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Summer Fun for Kids in Point Douglas |
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by Heather Geddie, Issue Editor Hello, friends and neighbours. Most of this issue is about kids and how we can make a better community for them and for us. Our community organizations work hard for us and would welcome your involvement. The Point Douglas Residents Committee and the Norquay Community Centre have just had their AGMs, new board members were elected, and there are exciting plans moving forward. The Point Community News would like to take this opportunity to thank Denis and Rita Richard and Val Himkowski for their years of hard work and dedication at Norquay Community Centre, and for their many accomplishments. They’ve made such a difference in the lives of so many of our children, and for that we are most grateful. We would like to welcome the new board members and hope that people will make an effort to find out how they can support their community centre in its good work. Have a great summer, everyone! ♦
by Kaitlynn, with Bill Dentry
My name is Kaitlynn and I live in Point Douglas with my three-year-old brother Caleb and my year-old sister Jordan. I am five years old. Here are a few of my favourite things to do in Point Douglas. I love trees. I would like to climb a tree and build a tree house for me and my friends to play in. Too bad there is no tree house. Maybe somebody will build one for me. I worry about the trees that are being cut down in the neighbourhood. We should plant more trees so that they can grow up for everyone to enjoy. I love trees! Mummy takes us to Michaëlle Jean Park almost every day. During the summer there is a Splash Park and I love to run through the water, under the huge upside-down flowers and of course swim. We also go for walks and watch the birds, especially the Canada geese and their many young goslings. I often walk on the stepping stones with my friend. She is five. My family and I went Geo-Caching in Joe Zuken Park many times last year and that was fun, too. I would also like to have more gravel on the path so
that we can walk easily even when the river is very high. That way
we would not have to walk through the mud!
by Chris Burrows Several years ago our kids from Norquay School wrote a letter to then-Governor-General Michaëlle Jean. It was a kick in the butt to many of us parents and kookums that our kids needed our help. Children were scared to play outside and even scared to go to school because of bullies. You couldn’t even send your kid to the store for a kilo of sugar without some dumb teeny ganger trying to sell them crack. Most of us decided enough of this damned ‘rat’ rubbish – if our kids were scared it was our duty to protect them from stupid people and bad role models, and we were not too scared to do that.
We keep working to make this neighbourhood safe and fun for our most precious resource, our children. We have some new and fabulous resources now; the splash park, the play structure; we have a brand new state-of-the-art child care centre; we have the Walking School Bus; we have lovely open green spaces, and we have a hockey team. Our kids can play in the streets and it’s great to see them outside now the better weather is here. Here at ‘Grover Corner’ we have a bicycle pump and some tools so we get to know quite a few of our kids and they are polite and always return things. M. Jean has followed the work of our neighbourhood through the years and often quoted North Point Douglas’ success in her travels abroad. Kids don’t stop being kids when they turn 13. In fact they need more parenting and more exciting and positive role models. When we lived In Thompson a few people put a basket ball hoop near their houses. My neighbour and I put up a hoop. There were three rules; no swearing, no hitting, and don’t trample the flowers if the ball ends up in the garden! We need to help our teens by having good activities and we need to keep our eyes on the streets so they stay safe for our children. ♦
