, particularly at the end of dition can sometimes make the other

worse. For example, antihistamines for allergies can reduce tear production, intensifying dry eye symptoms. What you can do The most important step is getting the right diagnosis. Trying to guess whether it’s dry eye or allergies can lead to using the wrong drops and worsening symptoms. If allergies are to blame, antihistamine drops or oral medications can help. Cold compresses and avoiding known triggers – like going outside when pollen or smoke levels are high – can also provide relief. Artificial tears can help flush allergens from the eyes, especially if used frequently throughout the day. For dry eye, treatment focuses on restoring moisture and improving tear quality. Preservative-free artificial tears are often the first step. For more chronic cases, we offer in-office treatments like Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and Radio

Frequency (RF), which help treat underlying eyelid inflammation and Meibomian gland dysfunction – one of the most common causes of dry eye. When to seek help If your eyes are red, burning, or watering persistently – and especially if you’re unsure what’s causing it – it’s time to book an eye exam. Left untreated, both dry eye and allergies can interfere with vision and quality of life. In rare cases, untreated dry eye can even lead to longterm damage. At Academy Optical, we use advanced diagnostic tools to determine what’s really going on and build a treatment plan tailored to your needs. Whether you need relief from allergies, dry eyes, or both, we’re here to help you see clearly and comfortably again! Dr. Romie Dhaliwal, B. SC., O.D. is the owner and optometrist at Academy Optical.

September 30 is Truth and Reconciliation Day Dorothy Dobbie

The Chief Peguis Statue: Where is it?

eptember 30 is Truth and Reconciliation Day. Putting aside all the political posturing that accompanies the issue, we should all pause to ask ourselves how we are doing in renewing a warm and mutually respectful relationship between those who occupied this land first and those who came later. Looking back on the history of Manitoba, there were many instances of partnership in the early days. More than 400 years ago, in 1612, Thomas Button, looking for Henry Hudson, who had been stranded by his crew, reached the shores of what would become Manitoba and overwintered at the mouth of the Nelson River, naming the location Port Nelson. This became the entry point that would eventually make this area, and later the nearby mouth of the Hayes River at York Factory (1684), the centre of the fur trade for the next 250 years. This trade was driven by the enterprising Cree who brought furs from inland to trade for metal goods, firearms, cloth, and so on, which they in turn used to obtain horses, corn and other goods from nations further south. For many years, this was a one-sided partnership with the early indigenous folks giving much more than they got. They supplied the Fort with meat and berries and traditional medicines. They taught the newcomers how to survive the winters and how to navigate the rivers and streams to get further south. Even-

More pushback on Wayne’s August article

am writing to express my disappointment with your editors for choosing to publish “Isreal’s (sic)

September 2026

Nine years ago, Manitoba welcomed the current Lord Selkirk from Scotland to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Peguis-Selkirk Treaty, the first land agreement in Western Canada. It was co-signed by chiefs Peguis (Anishinaabe), Mache Wheseab (Cree), and Mechkaddewikonaie, Kayajieskebinoa, and Ouckidoat (0jibwe or Saulteaux) in 1817. To commemorate the event, the current Lord Selkirk returned a historic floor-length headdress, originally given to his ancestors, to Chief Glenn Hudson, Chief of Peguis First Nation. Event organizers, including Bill Shead and John Perrin of the Peguis-Selkirk Treaty Bicentennial Committee, obtained a $500,000 grant from the Pallister government to commission and build a statue to recognize the treaty and the chief. That has been done, but no word on the final installation. Mr. Kinew! It is time to get this done! tually, as is inevitable, intermingling between men and women began, and soon there was kinship to cement the relationship. I point this out to remind us all, especially those who have come from folks who have been in Canada for a century or more, that we owe a great deal to the original inhabitants of this land. It started going wrong when more and more people arrived, changing the lifestyles here and expecting the population to adapt to their ways. Gradually, that sense of comradeship was replaced

