Winnipeg & Garbage, 2010 (by Margaret Ullrich)

Last Wednesday evening Paul and I were surprised to see a large truck, with its back open and lights flashing, leaving our little section of Winnipeg's north end. The truck was being followed by a van and a car, also with flashing lights. We just assumed someone was moving something large and didn't give it another thought.

The next day, at 8:00 a.m. - rush hour around here - we saw the same flashing truck and its companions park in both lanes of Weitzel, blocking the main exit from our neighborhood. First we thought it had had a breakdown. I mean, who would be so inconsiderate as to block a street unless it was an emergency. Then we saw people get out of the vehicles and start walking around like they didn't have a care in the world. They were wearing orange safety vests.

Uh, oh. City Employees.

Drivers of cars trying to get through to Burrows to get to work or drop off kids at school were forced to screech to a halt and go down side streets, all the while hoping they would get there in time.

Hey, Buddy, they were City Employees. They might jot down a licence number and hand it to a friend of a friend.

Then a snowplow came down the side street right next to where the truck and its cronies were parked. City Employees facing off with City Employees. It was a classic showdown at high noon.

Paul and I poured coffee and sat to watch the show.

It was like a scene from the movie Duel. The snowplow inched slowly toward the truck. It was bigger. It meant business. It could have the truck and its little buddies flattened or towed.

The safety vested fellows stopped strolling around, went back into their vehicles and drove a block down, single file. They backed the truck into our bay and 2 guys started unloading the new garbage cans. A fellow got out of the car and recorded on a computer that yes, indeed, a garbage can had been delivered to a house. Another fellow inserted a brochure in each can's handle.

Our tax dollars in action.

After they left, Paul hauled his can into our living room. It's huge. The can, I mean. We recycle and have a composter in our yard. We don't produce much garbage. Sometimes it takes us 2 weeks to fill a Safeway bag with garbage. This can holds 240 litres. It could hold at least 30 bags. Oy.

At first the little booklet was very clear. First we had to 'Protect' our cart by recording the serial number in the booklet and writing our address on the cart. Okay. That part was easy.

The rest of the instructions were a hoot. We were told to "Push the cart when going downhill and pull the cart when going uphill." We poured another cup of coffee. This looked better than anything on The Comedy Network.

There were Winter Cart Tips. "Be careful when moving your cart if the ground is slippery." Yah think?

Those city boys covered everything. They said "Carts left in the back lane are more at risk of theft, vandalism and damage from snowplows." Okay. But where do we store these honking big buckets so we can get them to and from where they'll do their business? We just didn't plan for these white elephants to be plopped on us like this.

We live in a fairly new development. We have back lane collection. Narrow back lane collection. Especially when it snows. Like it did last week. You're grateful you can get your car through without these carts blocking the way.

The booklet said the cart has to be about a foot away from the back fence and 3 feet (1 metre) clearance on either side. Right.

It also said to "Place the cart on the hydro pole side of the back lane." Hydro Pole? We have these cute little boxes. Have these people ever even seen our neighborhood?

Regarding back lane collections, it also said "There may be some exceptions to this. If so, we will contact you."

We're supposed to start using the new cart on Wednesday, February 3.

Our Safeway bag is half full.

I think I'll wait.


Have a great day. How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Winnipeg Humane Society's Day with Isobel, Sale & Classes

The Winnipeg Humane Society, located at 45 Hurst Way in Winnipeg, is Manitoba’s largest animal protection and welfare organization serving Winnipeg and surrounding communities.



The Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS) is pleased to give you the chance to meet Isobel, a Churchill sled dog who overcame adversity after losing her eyesight five years ago. The eight-year-old Siberian husky-malamute cross is retiring from her sledding this month, and moving into her new home with a family in Alberta.

Isobel’s story of triumph has gained international attention with an upcoming feature on NBC, who will be profiling Isobel for the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympic and Para-olympic Games.

Her current owners, Gerald Azure and Jenafor Ollander will be at The WHS, where Ollander will speak about the importance of The WHS and its programs which provide services to remote and isolated communities.

