Being a witness to mystery

The work of one of history’s most acclaimed mystery writers will soon be showcased in south Winnipeg.

St. Vital-based 7 Ages Productions will present Agatha Christie’s The Witness for the Prosecution at the Gas Station Arts Centre (445 River Ave.) from Nov. 28 to 30.

George Buri, the production’s director, said the play — which was written in the 1950s — remains timeless and engaging today.

“It’s brilliantly written,” Buri said, noting the show is approximately two-and-a-half hours long with two intermissions. “Agatha Christie is really a brilliant playwright.”

Bjornson new Ward 3 trustee in Louis Riel School Division

Peter Bjornson is the new Ward 3 trustee in Louis Riel School Division, following an Oct. 25 byelection.

Bjornson, 61, is an instructor and the co-ordinator of practicum for the Access program in the faculty of education at the University of Winnipeg. He previously taught at Gimli High School, was MLA for Gimli, and served in several cabinet roles in the NDP provincial governments of Gary Doer, including minister of education and advanced learning.

Bjornson defeated Susanne Dandenault, a lawyer, and Ben Singer, who works for the federal government, in the recent byelection.

“It feels great,” Bjornson said, noting he’s honoured to have been elected in the role. “We had a good team and we worked hard, and I think we ran a really good campaign.”

Educator wins Ward 1 byelection in Pembina Trails

Samantha Pope, who has 12 years of experience in the education system, was the successful candidate in the Pembina Trails School Division’s Ward 1 byelection on Oct. 25.

“I’m feeling really, really good,” Pope said in the week after she won the trustee’s seat. “I’m excited to get started. And it was just great to see so many candidates step forward, to put their name forward … and then to be elected out of all of them, it feels really good.”

Pope holds a degree in education, a bachelor of science degree in mathematics, a post-baccalaureate diploma in education, and a master of education degree in curriculum, teaching and learning, according to a release from Pembina Trails. She currently works as a high school guidance counsellor in the St. James-Assiniboia School Division.

She said that, although it’s only “one short year” before the next school board election in 2026, her focus in the meantime will be on building relationships with other trustees, senior administration, school staff and the general community.

Future of former city clock in doubt

Winnipeg’s original city clock could go back into long-term storage for the second time in its 122-year history as Edmonton Court in Portage Place is demolished.

When Winnipeg’s ‘gingerbread’ city hall opened in 1886 it featured a tower with a round opening on all four sides, but a clock was not part of the original tender. It wasn’t until 1902 that the city set aside money for such a feature.

Norman Andrew of Andrew and Co. Watchmakers in the McIntyre Block won the bid to procure and install the timepiece. He chose a clock by the Seth-Thomas Clock Company of Connecticut. It cost $1,700, but the modifications needed to strengthen the tower and add lighting brought the final bill close to $3,000.

The clock consisted of four clock faces, each 7 feet in diameter. The weights to keep the works in motion were 1,600 pounds. The zinc and steel pendulum weighed 225 pounds, and 42 couplings were needed to make up for the sway of the tower and contraction in cold weather.

Durand-Wood elected councillor in Elmwood-East Kildonan

Emma Durand-Wood is the new city councillor for Elmwood-East Kildonan.

Durand-Wood, 44, won the ward byelection on Oct. 25, earning 1,567 votes, or 31.48 per cent, according to the City of Winnipeg’s website.

“(I’m) very pleased,” Durand-Wood said. “This was the hope, this was the goal. I’m especially happy for the effort of our entire team. We had a super community driven campaign with over 100 volunteers. It feels like an accomplishment for the whole community.”

She was one of seven candidates for the seat, which was left vacant following Coun. Jason Schreyer’s sudden death in April. Abel Gutierrez was the runner up, with 887 votes.

Bringing art home

Community members and passersby may have noticed a colourful new addition to the corner of Henderson Highway and Cobourg Avenue.

Over the past six months, Next Door Neighbour Studio (232 Henderson Hwy.) has become a hub for creatively inclined folks in Elmwood and beyond. The art space, housed in a former H&R Block building, is the brainchild of artists and Glenelm residents Jill McGillivray and Helga Jakobson.

“We aren’t literally next-door neighbours, but we are across-the-back-lane neighbours, which doesn’t quite have the same ring,” Jakobson said with a laugh, adding the two met in art school years ago. “We have a very long friendship that has been very lovely.”

For the past 10 years, McGillivray has been teaching art classes in her home, while Jakobson had been teaching classes at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and acting as executive director of ArtsJunktion. The two began talking about how they could build on what they’d already been doing and create something special in their own community.

Honouring our Stanley Cup champs

People making their way north on Main Street in the past couple of weeks may have noticed a new addition to the south side of the building housing the Palomino Club – a four-storey mural depicting the Winnipeg Victorias, the city’s local hockey team at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, which won the Stanley Cup three times.

The Victorias were formed in 1889 and were active during the first 10 years of the Stanley Cup competition — from 1893 to 1903. They took home the cup in 1896, 1901 and 1902, the last of which was their final championship appearance.

