23 August 2023

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MOFA announces 2023-24 executive

Brandon University professor Allison McCulloch assumes role as president

Kyra Campbell, staff

The Manitoba Organization of Faculty Associations (MOFA) has announced its new executive for the 202324 academic year Professor of political science at Brandon University and former MOFA vice-president Allison McCulloch has taken on the role of president. Université de Saint-Boniface history professor Patrick Noël is taking over McCulloch’s previous role.

In setting priorities for the coming year, McCulloch said her political science background has shown her the value of coalition building. She outlined the importance of building relationships with those in the associations that make up MOFA, along with other groups of workers and students across the province.

Two other areas of importance for McCulloch revolve around the upcoming provincial election and faculty bargaining negotiations.

“I think we would like to see all parties committing

to stable multi-year funding models,” McCulloch said.

“ That has a number of advantages, from faculty recruitment and retention to making sure students have access to high quality and accessible education, and ultimately it helps with university autonomy and that ability to engage in collective bargaining free of government interference.”

As the academic year approaches, the MOFA executive is focused on its four member associations, particularly Brandon University, U of W and Université de Saint-Boniface, which are in contract negotiations this year.

“It’s a priority for us to make sure that they all get fair deals, and to support them as they engage in bargaining on behalf of their members.”

Regardless of the upcoming provincial election’s outcome, McCulloch would like to see a shift away from the style of policies implemented under the current Progressive Con-

servative provincial government.

“ What I do know is that we can’t rely on the kinds of policies that have come over the last eight years,” said McCulloch. “Looking at the current government’s attempts to move forward on performance-based funding, which, again, would be detrimental to high quality and accessible education in the province, so making sure that those kind of policies are policies of the past.”

In 2022-23, MOFA was part of a successful effort to pressure the provincial government to cancel its performance-based funding plans, which made Manitoba the first and only province to abandon plans for the model.

The model would have tied university funding levels directly to retention and graduation statistics, and MOFA argued that it would harm Manitoba’s smaller universities through higher entrance standards and lead to increased barriers for mar-

ginalized students.

McCulloch thanked outgoing executive members and president Scott Forbes for their strong advocacy and the work they did to bring attention to post-secondary issues across the province.

Additionally, U of M economics professor Robert Chernomas and U of W psychology

professor Jim Clark are exiting their roles as MOFA council members. The councillors were praised for their wealth of opinions and devotion to higher education over their years of membership.

news@themanitoban.com

College of nursing ‘outgrows’ Helen Glass with expansion

Three cohorts, 120 new seats created to meet government demands

Kyra Campbell staff

The U of M college of nursing has introduced its first summer cohort of 120 new students amid the province’s shortage of healthcare professionals. The steep increase has led to necessary building and staffing expansions for the program.

It is not new for the college of nursing to have summer, fall and winter admissions of students, as associate dean (undergraduate) Nicole Harder explained.

Three-term cohorts existed at U of M in the early 2000s. Harder said the three-term model that ran in the 2000s did not continue because at the time, there was no longer a need for the number of nurses being trained within the province.

“The way that all of the nursing programs work is that we essentially educate what we need, meaning we don’t want to have a surplus of nurses because we need jobs for them,” she said.

The college has hired 17 new permanent instructors and 13 support staff within the past 18 months. With the

increase in staff and students, the expansion has led the program to “outgrow” the Helen Glass Centre for Nursing, said Harder.

To accommodate the expansion, an additional 20 office spaces, 10 research assistant spaces and three simulation suites will be added in the U of M Education Building for the program to use.

Harder said that the office and research assistant areas will be put to use beginning in fall 2023, but the simulation suites will not be used until winter 2024 so students will not have to change lab buildings in the middle of the fall term.

The advantage to the cohort expansion, as Harder sees it, is that the increase in funding has allowed for improvements to the student experience, giving them more opportunities to learn outside of a clinical or hospital setting.

Harder said she has been impressed with the number of people applying for college of nursing positions, and that the number and quality of applications is “a good indication that people want to work

at the University of Manitoba.”

However, the college of nursing continues to face challenges hiring nurses with PhDs. This problem existed before COVID-19, but as explained by University of Manitoba Faculty Association president Orvie Dingwall, the issue has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

“ The nursing program isn’t just about teaching nurses how to be nurses,” she said, adding that health-care research and advanced education allows for the offering of master’s and PhD programs.

Harder echoed this sentiment, as nurses with PhDs are necessary to teach nursing students, many of whom will be the “educators of the future.”

Currently, there are three open tenure-track positions within the college of nursing, making it more difficult to teach future instructors

For students who may need to take a term off from school, Harder sees the three-term program as an opportunity for student flexibility. With the courses repeating over all

three terms, students have the ability to take any of the terms off if necessary, as opposed to the fall and winter term model where students could only take the summer off, often to work. In the new model, students can now start right where they left their studies after a term off.

Harder also said students believe the expansion will provide more opportunities to get into nursing.

“Nursing is extremely competitive, we have about three or four applicants for every seat that we have, and so by having 120 more seats we can accept 120 more people into the program,” she said.

Dingwall, however, sees history repeating itself.

“ We’re expanding the college of nursing at this time primarily because of a healthcare crisis created by the provincial government,” she said.

