The ÉMR Chapter

The ÉMR Chapter in the Saint-Labre region of Manitoba - September 15, 2016

Denis Clément, translated by Norma Lacroix-Gagné

In early Fall, there’s nothing better than a visit to the countryside. ÉMR chapter members and spouses, thirty-two in all, met in Marchand for lunch. We then visited Adrien and Claire Grenier’s farm in St. Labre. In my youth, I milked and cared for fifteen cows morning and evening, seven days a week. I thought this to be a large scale operation. The Grenier farm, very mechanized and automated, reflects the changes in agriculture over the last 50 years. There are now at least thirty employees to plant and harvest corn and alfalfa, to maintain the machinery, to feed the animals and to milk 850 cows three times daily. Adrien and his son Joël took time to explain the various aspects of their farm operation. After the guided tour, Claire and Adrien served us a delicious lunch. Many thanks to the Grenier family for their warm welcome.

Les ÉMR dans la région de Saint-Labre - le 15 septembre 2016

Denis Clément

Àla veille de l’arrivée de la saison d’automne, il n’y a rien de mieux qu’une visite en campagne. Trente-deux membres des ÉMR et leurs conjoint.e.s se sont rencontrés à Marchand pour un très bon dîner. Nous avons ensuite visité la ferme d’Adrien et Claire Grenier à Saint-Labre. Dans ma jeunesse, je trayais et soignais 15 vaches matin et soir sept jours par semaine. À mon avis, c’était une opération de grande envergure. La ferme des Grenier, très mécanisée et robotisée, reflète les changements en agriculture sur une période de 50 ans. Il y a au-delà de trente employés pour produire le maïs et la luzerne, maintenir la machinerie, nourrir les animaux et traire 850 vaches trois fois par jour. Adrien et son fils Joël ont pris le temps de nous expliquer les divers aspects des opérations. Après la tournée, Claire et Adrien nous ont servi un succulent goûter. Mille mercis à la famille Grenier pour leur accueil chaleureux! n

Rachelle Lemoine, Lucien Loiselle, Thérèse Fréchette, Mariette Ferré, Denis Clément, back views of Alma Vincent and Evelyne Beaudoin, all looking towards our host Adrien Grenier( in black). Roger Fréchette, Denise Perron, Georges Perron, Jean-Maurice Lemoine and our host Joël Grenier explaining how the feed is processed. Background: a mountain of chopped corn.

Our hosts Claire and Adrien Grenier.

Visit to the Albrechtsen Research Centre of the St. Boniface Hospital - October 20, 2016

Submitted by Raymond Bisson and Alma Vincent; translated by Norma Lacroix-Gagné

On Thursday October 20, 21 ÉMR Chapter members were warmly welcomed at the Research Centre and Foundation of the St. Boniface Hospital. We were exposed in a proactive way to the progressive evolution of research on cardiac cells. The explanations and hands-on activities in the Youth Bio Lab Jeunesse laboratory were coordinated by Steve Jones and Meghan Kynock. The interactions, mostly in French, were very much appreciated by all.

Many thanks to the Research Centre Director, Doctor Grant Pierce, who welcomed us. He explained the role and impact of the Centre’s work in our community, as well as at the national and international levels.

A special “Thank you” to Chuck Laflèche, President and General Director of the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation, for his presence at the lunch offered by the Foundation and for his short presentation about the work of the Foundation and the Research Centre as well as the need for financial support from the community.

Some of the members then went on to pass through the tunnel and visit the new art exposition in the Buhler Gallery. Thank you to Leona Herzog for her interesting presentation. n

Steve dissects a pig’s heart.

Alma Vincent, Sr. Cécile Richard and Suzanne Gagnon experiment with the multiplication of a rat’s heart cells. Meghan explains the multiplication of heart cells as Evelyne Beaudoin, Steve and Roger Fréchette look on.