Summer Activities Galore! by Bill and Joan Dentry In early June we had the pleasure of meeting with Rita Richard, Program Coordinator of the Norquay Community Centre located in Michaëlle Jean Park. Rita, has worked with the Centre for the past 17 years. Our visit was prompted by a comment made by one of our younger residents, an eleven year old girl: “I’m bored. There’s NOTHING to do here. Rita: Over the years, the centre has offered a great diversity of activities. Children competed in organized leagues; baseball, ice hockey, floor hockey and other sports. They danced up a storm at Friday Night Dances, shared the fun of summer carnivals with friends and took field trips to the movies at Towne Cinema. They played mini golf at U-Puttz, splashed in the water slides at Fun Mountain, screamed on the rides at Tinkertown and watched wide-eyed the acts under the big top at the Optimist Circus. We made trips to Kildonan Park and even went horseback riding! There are also free summer camps that take children out of town for a week or two at a time! The community centre offers many indoor activities as well. A large computer lab is connected to the web and children use it to do homework and play games. Twice weekly, programs for toddlers run from 12:30 to 3:30. Between 3:30 and 5:00 daily, there are after-school programs for children, many of whose parents are still at work. The youth drop-in centre operates from 5-9 pm and there are cooking classes after school on Fridays. And that’s not all! There’s a lot to do in the park in summer too. Plastic water slides and a wading pool with three life guards let the children cool off from the summer heat. Bill: What are the biggest changes that you’ve seen over the years? Rita: Our demographic has changed. We have younger children now, especially in the under-ten age group. The children’s attitude towards adults seems to have changed. We see less respect now than we have in the past. And in many families, both parents have to work so children spend more time on their own. Bill: What is the biggest challenge you face? Rita: Finding enough volunteers to help with the programs we offer. Coaches are needed to run the sports teams, as are people to keep score at the games. When we take children on field trips, we need adult chaperones. Bill: What do you say to our 11-year-old girl who is bored? Rita: Programs are offered by more organizations than ever in the past. These include the Boys & Girls Club at Norquay School, the Graffiti Art Program (GAP) at the Graffiti Gallery, the Community Schools Investigators (CSI) School Summer Learning Enrichment Program, and many area churches also offer programs, to name but a few! Catalogues for most of these programs can be found inside the entrance to the community centre. ♦ Centre top
by Karen Dueck Norquay Boys and Girls Club is proud to be part of the North Point Douglas Community and engaging our children and youth ages 6-18 years old. During the past year we’ve had members participate on three Ball Hockey Teams (two silver medals), two Flag Football Teams, had two girls participate on a first-ever ‘girls only’ Tackle Football Team along with members participating in skills camps for volleyball and football. Not only do our children and youth participate in sport, they expand their knowledge and skills in our academic, cultural and art programs. We strive to build positive relationships, self-confidence, belonging and skills that will help shape our members to be active participants in the club and the greater community. We’re proud to see the growth in our members through the days and years and witness the great things they do. This year is a first for our club as we hired a member for the summer as a Youth Activity Worker. This young woman has been attending the club for the past two years and been a consistent volunteer youth mentor in our Power Up! academic program. We have seen her develop her skills in mentoring younger members, her enthusiasm for learning and her dedication to the Boys and Girls Club. We look forward to seeing her grow and give back to the club and community! This is just one of many stories we could tell of the great things our children and youth are doing in our community. This summer we will again be running the CSI program at Norquay School as well as daily drop-in activities for ages 6-18. Please stop by the club to pick up a summer calendar so you are sure not to miss our outings to the beach, summer camps, amazing crafts and sports! ♦
It Takes a Village by Alex Miller, Student Housing Coordinator PDRC What is a child-friendly neighbourhood? It’s a place where kids have safe playgrounds and spaces to play; however, communities have to actively work towards becoming child-friendly. Children must have opportunities for healthy relationships not only with kids their own age, but with adults as well. This means having adults outside of their immediate family who take a genuine interest in their well-being. Child-friendly neighbourhoods involve working with kids to determine if their needs are being met; they should provide for kids in a range of age groups. Outdoor spaces are most often created for younger kids, playgrounds and splash parks for example. But all children, even teenagers, need spaces that suit their needs. Meeting up with friends on the street is often an important social aspect for teens. It’s where they can run into their friends and spend time in public. So it’s important to make sure our neighbourhood streets are safe. Also, working with teens to learn their outdoor recreation needs and what they would like in their neighbourhood are ways to make sure they feel part of their community. Putting Child-Friendly Strategies into Practice Here are some ways to help children get involved in Point Douglas:
A child-friendly neighbourhood gives kids a sense of pride and belonging and the chance to participate in their community and to make Point Douglas a better place to live. OTHER RESIDENTS COMMITTEE NEWS:
LATE-BREAKING NEWS! Our Annual General Meeting was held on Sunday, June 26 and residents came out to hear about our new 5-Year Housing Plan and Strategic Plan. ♦
A Woman's Voice by Christie Paul, Neighbourhood Resource Coordinator for the North Point Douglas Women’s Centre
Enjoying the shade in the yard at the Women's Centre before getting to work on the gardening. L to R: Shannon Dunn, Florence Desjarlais, Cheryl, John Dunn, and Amber Abraham We had the pleasure a few weeks ago of having a lively discussion around what images would best represent the role the Women’s Centre plays in our neighbourhood. Everything from pictures of butterflies, children, tipis, and names of missing women were on the table. The use of colour and style all took on new meanings as we explored what it meant to represent the voice of women in our neighbourhood; what that voice sounded like in the past, how it is heard now, and what voice we enable our daughters and granddaughters to have in the future. Then someone asked a great question. What is the mission statement of the Women’s Centre? I have to admit, I had to go look it up on our website. It reads like this: “The North Point Douglas Women’s Centre exists to create opportunities for women to develop their potential and engage fully as citizens of their community.” Wow! We all agreed we liked that. We went a little farther and read the vision statement, essentially what we dream for this place: “A safe, healthy, vibrant community for women and their families in which all forms of violence against women are addressed by engaging the community in prevention and remediation strategies.” Over the years the Women’s Centre has determined that in order for a woman to speak up, she needs to feel safe doing so. We see issues of domestic violence and homelessness as key factors that silence women in families and in community. Many people think that being homeless only happens to drunken old men. The reality for many women in this neighbourhood is that one large water bill from a landlord who doesn’t fix the faucets is all it might take to put them on the street. Or that sharing a lease with a partner, abusive or not, is the only way to afford a place for her kids to live. In May, Elaine Bishop, our Executive Director, and Lin Conover, a Board Member, attended “All Our Sisters”, the first national gathering on women and homelessness, in London, Ontario. They learned about some new and innovative ways that other cities are addressing the lack of social housing as it relates to women. In June both Elaine and I took part in specialized training to become Protection Order Designates. Once we are certified, this training will allow us to assist anyone leaving an abusive relationship to apply for a Protection Order and create a safety plan. More often than not, the day-to-day work of creating safe and healthy communities happens when folks have the opportunity to work together. We see a walking group, a gardening team, a community kitchen, a street festival, a community oven, or a family outing to Camp Manitou as opportunities for safe and healthy participation in our neighbourhood. These are some of the ways that the Women’s Centre, and those who come here, are working to make the dream of a safe, healthy and vibrant community a reality. ♦
Wondering what to do during those lazy, hazy days
