Cheer Board reflects on successful 2025

The 2025 season was an interesting one for the Christmas Cheer Board.

This year, the non-profit, volunteer operated Christmas hamper service — which delivers donated non-perishable food items, as well as toys for kids of varying ages, to families in need — received 19,568 hamper applications. That number signified a drop from 2024, when 20,993 applications were received.

“I can’t answer the question … about where those people have gone,” said Cheer Board executive director Shawna Bell. “It should have been more, and it’s surprising that it wasn’t.”

Hampers were delivered by the non-profit from Dec. 5 to Dec. 22, and the board began to accept applications in mid-November. At that time, the Cheer Board predicted it would need 21,000 hampers — matching what it saw last year.

50 years without Eaton’s catalogue

The Timothy Eaton Company pioneered mail-order shopping in Canada, but 50 years ago this month, it announced its iconic catalogue would disappear forever.

The introduction of Eaton’s first catalogue in 1884 coincided with the construction of a rail network in Western Canada that created hundreds of towns and villages which welcomed hundreds of thousands of newcomers to the region. Settlers could order everything from clothing to furniture to farm implements and, at one time, entire houses and barns from the pages of the catalogue.

Winnipeg was one of three mail-order hubs for Eaton’s, the others being Toronto and Moncton. A current monument to the city’s status in the catalogue empire are the two nine-storey towers built on Graham Avenue in 1916 and 1920, which together contained over 700,000 square feet of warehouse space.

The city benefited from the thousands of jobs within the buildings and at least that many who worked for the many independent companies that supplied retail goods, transportation services, printing, and packaging for the company.

The kids are alright

Kids and caregivers have been hitting the ice at Riverview Community Centre (90 Ashland Ave.) since just before the holiday break. Dozens of local kids have been lacing up for the Jackrabbits hockey program, which teaches basic skating and hockey skills to youngsters, on the community centre’s outdoor rinks every Tuesday evening and Saturday morning, weather permitting.

Titus is a great listener

Hi, I’m Titus.

I’m a shy and gentle boy who loves quiet spaces, soft beds, and the company of patient humans.

I am working on being house-trained and also working on crate-training. It’s very easy to put me into my crate but I don’t like staying there too long. I need a crate to help me feel safe as I build confidence. My foster mom teases me and calls me Houdini because I like to escape from my crate and pen.

I live with my foster brother, Tucker, and we play great together. I might be more suited to a home with another dog to teach me how to become more confident. I like to play rough, but I don’t like overly energetic or pushy dogs because they can be overwhelming for me.

Creativity as a path to healing and hope

Carol Smith, a proud member of the Peguis First Nation, has turned her lifelong struggles into a source of inspiration for others. Through her unique workshops on junk journaling and driftwood art, Smith helps children, youth, and adults discover hidden talents and reclaim their sense of purpose.

Junk journaling is a creative art form whereby you upcycle and repurpose keepsakes – such as pages from a book, ticket stubs from concerts you attended or trips you went on, fabric scraps from favourite clothing items – and turn them into a scrapbook.

“My gift of creativity is what motivates me to offer these workshops. I have put the content together from my own experiences,” Smith explained. Her programs are designed not only to teach artistic skills but also to provide a safe space for healing.

“If I can help others to find their gifts that are hidden behind trauma, that is the goal,” she said.

Oh, the stories they could tell

An inevitable new year’s question is “What are you leaving behind?”

While that query usually refers to the old year just ended, and all its sad and bad news, in my world it also means the ephemera that I find left between the pages of books donated to the Children’s Hospital Book Market, where I am a volunteer

For the next few columns, I’ll be playing detective while doing community outreach by researching some of the things I have found in books. If you know the backstory behind photos I’ll be sharing, do tell me. Since the last time I wrote about this, the collection of material we have found has grown exponentially.

While it’s one thing to forget something used as a bookmark, it’s quite another to declutter when downsizing and dispose of things that, at first glance, are deemed unnecessary. The Baby Boomers who tossed their old school yearbooks now want them back. Reliving one’s childhood and adolescence when life was much simpler has become a stock conversation starter for a certain generation beginning with, “Do you remember…?”

Pharmacy tech student wins national scholarship

When Katlynn Derouard took a part-time job working at a pharmacy during her final year of high school, she didn’t know it would change her life.