She said that this issue has presented itself in the past, such as in the 1990s after Conservative governments made considerable cuts to health care.

With a large number of nurses retiring and the pan-

demic putting added stressors on the health-care system, the need for nurses has been exacerbated.

Dingwall said that expanding the nursing program is only one aspect of solving the larger health- care crisis and that the problem deserves long-term solutions, such as stable multi-year funding for all health programs, including nursing.

While faculty are excited to welcome new nursing students, Dingwall worries that the expansion may harm those in contract positions if history does again repeat itself, as staff could be out of a job.

“ When you have precarious employment it’s really stressful,” she said. “ You’re not able to focus the best when you’re worried about whether your contract is going to be renewed or not.” news@themanitoban.com

photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff

Keep your bike safe from theft

Thefts return to pre-pandemic rate on campus

Sarah Cohen, staff

The rate of bicycle theft on the U of M Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses has returned to its average from before the COVID-19 pandemic. Security services encourages students to take proper precautions as the fall term approaches.

Since the beginning of 2023, there have been 30 reports of bicycle theft with a recovery rate of 50 per cent. Additionally, U of M security services interrupted a theft in progress and apprehended one individual at the beginning of summer term.

Gordon Perrier, director of U of M security services, said that bike thefts tend to occur in “spurts.”

“We’ll have a few days of bike thefts,” he said. “When we see these spurts then we do some intercession work, and it sort of drops off and then comes forward again.”

The thefts appear to be sporadic. One month there may be several thefts and the next month there may be none or close to zero.

Perrier said that bike racks

are where almost all the thefts occur. The U of M office of sustainability lists the bike station in the U of M parkade and bike lockers around campus as places to safely store bicycles.

According to Perrier, the rate of bicycle theft has remained fairly consistent from year to year, except during the pandemic when it went down.

“As long as people have been riding bikes, bike theft has been an issue,” he said.

Perrier said that thefts are often committed by visitors rather than students. Footage of suspects captured on CCTV is forwarded to the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS).

If a student’s bicycle is stolen or goes missing, reports can be made entirely online on the security services webpage or by calling the sercuirty services’ non-emergency lines for U of M campuses, also listed on the website. Students are also encouraged to report thefts to WPS.

Perrier advised students who feel they have seen something suspicious to contact security services.

“It’s important that people actually report this,” Perrier said. Making a report can help security services generate accurate statistics and impose measures to lower the “statistical line.”

Security services has been stapling its “lock it up effectively” pamphlet around any unlocked bikes to encourage

people on campus to securely store their bikes. In conjunction with the U of M office of sustainability, the campaign is aiming to promote bicycles as a mode of transportation to campus and to encourage students to use proper bike locks.

Perrier said that students riding their bikes to university this year should use a U-lock

secured around the front wheel, bike frame and rack. U-locks can be purchased at the U of M bookstore.

“If you don’t take those small steps, things can go missing.”

news@themanitoban.com

Manitoba government will not appeal UMFA case further University of Manitoba Faculty Association will receive $19.4 million in damages

Kyra Campbell, staff

The provincial government has chosen not to pursue further action following a decision from the Manitoba Court of Appeal to uphold a previous ruling ordering the province to pay $19.4 million to the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA).

The previous decision found that the province’s secret interference in U of M bargaining negotiations led to the 2016 UMFA strike and resulted in lost wages for the association’s members.

Following its loss in court, the Manitoba government had the option to either request permission to appeal the case

to the Supreme Court of Canada or accept the ruling.

In an Aug. 3 press release, Manitoba Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen noted that after a review of the case by the governments’ constitutional law branch, the Manitoba government “fully respects” the court’s decision.

“Premier Heather Stefanson has strongly signalled that it is time to turn the page for the benefit of UMFA members and all Manitobans,” the release read.

The statement added that the government stands by its decision to appeal the case to Manitoba’s top court, as it was “in the interest of all Mani-

tobans.”

To affirm the province’s position, Goertzen referenced a case from October 2021 where the court sided with the government against the Manitoba Federation of Labour’s claims that the province’s legislation to freeze wages was unconstitutional.

While the province has accepted the court’s ruling, UMFA has yet to receive formal communication from province regarding when the $19.4 million will be released.

news@themanitoban.com

photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff

The U-Pass should be available year-round

UMSU should look after its other demographics of students

Damien Davis, staff

Most students are probably ecstatic to be out of school come the summer break.

Without looming deadlines or back-to-back cramming sessions to worry about, I imagine most students’ academic anxieties are replaced with a surge of relief as soon they set foot off campus. With the sun on their face and a head full of daydreams about summer fun, summer break brings them the joy and excitement that only comes from finishing school for the year.

I’ve never once experienced that. For me, the summer break is a season of anxiety that could be improved simply by making the U-Pass functional year-round for fulltime registered students.

As it stands the U-Pass is only active over the academic year from September to April. What’s more, the pass is only available to full-time students and is paid for alongside tuition. During the spring and summer, the pass remains active but is completely emptied, leaving its holder without fare until Sept. 1, when it is reactivated automatically.

Starting in the fall 2020 term and ending in fall 2022, the U-Pass became unavailable on the assumption that students didn’t need it with the education format changing to remote learning.