of summer? With barely two weeks left in the school year I am certain many of you, especially parents, are wondering what to do with the kids during those long, lazy summer days. Here are a few good ideas.... CSI – Community School Investigators is a program for students currently enrolled at Norquay School in grades 1 to 6. The program lasts five weeks and is a free, full day camp from 9:00 to 3:00 each day. The focus is on fun activities in reading, writing and math in the morning, with physical activity and cultural experiences in the afternoon. Currently, there’s a waitlist for this camp but applications can be picked up in the school office. WASEC – a free, week-long sports camp for Aboriginal students in grades 5 or 6. The camp runs from August 8th to 12th and applications are available at the Norquay School office. Mini-University – available through University of Manitoba. Students attend for a week or more and choose among a variety of different camps. There is a cost to attend. For more information please contact the University of Manitoba. There are a lot of other things to keep children occupied here in lovely North Point Douglas:
Whatever you choose to do this summer, remember to be safe and wear sunscreen! Read at least 20 minutes every single day. Have a great summer! School starts again September 7th! We can’t wait.... ♦
by Rick Caslake
Luke Wood, Leader of Green Team Youth: Watch for Luke Wood and his Green Team Youth all this summer, working hard to keep North Point Douglas a great place to live. Former resident, 16-year-old Luke Wood is returning to North Point Douglas this summer as leader of the MB4Youth 2011 Green Team. Area youth will be working under Luke’s leadership on several projects related to community enhancement, while learning how volunteering can make their own lives better. The Green Team’s first role is to work with the North Point Douglas Seniors Association, under the direction of Volunteer Coordinator Rick Caslake, in the final stages of developing the grounds around Barber House at 99 Euclid Avenue as a public park and outdoor activities area for seniors. Soon to follow is a Recycling and Waste Management initiative, in which the Green Team Youth will design, print and distribute information to North Point Douglas residents about the many benefits of recycling. The youth members will help us keep our back lanes clean – and will remind us when it’s Recycling Day. The third phase of the program will introduce the team to river bank safety issues, in preparation for their River Bank Enhancement project. The Red River presents many opportunities for our enjoyment of one of the great natural resources Winnipeg has to offer. With Safety First in mind, the Green Team Youth will clean up our river bank so we can all enjoy this part of our neighbourhood in safety and comfort. ♦
“I considered retiring — a career change is turning out to be a much better idea.” Touring the neighbourhood with NPDSA board chairman, Sel Burrows, Rick has met dozens of area residents during his first weeks in his new role as Volunteer Coordinator, and looks forward to the opening of the Seniors Centre at Barber House at 99 Euclid Avenue, in the very near future. Working with volunteers, Rick is helping long-time resident and Food-On-Wheels key-member Rob Forbes to distribute food hampers to needy seniors in our neighbourhood. And, in the coming days and weeks, Rick will be coordinating the construction of the seniors activity area at Barber House and introducing the NPDSA Board’s plans for a Seniors’ Drop-In Program, Arts Groups, Sewing Club, Vegetable & Flower Gardening, Historical Tours and Events, as well as Rick’s own passion, a Seniors’ Theatre Group. Watch for details in upcoming issues of The Point and in neighbourhood notices throughout North Point Douglas. ♦
by Angel Peterson
The grand opening was well attended by
dignitaries On the 21st of June (Aboriginal Day and the first Day of summer), SISTARS formally opened the Eagle Wing Early Education Centre at 99 Euclid. Many of the important people who helped us so much were invited to share our celebration. It has been a community dream come true.
Marcella receives thanks Over six years ago SISTARS and Bridgman Collaborative consulted with the community and learned that they saw their greatest needs to be a child care and a seniors’ drop-in centre. In the intervening years Eagle Wing Early Education Centre was set up and run in the basement of the Filipino Seniors’ Centre, a safe and cozy centre. SISTARS started working on becoming the owners of the tract of land that was 99 Euclid and 105 Euclid, the two lots owned by the city of Winnipeg. It took many, many meetings to find funding and an agreement between the city and the provincial government. It took many, many more meetings before we were able to start building and many meetings after that to arrive at the finished product. North Point Douglas has an absolutely state-of-the-art early education centre. Our secretary Angel Peterson attended weekly site meetings as SISTARS’ representative, equipped with a hard hat and steel-toed boots in all weather.