“My aunt is a pharmacist in Kenora,” Derouard, 22, said. “I needed a job, because they didn’t know what was going on with the schools. She got me a part-time job there. I didn’t expect to really love being in the pharmacy, because it was complete chaos during COVID. But I loved it, being part of a team and being part of people’s health care.”

Derouard is now in her final semester of the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology’s pharmacy technician program. During her second year, she’s won two scholarships, valued at $10,000 and $3,000, and is one of only seven students across Canada — and the only recipient from Manitoba — to earn the Indigenous Pharmacy Professionals of Canada Indigenous Pharmacy Scholarship.

“It was crazy,” Derouard said of winning the IPPC scholarships. “I think I called my mom first and she started to cry because she was so excited. It was a big relief to focus on my studies this year and not stress myself out with work and studies, especially living far from home.”

Gifts in the digital age

The days of opening dollhouses and action figures from under the tree are long gone. Today, children and youth are receiving more and more toys that connect digitally to a phone or laptop. Gifts of online subscriptions are on the rise and tablets themselves have become popular presents. In today’s digital age, it’s becoming ever-important to ensure your child’s access to electronics and digital presence is safe and healthy.

If your child has received a gift you don’t know a lot about, take the time to research it through verified sources. It’s imperative to understand how that digital gift or a toy’s connected app may be using or storing their information. Review the company’s privacy policy and ensure it includes clear guidelines on who is collecting the data, how it is stored and used and what the parental rights are for removing that information.

Some toys require parental consent for children to use them. If this is the case, be sure to read the policy carefully rather than quickly clicking through. The app itself can ask your child for personal information that it may not securely store, or worse, actually sell to fraudsters and criminals.

Other apps appear safe and are quite well-known. But even they can cause headaches and unwanted surprises. Many parents have found themselves in deep water after not realizing the extent of in-app advertising or in-game purchases. One mother reported a $16,000 bill from her son playing a game on his iPad and, unbeknownst to her, agreeing to in-game offers.

Volunteers provide support to those suffering profound loss

For the last decade or so, many Manitoba families that have suffered a profound loss have been supported by a host of local angels.

Manitoba Angel Dresses is a non-profit group of volunteers that provides items, including hand-sewn outfits, to grieving families dealing with the tragedy and heartbreak of losing an infant.

“We create little packages that are given to the families, which include a hat, a gown, a blanket, and a keepsake pouch, which includes a card expressing condolences,” explained Manitoba Angel Dresses co-director Diane Monkman.

“Once the packages are made, we send them to hospitals and funeral homes, and the families can choose. A nurse or funeral director will dress the infant in an outfit, which normalizes the body and gives them a sense of identity. We hope this helps the parents and family grieve the person they loved in the womb as they come to terms with their loss,” Monkman explained.

Little Theatre Festival to premiere next month

A new independent theatre festival will premiere in Winnipeg early this year. The Little Theatre Festival, an initiative of the An Seanchaí Theatre Company, will run on weekends throughout February.

The event will consist of a number of one-act plays over several weekends, and its intended to give audiences a taste of what community theatre is all about in the city.

“It’s a huge part of who I am, and I live for community theatre,” said Siobhán Keely, an Osborne Village resident and a board member and co-creator of the Little Theatre Festival.

Keely, who is involved with An Seanchaí, noted that one-act plays sometimes get “left by the wayside” and she wanted to help promote the community theatre scene in the city.

GCWCC Above & Beyond honourees named

Forty-five community leaders were recognized with Above & Beyond awards from the General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres this past year.

This 2025 awards ceremony — the 14th — celebrated 11 former community centre presidents and 34 volunteers from 28 community centres across the city. It was held Nov. 20, 2025 at Deer Lodge Community Centre.

Past-president honourees included: Kathy O’Flaherty, Archwood; Harold Martinos, Burton Cummings; Christian Kennedy, Dakota; Bhagwant Muker, Maples; Susan Carson, Melrose Park; Jay Downs, Norwood; Joel Andrade, South Transcona; Masroor Khan, South Winnipeg; Bernita Mottola, Tuxedo Community Centre; Stuart Swanson, Westridge Community Centre; and Chirag Parnathia, Whyte Ridge Community Centre.

