Anything but a turtle

I had someone approach me at an event and say: “You’re the pet guy. My daughter wants a turtle. Where should we start?”

The hardest thing to say in response is: “Maybe a turtle isn’t the right choice.”

There are many pets we see on TV shows or in movies, or remember fondly from our youth, that we think we might like to have. But when it comes to actually providing them with the proper housing and care, it’s a completely different story.

Turtles are probably the poster children of bad pet decisions. Back in the day, baby turtles were available in department stores for a few dollars, and you could buy little plastic trays for them with a plastic palm tree for a few dollars more.

Raising funds for local programs

This December two fundraisers are being held at 180 Poplar Ave. to help with the growing programming offered at this community hub, which is home to the Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal Board and the Elmwood-East Kildonan Active Living Centre.

On Saturday, Dec. 6 a holiday brunch at 1 p.m. will raise money for the active living centre. Tickets are $20. The ALC offers seniors programming to anyone aged 55 and up. The programs are low cost to no cost, with most fees waivable for those with limited income. Activities include curling, darts, billiards, community lunches and community brunches.

While it operates under the banner of the CNRC, the EEKALC has its own independent board to advise on and decide which programs to offer.

“(The ALC board) makes sure that all the programming and all the services offered … is tailored to the community of seniors that attend … There is never a program that wasn’t asked for by the seniors,” said Leilani Esteban-Villarba, CNRC executive director.

‘Ain’t got no key…’

For a while I worked as an information officer at Portage Place, back when it was owned by Cadillac Fairview. It was an interesting job. The mall, like every mall, was its own particular organism, composed of people with many different jobs making up systems that worked together in a related network. These systems included a security force, rental administration, marketing and publicity arms, a cleaning department, on-site maintenance and more.

In my role, I did a fair amount of publicity tasks and worked closely with security staff, radioing security officers when necessary since my post at the information booth was very central — in Edmonton Court, close to the old city hall clock tower. Portage Place, like downtown Winnipeg itself, had its challenges but for a while it also had its own vitality, which I believe was special because it was downtown. I have always missed this vibrancy.

The information centre was often the mall’s first connection to the visiting public. We fielded questions, sought help for people and dealt with anything the public brought to us.

Today the mall is undergoing renovations, and will become home to affordable housing, health-care services and community space. I was a bit taken aback when I first saw the visual evidence of change, with an oversized crane sitting right where the information centre once stood, and the multi-storey glass wall along Portage Avenue at Edmonton Court now gone. The sweeping balconies inside are now open to the elements, resembling what one might see in a dystopian doomsday movie – but I know the end result will be glorious.

The most wonderful (and pricey) time of the year

It’s the most expensive time of the year. The holidays are right around the corner, and for many, it’s a joyous time of connection and celebration. But it also comes with a hefty price tag. With inflation at around three per cent, many Manitobans can’t keep up. It’s already been a pricey year and now there are parties to host, places to go and gifts to buy. With it all comes external and internal pressures to impress your friends, wow your children and spoil your parents.

It’s unfortunate when some people feel so overwhelmed they don’t enjoy the true magic of this time of year. They feel compelled to participate, even if it means falling further in debt and giving up peace of mind.

But there are things you can do to lessen the burden. By planning now, you can get ahead of the rush in December. Take a look at your income and expenses and determine exactly what you can afford this holiday season. If it’s not much, don’t worry! There are creative ways to stay on track.

Consider proposing a Secret Santa or White Elephant gift exchange for one of your gatherings this year. Others feeling the pinch may be grateful you do and these are also ways to add some fun and games to the holiday revelry. There are free online platforms, such as Elfster, that can help you get started. This can turn gift-giving for six to seven people into a single gift, effectively reducing expenses to a fraction. Remember to set a spending limit so everyone is on the same page and you can stay within your budget.

Giants win AAAA Tier 2 football championship

The Giants brought a championship football banner home to Elmwood.

In the Winnipeg High School Football League AAAA Tier 2 final, Elmwood defeated the West Kildonan Wolverines 35-6 on Nov. 10. The Giants went 6-1-0 in league play this season, capping the season off with victory in the final at the Fort Garry Lions Football Club field.

In AAAA Tier 1 action, Oak Park defeated Dakota 22-17 on Nov. 6, while Oak Park’s junior varsity 12-player squad beat Dakota 48-21 earlier in the month.