by separation, especially as the reserve system was established. That is sad because the earliest reserves date back to the late 18th century and were intended initially to protect allied Indigenous lands or compensate for their losses incurred as they fought beside the Europeans in early local wars. There is so little understanding among Canadians about the true story of our long history together. People forget or perhaps never knew that thousands of First Nations men signed up to fight in the world wars, and hundreds were killed in fighting for our country. They forget or never knew that without Chief Peguis to look after them, the Selkirk Settlers would have perished. That first terrible year, he made sure the settlers had food, shelter and clothing appropriate to the harsh winters here. He continued to protect them from the Northwest Company traders who were not happy to see the Red River Valley occupied by farmers. There are so many stories, and we of a certain age from small towns in Manitoba remember a relationship that most will never experience. In the spirit of reconciliation, I think that the true stories of our early co-operation and friendship should be taught in schools. Yes, of course, we should include the abuses of the system and how well-intended programs at times became nightmares for the ones they were supposed to support, but that is not the whole story, and we will never be able to reconcile without learning it all. This September 30, why not spend an hour at your computer learning more so that we can help the healing begin? It is time.

LETTERS demise”, by Wayne Weedon, in your August edition. Apparently, Mr. Weedon has contempt for religion in general, and for the state of Israel in particular. He has a right to these opinions, of course. After asserting that “the false foundations of Israel are disintegrating and are about to collapse,” though, Weedon lets loose a fevered vision, possibly cul-

tivated during too many hours online: “Others fear that Israel will make every effort to bring the whole world down with them as they smash into the abyss.” I don’t know about you, but that sort of apocalyptic accusation seems out of place in a chipper little senior monthly; unless, I suppose, that monthly is called Der Sturmer. While there may be a place in a free

speech world for paranoid conspiracy theories like this to be voiced, I suggest that letting Lifestyles 55 be that platform will only lower your publication in the esteem of its readers. Sincerely, Daniel Scouten.

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Manitoba Association of Senior Communities North Centennial Seniors Association of Winnipeg Inc. 86 Sinclair Street / 204-582-0066 ncsc@shaw.ca / www.ncseniors.ca

Creative Retirement Manitoba Inc. 204-481-5030, hello@crcentre.ca www.crcentre.ca

WINNIPEG

20 Fort Street Seniors Club 2200-20 Fort Street / FortStSeniors@Shaw.ca A&O Support Services for Older Adults Inc. 200 - 207 Donald Street 204-956-6440 / Toll Free: 1-888-333-3121 info@aosupportservices.ca www.aosupportservices.ca Archwood 55 Plus 565 Guilbault Avenue / 204-416-1067 archwood55@shaw.ca archwood55plus.wildapricot.org/

Pembina Active Living (55+) 933 Summerside Avenue / 204-946-0839 office@pal55plus.ca / www.pal55plus.ca Rady Jewish Community Centre 123 Doncaster Street / 204-477-7539 lmarjovsky@radyjcc.com / www.radyjcc.com Rainbow Resource Centre 514 St. Mary Avenue / 204-474-0212 ext 255 OTR@rainbowresourcecentre.org www.rainbowresourcecentre.org Riverwood Church Community 325 Talbot Avenue / 204-668-3181 www.riverwood.cc/elmwood

Barbados Association of Winnipeg, MB Inc. 204-202-7197 barbadosassociaationof wpg@outlook.com Black Seniors Support Inc. D-50 Scurfield Boulevard / 204-599-8566 resourcecoordinator@blackseniors.ca www.blackseniors.ca Bleak House Centre 1637 Main Street / 204-338-4723 bleakhousecentre@gmail.com www.bleakhousecentre.com

The Salvation Army Barbara Mitchell Family Resource Centre 51 Morrow Avenue / 204-946-9153 sheila.keys@salvationarmy.ca Somali Help Age Association 519 Beverley Street / 204-881-6364 somalihelpage@gmail.com South Winnipeg Seniors Resource Council 117-1 Morley Ave / 204-478-6169 resources@swsrc.ca / www.swsrc.ca Sri Lankan Seniors Manitoba 113 Stan Bailie Drive / 204-261-9647 www.srilankanseniorsmb.ca

Brooklands Active Living Centre 1960 William Avenue W 204-632-8367 / bpscc@mymts.net

St. James-Assiniboia 55+ Centre 3-203 Duffield Street / 204-987-8850 info@stjamescentre.com / www.stjamescentre.com

Centro Caboto Centre 1055 Wilkes Avenue / 204-487-4597 ext. 1 executivedirector@cabotocentre.com www.cabotocentre.com

