Good news for women’s health

I’m excited to share a meaningful step forward in women’s health care. Manitoba has lowered the self‑referral age for breast screening to 45, expanding access to early detection for thousands more people across our province. Appointments for eligible Manitobans began on Jan. 2.

This change puts early detection front and centre and delivers on our government’s commitment to improve women’s health care. Earlier screening saves lives. By making it easier to start routine mammograms at 45, we’re helping people get care before symptoms appear, when treatment can be most effective.

We’re also making the process straightforward. To find a screening site and book your appointment, visit CancerCare Manitoba’s BreastCheck screening page at cancercare.mb.ca/screening/info/breast or call 1‑855‑952‑4325. These are the official channels, and they’re ready to help you schedule your first – or next – mammogram.

For years, the Progressive Conservative government cut breast-health services, including mobile breast cancer screening. We know that was wrong, and it hurt Manitoba women. We are taking a much different approach. Lowering the screening age is just part of our larger plan to strengthen capacity and equity in cancer care. CancerCare Manitoba has recruited seven new mammography technologists, with additional hiring underway to support rising demand. Screening sites across Manitoba are also being upgraded with new mammography equipment, with a target to complete upgrades by the end of 2026. In the meantime, CancerCare Manitoba is on track to complete approximately 47,000 breast screens in 2025, ensuring the system is ready to support more people while maintaining high‑quality care.

A new year of community, care, and connection

Happy new year, Kirkfield Park. I hope everyone got a chance to rest and be near their loved ones over the holidays.

First, I’d like to offer huge congratulations to the cast and crew of Westwood Collegiate senior musical theatre’s Sister Act! I was blown away by the level of talent displayed by these young performers. Bravo to all the students and teachers who worked so hard to bring this production to life.

Once again, this year, I had the privilege of attending the Grace Hospital Foundation’s annual Tree of Life Celebration. This event is held annually to thank donors who supported the mission of the Grace Hospital Foundation in the past. year, as well as to inspire hope for the holiday season and the new year. Thanks to the Grace Hospital Foundation, and the invaluable health-care workers who represent the highest standard of care and professionalism.

Last month, I visited the Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter at the Courts of St. James. I offered to help out by cleaning out some puppy pens (not that I’d ever complain about hanging out with puppies) and wanted to learn more about their work. What their founder stressed to me was how difficult winter is for rescue shelters such as WPRS. The volume of abandoned and surrendered animals increases dramatically, and this puts a real strain on the resources of local shelters. If you have room in your life for a furry friend, please adopt and don’t shop, and consider visiting Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter to meet some of the adorable, adoptable friends they have in their care.

Manitoba families pay price for inaction

Manitoba families are feeling the squeeze every time they walk into a grocery store. Over the past two years, Manitoba has seen some of the fastest-rising grocery prices in Canada, far outpacing the rate of inflation. For young families, seniors on fixed incomes and anyone already stretched thin, the cost of groceries has become an everyday crisis.

This didn’t happen by accident. Grocery prices are rising because of the large corporate chains that dominate the market and face little competition. When just a few companies control supply, pricing power shifts away from consumers and into boardrooms. Manitobans are left paying the price.

One thing Manitoba has done right for decades is regulate the price of milk. Due to longstanding provincial rules, milk remains one of the only staples that has not skyrocketed in price. It is clear that when government is willing to act, it can protect families from runaway costs.

Unfortunately, the Kinew government has not shown that same willingness to intervene in ways that have meaningfully lowered grocery prices. Its first response to rising prices was to cut the gas tax, claiming lower fuel costs would bring down grocery bills. That simply did not happen. Grocery prices in Manitoba continued to rise faster than almost anywhere else in the country.

All you should know about snow-clearing

The City of Winnipeg recently held a contest asking the public to name part of a fleet of snow-clearing machines. The winners are scheduled to be announced this month but had not been announced as this column was being written. Front-running name submissions included tributes to legendary local sports stars such as “Dale Plowerchuk” and “Melt Stegall”.

The contest highlighted the work the public works department does every year to keep streets, sidewalks, pathways, and back lanes clear of snow. In the most recent city budget, funding for snow clearing was increased by $4.5 million, the most significant increase in years.

In 2023, the city added 15 new sidewalk snow-clearing machines to its fleet in order to fulfill a goal of clearing all Priority 1 and Priority 2 sidewalks within 36 hours of the start of a snow-clearing operation, which is now accomplished on a frequent basis.

The annual City of Winnipeg Residents survey stated that 74 per cent of residents were satisfied with snow-clearing in 2025, up from just 63 per cent in 2022. Although 2022 was a particularly difficult year for weather conditions, sidewalk snow-clearing has been completed much more quickly since then, owing to the addition of the new machines.

Baby, it’s cold outside

Winter in Winnipeg isn’t news – it’s a season we know by heart. We bundle up, watch the forecast, and plan our days around temperatures of -20 and -30 C. For most of us, cold is an inconvenience. For some, it’s an emergency.

This winter has reminded us of what community really means. This month, thousands of Pimicikamak Cree Nation residents were forced to evacuate after a days long power outage during extreme cold severely damaged homes and essential infrastructure. Federal emergency officials approved assistance and a specialized Canadian Armed Forces team deployed to support civilian assessments and repairs.