The mural was designed and painted by muralist and visual artist Jen Mosienko, who is also known for her work on the Pray for Ukraine mural, which decorates the Main Street skyline; the mural depicting local hockey legend Billy Mosienko on the side of Billy Mosienko Lanes; and the mural decorating Brathwaite’s Pharmacy in St. James, done to commemorate the building’s 100th anniversary. She has painted many other murals in and around the city.

The newest piece was done with the help of Mosienko’s assistant, Emmit McGregor, and in partnership with the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame. It was installed on the morning of Oct. 24.

A new life for Carnegie Library

The Winnipeg archives are coming home.

On Oct. 17, the City of Winnipeg announced that a redevelopment project for Carnegie Library had begun — one which will transform it once again into the home of the City of Winnipeg archives.

The building has been vacant since 2013 following substantial rain damage. It will be repaired and renovated to make way for the return of the City of Winnipeg’s archives, which it had housed since 1977.

Carnegie Library (380 William Ave.), which turned 120 years old on the date the project was announced, was the first public library in the city — predating unicity amalgamation by over 70 years. The words “free for all” are etched above the front door, indicative of the building’s purpose in the past and soon-to-be future.

Sturgeon Creek Association surfaces once again

Much like the fish it’s named after, a local neighbourhood group is returning to the surface after 30 years of being essentially lost to time — and being saved from extinction.

The Sturgeon Creek Association is a group of Winnipeggers with the shared goal of upkeeping and revitalizing the land along Sturgeon Creek, which feeds off the Assiniboine River and cuts through St. James and Silver Heights, then creeps past city limits and into the prairies northwest of Winnipeg. The group also uses Sturgeon Creek Park as a hub for community gatherings and volunteerism year-round.

The original SCA was active until the late 1990s, according to spokesman Tyler Crichton, and it has no online footprint. In fact, the only reason Crichton knows of its existence is through a book — Strong Currents: A History of Sturgeon Creek — commissioned by the group, that was shown to him by a neighbour (a former member) at an edition of St. James Community Coffee, a weekly summer event Crichton kicked off with his partner earlier this year.

“They did a lot of really cool work,” Crichton said. “They worked with the province and the green team at the time to make sure that the creek was being maintained.”

Canine friends honoured

The Winnipeg Police Canine Memorial, located in front of the WPS canine unit kennels at 77 Durand Rd., was unveiled and opened to the public in early October. The memorial garden, which includes a pathway of 436 engraved memory stones donated by Winnipeggers and corporate sponsors, pays tribute to faithful police dogs, dating back to 1971. The project was originally conceptualized in 2016 and was brought to life through eight fundraising initiatives. A bronze statue depicting a Belgian Malinois — a dog breed commonly used in law enforcement — titled Forever Faithful sits at the front of the site, guarding the space with its front paws laid flat. The piece was constructed by Californian sculptor Susan Bahary.

Start puppies out on the right paw

A few months ago, my column about fresh foods touched on how clean fresh foods were both good for puppies and made them better “students” at puppy school.

This past week, several people have come in seeking advice on feeding puppies. Refreshingly, some have been to veterinarians who did not condemn the thought of feeding raw, and a few who actually encouraged the idea, as long as the client did the proper research to make sure that they were doing right by the pet.

There are pet nutritionists out there, some trained though veterinary channels, some through independent institutions, and most have very solid training. Finding one whose beliefs align with yours regarding fresh foods in your pet’s diet is the first step on your journey to a long, healthy life for your pet, and fewer health issues caused by diet.

Just like there are kibble pet foods that are labeled “kitten” or “puppy”, there are raw foods for puppies and kittens. These take into account the minimums your puppy needs for development but, still, using a variety of different formulas is an even better way of ensuring balance.

Upgrading St. Vital Cemetery

One of the more obscure lines of work of the City of Winnipeg is that of the cemeteries branch, which oversees three city cemeteries – Brookside, Transcona and St. Vital.

In recent years, the city and federal governments have combined to make major investments at Brookside relating to military graves, and Transcona has incorporated Muslim burial facilities. I have pushed for some investment at St. Vital, as well, and am pleased to report that in 2024 and 2025 the city invested more than $200,000 in upgrades.

This includes the following improvements:

• Expanding the Garden of Remembrance (adding several new columbaria, pathways, etc.);

Kildonan Ladies Golf League commemorated

On Friday, Oct 24, city councillors Ross Eadie (Mynarski) and Devi Sharma (Old Kildonan) joined the Kildonan Ladies Golf League to celebrate the installation of a commemorative bench and engraved plaque in their honour on the 16th hole at Kildonan Park Golf Course.

The league proudly celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, marking five decades of laughter, and a shared love of the game.

“We are so grateful for this meaningful gesture, it represents the spirit of friendship that has always defined our club,” said Cathy Horbas, who, with Diane Sawyer, organized league’s season-long anniversary celebrations.

Pictured are (from left): Coun. Eadie, Coun. Sharma, Rosalie Grant, Esther Hershfield, Beverly Levtak, Sue Kostiuk, Moira Settee, Diane Sawyer and Cathy Horbas.