However, it was during this time that I realized that I did in fact need the U-Pass I remember struggling to put together enough bus fare to get my vaccine doses and to pick up COVID -19 tests that were not yet readily available. Often I could make it to my appointments but had to beg transit drivers to let me on the bus for free so I wouldn’t freeze to death in -30 C weather on the other side of the city.

These circumstances didn’t change for me once we returned to in-person classes In fact, they got worse.

Like so many other students at the U of M, I don’t just use the U-Pass to get to my classes or pick up textbooks. Over the past few years of my student career, I’ve used the U-Pass to get to interviews, part-time jobs, medical appointments, therapy, the bank, the Mani-

toba Student Aid office, grocery stores and even just to visit my loved ones across town.

I am forced to squeeze all of these things into the academic year while I juggle fulltime coursework because the lack of affordable transportation in the summer means I have to start sacrificing my needs. That period of time fills me with looming dread for when summer comes.

The U of M’s student population is not just made up of 19 or 20-year- old students who live at home while pursuing education. My existence as a mature student, alongside other mature students and students completely on their own fending for themselves, proves that

There are students who cannot afford to pay for one month’s worth of fare or to continuously load their U-Pass with cash from their own pockets. It sometimes feels like our student union forgets this.

Over the years I have felt like UMSU puts a priority on social events While I enjoy attending the occasional school spirit activity, I feel that UMSU’s focus on these events shows less that students are being prioritized and more that they’re being capitalized on by a union that runs itself like a business.

The events or initiatives that make me feel cared for are the ones that have a no-cost barrier and involve direct action — working to achieve goals by doing something tangible — like the free breakfasts UMSU hosts during the first week of school, which have saved me from starvation many times before.

It may appear complicated on paper, but personally I’d even be willing to pay more for my U-Pass if it meant I could use it year-round as a full-time student. Perhaps UMSU could find a way to advocate for the U-Pass to be activated during spring and summer semesters too. Maybe the money they collect from various events and parties it hosts could fund an initiative like that.

The seeds should be planted now so that future students, or those of us who won’t be graduating for a few years yet, can benefit from them. I firmly believe making these changes would improve the quality of life for many — if not all — U of M students

In the end, what I really want is for UMSU to start putting the “union” back into student union. We don’t just need dog therapy in University Centre to treat exam stress or Bison Bashes to raise our spirits, we need community action from the union created to care for and protect us.

Even the simple act of improving supports for student clubs, spaces where students can find solace and support in one another at little to no cost, could assist in improving the well-being of students. These are future steps however, and I feel that the first step is figuring out a suitable transit operation for the spring and summer. editor@themanitoban.com

graphic / Bahareh Rashidi / volunteer

We need community action from the union created to care for and protect us

Government inaction in landfill search is negligence in action

Leadership’s passivity sends message loud and clear

Jessie Krahn, staff

In 2017, I attended Tanya Talaga’s talk at the Millennium Library where she was promoting her book, Seven Fallen Feathers Part of Talaga’s book is a damning account of the ways police racism and apathy toward Indigenous people and their well-being create more room for anti-Indigenous violence.

The book documents seven cases of Indigenous teens going missing in Thunder Bay, Ont., only for five of their bodies to be found in rivers. The teenagers were several kilometres away from their homes, all but one attending the same high school. All seven deaths were marked by law enforcement as accidents.

The rest of Canada is laden with the same problems Talaga documented in Thunder Bay.

In Winnipeg, protestors have been camping since December 2022, when the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) announced that the remains of two murdered Indigenous women, Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, had likely been dumped in Prairie Green Landfill in the May of that year.

The announcement followed the discovery of the remains of Rebecca Contois, another Indigenous woman, in a dumpster. Like Myran, Harris and another unidentified woman currently referred to as Buffalo Woman, Contois is suspected to have been the victim of one serial killer.

Calls to search the landfill have not gone unanswered, but the answers protestors have received leave much to be desired. According to a statement from Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson, the landfill cannot be searched because the potential safety risks are too great.

Safety as a vague concept should certainly be a concern, but what exactly would jeopardize the safety of search teams

here? In this case, they might be exposed to toxic gases and asbestos deposits in the landfill. Of course, that isn’t the watertight argument it might seem to be at first blush. Experts remove asbestos from indoor areas regularly for far less than a missing person’s remains.

Not only that, but other landfills in Canada have been searched safely and successfully. The partial remains of Wesley Hallam were recovered in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. after police searched three separate dumps around the town and another dump in Michigan.

Even WPS has conducted a landfill search without compromising the safety of its teams. Talaga has pointed out that WPS’s 2012 search of the Brady Road Landfill for Tanya Nepinak — who disappeared in September 2011 — was conducted safely.

Although WPS has not been clamouring to conduct the search despite the province’s reluctance. WPS claimed in December 2022 that searching the landfill was not feasible due to the amount of material deposited at the site and concerns that they would not be able to distinguish the remains from those belonging to animals.

At the time of its December announcement, WPS stated it determined in June that the women’s remains had likely been discarded in the landfill sometime in May 2022, and had concluded that a search was not feasible despite only

one month having passed.

Even now, many months later, the window of feasibility has not been shuttered. Although there are concerns from researchers about starting a search after 60 days, research also points to layers of soil or spray-material covering garbage making the decomposition of the remains less likely.