Sending hope for the holidays in a shoebox

Little things mean a lot, it’s often said, and that’s certainly the case for the Manitoba chapter of the Shoebox Project for Women.

Shoebox is an unaffiliated, non-religious, registered Canadian charity which supports women experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

It has chapters across the nation and aims to celebrate diversity, build awareness, challenge stigma, and promote equity through the collection and distribution of gift-filled shoeboxes and messages of support.

This year’s local fundraising initiative for the Shoebox Project kicked off on Nov. 17, and will run until Dec. 12. Drop-off locations include the Winnipeg public libraries at 1050 Henderson Hwy.; 1168 Dakota St; 251 Donald St.; 625 Osborne St.; 2724 Pembina Hwy.; 1910 Portage Ave.; and 66 Allard Ave.

An umbrella for the community

Réseau Compassion Network held quite a celebration on Nov. 6.

The event at Manitoba Museum — called Celebrating Our Roots, United by Our History — was part of the St. Boniface-based organization’s 25th anniversary.

The Compassion Network’s services cover five main areas — primary, community and mental health care; acute care; long-term care; comprehensive services for people with developmental disabilities; and housing and social services.

It is responsible for 13 agencies, including Actionmarguerite, Aulneau Renewal Centre, Centre de santé Saint-Boniface, Centre Flavie, Sara Riel, and St. Amant.

When cats and art come together

When Barbara Best’s husband brought in a pregnant cat from the lane behind her shop, she might not have realized how significant that encounter was at the time.

After bringing Layla in, they looked on Facebook to see if anyone had reported her missing, and they saw lots of posts, stretching back months, about her being spotted in people’s yards, and being fed, in her St. Vital neighbourhood.

Rescue Siamese had seen these posts, and the organization helped the family as they fostered Layla, who subsequently had four kittens — Freyr, Sif, Loki and Thor — which were named in honour of Best’s Icelandic roots. Best has is also working with K9 Advocacy moving forward.

As time went on, Best decided she wanted to tweak her business — Lizzy B’s Needle Art Supplies & Custom Picture Framing (39 St. Anne’s Rd.) — and give it a feline twist, adapting it into a cat art gallery.

Cautious optimism greets federal budget

On Nov. 4, the federal Liberal government unveiled its 2025 budget, focusing on what it termed “generational investments” to build a stronger Canadian economy in the face of global uncertainty.

For most municipalities across Canada, this budget has raised more questions than answers. With the uncertainty of trade relations with our neighbours to the south, the federal government has indicated its intent to establish new trading partners to ensure Canadian manufacturers remain competitive in the global markets. In the past, 70 per cent of Canadian manufactured goods were destined for the U.S. market. With the USMCA set for renegotiation in the next few months, Canada must recognize what stands before us over the next three years, if not longer.

Winnipeg’s mayor and councillors have been expressing the city’s funding priorities to local MPs and MLAs. The North End Winnipeg Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC) is a critical need. While phase one and two have been cost-shared with the federal and provincial governments, funding for phase three remains questionable. The removal of phosphates and bio-nutrients to reduce impacts on Lake Winnipeg is an important component of renewal, but it does not end there. NEWPCC will run out of capacity to treat wastewater in a few years if not addressed now. This means the city will not be able to add new housing or expand treatment for industries if it wishes to continue meeting environmental requirements.

If the project is left unfunded by the two other levels of government, ratepayers will incur hefty water bills. Ottawa has announced $51 billion in infrastructure spending, so seemingly this project will fit into the scope of federal announcements.

Strengthening literacy together

The Manitoba Legislature recently passed Bill 225 – The Public Schools Amendment Act (Early Reading Screening), marking an important milestone for literacy in our province. The new law, passed Nov. 4, requires schools to screen students twice a year for reading difficulties; to inform parents and guardians of the results by the next report card; and to ensure that support plans are put into action when challenges are identified.

This amendment reinforces a belief shared by educators, families, and communities across Manitoba — that reading is foundational to every student’s success. With Manitoba literacy rates among the lowest in Canada, this proactive approach will help ensure all children receive the timely support they need to become confident readers.

At Louis Riel School Division, this commitment is already deeply embedded in our work. Through our multi-year strategic plan, we have made early literacy a cornerstone of student success.

Over the past several years, LRSD has built a strong framework to identify and support literacy development from the earliest grades. Key initiatives include:

East edition news in brief — week of Nov. 19, 2025

Festival du Voyageur launches memorabilia search

Festival du Voyageur is seeking donations of memorabilia that will be displayed at the organization’s museum next February in an exhibit that will showcase stories, memories, and artifacts as it builds up to its 60th anniversary in 2029. There’s a focus on arts, heritage, and community, organizers say.