When neighbours are hurting, Winnipeggers show up. The Canadian Red Cross launched a crisis appeal to help Pimicikamak families with lodging, food, transportation, and on the ground support – alongside shipments of more than 500 generators and 600 heaters to those sheltering in place. If you’re able, consider donating through groups such as the Canadian Red Cross or Linking Hope. Warm clothing, hygiene products, diapers and formula are all hugely appreciated.

Closer to home, we know winter is hardest for people without a home at all. In St. Boniface – St. Vital, front line organizations meet that reality with care and persistence. St. Boniface Street Links works every day to connect people to housing, recovery, and practical supports – and next month our community can walk alongside them, literally. The Coldest Night of the Year, a family friendly two- or five-kilometre fundraiser takes place on Saturday, Feb. 28. Bundle up, bring a friend, and help keep the work going.

calendrier communautaire 233-ALLÔ

28 janvier • Assemblée générale annuelle de la Maison des artistes • Maison des artistes

29 janvier • Atelier

Le CV et la lettre de présentation • Pluri-elles

29 janvier • Salon de Gabrielle • En ligne

29 janvier • Ateliers de SLAM communautaires • Maison Gabrielle-Roy

Rock the River brings community together

Rock the River Festival — an outdoor curling bonspiel to be held on the Red River from Feb. 6–8 — celebrates health and community spirit while raising funds for the Heart & Stroke Foundation and KidSport Manitoba.

Since 2002, Rock the River (formerly known as Ironman Outdoor Curling) has raised more than $250,000 for local charities.

What began as a grassroots initiative has evolved to become a flagship winter festival, attracting more than 32 local and international teams each year.

This year, curlers of all abilities will gather at the Redboine Boat Club (20 Churchill Dr.) to compete.

Settling in at City Hall

Since being sworn in as your new city councillor for Elmwood-East Kildonan at the end of October, it’s been an ongoing flurry of activity at City Hall. Beyond the logistics of getting my office set up, I’ve spent the past several weeks meeting and starting to build relationships with my council colleagues, as well as members of the public service – from the front lines of public safety to transit, community services to planning and development, to public works and more.

On a practical level, building these relationships helps me address the questions and concerns of residents more quickly and effectively. From a wider perspective, this relationship-building is important because addressing our community’s biggest challenges needs all the city’s departments working in tandem with the community. That can only be achieved on a foundation of trust, co-operation and mutual respect.

One of the major highlights of these first few weeks for me has been attending several pancake breakfasts and seniors’ holiday meals around the ward in December and January. My assistant, Charity, and I have also spent time meeting with groups around the community, learning about their goals and needs, and how the city could help supercharge their impacts.

Groups such as Valley Gardens Community Connections, Rahma Community and Youth Centre, Latinas Manitoba, Elmwood Community Resource Centre and Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal, to name but a few, are working hard to provide programming and support to youth and seniors, to improve housing, to address food insecurity, and to reduce social isolation. These are preventative, “upstream” efforts that have been proven to work in reducing poverty and crime, by ensuring everyone in Elmwood-East Kildonan has their basic needs met.

Still some life in Stylus Magazine

Stylus Magazine, a local music magazine, has been around since 1989. Published by the University of Winnipeg’s campus radio station, CKUW, it functions as both program guide and as a chronicler of this city’s vibrant music scene. The coolest thing is that it’s free.

Stylus is a bi-monthly magazine and, like The Uniter, the U of W’s student newspaper, Stylus offers free orientation classes to volunteers, teaching them how write articles and hone journalism skills. I’ve had the pleasure of contributing to both publications as a journalist and photographer over the years.

Since 2023, I’ve been distributing Stylus to various music stores, bookstores, live clubs, coffee shops and other cool places in Winnipeg (36 drops – 1,000 magazines) with editor Keeley Braunstein-Black doing the Winnipeg Public Library drops (350). I got the job by answering an ad in the magazine calling for a one-page essay with my answers to five questions. Question 3 asked: Why do you want this job? In a nutshell, I stated my passion for the wonderful and enthusiastic music scene this city has to offer and the fact I loved the magazine and its stories highlighting local music and musicians.

Sadly, owing to a funding dispute between CKUW and the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association, funding is being cut for Stylus, and its future is very much in doubt. The long-awaited and delayed September/October/November/December issue didn’t hit the street until Jan. 14. It was supposed to be the last issue but, fortunately two more issues will be rolling out with the next one coming right before CKUW 95.9FM’s FunDrive in February.

Changes afoot for Kilcona Park

Changes are coming to Kilcona Park and, while some of are long overdue, others are upsetting dog walkers.

Let’s start with the good. The City of Winnipeg proposes a dog agility space on top of the hill, along with three shelters in the dog park area and two in what are now the cross-country trails. On the south side, a future pedestrian bridge could cross the pond, linking the forest trail and the main walking area. A “dog beach” could be added near the bridge on its northern end.

Fencing will be erected to reduce conflicts between dog walkers and other park users, such as softball and soccer players, disc golfers, and sledders. The lack of separation between these user groups has been a flaw in the park’s design for decades.