Interior of Barber House, during first-ever
community When we see our neighbourhood children running about on the big hill at the back of the Eagle Wing lot, we all feel the many hours of volunteer time were worth while. Those who attended the opening saw that the inside is just as beautiful as the exterior. Having celebrated the official opening of Eagle Wing, we’re putting the finishing touches to the renovated Barber House, and you can look forward to another big celebration as we open Barber House as a seniors’ drop-in centre. ♦
by Arron Sanduliak
Linda Williams of the North Point Douglas
Women's Centre The first-ever free Youth Community Kitchen in North Point Douglas made its debut in March 2011 and ran for ten weeks. We celebrated at the end of the classes with a feast, inviting all the families of the youth who were involved. The Youth in the Kitchen 2011 program graduated six
youth from North Point Douglas with a certificate in basic food
preparation, food handling, and Nutrition. We’re in the process of securing funding to continue this program on a long-term basis in the community and will be looking for applicants in September 2011. If you or someone you know is between the ages of 12-18 and would like to gain cooking experience, please contact Arron or Linda at the North Point Douglas Women’s Centre at 947-0321. The youth who graduated in this ten-week cooking course are: ♦ Tarah Desjarlais ♦ Grace Laing♦ Shaylee McKay ♦ Emily Hobson♦ Ava Zaber ♦ Ashleigh Dover
by Pastor Trevor Berg
Youth in the Kitchen grads serve up a great
meal to In January, Church of the Open Door closed its doors. However, they closed the doors so that the doors could be open more often…make sense? Didn’t think so. The people of Church of the Open Door gave their building to Grace Point so it could be more useful and open to the community.
Community members enjoy a picnic hosted by Grace Point Church at Joe Zuken Heritage Park A few of us from Grace Point have been involved in Point Douglas over the last while and we’re really just beginning to get to know this incredible community. We love the people here and we can’t wait to get to know more of you! And that’s our job for now, doing our best to get to know as many people in Point Douglas as we can, so please feel free to stop us on the street and ask us what we’re all about (or tell us what you’re about), or stop by 137 Euclid and say hello.
We have two people who are around for the summer to work with kids and youth from Point Douglas. Cassia and Rachel are amazing with young people in this neighbourhood, and many of them stop by after school to hang out with them. They’ll be running summer programs for kids and youth aged six to 18-ish. Watch your mailbox for details! Jesus believed in loving young people, and we do too. We hope the young people of this community will feel safe, cared for, challenged and loved when they’re around us.♦
by Jillian Ramsay Taking the Youth Art Scene by Storm!
Dakota, 15, with his artwork created at Graffiti Gallery Graffiti Art Programming’s Aboriginal Youth Advisory Committee is an amazing group of young artist leaders who’ve been working hard to make a difference for youth in Winnipeg through art! With help from Youth Outreach Worker, Arron, (North Point Douglas Women’s Centre) and a volunteer from the University of Winnipeg, GAPAYAC has been creating art and making plans for an incredible summer! Who can join GAPAYAC? GAPAYAC is an open group. You don’t have to be an artist, but you should expect to become one after working with us! You can join for FREE anytime if you are between the ages of 13 and 17. If you are older, (17-24) you can also join as a senior advisor. What can you expect as a member? Our plans for the summer will be updated weekly on
our website. They include some really exciting events such as live
Hip Hop
If you would like to join GAPAYAC and be involved in art projects that will impact not only North Point Douglas but the entire city of Winnipeg, contact GAPAYAC! We’d love to have even more teens join our workshops and projects! Write to gapayac@gmail.com and ask for a registration form, or check out www.graffitigallery.ca for updates and project info! We look forward to doing amazing things with you this summer! ♦ Raven, age 13, with Jessie, age 20, presenting
their ideas
by Annie Bergen
'Restoration' on the north exterior wall of the Red Road Lodge After hibernating for the winter, we’re excited to start up Phase 2 of our community mural! Sponsored by Neighbourhoods Alive! and the Manitoba Arts Council, ‘Restoration’ is bringing together inner-city artists, the community at large, and professionals in the collaborative creation. This impressive mixed-media mural is being installed on the north exterior wall of the Red Road Lodge (631 Main Street). We’ll officially open the doors for work on