One reactionary commentator parroted that 60 day figure, arguing that because that window has lapsed there is no longer any point in trying.

While it’s true that the best time to search the landfill was within the first 30 days of Harris’s and Myran’s bodies being left there, the prospect of success is not bleak enough to write off a search.

Then again, WPS has had its hands tied lately. WPS stated in a press release that major crimes would be investigating a case of productive vandals who sprayed more than 65 phrases like “ACAB,” “search the landfills” and profanities along the route for the World Police & Fire Games half marathon.

In Canada, vandalism is classified as mischief or the wilful destruction of property. If a case of mischief results in more than $5,000 in property damages, one may be imprisoned for up to 10 years. I do not think that spray paint on sidewalks and porta-potties ought to land someone 10 years’ worth of prison time.

Whatever the police are doing comes up repeatedly in this dis-

cussion because multiple levels of government seem content to wash their hands of primary, secondary or tertiary responsibility for funding the landfill search. The federal government provided $500,000 to the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs to conduct feasibility study, which determined that a landfill search was feasible. But the feds have made no commitment to funding the actual search.

Public officials seem to have committed strictly to shuffling their feet awkwardly and avoiding eye contact when pressed in the hopes that everyone just forgets about the whole thing. Stefanson said in her statement that while the four women who were murdered “will never be forgotten” and she had “met with the families,” she has “other responsibilities.”

So it seems that, for Stefanson, while these murdered Indigenous women will never be forgotten, it’s time to forget about them.

Not even busy public officials get to opt out. What ought not be left unsaid right now is that doing nothing— this is really doing something. If there is no plan to search the landfill, then our leadership is planning to leave human remains to rot in a pile of garbage.

The provincial government’s inaction sends a message that Indigenous people do not matter.

During the question period after Talaga’s talk in 2017, one member of the audience asked if there was a way to make people care about ongoing violence against Indigenous people. At the very least, I don’t think most settlers will care until leadership does.

Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran need to be afforded the dignity of a final disposition, and all levels of government in Canada need to do the bare minimum and stop actively and aggressively failing Indigenous people through inaction.

What’s the de al with Timothé e Chalamet?

Memes make the modern movie star

Jessie Krahn, staff

hose who watched Barbie recently may have seen previews for Wonka, starring Timothée Chalamet as a young Willy Wonka before he founded his funhouse of candy-coated child torment.

T

As a premise and as a product, the film’s existence is confusing. The idea that it is indicative of some kind of demand — that anyone was wondering about Willy Wonka’s origin story — bodes ill for both media literacy and society.

Willy Wonka is a chaotic trickster out of time. Wonka seems uncannily mystical and menacingly enigmatic because we don’t know how he became a capitalistic maniac who weaponizes molten chocolate against bratty children. His wonkiness buckles under an origin story rather than being bolstered by it.

Wonka is not just a sign of Hollywood’s creative emptiness and over-reliance on sequels, it is a barometer for the ways the mainstream film industry constantly misinterprets its own touchstones and uses dependence on celebrity recognition to patch up holes in its branding.

Is that celebrity patch working, in this case? The response to Chalamet’s casting has been almost uniform perplexity.

Chalamet made a name for himself with muted performances infused with humanistic nuance, like his roles in Greta Gerwig’s Ladybird and Little Women or Call Me by Your Name. Even Chalamet’s portrayals of Zeffirelli in The French Dispatch and Paul in Dune were more low-key than caricature.

Chalamet may establish himself in the zeitgeist as Willy Wonka just as Gene Wilder did in the 1970s. He just doesn’t strike me as a character actor with a penchant for portraying psychopathic paranormal patriarchs in the way that someone like Jim Carrey does.

The LA Times reported that Chalamet was cast because of his high school musical theatre performances uploaded to YouTube. Pre-celebrity

Chalamet was enrolled at Fiorello H. La Guardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City, alma mater to stars like Jennifer Aniston and Awkwafina.

Despite the glitz and glamour attached to La Guardia’s reputation, one of Chalamet’s most famous productions from his time there was his choreographed routine as whiteboy cringe rapper Timmy Tim.

As I was drafting this article, Timmy Tim’s “Ayy Now Chop!” a catchy but ridiculously cruddy rap routine took over my ‘For You’ page on TikTok. People glommed onto it with a post-ironic appetite that had them copying Timmy Tim’s dance moves by the thousands. One page dedicated to the sound from the original video on TikTok has over 40 million views.

Chalamet’s appearance in a similar persona on Saturday Night Live cemented itself as a classic clip on the internet, but the actor fuels memes even when he’s not working. Footage of Chalamet’s rhythmless loping gait as he walked around New York City became its own meme — “Timothée walking through NYC.”

Although Chalamet is in what I consider to be the early stages of his career, he’s one of the prime examples of movie stardom in the 21st century. Right now, movie stars grow their fanbases when they shed the sheen of stardom in favour of silliness and relatability.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, actor Ana de Armas said she believes newer generations lack the concept of a movie star in the vein of Marilyn Monroe. Armas thinks movie stardom comes from a feeling of untouchability, which the sort of oversharing encouraged on social media has essentially made impossible.

Actor Anthony Mackie famously said something similar in 2017. Mackie argued audiences are less discerning now than they used to be. Instead of going to the movies to see a particular actor’s work, Mackie lamented that audiences go to see whatever is popular online or is associated with a specific brand.