Transcona Council for Seniors 845 Regent Ave / 204-222-9879 tcs@mymts.net / www.transconaseniors.ca

Charleswood Active Living Centre A 357 Oakdale Drive / 204-897-5263 info@charleswoodseniorcentre.org www.charleswoodseniorcentre.org Dakota Community Centre 1188 Dakota Street / 204-254-1010 ext. 217 seniorresources@dakotacc.com www.dakotacc.com Delmar Seniors 110 Adamar Road / 204-421-2592 Dufferin Senior Citizens Inc. 377 Dufferin Avenue / 204-986-2608 Elmwood East Kildonan Active Living Centre 180 Poplar Avenue / 204-669-0750 healthrelations@chalmersrenewal.org chalmersrenewal.org Garden City Community Centre Seniors 55+ 725 Kingsbury Avenue / 204-940-6111 facilities@gardencitycc.com www.gardencitycc.com/seniors Golden Rule Seniors Resource Centre 625 Osborne Street / 204-306-1114 goldenrule@swsrc.ca facebook.com/goldenruleseniors

GET CONNECTED - JOIN A CENTRE! Stay Active - Stay Connected www.manitobaseniorcommunities.ca

DELORAINE Deloraine Community Club Inc. 111 South Railway Ave E / 204-747-2846

PLUMAS Plumas Seniors Citizens Club Inc. 102 White Street / 204-386-2029

Seniors’ Outreach Services of BrenWin Inc. 204-747-3283 / sosbrenwin@gmail.com sosbrenwin.com DUFRESNE Tache Senior Services 28007 Mun Road 52 N. / 204-230-2131

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE Herman Prior Senior Services Centre 40 Royal Road N. / 204-857-6951 hermanpriorcentre@gmail.com www.hermanprior.com

ELIE Cartier Senior Citizens Support Committee Inc. 11 Magloire Street, Suite #1 / 204-353-2470 cartierseniors55@outlook.com ERICKSON Services to Seniors Erickson, Onanole, Sandy Lake & Area Inc. 31 Main Street / 204-636-2047 areas@mymts.net FLIN FLON Flin Flon Seniors 2 North Avenue / 204-687-7308 GILBERT PLAINS Gilbert Plains and District Community Resource Council Inc. 204-548-4131 / gpdcrc@mymts.net gpseniors.ca Gilbert Plains Drop In Centre 22 Main Street North / 204-548-2210 GIMLI Gimli New Horizons 55+ Activity Centre 17 Loni Beach Road / 204-642-7909 gimli55@mts.net / www.gimlinewhorizons.com GLADSTONE Gladstone Senior Support 36 Morris St N / 204-385-3026 info@gladstoneseniorsupport.com

Transcona Retired Citizens Org. 328 Whittier Ave. West 204-222-8473 / trco328@shaw.ca

GRAND MARAIS Grand Marais & District Seniors 36058 PTH 12 / gmdseniors@gmail.com www.gmdseniors.ca

Winnipeg Chinese Senior Association 204-291-7798 / wcsa.wpg@hotmail.com www.winnipegchineseseniors.ca

GRANDVIEW Grandview Seniors Drop In 432 Main Street / 204-546-2272

BEYOND WINNIPEG

HAMIOTA Hamiota 55+ Centre Community Co-op Inc. 44 Maple Avenue

ALTONA Rhineland C.A.R.E. Inc. 240 5th St NE / 204-324-1528 carealtona.com

KILLARNEY Killarney New Horizons Centre 520 Mountain Avenue / www.killarneymbseniors.ca

ASHERN Living Independence for Elders Inc. #4-61 Main Street / 204-768-2187 lifeashern@gmail.com

Municipality of Killarney-Turtle Mountain Service for Seniors 415 Broadway Ave. / 204-523-7115 seniorservice@killarney.ca

BEAUSEJOUR Beau-Head Senior Centre 645 Park Avenue / 204-268-2444 beauhead@mymts.net BINSCARTH / RUSSELL Senior Services of Banner County 204-532-2391 seniorservicesofbannercounty@gmail.com BIRTLE Valley Services for Seniors 663 Main Street / 204-842-3296 valleyserviceforseniors@gmail.com