Ollander will also be taking you through a memorable ride as she highlights Isobel’s eight years in their care.

Come meet Isobel on Sunday, January 31st, 2009 at 1:00 pm.
Light refreshments are available.



A fundraising sale will be held at the The Winnipeg Humane Society on Louis Riel Day, Monday, February 15, from 12:00 to 5:00 pm.

They are asking for donations of gently used books and movies (DVD and VHS) of all genres. People may drop off their items at the front reception desk. No magazines, please.

All proceeds from the sale will be directed towards caring for the animals in the shelter and around the community.



Kids love coming to The WHS and there’s a program for everyone.

The Winnipeg Humane Society makes learning about animals a fun and enriching experience! Registration is now open for Winter 2010 sessions of the Mini Kid’s Club (ages 7-11) and the Pet Partners Club (ages 12-15).


Mini Kids Club: Children learn and practice safety while exploring pet care and responsible pet ownership. Participants experience hands-on encounters with shelter pets and the ability to share ideas and activities with others.

Classes run on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm from Feb. 20 to March 13.


Pet Partners Club: Young teens share their ideas while participating in a team project designed to benefit our community and the animals that live here.

Classes run every second Sunday from 12:00 to 1:30 pm from Jan. 24 to March 21.


Both classes require advanced registration and a fee of $32 (includes all classes per session). Contact The WHS’s Education Department at 982-2046 or education@humanesociety.mb.ca to register.



Since 1894, The Winnipeg Humane Society has been Manitoba’s largest animal protection and welfare organization serving Winnipeg and surrounding communities. The WHS is a non-profit organization that does not receive any government funding.

They take in nearly 9,000 unwanted, lost and abandoned animals each year, while advocating for the humane treatment of all animals. The WHS adopts approximately 3,500 animals each year, and returns numerous lost pets to their owners.

The WHS provides numerous programs and services. A few of these are: low cost spay and neuter, education programs for both children and adults, and behaviour assistance (Yelp Line). WHS Animal Protection Officers investigate cases of abuse and neglect.


Visit http://www.winnipeghumanesociety.ca/ for more information.


Have a great weekend. How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Winnipeggers for Haiti

Winnipeggers are known for helping others. Our own performers have organized events to help the folks in Haiti. Okay... they're not the folks who were on George Clooney's show, but they're good, they're Winnipeggers and they're live.

Open House for Haiti at the Pyramid Cabaret, 176 Fort on January 28 at 7:00 pm. Featuring A History of Night, Ingrid Gatin, JD Edwards and more. Admission is $10. All proceeds are going to the Canadian Red Cross.

Crunk for the Quake: Haiti Fundraiser at the Republic Nightclub, 291 Bannatyne Avenue on January 28, featuring Winnipeg's best DJs. They're encouraging donations for UNICEF at the door.



Actually there's quite a bit happening in Winnipeg.


The Cyrk Salon: Act III at, where else, The Cyrk, 254 Young Street on January 29 at 8:30 pm. Ever Greener Lake Winnipeg, featuring Requiem for Suzanne E (film by Andy Blicq), Shore Lines (art by Sam Baardman, Rhian Brynjolson, Bob Haverluck, Deborah Schnitzer), and The Ever Greener Lake presentation by Karen Scott. Suggested donation $10.


The 2nd Annual Manitoba Film and Music Showcase at the Centennial Concert Hall on January 31 at 2:00 pm will be featuring The Weakerthans, Grand Analog, Romi Mayes, Fred Penner, Nathan, JP Hoe, Harlequin, Billy Joe Green, Quinzy, Daniel ROA, Domenica, Paper Moon, Record of the Week Club with Mike Petkau. Screenings of Runaway, Cubicle Land, Live at the West End. Free.


Movin' on Up! Fundraising Concert, on February 5 at 8:00 pm at the West End Cultural Centre. It's to benefit the West Central Women's Resource Centre relocation project, and will be featuring Nathan and Nova. There'll also be a silent auction. Tickets - $15 general/ $7 low income - are available at Music Trader, Organic Planet, WECC.