I think Mackie and Armas said these things because they’re sour that barely anyone cares who they are. Mackie’s mild disgust toward audiences for shifting to like brands more than they like him seems to indicate he overlooks that actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger used to

attract audiences like brands. It wasn’t the promise of artistic merit, but rather the promise of bulbous biceps and a weird accent that put butts in seats at the premiere of Total Recall.

I don’t think there is evidence to say the movie star has disappeared. Rather, the public’s values have shifted the image of the movie star in a weirder direction.

As “Ayy now chop!” might be solidifying itself in memory like a K-pop choreo or the alphabetical arm flailing that passes for dancing during “Y.M.C.A.,” people are watching what Chalamet is doing and copying him. He consistently proves to be the muse for a hyperactive meme culture, which translates into audiences continually paying attention to his work.

Wonka is taking film audiences’ temperatures, gauging what sort of mainstream cinematic weirdness they will latch on to because they form a particular attachment to actors’ public personas.

Chalamet’s popularity points to relatability defining modern movie stardom. Wonka is undeniably a brand film, but it’s also a Chalamet film. People who have no reason to care about Willy Wonka’s backstory will buy a ticket to see Chalamet jigging around crates of toffee.

As big-budget films continue to asphyxiate culture with stale sequels and rancid remakes nobody even imagines wanting, they prop up that lack of vision with the modern meme-ing movie star. Memes make unmarketable swill into everyone’s cup of tea.

It’s true that movie stars don’t seem elegant and elevated the way they used to, but movie stars with savvy marketing use that collapsing social hierarchy to build a newly engaged fanbase. comment@themanitoban.com

graphic / Teegan Gillich / staff

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column, and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely. In Straights, like Sudoku, no single number 1 to 9 can repeat in any row or column. But rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. Each compartment must form a “straight.” A straight is a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to see how “straights” are formed.

Very Hard

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

For many strategies, hints and tips, www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku www.str8ts.com for Str8ts.

If you like Str8ts and other puzzles, check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.

Straights Puzzle by Syndicated Puzzles

Puzzle by Syndicated Puzzles

Image by Vandana Bassi

Toban Listens: Fiction or Non-Fiction

A public library podcast from cyberspace

Damien Davis, staff

The idea of what a library is and how it functions differs from individual to individual. Public libraries have had to adapt and come up with new creative ways for patrons to participate in activities and programs in recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that any new content from a digital branch that experiments with a different platform, like a podcast, should not come as a surprise.

One of these new initiatives enters in the form of Fiction or Non-Fiction, a podcast created by staff at the Windsor Public Library (WPL). As the name suggests, the library is based in Windsor, Ont., and has several branches under its belt.

The podcast is a part of the library’s digital branch — a digital version of a traditional library branch that’s accessed online — which debuted in July of 2021. It features online activity programs, as well as catalogues with digital books, magazines, newspapers and even music, television and

film available for streaming.

The charm and originality in Fiction or Non-Fiction comes from how down-toearth and humble it is in its production and airtime.

There are 18 episodes in total, and the first few involve the creators figuring out the show’s voice and piecing together what topics to bring in for discussion, the overall atmosphere they want to go with as well as what a podcast from a public library looks like. Fiction or Not-Fiction follows its hosts Adam and Dave as they do some in-episode myth-busting of stories and concepts from various sources

debut to its most recent episode is noticeable. The first episode does not have a very cinematic opening but works with what it has — a little showtime jingle and excitement for the future.

While some would consider the show’s stumbling start to be a flaw, its initial lack of polish is a reminder the that the listener is hearing something that was made with the love and dedication that can only come from a public library.

in an attempt to figure out if they are fiction or non-fiction.

The atmosphere of the series is laid-back, and while it feels as if Adam and Dave are following a script, their conversations still come off as natural and fun, even if somewhat awkward from time to time.

The progress Fiction or Non-Fiction has made from its

However, later episodes greet the listener with more blended music, and the hosts introduce subject matter in a more experienced way. The podcast is no longer struggling to find its voice, and listening to that growth is a meaningful part of tuning into a series like this.

WPL has made other podcast attempts in the past such as Reading for Pleasure, which has a single episode that closely examines holiday romances. Its Spotify podcast library even features an audio version of a catalogue navigation tutorial.

While Fiction or Non-Fiction is the series that appears to have stuck for WPL, its other projects are worth a listen.

I am drawn to the hard work and passion shown by librarians, technicians and staff at public libraries.

This hard work and passion is what is being represented in this podcast, and it’s

why I recommend Fiction or Non-Fiction

Fiction or Non-Fiction can be found on Spotify and the Windsor Public Library digital branch at https://www. windsorpubliclibrary.com/ digital/.

arts@themanitoban.com

Listening to that growth is a meaningful part of tuning into a series like this

graphic / Teegan Gillich / staff

Tour of West Kildonan Library teaches attendees to never judge a book by its cover

How the love of a community prevailed

Damien Davis, staff

Afull house of brighteyed and passionate patrons filled West Kildonan Library’s basement program room Aug. 14, eager to dive into its rich history.

In partnership with the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation (WAF), the public library hosted Daniel Guenther, architectural researcher with WAF and co-chair of the Friends of West Kildonan Library community coalition, who delivered a presentation titled, “A History and Tour of the West Kildonan Library.”