LA BROQUERIE and STE. ANNE Seine River Services for Seniors Inc./ Services Rivière Seine pour aînés Inc. 93 Principale Street / 204-424-5285 src@seineriverservicesforseniors.ca seineriverservicesforseniors.ca Club De L'Amitie de la Broquerie Inc. 97 Rue Princiapale / 204-424-5522 LUNDAR Lundar Community Resources 35 Main Street / 204-762-5378 lcrc@mymts.net

Good Neighbours Active Living Centre 720 Henderson Hwy / 204-669-1710 admin@gnalc.ca / www.gnalc.ca

BOISSEVAIN Seniors’ Services of the Turtle Mountain Area 204-534-6816 / seniorservicetm@gmail.com

MANITOU Pembina Community Resource Council 315 Main Street / 204-242-2241 pembinacrc@gmail.com

Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre 1588 Main Street / 204-339-1701 becky@gwensecter.com / www.gwensecter.com

BRANDON Brandon Seniors for Seniors Co-op Inc. 311 Park Avenue E / 204-571-2050 reception@brandons4s.ca / www.brandons4s.ca

MINNEDOSA Minnedosa Senior Citizens Assoc. 31 Main Street S / 204-867-1956 mdsasca@gmail.com

Health Checks brandonmbhealthchecks.ca healthchecksbrandon@gmail.com

MORDEN Morden Activity Centre 306 N Railway Street / 204-822-3555 mordenactivitycentre@gmail.com www.mordenseniors.ca

Headingley Seniors’ Services 5353 Portage Avenue / 204-889-3132 ext. 3 seniors@rmofheadingley.ca www.headingleyseniorsservices.ca Indigenous Senior Resource Centre Inc. A1- 100 Robinson Avenue / 204-586-4595 executivedirector@isrcwpg.ca / www.asrcwpg.ca Keewatin Inkster Neighbourhood Resources 1625 Logan Avenue / 204-774-3085 kinrc@mymts.net La Fédération des aînés de la francophonie manitobaine inc. 123-400, rue Des Meurons 204-235-0670 / direction@fafm.mb.ca Manitoba Korean 55+ Centre 900-150 River Avenue 204-996-7003 / www.ksam.ca

CARMAN Carman & Community Active Living Centre 47 Ed Belfour Drive / 204-745-2356 www.activelivingcentrecarman.ca CRANBERRY PORTAGE Jubilee Recreation of Cranberry Portage Legion Hall 217 2nd Ave. SE / 204-271-3081 CRYSTAL CITY Crystal City & District Friendship Club Inc. 117 Broadway St. / 431-867-0122 crystalcityfriendship@gmail.com DAUPHIN Dauphin Active Living Centre Inc. 55 1st Avenue SE / 204-638-6485 www.dauphinseniors.com

Lifestyles55 MANITOBA

All about living at the

age of maturity

NEEPAWA Neepawa & District Drop In Centre 310 Davidson Street / 204-476-5103 Neepawa-dropin@outlook.com www.neepawa.ca/district-drop-in-center NOTRE DAME DE LOURDES Club D’age Dor Notre Dame 204-248-7291 / ndslchezsoi@gmail.com PILOT MOUND Pilot Mound Fellowship Centre 203 Broadway Avenue / 204-825-2873 PINE FALLS Winnipeg River Senior Services 37 Maple Street / 204-367-9128