Manitoba Film & Music Showcase will be hosting a free event at the Centennial Concert Hall on January 31 at 2:00 pm.


Come hear Astrocoven, Kingdom of Sleep, and Hell and Malfunction at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church on February 6 at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $3 at the door. It's a show for all ages.


Time flies. The 13th Annual Live Music Is Better Coffee House in Support of Winnipeg Harvest will be held at the St. James Anglican Church Hall, 195 Collegiate Street, on February 13 at 8:00 pm. Admission is $2 plus a tin for the bin. Come out and hear Baltimore Road, Still Standing, James Van Norman, Marcel Desilets and Prairie Jewel.



The Millenium Library's next lecture and concert features:

Feb. 3 - Prof. Alena Lukes, UWinnipeg Anthropology, talking about "The Neolithic and the Rise of Agriculture"

Feb. 4 - Advanced Piano Students fromthe studio of Jacqeline Ryz


Feb. 10 - Prof. Heather Snell, UWinnipeg English: " 'Weird' Postcolonial Fiction: What is it and how do we read it?"

Feb. 11 - Rhythm of the Caribbean, and the urge to dance, with Rockalypso


It's all free, but seating is limited. The events are from 12:10 - 12:50 PM, so bring your lunch and come early to the Carol Shields Auditorium.

The schedule is subject to change without notice. To confirm, or learn about future events call the Reader Services at 986-8386 or dpilon@winnipeg.ca


Check out the Children's and Teen Programs at the Winnipeg Public Library. There's lots happening there, too.


Have a great day. How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

A Guide to Canada

Got a few e mails from Americans interested in coming to Steam on the Prairies. They've never come up here and would like a little info about our wonderful country.


Okee dokee.


Here are a few of what some think are top features of each of our fair provinces.


BRITISH COLUMBIA
1. Vancouver : 1.5 million people and two bridges. You do the math.
2. Your $400,000 Vancouver home is just 5 hours from downtown.
3. You can throw a rock and hit three Starbucks locations.
4. There's always some sort of deforestation protest going on.
5. Weed.

ALBERTA
1. Big rocks between you and B.C.
2. Ottawa who?
3. Tax is 5% insteadof the approximately 200% it is for the rest of the country.
4. You can exploit almost any natural resource you can think of.
5. You live in the only province that could actually afford to be its own country.
6. The Americans below you are all in anti-government militia groups.

SASKATCHEWAN
1. You never run out of wheat.
2. Your province is really easy to draw.
3. You can watch the dog run away from home for hours.
4. People will assume you live on a farm.
5. Daylight savings time? Who the hell needs that!

MANITOBA
1. You wake up one morning to find that you suddenly have a beachfront property.
2. Hundreds of huge, horribly frigid lakes.
3. Nothing compares to a wicked Winnipeg winter.
4. You can be an Easterner or a Westerner depending on your mood.
5. You can pass the time watching trucks and barns floating by.

ONTARIO
1. You live in the centre of the universe.
2. Your $400,000 Toronto home is actually a dump.
3. You and you alone decide who will win the federal election.
4. The only province with hard-core American-style crime.

QUEBEC
1. Racism is socially acceptable.
2. You can take bets with your friends on which English neighbour will move out next.
3. Other provinces basically bribe you to stay in Canada .
4. You can blame all your problems on the "Anglo A## H*@%#!"

NEW BRUNSWICK
1. One way or another, the government gets 98% of your income.
2. You're poor, but not as poor as the Newfies.
3. No one ever blames anything on New Brunswick.
4. Everybody has a grandfather who runs a lighthouse.

NOVA SCOTIA
1. Everyone can play the fiddle. The ones who can't, think they can.
2. You can pretend to have Scottish heritage as an excuse to get drunk and wear a kilt.
3. You are the only reason Anne Murray makes money.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
1. Even though more people live on Vancouver Island, you still got the big, new bridge.
2. You can walk across the province in half an hour.
3. You can drive across the province in two minutes.
4. Everyone has been an extra on Road to Avonlea.
5. This is where all those tiny, red potatoes come from.
6. You can confuse ships by turning your porch lights on and off at night.