The talk delved into the architectural background of the West Kildonan Library and the circumstances surrounding its conception, which resulted from its community making demands and fostering change. After the presentation, there was a brief tour of the library to conclude the event.

The discussion examined several points in history, beginning with the library’s creation at a time when the former city of West Kildonan had not yet been absorbed by the city of Winnipeg and did not have its own public library. The closest in those days was the St. John’s Library.

Because they were not

actually Winnipeg residents at the time, people living in West Kildonan couldn’t use the St. John’s Library without paying. This resulted in so much public support for the creation of a library in the city that, by the late 1950s, city council minutes show that the issue had become a top priority for West Kildonan.

Guenther described the library and West Kildonan itself as being “a bit of a black hole when it comes to city archives,” as it is difficult to find interior or even exterior photographs from before the year 2000. He said the theory is that archives from West Kildonan were not properly transferred when the area joined with the city of Winnipeg, and may have been lost.

Guenther encouraged attendees to share information and photographs from their own collections.

“It’s important to document these things because we don’t have that documentation in the public archives,” he said.

Guenther said the import-

ance of the West Kildonan Library building was brought to the public’s attention after a city committee wanted to relocate the library to Garden City Shopping Centre last May. The proposal was met with protests from members of the West Kildonan community, including school trustees and students, as well as members of the Friends of West Kildonan Library coalition.

Members of the coalition argued that the proposed location at the Garden City mall would be too far from the

been trying to further educate the public about the building’s importance.

Guenther described the library as a significant modernist building of the era. He said that the protests to save the location and the recent historical designation have increased public interest in the space.

“There’s been appetite for people wanting to know the history of the building, and I think it also explains the passion in the community for this building,” Guenther said.

When asked about his experience with the relocation protest, Guenther described it as humbling.

the building.

“Some people have grown up with this building and they might forget what it looks like to a new set of eyes or to younger generations,” Guenther said. He said he wants people to be able to “see it again with a fresh set of eyes and to see why it’s historically important.”

The West Kildonan Library now stands with other beautiful historical buildings, such as the Fort Garry Hotel, as a fixture within the city, and Guenther believes that the library is “joining those ranks.”

“That’s what this building will also mean to the younger generation.”

old location, would not meet the city’s criteria for library spaces and would potentially give mall management too much control over the new space.

The plans were eventually scrapped, and the library gained heritage protection this past January. WAF has

“I’m passionate about this library and I love it, it’s my local library,” he said, adding that seeing the amount of students and community members who came out to oppose the proposal reaffirmed the importance of libraries, despite some believing the internet makes them irrelevant.

He hopes individuals obtain a new appreciation for

WAF does tours of Winnipeg architecture throughout the year, and Guenther recommends that those interested keep an eye on its website for future tour dates. He said the tours provide a way for people to get to know the city through its architecture.

“We have a lot of great buildings here and a lot of great spaces,” he said. “It’s time that Winnipeggers start appreciating that too.”

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“There’s been appetite for people wanting to know the history of the building”

— Daniel Guenther, co-chair of Friends of West Kildonan Library, architectural researcher with the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation

photos / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff

sports teams’ schedules

U of M Bisons — Women’s Soccer

U

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Get to know your Bisons: Simon Hildebrandt

Forward, men’s basketball

Grace Anne Paizen, staff

F resh off his impactful rookie season this summer with the Winnipeg Sea Bears in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), forward Simon Hildebrandt will be returning to the Bisons for his second season this fall.

Interestingly, the 2022-23 Bisons, Canada West (CanWest) and U Sports male Rookie of the Year was equal parts volleyball and basketball player until he started his university basketball career, playing both “all the way through high school,” he said.

“I was a big soccer player too growing up, I played a little bit of hockey, flag football,” he continued. His parents always told him that he should “try everything.”

Hildebrandt credited his parents with supporting him as he figured out which sport he enjoyed most, and said they told him to “just have fun” and “play as much as you can for as long as you can.”

In fact, Hildebrandt said if he could play both volleyball and basketball at the university level he would “in a heartbeat,” but added that he does find basketball “more fun.”

A Winnipegger himself, Hildebrandt ended up choosing to play in his hometown because of the caliber of the Bisons’ head coach and the team itself.

“Kirby Schepp is a fantastic coach, and we have a really good young team with a lot of really good players,” Hildebrandt said. When he joined the Bisons, he believed that the team “could really do something special.”

“It kind of showed in our first year,” he said. “Not a lot of people thought we were going to be very good, and we made it to the [CanWest] conference semifinal. We had the best record in our program’s history and we’re still a really young team, so I think we have a pretty bright future ahead of us.”

In his rookie season with the Bisons, Hildebrandt racked up 88 defensive rebounds, 22 steals and 370 points overall, averaging 16.8 points per game. One his most impressive stats is his .849 free-throw percentage, making 90 of the 106 free throws he attempted.

Hildebrandt also led the team through the contentious playoff game that would see the Bisons fall short of the CanWest conference final — losing by one possession after the refs allowed a University of Winnipeg Wesmen layup to count despite a shot clock violation — playing 40 minutes and racking up 20 of the team’s 70 points.