Portage Service for Seniors 40A Royal Road N. / 204-239-6312 psfsmeals@shaw.ca portageservicefors.wixsite.com/psfs RIVERTON Riverton Seniors Activity Centre 12 Main Street / 204-378-5155 rdfc@mymts.net / www.rivertonfc.com ROSSBURN Rossburn Community Resource Council 71 Main Street / 204-859-3386 rosscomm@outlook.com SANDY LAKE Sandy Lake Drop In Centre 100 Main St. / 204-585-2411 Municipality of Harrison Park - Age Friendly Initiative Committee 204-585-5310 SELKIRK Gordon Howard Active Living Centre 384 Eveline Street / 204-785-2092 executivedirector@gordonhoward.ca www.gordonhoward.ca SNOW LAKE Snow Lake Senior Centre 71 Balsam Street / 204-358-2151 snowsrs@mymts.net SOUTH JUNCTION Piney Regional Senior Services 204-437-2604 / lgdseniors@gmail.com STE. ANNE Villa Youville 15 Charriere Road / 204-422-5624 yannb@villayouville.ca / www.villayouville.ca ST. LAURENT Age Friendly Committee of St. Laurent 204-906-9607 STARBUCK / SANFORD MacDonald Services to Seniors 204-735-3052 / info@mcdonaldseniors.ca www.macdonaldseniors.ca STEINBACH Pat Porter Active Living Centre 10 Chrysler Gate / 204-320-4600 ed@patporteralc.com / www.patporteralc.com STONEWALL South Interlake 55 Plus 374 1st Street West - Oddfellows Hall 204-467-2582 / si55plus@mymts.net www.si55plus.org SWAN RIVER Swan River & District Community Resource Council 126 6th Ave N / 204-734-5707 resourcecouncil@srseniorservices.com Swan River Senior Citizens Centre 702 1st Street North / 204-734-2212 THE PAS The Pas Golden Agers 324 Ross Avenue / 204-623-3663 seniorsthepas@gmail.com THOMPSON Thompson Seniors Community Resource Council Inc. 4 Nelson Rd. / 204-677-0987 thompsonseniors55@gmail.com thompsonseniors.ca TREHERNE Treherne Friendship Centre 190 Broadway Street 204-723-2559 / jstate1066@gmail.com VICTORIA BEACH East Beaches Social Scene 3 Ateah Road / 204-756-6468 ebssinc1@gmail.com / www.ebseniorscene.ca East Beaches Resource Centre 3 Ateah Road / 204-756-6471 ebresourcec@gmail.com / ebresourcec.weebly.com VIRDEN Seniors Access to Independent Living 204-851-2761 / sail.cao.2023@gmail.com WINKLER Winkler & District MP Senior Centre 102-650 South Railway Avenue / 204-325-8964 director@winklerseniorcentre.com www.winklerseniorcentre.com

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For kids facing cancer, every advance matters

ver the years, I’ve had the privilege of hear- children and families cope with the hospital expeing from many families who have come rience. For children spending days, weeks or even through the doors of HSC Children’s Hos- months away from home, these moments can bring pital. While every experience is different, their sto- a sense of familiarity to an experience that is anyries continue to remind me of the difference that thing but familiar. care and research can make when a The environment where children refamily is going through something ceive that care matters, too. Thanks to they never expected. generous donors, the childhood cancer, For eight-year-old Abby and her famblood disorders and transplants ward ily, it started with what they thought at HSC Children’s, known as CK5, is would be a straightforward trip to being revitalized to create a more welthe hospital. Shortly after her eighth coming environment for children who birthday, Abby’s parents brought her may spend long periods receiving care to HSC Children’s with swollen tonthere. sils. Tests later revealed masses in her Alongside the care children receive throat and abdomen, and Abby was diduring treatment, research is helping agnosed with stage three Burkitt lymus better understand childhood canphoma, a fast-growing form of cancer. cers and how they can be treated. Here She needed to begin chemotherapy in Manitoba, the Pediatric Research Stefano Grande right away. in Oncology in Manitoba: InnovaHealthy For Abby’s parents, there was the tion, Science, Excellence (PROMISE) Living cancer and the treatment their daughteam at Children’s Hospital Research ter needed but also concern about Institute of Manitoba brings together what spending months in hospital would mean for experts from across pediatric cancer research and an eight-year-old. clinical care. “As we moved through the treatments, we learned By working together and sharing what they learn, that there are many other worries, like how the long researchers can build on each other’s knowledge as hospital stay would affect her mentally and socially,” they look for better ways to understand and treat her dad, Steve, says. childhood cancer. Abby’s experience offers a glimpse into the many “It means so much to us that research continues ways childhood cancer can affect a child and their to find better and safer treatments with less adverse family. During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month effects, meaning less trauma to children and their this September, stories like hers can help deepen our families and fewer stays in hospital, so kids can be at understanding of what that experience can involve. home with family and friends,” Steve says. “It’s a reEven when a child is facing something as seri- minder that every advance in treatment can change ous as cancer, they still need opportunities to play, the life of a child and their family.” connect and experience the familiar parts of childAfter months of treatment at HSC Children’s, hood. Throughout Abby’s treatment, her care team Abby was able to return home. Today, she’s back looked for ways to provide some of those moments, to enjoying many of the things she loves, including including opportunities to play and spend time in 10-pin bowling, watching the Winnipeg Sea Bears the playroom. and spending time with her older brothers, Caleb At HSC Children’s, Child Life specialists use play, and Levi. preparation, distraction and other supports to help That’s what we hope to see for more children —