NEWFOUNDLAND
1. If Quebec separates, you will float off to sea.
2. If you do something stupid, you have a built-in excuse.
3. The workday is about two hours long.
4. It is socially acceptable to wear your hip waders to your wedding.


Come on up here, eh.


The Official Canadian Temperature Conversion Chart


50 Fahrenheit (10 Celsius)
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
Canadians plant gardens.

35 Fahrenheit (1.6 Celsius)
Italian cars won't start.
Canadians drive with the windows down.

32 Fahrenheit (0 Celsius)
American water freezes.
Canadian water gets thicker.

0 Fahrenheit (-17.9 Celsius)
New York City landlords finally turn on the heat.
Canadians have the last cookout of the season.

-60 Fahrenheit (-51 Celsius)
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Canadian Girl Guides sell cookies door-to-door.

-109.9 Fahrenheit (-78.5 Celsius)
Carbon dioxide freezes and makes dry ice.
Canadians pull down their earflaps.

-173 Fahrenheit (-114 Celsius)
Ethyl alcohol freezes.
Canadians get frustrated when they can't thaw the keg.

-459.67 Fahrenheit (-273.15 Celsius)
Absolute zero. All atomic motion stops.
Canadians start saying "Cold, eh?"

-500 Fahrenheit (-295 Celsius)
Hell freezes over.
The Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup.


Let's face it: Canadians are a rare breed.


Have a great weekend. How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Steam on the Prairies

Love trains? Looking for a train staycation this year? Have we got a deal for you. If you want to see steam, steam and more steam, then come to Winnipeg next May for Steam on the Prairies!


The Thousand Lakes Region's 2010 convention will be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba on the Memorial Day weekend, from May 28 to May 30.


On Friday we'll begin with a chartered bus excursion to Portage la Prairie, rated by Trains magazine as one of North America's 10 best railfanning locations. The tour will be guided by Morgan Turney, Editor and Publisher of Canadian Railway Modeler and Railfan Canada. The CN and CP mainlines come within a few hundred feet of each other at the Portage yards, so be sure to bring your camera and extra memory cards! We'll also visit the former CP railway station at the CP Heritage Park Museum.


As a non-rail option on Friday, we have scheduled a guided tour of Lower Fort Garry National Historic Park, a beautifully restored 1830 Hudson's Bay Company Trading Post on the banks of the Red River. It is the oldest stone fur trading post in North America.


On Friday night we'll feast at a barbecue held at Bill Taylor's The Assiniboine Valley Railway. After our delicious meal, we'll enjoy riding the AVR's 1:8 scale trains well past sunset. The AVR has no less than three live steam engines in its roster of locomotives, including a scale model of CP's famous Royal Hudson!


On Saturday morning we'll have clinics. Our special guest will be Bill Schaumburg, Editor of Railroad Model Craftsman, presenting a clinic on commuter rail lines.

After the clinics, we'll head to the Prairie Dog Central Railway! We'll tour their shops and hold a swap meet, so be sure to bring your want lists and all of your model railroading goodies that you want to sell! Then we'll ride the rails in vintage woodsided cars behind their recently restored 1882 4-4-0 steam locomotive to the towns of Gross Isle and Warren. The Prairie Dog will then take us to the Hitch 'N Post Restaurant for our annual banquet.


On Sunday morning we'll hold our annual general meeting. The afternoon and evening will be free for layout hops.



The convention will be headquartered at the suburban campus of Winnipeg's Canadian Mennonite University. Their dorm rooms are available for far less than half the price of an average hotel room. Double occupancy prices start at less than thirty dollars! A limited number of larger suites with kitchenettes are also available at extra cost. If you wish to book a room on campus, the registration form has all of the contact information listed, including an e-mail address, a fax number and a toll-free number. If guests wish to purchase reasonably priced meals, the campus cafeteria will be open.


