Ukrainian Winnipeg – from A to Z

Whether you’re a Ukrainian entrepreneur looking to promote your business, or a consumer looking to experience Ukrainian culture or support Ukrainian-owned businesses, the Ukrainian Guide to Winnipeg website is for you. The site showcases more than 140 businesses across 28 categories, including handmade food, home improvement and cleaning services.

Creator Mila Shykota, who works for the provincial government, said she got the idea about a year ago from a cultural project at work in which employees took turns describing the food and culture of their countries of origin.

“When I was preparing my own presentation about Ukraine, I thought it would be great to collect all Ukrainian restaurants and cafes into one booklet so my colleagues can buy Ukrainian food and souvenirs,” Shykota said.

As she began to collect the information, Shykota expanded the project to include the many talented, self-employed people making ends meet as tradespeople, crafters and making food. She then added companies and organizations that sell Ukrainian food and gifts or showcase Ukrainian culture.

Better care coming to Kirkfield Park

Spring’s on the way – if you’re an optimist like me. I’m counting down the days until the warm weather, sunshine, and those first flowers poking through the snow. February and March get a rough reputation around here, and honestly, they’ve earned it. But there’s still plenty happening in these months to feel good about.

February holds a special place for me though. Sure, I love Festival du Voyageur and those last weeks of winter fun, but I Love To Read Month? That’s what makes February stand out. This year, I had the chance to read with young people across Kirkfield Park – at Strathmillan, Sansome, Athlone, École Bannatyne, and the YMCA/YWCA Childcare Centre. While we were there, we also made sure our school libraries are stocked with quality, in-demand books from Canadian authors, such as On the Trapline, by David A. Robertson and Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams, by Shari Green.

Grace Hospital has some real momentum building right now. It’s launching a new surgery clinic that will bring seven surgeons under one roof – a game-changer for reducing wait times, improving access to care, and freeing up our emergency departments to focus on the most urgent cases.

Speaking of health-care improvements, I had the privilege of joining Premier Wab Kinew, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara, and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority CEO Jane Curtis at Grace Hospital last week for an exciting announcement. A record number of ICU nurses are finishing their training and filling vacancies across Winnipeg hospitals, including the Grace. Better staffing means shorter waits and better care when you need it most.

Meet a wonderful bundle of energy

Mr. Aker Wilde Musto is a four-year-old preschooler who is causing quite a stir in the academic and athletic world.

“Preschool is going great! I really like reading time. The teachers pick my favourite books to read. I really like outside time, too, where I can run around really fast,” he told me.

“I play on snow mountains too!”

There is no doubt as to how serious Aker (Wilde Man) Musto is as an athlete when, at just four years old, the young fella is already training on snow mountains.

Trojans recapture provincial AAAA hockey title

The Vincent Massey Trojans captured their second straight Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association boys’ AAAA hockey championship on March 16, with a 4-1 victory over the Oak Park Raiders at Seven Oaks Arena.

The Trojans held a 3-0 lead after two periods, through first-period goals from Aiden Dilay and Will Bader and a second-period marker from Carter Kaczmarz. Oak Park’s Karsten Ross pulled one back for the Raiders before Dilay iced the game with an empty-netter.

The goal by Ross was the first allowed by Massey in four provincial tournament games. Trojans goalie Noah Barnes was named to the tournament all-star team beside teammates Bader, Dilay and Trevor Johnstone, as well as the Raiders’ Ross and David Sudoski.

‘Yes, and…’ for caregivers

For Rachel E. Smith, all the world’s a stage.

“My passion is theatre,” said Smith, who started taking acting classes at Prairie Theatre Exchange when she was an eight year old, living in Fort Garry. She followed her passion to the University of Winnipeg, earning a bachelor of arts with honours in theatre and film before pursuing a master’s in theatre and performance from the University of Manchester, in England.

“Now, I work professionally in theatre, I act and direct and write.”

While she has worked with PTE, Manitoba Theatre for Young People, and other arts organizations in the city, Smith mostly works independently these days, providing theatre-based education for all ages.

Wolverines win big

West Kildonan Collegiate has a new championship banner to hang in its halls.

On March 12, the West Kildonan Wolverines won the Winnipeg High School Hockey League’s Price Division championship, securing a two games to one series victory over the Collège Lorette Collegiate Scorpions.

“It went well,” said volunteer coach Jamie Leach. “We had pretty good buy-in from most everybody. We just kind of caught fire in the playoffs, winning the first five games. We had an unbelievable final. The boys played great. That all comes from the buy-in all year long.”

The Wolverines struck first in the best-of-three final, winning the opening game 3-2 over Lorette at the Seven Oaks Sportsplex on March 9. The Scorpions evened the series with a 4-2 win on March 11 to force a deciding game the next day. In the deciding match, West K proved victorious, earning a 3-2 win to bring the championship banner home.

The art of creating community

Creating works of art can be a solitary pursuit, at times, with artists often spending countless hours with just their canvasses for company. However, the solitary pursuit doesn’t have to mean solitary confinement — groups such as St. Vital Art Group provide members with a like-minded community that shares ideas and support.