Abby paints a yellow ribbon that represents Childhood Cancer awareness month in September. less time in hospital and more time at home with their families, doing the things they love and just being kids. This Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, I’m thinking about Abby and the many children and families affected by cancer. Together, we can continue to support the care and research that can make a difference for kids and their families. Stefano Grande is the president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.

Helping kids communicate through technology Every child deserves to be heard Kathryn McBurney

or children who are non-verbal or have complex communication needs, expressing a simple thought, sharing a feeling, or telling a parent they are in pain can be an enormous challenge. Without the right support, many children struggle to communicate their needs, connect with family members, and fully participate in everyday life. Innovation and technology can change that. Through specialized communication tools, children can express their thoughts, emotions, choices, and ideas in ways that work for them. Whether using eye-gaze technology, speech-generating devices, or customized communication systems, these tools help children connect with their parents, siblings, teachers, and friends. They provide opportunities for children to participate more fully in conversations, build relationships, and share their unique personalities with the world. These solutions are highly specialized and often costly because they must be tailored to each child's

September 2026

individual abilities and needs. At the Rehabilitation Centre for Children, a unique team of electrical engineers works directly alongside occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists to design, adapt, and support communication technology for each child. Together, they ensure that every communication system is customized to help that child communicate as effectively and independently as possible. This collaborative approach recognizes that no two children communicate in the same way. By combining clinical expertise with specialized technology, the team helps children discover reliable ways to express themselves and engage more meaningfully with the people around them. For families, the impact can be life changing. A child who was previously unable to tell a parent what they wanted, how they felt, or what they were

thinking can begin to share their voice. These moments strengthen family connections, foster independence, and help children participate more fully in daily life. Donors make this possible. By supporting Children's Rehabilitation Foundation, you help provide access to specialized communication technology and the expert support required to customize it for each child. Your generosity helps children who are non-verbal find new ways to communicate, connect with their families, and share their thoughts, feelings, and needs through technology. Together, we can help every child be heard. Please #ChooseChildrensRehabilitation for your next gift at childrensrehabilitation.ca. Kathryn McBurney is the Executive Director of the Children's Rehabilitation Foundation.

Puzzles’ Solutions

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IF YOU ARE A SENIOR. . . . . . You should consider having the following in place Will The preparation of a will may seem like a daunting task, however, it is essential to ensure that your property is disposed of according to your wishes upon your death. If you pass away without a valid will, the law states what is to happen to your estate.

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Power of Attorney A power of attorney is a document which appoints an individual to handle your affairs in the event you become mentally incapable of making your own decisions. Nothing prevents you from continuing to make your own decisions while you are still competent. A power of attorney is an extremely valuable document to have in place in case anything happens to you which affects your mental ability, such as a stroke, coma or dementia. Health Care Directive (Living Will) A health care directive, commonly called a living will, is a document which appoints an individual to make decisions with regard to your health care only, while you are alive but unable to express your decisions yourself. This document is distinct from a power of attorney and deals only with health care decisions such as whether life sustaining treatments, such as CPR or blood transfusion, should be continued or withdrawn.

2026 Legal Fees* Standard Fees* Last Will and Testament Last Will and Testament Power Power of Attorney of Attorney Care Directive Health CareHealth Directive Complete Testamentary Package * plus GST and PST - Rates are per person.

Seniors Standard Seniors $300$225.00 $325 $200.00 $250$175.00 $275 $150.00 $100$ 75.00 $125 $ 50.00 $600 $650 $50 Discount $75 Discount Home and hospital visits are also available $250.00* (includes both meetings) *For documents of average complexity. *plus *All GST legal and fees PST are subject to applicable tax. TACIUM VINCENT & ASSOCIATES 206 St. Mary’s Road, Winnipeg, MB R2H 1J3 DAVID G. VINCENT (204) 989-4236 www.taciumvincent.com

September 2026