The CN Lines SIG, the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club and the CP Station Committee of Portage La Prairie will also be attending the convention.


You can find the registration form by going to the National Model Railroad Association's web site, then following the links to TLR (1000 Lakes Region), then to Conventions.


The basic registration includes the Friday night barbecue held at the Assiniboine Valley Railway, all clinics, the excursion on the Prairie Dog Central, the banquet at the Hitch 'N Post, and the Sunday layout hops. It does not include the extra fare trip to Portage la Prairie or the non-rail tour of Lower Fort Garry National Historic Park. If you are not a NMRA member, no problem. You can buy a 6 month trial membership for $10.



I hope that you've taken advantage of at least one of the Millenium Library's offerings.

In case you haven't heard, on Wednesdays, from September to March, their Reader Services Department is hosting a lecture series featuring teachers and researchers from the University of Winnipeg. On Thursdays the library is providing a showcase for Manitoba's musicians.


Their next lecture and concert features:

Jan. 20 - Prof. Brandon Christopher, UWinnipeg English, talking about "Making Codes and Breaking Codes in Shakespeare's England"

Jan. 21 - Classically Well Balanced, by Synergy, with Ryszard Tyborowski, classical guitar and Nenad Zdjelar, jazzy doublebass


Jan. 27 - Prof. Tracey Whalen, UWinnipeg Rhetoric, Writing and Communication: "Touching Upon Nationalism: Canadian Liberal Democracy and the Oka Standoff Picture"

Jan. 28 - Red, White and Blues, with Aboriginal guitarist Billy Joe Green & Mennonite musician Sister Dorothy singing the blues


It's all free, but seating is limited. The events are from 12:10 - 12:50 PM, so bring your lunch and come early to the Carol Shields Auditorium.

The schedule is subject to change without notice. To confirm, or learn about future events call the Reader Services at 986-8386 or dpilon@winnipeg.ca


Check out the Children's and Teen Programs at the Winnipeg Public Library. There's lots happening there, too.



Have a great day. How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

A Guide To Winnipeg

Okay... so we have a few quirks.

First you must learn to pronounce the city name. It is WIN-A-PEG, not VIN-A-PEG, and it does not matter how people pronounce it in other places.

Winnipeg has its own version of traffic rules. Never forget that downtown Winnipeg is composed in large part of one-way streets. The only way to get out of the center of town is to turn around and start over when you reach the river.

All directions start with, 'Go down Portage.'

Portage Avenue has no beginning and no end.

The 8:00 a.m. rush hour is from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m.
The 5:00 PM rush hour is from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning.

If you actually stop at a yellow light, there's no chance you're from Winnipeg. Yellow lights are for sissies.

Lagimodiere Blvd. can only be pronounced by a native Winnipegger, so do not attempt the phonetic pronunciation. People will simply tilt their heads to the right and stare at you. (And let's not forget Noter Dayme. And of course, Portidge.)

Bingo, Bugs and Perogies are a way of life. Deal with it.

Construction on the Winnipeg streets in summer is a permanent form of entertainment. (Especially those dopey-looking city workers holding up signs in traffic that says in big orange letters 'SLOW'. (I always want to yell, 'You don't really need to advertise, buddy!')

Many bizarre sights can be explained simply by realizing, 'Oh, we're in Transcona!'

Construction crews aren't doing their job properly unless they close down all lanes except one during rush hour.

If someone actually has his turn signal on, it was probably left on at the factory where the car was made.

Buying a Winnipeg street map is a waste of money since the termination or continuation of any street is entirely at the discretion of the Works Department of the City: e.g., Salter, Isabel, Balmoral, Colony, Memorial, Osborne, Dunkirk and Dakota. You've gone two miles down the same road and the name changes eight times.

Exit and entry ramps on the Perimeter Highway are just the recommended way of entering and exiting. Feel free to exit at any grassy point you wish.