St. Vital Art Group members meet on Wednesday mornings at the United Church in Meadowood (1111 Dakota St.), and are preparing to hold their annual show and sale at the church on Friday, April 17 from 2 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

More than 25 artists will showcase their work at the event, which will also feature a raffle, door prizes and a bake sale. The canteen will be open on the Saturday and admission is free.

Nikki Braun, the group’s co-chair, said many members live in the south end of the city.

Building opportunities and celebrating learning

It is always a privilege to represent Winnipeg West and to see first-hand the work happening across our community. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the chance to take part in initiatives that reflect what makes our area such a great place to live: strong partnerships, a commitment to learning, and neighbours supporting one another.

At the end of February, I was pleased to announce a $10 million federal investment through Prairies Economic Development Canada to support the development of 127 acres of direct-access runway lands at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport. I was proud to make the announcement on behalf of the Eleanor Olszewski, the minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada.

This investment will support the West Lands development project, helping prepare these lands for future development. It will create new opportunities for companies in aerospace, defence, and advanced manufacturing to locate and grow here in Winnipeg West.

Projects such as this help attract investment, create jobs, and strengthen Manitoba’s role in national and global supply chains. They also support long-term economic growth for families and businesses in our community.

Families pay price for education funding cuts

Public education is one of the most important investments we make as a society. It ensures that every child, regardless of income, background or ability, has access to learning and the opportunity to succeed. Public schools prepare students not only for jobs and careers but also for citizenship. They teach the skills needed to participate in our democracy, strengthen our communities and build a more equal society.

For generations, Manitoba understood this responsibility. At one time, the province paid roughly 80 per cent of the cost of running our schools through general revenues, while the remaining 20 per cent was funded through education property taxes. This approach ensured that the burden of funding schools was shared fairly and that every community could provide strong programs and services to students.

Unfortunately, that balance has been lost.

For years, provincial funding for education has either been frozen or increased only at the rate of the consumer price index. That may sound reasonable on paper, but it does not reflect the real costs of running schools. Around 80 per cent of school division budgets go toward salaries. When wages rise or inflation increases the cost of operating schools, funding that grows only with CPI effectively amounts to a cut.

School trustees pass Budget 2026-27

Balancing fiscal responsibility with student needs is one of the core – and toughest –responsibilities that school trustees face. Every budget begins by reviewing operational expenses, looking for efficiencies, and focusing on improving how resources are used. The 2026-27 St. James Assiniboia School Division budget was approved at the public board meeting on March 10, 2026, with total operating expenditures of $146.6 million.

The board remains committed to ensuring funds are directed to supporting the classroom. Because of this, SJASD continues to have small class sizes, maintaining a low student-to-teacher ratio while ensuring that each child receives the individual attention they need.

It takes a lot of people to run a school division. Overall, the budget reflects a largely status quo operating model, with expenditure growth driven primarily by contractual salary adjustments and inflationary operating costs required to maintain current services, rather than program expansion.

Provincial funding amounted to an operating increase of 1.55 per cent, while SJASD’s operating expenditures have risen by 3.33 per cent. Given these pressures, the board of trustees made modest but targeted additions to the budget.

Simple steps to prevent identity theft

Identity theft can happen to anyone – and it doesn’t just affect big cities or large corporations. Right here in Manitoba, individuals and families are targeted every day by email scams, phone calls, stolen mail, and online data breaches. The good news? A few simple habits can dramatically reduce your risk.

• Shred sensitive documents – Identity thieves often look for personal information in garbage or recycling bins. Bank statements, credit card offers, tax documents, and even utility bills can contain enough details to commit fraud. Use a paper shredder for anything that includes your name, address, account numbers, or date of birth. If you don’t have a shredder, consider using community shredding events, which are often hosted locally.

• Protect your mail – Mail theft continues to be a problem in many neighbourhoods. If you’re expecting important documents, retrieve your mail promptly. Consider using a locked mailbox if possible. If you’re travelling – especially during winter vacation season – ask a friend or neighbour to collect your mail or place it on hold with Canada Post.

• Strengthen your passwords – Weak passwords are one of the easiest ways for criminals to access your accounts. Avoid using birthdays, pet names, or simple combinations such as “123456.” Instead, create long, unique passwords that combine letters, numbers, and symbols. Better yet, consider using a reputable password manager to generate and store secure passwords.

Checkmate!

It was a case of checkmate, in a positive sense, for a dozen young Manitobans at the recent provincial chess championships.

The Manitoba Provincial Chess Championships were held March 15 at the University of Manitoba. The tournament is run by the non-profit Manitoba Scholastic Chess Association, which is the provincial branch of the Chess’n Math Association. The MSCA is run and organized by Jeremie Piche, with support from Theo Wolchock.

At the recent provincials, one winner was declared from each of grades 1 to 12 , and the dozen champions will now represent Manitoba at the upcoming national championships, to be held in Winnipeg on May 17 and 18 – the Sunday and Monday of the Victoria Day long weekend – at the Victoria Inn.

Wolchock, who is studying mechanical engineering at the U of M, said spectators are allowed at the tournaments, although there are rules of etiquette to ensure crowd noise doesn’t disturb the players.

Say hello to Frank and Froot Loop

Supplied photo

This is Frank.

Supplied photo

This is Froot Loop.