Regardless of his impressive stats, Hildebrandt credits the team’s perfect recipe of

“a good group of veterans and young guys and coaches” for his fantastic rookie season.

“I found a lot of my teammates and coaches always encouraged me and always had my back,” Hildebrandt said, even when he felt he wasn’t playing his best.

“I don’t think anybody on our team is in it for the stats or in it for the glory, we all just want to win,” he added. “ That’s a huge part that helps us play well together.”

Hildebrandt’s outstanding first year with the Bisons led to his impressive CEBL rookie season. He was selected first overall in the 2023 CEBL U Sports draft by the Sea Bears for their inaugural season.

“I got to play with them all summer,” Hildebrandt said, “it was really cool.”

Hildebrandt played every game of the Sea Bears’ season, and praised Sea Bears head coach Mike Taylor’s efforts to develop an award-worthy team right out of the gate.

“In that league there’s a lot of turnover, like, weekly,” Hildebrandt said, noting that Taylor brought continuity to the team, using the same 12-player bench every game.

“I think that was really good,” he continued, “we really gelled, we all knew each other, knew how we played, enjoyed each other, I think that was really helpful.”

Hildebrandt was a threepoint shot leader for the Sea Bears, ranking fourth on the team with 25. He racked up 129 points overall and was just named the 2023 CEBL U Sports Player of the Year for his impact this season.

Hildebrandt said he hopes to share everything he learned from his time in the CEBL this summer with the Bisons when their season starts up in November.

“ This summer I was playing with all of these professional

For the herd — the great outdoors

Get outside while the weather is still warm

Grace Anne Paizen, staff

It’s called the “great” outdoors for a reason — it’s great for your physical and mental health. So, while the Winnipeg summer is still hot and before the chaos of fall semester back-to-school scheduling, grab some fresh air (air quality permitting, of course).

If you’re on campus, Kings Park is only a 20-minute walk away. There you can find a nice place to sit or walk around, as well as a pagoda to check out. There is also an offleash dog area if you want to hang out with some dogs, and there’s the easily navigable Carol Shields Memorial Labyrinth to explore.

If you’re downtown, through the end of August the Exchange District Biz and Sport Manitoba Fitness Centre are offering free “ Yoga in the Park” classes. Yoga instructor

Philip Rosario will lead these classes from 12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. in Stephen Juba Park at 130 Galt Avenue on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

And of course, if you do find yourself downtown and just want to be out in nature for a while, the Forks is always a nice place to be. Not only are there nice river trails to walk, but you can always just chill by the water and watch the ducks swim.

Heading west from the Forks, you can check out Assiniboine Park where you can freely roam the 400 acres for exercise, or explore the Gardens at the Leaf. From the Sensory Garden to the Johnston Family Seasonal Garden, there is something for everyone. There are also a couple of guided tour dates left for the outdoor gardens at the Leaf, though that will cost you $20 plus tax.

While less accessible for those who do not have a ride, FortWhyte Alive in the southwest corner of the city is worth the trek. There are many a walking and cycling trail at FortWhyte Alive and a host of events, including everything from a Bison Safari to canoe Paddle Nights.

If you can hitch a ride out of town, just northeast of the city, Birds Hill Provincial Park hosts plenty of nearby hiking trails for every skill set. There’s even a self-guided white-tailed deer trail if you want to seek out wildlife. And of course, if you’re a bicycle lover, there is plenty of space to spend the afternoon cycling.

Even if these destinations are a bit too far out of your reach, find a green space nearby, watch some birds, soak up the sun and enjoy the nice weather while you can.

Being outdoors is proven to help combat depression and stress, so even if you can’t muster the energy for a nice walk, just being outdoors is a great benefit for anyone going

guys who have tons more basketball experience and know way more than I know at this stage of my career,” Hildebrandt explained.

“So, trying to be able to learn — be a sponge — just learn as much as I can this summer, and just try to share that with my teammates so we can all get better and all really lock into this season.”

sports@themanitoban.com

through the stress of university.

Stay well, Bisons.

sports@themanitoban.com

photo / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff

photos / Ebunoluwa Akinbo / staff

Football season preview

Storylines to watch for in the 2023 season

Grace Anne Paizen, staff

As Bisons training camp wraps up with the pre-season game against the University of Regina Rams this Thursday, Aug. 24, the regular season is coming up fast, starting for the herd on Friday, Sept. 1.

Doubling as the home and regular season opener, the clash will be a rematch with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, who defeated the Bisons 37-9 in last year’s Hardy Cup semifinal game.

With the stage set for a memorable opening to the 2023 regular season, here are three storylines to follow:

Staying the course

Discounting the cancelled 2020 season, the herd has made four straight post-season appearances dating back to 2018. Last year, the team finished 4-5 on the season, finding most wins at home with a 3-1 record while going 1-4 on the road. Although the Bisons made the Hardy Cup semifinal, mother nature would go on to influence the

game the most as the herd played the Huskies in a snowstorm.

In fact, last season’s semifinal was a rematch of the 2021 Hardy Cup final, where the Huskies would defeat the Bisons 45-17. The Bisons had finished the 2021 campaign 5-3 overall, with a 3-1 home record and a 2-2 road record.