All drivers frightened of heights, stay clear of Charleswood and its ten-foot ditches. Believe me when I say you won't get out without a hundred-dollar towing bill.


You are from Winnipeg when...

· Your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a deer next to your Blue Spruce.

· Down South to you means Grand Forks.

· Your 1 July picnic was moved indoors due to frost.

· You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.

· You find 0 degrees 'a little chilly.' But it is still t-shirt weather.



Have a great weekend. How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Goodbye McNally Robinson, Hello Aqua Books, the U of W and Winnipeg libraries

Who knew McNally Robinson was having problems?

Okay... We Winnipegers have lost one of the 2 McNally Robinsons. It was a great place in which to browse books and to hear local authors read.

But, it was not the only game in town.

Aqua Books has it all - film series, music, idea exchanges and readings. Come on down on January 15 at 7:30 pm to see Kelly Hughes Live! The Women of Churchill Fest featuring host Kelly Hughes, Chickie Hughes and Virgil Pauls.

David Bergen is the writer-in-residence at the University of Winnipeg. Come to the University's Convocation Hall and hear him read on January 13 at 12:30 pm.

On January 18 Jan Braun and Deborah Schnitzer will be reading at the Yellow Dog Tavern as part of the Manitoba Writers' Guild Reading Series.

Local Winnipeg libraries are also places in which to meet local writers. Paul Boge will be reading from his book The Urban Saint: Harry Lehotsky on January 26 at 7:00 pm at the West End Library, 999 Sargent.

The Winnipeg Folk Festival will be presenting In Someone Else's Shoes: Writing from an outside point of view, with Romi Mayes, Ridley Bent and JP Hoe on January 23, 1:30 pm. Free admission.


Missing the music? No problem.

Manitoba Film & Music Showcase will be hosting a free event at the Centennial Concert Hall on January 31 at 2:00 pm.

Come hear Astrocoven, Kingdom of Sleep, and Hell and Malfunction at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church on February 6 at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $3 at the door. It's a show for all ages.

Time flies. The 13th Annual Live Music Is Better Coffee House in Support of Winnipeg Harvest will be held at the St. James Anglican Church Hall, 195 Collegiate Street, on February 13 at 8:00 pm. Admission is $2 plus a tin for the bin. Come out and hear Baltimore Road, Still Standing, James Van Norman, Marcel Desilets and Prairie Jewel.


Shed a tear for McNally. But don't forget - Winnipeg still rocks!


Have a great day. How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Easy Raisin/Sultana Cake

I know... I know... In November we were all going to bake dozens of cookies and cakes. Okay. We did bake a few. Then things got crazy.

Now it's January. It's almost guaranteed that you've got a few bags of dried fruit just sitting on the shelves.

Got raisins? Got cake.


RAISIN CAKE

grease 8" square pan
preheat oven to 350º
bake 35 min.

boil gently 5 min.
1 Cup raisins or sultanas
2 Cups water
drain, reserving 1 1/2 Cups liquid
in a large bowl
-----
add to liquid
1 tablespoon oil
cool
-----
combine
2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Cup sugar
stir into liquid quickly and thoroughly
stir in raisins
turn into prepared pan
bake


Have a great day. How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

The Winnipeg Humane Society Wants You

Jenelle Petrinchuk is inviting you - yes, you - to volunteer at The Winnipeg Humane Society .


Since 1894, The Winnipeg Humane Society, located at 45 Hurst Way in Winnipeg, has been Manitoba’s largest animal protection and welfare organization serving Winnipeg and surrounding communities.

The WHS is a non-profit organization that takes in nearly 9,000 unwanted, lost and abandoned animals each year, and advocates for the humane treatment of all animals. The WHS adopts approximately 3,500 animals each year, and returns numerous lost pets to their owners. The WHS provides numerous programs and services; a few of these are: low cost spay and neuter, education programs for both children and adults, and behaviour assistance (Yelp Line). WHS Animal Protection Officers investigate cases of abuse and neglect. Visit for more information.