Above & Beyond award recipients included: Larry Caners, Bord-Aire; Josh Maxwell, Bord-Aire; Dan Reles, Bourkevale; Kevin Brown, Central Corydon; Scott Street, Central Corydon; Beatrice Patton, Dakota; Fred Nicholson, Dakota; Breanna Sawatzky, Deer Lodge; Dave Feniuk, Deer Lodge; Cathie Haworth, Garden City; Ted Oxenforth, Greendell Park; Keith Roy, Greendell Park; Angie Johnston, Lord Roberts; and Keith Guay, Norberry-Glenlee.

TGIF – supporting business in Waverley

One of the greatest privileges of representing Waverley is getting to know the small businesses and community organizations that make our neighbourhoods thrive. As the holiday season approaches, I’ve been spending time visiting local businesses across Waverley to share holiday greetings, hear directly from owners, and thank them for the work they do to serve our community.

Small businesses are the backbone of Waverley’s and Manitoba’s economy. They create jobs, serve our neighbours, and help define the character of our community. Our government understands that when small businesses succeed, Manitoba succeeds. That’s why we recently launched the Trade Growth Investment Financing Program, or TGIF. A new tool designed to give Manitoba businesses the support they need to grow and thrive.

TGIF provides repayable loans ranging from $250,000 to $5 million, helping businesses invest in new technology and equipment, expand into new markets, strengthen their workforce, and create or maintain good-paying jobs. This program is about partnership. It recognizes that local entrepreneurs know their businesses best, and government has a role to play in helping them move forward with confidence. For businesses across Waverley —from neighbourhood cafés and retailers to health and professional services — TGIF opens the door to new opportunities and long-term growth.

Here in Waverley, programs such as TGIF matter. Many of the local businesses I’ve had the chance to visit have big ideas for the future, whether that’s upgrading equipment, expanding services, or hiring more staff. TGIF helps turn those ideas into reality by giving businesses the financial backing they need to invest with confidence. It’s one of many ways our NDP government is working to strengthen local economies, support entrepreneurs, and ensure Manitoba remains a great place to start and grow a business.

2025 in review — bursting with action

River Heights buzzed with activity throughout 2025, and I’m thrilled to share a ‘year in review’ outlining some of the bold steps we’ve taken for our community and province. Our government is rolling up its sleeves to create good jobs, nurture homegrown talent, and build a brighter future here in Manitoba.

First, we’re delivering on our commitment to build the long overdue second gym at Kelvin High School. The design phase has now been completed, and the fantastic team at the Winnipeg School Division has indicated shovels will be in the ground and construction will begin this spring. The plan includes the completion of a new track to replace the current concrete version, thus protecting young athletes.

Speaking of our incredible young people, I’ve also had the pleasure of working with a council of student leaders from Kelvin, Gray Academy, Grant Park High School, and St. Mary’s Academy on the issues young people care about most – education, the environment and social justice. These talented young voices have been working together on a student well-being initiative that has the potential to change young lives in our community. Remarkable local work, by remarkable young leaders.

Additionally, 2025 saw significant growth in the number of daycare spaces in our community, with new spaces opening up at Sir William Osler, Rockwood, and Shaarey Zedek, with expansion plans underway at three other sites. While much more needs to be done, we are making real progress on ensuring the affordable child-care that parents so desperately need is available.

A path to lower grocery prices

Happy new year Fort Rouge!

I hope 2026 is starting off well and you were able to experience all the joy and good times the holiday season had to offer. With gifts to buy and family dinners to cook, I know the cost of living was top of mind for many. Lowering your costs is one of our biggest priorities as your government. One of our first actions after taking office was cutting the gas tax, and it made a real difference. Over the past two years, we froze hydro rates, brought a food program into every school, and lowered taxes for homeowners, renters, and seniors. And now we’re tackling grocery prices.

When I talk to folks in Fort Rouge, I often hear that the cost of grocery bills is putting a strain on your wallet. Whether you’re a parent in Corydon, a senior in Riverview, or a young person in Osborne Village, we want every Manitoban to be able to put food on the table and have a little left over at the end of the day to take the kids to a movie or save for the future.

Manitobans work hard, but it’s tough to get ahead when prices keep rising. That’s why we’ve been taking action to lower grocery prices. And we’re starting to see results.