Even with the cancelled 2020 season, the Bisons have had steady regular season runs since 2019. The Bisons had the same 4-5 record in both the 2019 and 2022 seasons, and only bowed out in 2019 after a hard-fought Hardy Cup semifinal, losing by a single point to the University of Calgary Dinos.

Essentially, as long as the Bisons continue on the same post-season trend of the past four seasons, they are sure to make the Canada West playoffs once again this year.

Quarterback changes

With first annual winner of the Spirit of the Bison Award and veteran quarterback Des Catellier completing his final

eligible year in 2022, Jackson Tachinski is taking over the reins.

A fellow Winnipegger, Tachinski’s career stats are promising, putting up 48 points with eight rushing touchdowns over the past two seasons. Tachinski has also thrown 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions over his career, improving from six interceptions in 2021 to just one interception in 2022. His longest throw came in the 2022 season with a 49-yard pass.

Tachinski will be backed up by quarterbacks Sawyer Thiessen, Jordan Hanslip and Justin Sharp.

Bisons to watch for

While the new quarterback storyline is the biggest talking point going into the 2023 season, there are several Bisons on the team for football fans to watch for.

player in a U Sports football game to score points last season with a 25-yard field goal in a pre-season game against the Huskies.

Bisons 2022-23 male Athlete of the Year AK Gassama will also be returning to the team. The Bisons receiver has scored five touchdowns in his career and has 440 receiving yards under his belt.

Gassama’s fellow 2023 East-West Bowl teammates Nick Conway and Stephen Adamopoulos — both defensive backs — are also returning to the herd this season. Conway and Adamopoulos have

combined for three interceptions and two forced fumbles in their careers with the Bisons.

Additionally, running back Breydon Stubbs is coming back to the club after his impressive seven touchdowns in his eight games played last season.

Bisons football will once again be in the steadfast hands of head coach Brian Dobie, who has helmed the team since 1996.

sports@themanitoban.com

Maple Grove, Minn. product Maya Turner is returning as kicker and punter. Turner made program history by becoming the first female photo /

Women’s soccer season preview

Storylines to watch for in the 2023 season

Grace Anne Paizen, staff

The 2023 Bisons women’s soccer regular season kicks off this Saturday, Aug. 26 in Calgary, Alta. The herd’s first game will be against the University of Calgary Dinos before the team heads to Lethbridge, Alta. to play the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns Sunday, Aug. 27.

The following weekend will see the herd play backto-back days at IG Field, with the home opener against the University of Alberta Pandas on Saturday, Sept. 2, followed by a clash with the MacEwan University Griffins the next day.

Here are three storylines to follow during the 2023 season:

Positive trends

Despite the massive player turnover that came with the cancelled 2020 soccer season after going on a deep run in the 2019 playoffs, the Bisons have improved year after year.

The 2021 Bisons held a 6-4-2 regular season record, going 3-1-2 at home and 3-3 away.

The squad just missed the Canada West (CanWest) playoffs, securing the must-win final regular season game

against the University of Winnipeg Wesmen 3-1. Unfortunately, the out-of-town scoreboard had the University of Regina Cougars defeating the University of Saskatchewan Huskies 2-1, which bumped the herd out of the playoffs.

However, last year’s 2022 campaign saw the Bisons make the playoffs, finishing the regular season with a 7-7-1 record and finding most wins on the road. The team won away games 5-2, compared to its 2-5-1 record at home.

The Bisons would go on to host their first-ever playoff game at IG Field, just losing the CanWest play-in game 2-1 against the Regina Cougars.

Although the Bisons have had a rough 2023 pre-season,

their sole win coming against the MacEwan Griffins on Aug. 5, pre-seasons have never been a true reflection of the team’s caliber.

Last year, the Bisons only won two of their eight pre-season games, yet still made the playoffs for the historic home field game in October.

Hometown hero

2022-23 female Student-Athlete Leadership and Community Development Award winner and women’s soccer captain Jessica Tsai may soon see herself in the Bisons’ record books.

In her last three seasons with the Bisons, the Winnipegger has been one of the

top three team leaders in goals and assists. She finished second overall in goals in her 2019 rookie season and third in 2021 and 2022. Tsai also finished first in assists in 2019 and 2021 and third in 2022.

Heading into the 2023 season, the midfielder is on the cusp of breaking two Bisons women’s soccer program records, having registered 72 shots on goal and 19 assists.

Desiree Scott has held the title for most assists with 31 since 2009, and Alison Kastner has held the title for most shots on goal with 87 since 2012.

Tsai only needs 12 more assists and 15 more shots on goal to tie the Bisons program records, and has two more seasons of eligibility to break

them, including the 2023 season.

Bisons to watch for

Tsai is not the only Bison on the team with staggering stats. Veteran goalkeeper Karina Bagi continues to impress, lowering her goals against average over the last three seasons to an astounding 1.01 in 2022.

Bisons forward and Winnipeg native Jenna Kunkel has been near the top of the Bisons stats list over the past few seasons, finishing second overall in both goals and assists in 2021 and 2022.

There are also 11 rookies on the roster this year for Bisons soccer fans to look out for, with six hailing from Winnipeg.

The team is once again helmed by stellar head coach Vanessa Martinez Lagunas. Martinez Lagunas has led the team since the 2013 season, coaching the herd to six post-season appearances.

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photo / Matthew Merkel