The Winnipeg Humane Society relies heavily on volunteers to assist in every department within the organization. During 2009, nearly 800 volunteers have logged over 31,000 hours, the highest number of recorded hours and volunteers in its history.

“Each and every day we reap the benefits of having hundreds of volunteers help us make a difference in the lives of shelter animals, and to our community,” said Bill McDonald, WHS Executive Director.


The WHS attributes the increase in volunteer time due to improvements in efficiencies, and newly implemented programs and volunteer positions as a result of their new shelter. Meet Your Match© is just one of these volunteer driven programs. A team of trained volunteers now assist in the assessments of cats in order to determine their personality.

"Volunteers contribute directly to the success of our adoption matches," said Kelle Roth, WHS Manager of Volunteer Services. "They not only help us put our donations towards the animals in our care, they bring inspiration and dedication to The WHS each and every day.”


For more information phone : 204-988.8810
or e mail jenellep@humanesociety.mb.ca


Have a great weekend. How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Lectures and Concerts and The WMRC... Oh, My!!

Just because the holidays gave your budget a beating doesn't mean you can't take in a concert.


The Downtown Library is more than just a building full of books. On Wednesdays, from September to March, their Reader Services Department is hosting a lecture series featuring teachers and researchers from the University of Winnipeg. On Thursdays the library is providing a showcase for Manitoba's musicians.


Their next lecture and concert features:

Jan. 6 - Prof. Jason Yaremko, UWinnipeg History, talking about The Aboriginal Presence in Cuba: From History to Myth and Back Again

Jan. 7 - FROM PURCELL TO POULENC, with the Praetorius Mandolin Ensemble


Jan. 13 - Prof. Michelle Owen, UWinnipeg Sociology: "A Crisis, an Outrage and a Disgrace": Violence in the Lives of Girls and Women with Disabilities

Jan. 14 - BACH TO BEATLES, by the Rembrandt String Quartet


It's all free, but seating is limited. The events are from 12:10 - 12:50 PM, so bring your lunch and come early to the Carol Shields Auditorium.

The schedule is subject to change without notice. To confirm, or learn about future events call the Reader Services at 986-8386 or dpilon@winnipeg.ca


Check out the Children's and Teen Programs at the Winnipeg Public Library. There's lots happening there, too.



At 7:30 pm from September to April, on the second Friday, The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club (WMRC) holds meetings at the Westworth United Church, 1750 Grosvenor. They're always happy to welcome new members.


On January 8 they'll be holding their Klinic Karnaval, with groups of modellers presenting different model railroading skills.


Afraid you'll be overwhelmed by lots of techy jargon? Not to worry. There are members of all ages and skill levels. There are ongoing table clinics where you can learn how to make your models look just like the real thing. There's also a lending library (books & videos).

Travel and photos are more your speed? Each meeting features a slide presentation or two, the subject matter ranging from professional model railroad displays to scenes from a rail-fan's ride.


Did I mention it's all free?


Have a great day. How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!

Chickens Can't Fly

Some thoughts (I've had it with resolutions) for 2010...

* Don't spend major time with minor people.

* If there are people in your life that continually disappoint you, break promises,
stomp on your dreams, are too judgmental and have different values…
that is not a friend.

* To have a friend, be a friend.

* Sometimes in life your friends will either grow or go.

* Surround yourself with people who reflect your values, goals, interests
and lifestyle.

* When I think of my successes, I am thankful to God from whom all blessings flow,
and to my family and friends that enrich my life.

* Over the years my address book has changed because I changed for the better.

* At first you think that you are going to be alone, but, after a while, new people
come into your life and make it so much better.

* Remember what your elders used to say, "Birds of a feather flock together."

* If you're an eagle, don't hang around chickens.

* CHICKENS CAN'T FLY!

~Author Unknown~



My Wish for You in 2010

May peace break into your house
and may thieves steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become
a magnet for $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline
and may laughter assault your lips!
May happiness slap you across the face
and may your tears be that of joy.
May the problems you had
forget your home address!


Have a great day. How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!