Folks are invited to donate photos of past FDV events, such as snow sculptures, people in voyageur costumes, parades, pancake breakfasts, school programs, contests, tournaments, performances, and scenes at Voyageur Park; promotional materials, such as official programs, and posters; branded T-shirts and merchandise; ribbons or trophies from competitions; artwork, paintings, sketches, models, and graphics; and LPs/vinyl from participating artists.

Prospective donations can be dropped off at Festival du Voyageur’s headquarters at 233 Provencher Blvd. Organizers say all items will be accepted as donations, and donors will be asked to fill out a short questionnaire to document the exchange. For more information, visit heho.ca, email info@heho.ca or call 204-237-7692.

An appetite for helping the community

For over 25 years, the food bank at McIvor Church (200 McIvor Ave.) has been serving the community in North Kildonan. For its efforts, the program was recently recognized by Harvest Manitoba as its agency of the year.

“It was a shock,” said Rodney Badgley, co-ordinator of the McIvor food bank program. “I’m the face of the group here, but we have over 40 volunteers who each deserve a copy of this award.”

Badgley, also the moderator of McIvor Church, said the food bank program has evolved over the years.

“We used to serve 25 a month, and it has grown,” he said. “We expanded to 25 every other week. Then we started two distributions, one in the morning and one in the evening, each week. So we do approximately 40 in the morning and 30 in the evening, so 70 every week. We also provide a breakfast in the morning, as well.”

Meet an up-and-coming rugby star

Tylie Fraser is an 18-year-old rugby player who graduated from Collège Jeanne-Sauvé in June.

Tylie played hockey in high school, but she absolutely loves rugby and even helped revitalize and recruit a team at CJS, leading the Olympiens to a second-place finish in the Winnipeg High School Rugby development league.

“I love rugby because the moment I step onto the field, everything else fades away… the stress, the noise, the chaos of everyday life. It’s just me, my teammates, and the game,” she explained.

“There’s something special about the rugby community, it’s more than a sport, it’s a family,” she said. “No matter where you go, there’s always someone ready to back you up, cheer you on, or just share a laugh after the game.”

Planning for the cold weather to come

Dear Money Lady readers,

As we approach the winter months, many of you may have gas fireplaces that you’re starting to enjoy and some of you may even be lucky enough to have a “real wood” fireplace. Isn’t it wonderful to cozy up to a fireplace as we head towards Christmas?

Fireplaces, the real-wood-kind, are very much like how we run our lives. It takes planning and preparation to have a good dry wood supply to enjoy fires in the depth of a Canadian winter. That same sort of planning and preparation must be done if you want to have a comfortable and cozy retirement, too. There’s no switch you can turn on, the day after you quit work, to provide you with that monetary security we all need. Planning is at the core of everything we do in life and should not be something you ever stop.

OK, I’m not telling you something that you don’t already know, right? We all know we should save for a rainy day and for retirement. Having said that, I still don’t want you to get too carried away. You don’t need an RRSP fund that is so huge you won’t want to draw it down in retirement due to taxation, ending up with so much of a balance left in your registered accounts that your executor will send half of it to the Canada Revenue Agency when you die. Sure, I’m a big fan of registered accounts, especially tax-free savings accounts but not so much of the ever-popular registered retirement savings plans.

A lasting legacy for Chad Posthumus

As MLA for Rossmere, I am constantly inspired by the outstanding individuals in our community who not only serve as role models but also generously give back and make a difference. Basketball player Chad Posthumus was one of those people.

Friday, Oct. 10 was a special day for the Rossmere community, when families, teammates and friends came together to celebrate the grand opening of the Chad Posthumus Memorial Court at Gateway Recreation Centre.

Chad’s passing in November 2024 was a deep loss for many. He grew up here in Rossmere and graduated from River East Collegiate, which was where he became known in basketball circles as “the Beast from River East.” It was on our local courts, including those at Gateway Recreation Centre, that he first found his love for basketball.

Chad’s love for the game took him far. He played across Canada and around the world, representing our country on the men’s national 3x3 Team. In 2023, he became the first player signed by the Winnipeg Sea Bears and proudly served as their captain. He led with the heart, integrity and dedication that represent the very best of Rossmere.