‘Restoration’ mural on July 1st. From then on, Studio 631 at the Red
Road Lodge will be open to the public every Friday and Saturday,
from 1 – 8 pm. Everyone is invited to drop by and participate in
this exciting project! You will learn artistic skills, meet new
What makes this project so special is that we’re taking other people’s ‘junk’ and turning it into beautiful public art for all to enjoy. A majority of our tiles have come from local tile companies that are thrilled to get rid of their discontinued sample boards. We’re also using mirrors, pieces of stained glass, and miscellaneous objects/findings such as marbles, rocks, beads and ceramics. We gratefully welcome donations of materials (or time – if you wish to participate or volunteer). You may drop off donations at Studio 631 on Fridays and Saturdays, from 1 – 8 pm. We’re also in need of buckets with lids, Styrofoam, bins and paints. We’re confident that you’ll have a great time participating in our project – so please bring your friends and families by! No experience is necessary… wear clothes you can get dirty. If you’ll be spending a day with us, bring water, rubber gloves, hammer, and a tile nipper if you have your own. Please contact us at 250-5326, or email: muralrestorationproject@gmail.com or visit: www.Artbyannie.ca ♦ A portion of the beautiful mosaic mural
by Jordan Van Sewell
Everybody knows that George won’t be returning to the fray. He has served this community well and deserves the very best in his retirement. I hope he gets it. Now we have Kevin Chief running for the NDP, Mary Lou Bourgeois for the Liberals, and John Vernaus for the PCs. I’ve given up voting on party lines anymore. To think that A political party has my best interests at heart is delusional. Can voting for an individual be madness? Unfortunately I feel that the current government has not done much over here. They’ve given some lip service to the concerns of SPD. It’s gone nowhere. When Gary was premier he suggested a provincial park on our Point. Great thinking from a great man. All governments threw cash into the Disraeli Debacle. I’m unable to rinse the bad taste from my mouth over that experience. Now the legislature has gone on summer vacation. Did they ever ratify Plan Winnipeg? I don’t even know where that stands. All I see is more chain link fences going up along Higgins. How historic!
What do these candidates know about this ‘charming’ piece of ancient Winnipeg? Can any of them assure me that progress and process are in their vocabulary? The only politician I’ve seen come down my street (so far) is Pat Martin and he’s in Ottawa, for goodness sake. It’s still a pretty fair distance from Higgins and Annabella to Broadway and Memorial and when the victor arrives there will they remember where they came from? If I do see a red, blue, or orange blazer coming down my street I won’t be putting any credence into their party colours. Naw, I’ll be voting on the ideas they impart and their desire and ability to have their voice heard if they get in. I’ve got a nice fire pit and conversation area in my yard. I’d certainly like to sit down and do a little grilling. I’ll happily hold their feet to the fire. I so want to see some action down here. At this point I’m willing to hold my breath until I’m blue in the face. I’m that desperate. ♦
The Point would like to thank our advertisers, past and present, for their support of this vital community service. We urge our readers to support our advertisers at every opportunity. We are a community. The Point strives to be a non-partisan organization, and as such, we welcome campaign advertising from all candidates in our civic elections. Please contact our Advertising Sales Manager for further information.
Letters to the Editor We welcome your letters and opinions at any time. You may contact us by email at info@pointdouglas.net , by telephone at 942-6811, by writing to us at The Point Community News, c/o #1 - 116 Grove St. Wpg MB, R2W 3K8, or by dropping a letter into our mailbox at that address. ♦ |
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Walking
School Bus
Many
area businesses, community agencies, politicians and others
also contributed financially, donated prizes, staff,
entertainment, booths, and activities. 
After a recent meeting with the North Point Douglas Seniors Association Board of Directors, Rick Caslake
decided that retirement would have to wait. 
The Point Community
News is a non-profit community paper produced by and for the
residents of North and South Point Douglas. This issue of The
Point is funded by grants from Neighbourhoods Alive!, and Assiniboine Credit Union. Thanks to NECRC, NPD Women’s Centre for their administrative assistance and to
all our donors and supporters.