While many dog walkers are respectful of other users, some don’t have proper control over their animals, which sometimes run into the sports areas. Judging by the amount of dog waste I see every day, including in on-leash areas, too many people don’t watch their dogs closely enough, or they simply don’t care.

All the world’s a stage

During my university years I enjoyed a variety of subjects, but Introduction to Theatre with Professor George Toles was, by far, my favourite. Here was a safe space that encouraged everyone to tell stories in their own voices. We had extroverts and introverts. I discovered that I’m a bit of both.

While I was delving into the world of imagination, the distinguished Winnipeg writer, the late Carol Shields was busy creating her first play for the Black Hole Theatre at the University of Manitoba. Her production of Departures and Arrivals debuted in 1984, sharing 22 relatable stories that take place at the Winnipeg airport on any given day.

This and many other Black Hole plays would “depend on the kindness of strangers” (student volunteers) to fulfil the stage crew duties. Though we had no speaking roles, it was a meaningful way to contribute to the productions.

Now, 42 years later, I have a family connection to this play.

Rebuilding Manitoba’s health-care system

As a lifelong resident of Concordia, I know how important it is for people in our community to access health care when they need it. Whether it’s a parent with a sick child, a senior managing a chronic condition, or someone dealing with an unexpected injury, timely and reliable care matters. That’s why rebuilding and improving Manitoba’s health-care system remains a top priority for our NDP government.

Over the past year, we’ve focused on making it easier for Manitobans to find the right care without unnecessary delays. One important step has been opening new minor injury and illness clinics and expanding extended hours clinics that operate evenings, weekends, and holidays. These clinics treat sprains, minor fractures, infections, and common illnesses, helping people get care sooner and easing pressure on emergency rooms. For families in Concordia, these additional options mean more flexibility and less time spent waiting.

We’re also making it simpler to navigate the health-care system. Manitobans can now use Medinav, an online booking tool that shows available appointments at participating clinics across Winnipeg and the province. Medinav helps people find same day or next day care close to home, taking the guesswork out of where to go when you need medical attention.

Modernizing health care also means giving people better access to their own information. Our government has introduced new plastic and digital health cards, along with a secure patient portal where Manitobans can view lab results and immunization records online. These changes reduce paperwork and give patients more control over their care.

Art abounds in Wildwood!

What is art? A comprehensive answer is well beyond the 400 words allocated for this article. In my former job at the Manitoba Arts Council, it was the subject of endless discussion.

Art exists in various forms and plays multiple roles, both for the artist and its audience.

Sometimes art is an expression of personal emotion. Art can be activism; a motivator for awareness and social change.

Art can foster pride. Murals and sculptures celebrate achievements of community members.

Together through the winter

The winter solstice marks the official start of the season, but for many of us, winter can feel like it stretches on long before – and long after – that day in December. Short daylight hours and colder temperatures can make this time of year feel isolating, especially for seniors, families with young children, and anyone spending more time indoors. That’s why, throughout December, our focus was on finding simple ways to connect and share moments of warmth and hope.

Earlier in the month, we visited local child-care centres to drop off oranges and well wishes, a small token of our appreciation for early childhood educators and their impact on our communities. We delivered poinsettias to seniors’ residences, taking time to sit for unhurried conversations about their lives, families, and experiences here in our community. Those visits reminded us how much warmth can come from simply showing up and listening. December also brought me a chance to serve as a judge for the Riverside Lions Club Christmas lights competition. The Riverside Lions are a pillar of service in our community, known for establishing and supporting Riverside Lions Housing, which provides affordable independent and assisted living for seniors and adults with disabilities.

As the new year began, families gathered for a pancake breakfast at Woodydell Family Resource Centre to start 2026 together over warm food and friendly banter. Events such as these are simple, but they create space for neighbours to meet and feel a little more connected during difficult months.

While the solstice may have passed, winter is still very much with us – and so are the opportunities to stay connected. Across the city, there are many ways to get out, explore, and make the most of the season. Festival du Voyageur is fast approaching, bringing together music, food, history, and culture to celebrate resilience and community in the heart of winter.

Celebrating community in McPhillips

Happy new year, McPhillips! I’m excited for all that 2026 will bring and wanted to share some of the great moments we’ve had together as we closed out last year.

One of my favourite holiday traditions is delivering poinsettias to seniors and oranges to daycare centres across McPhillips. Even in the middle of a blizzard. Seeing smiles and sharing a few laughs with folks always reminds me why McPhillips is such a special community.

I was also thrilled to attend the residents’ parade at Actionmarguerite St. Joseph. Residents decorated their wheelchairs and walkers and paraded through the building, singing songs, dancing, and even enjoying some karaoke along the way. The energy and creativity in the building was inspiring. It was a powerful reminder of how important it is to create spaces where seniors feel celebrated and connected.

Supporting our growing communities also means planning for the future. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor and I recently met with the mayor and council of West St. Paul to discuss that community’s infrastructure needs. West St. Paul continues to grow, and it was great to have productive conversations about how we can work together to ensure infrastructure keeps up with that pace.