Point Douglas Community News
Vol. 8 *  Issue 4 * May / June 2010

Inside this issue

North End Food Security: Diamonds in the Rough and North End Jewels

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by Mary and Valerie

Thanks so very much to the following for responding generously to our funding appeal:  The FACT Coalition; George Hickes, MLA for Point Douglas; the North Point Douglas Women’s Centre; McKay Finnigan and Associates; and Leskiw and Associates.  Several folks on our mailing list also forwarded money to cover the costs, and this is appreciated.

Unfortunately our situation became even more critical when one of our major grants was denied this year. At present we are seeking the funds we need to publish the next six issues while looking at options for the future. So donations of any size as well as advertisements are still needed! Please e-mail thepoint.editor@pointdouglas.ca for more information.  ♦

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By Shirley Kowalchuk

Hot off the Manitoba Free Press on a balmy September day in 1876 was a curious story. A monster-sized potato was discovered in the Point Douglas garden of Mr. F.C. Shipp – weighing a gargantuan four pounds.

It was pulled from earth that had already nourished crops for 40 years, back into the days when Point Douglas still included the buffalo hunt in its agricultural economy.

Finally, the fruitfulness of the great Selkirk Colony agricultural experiment, that riskily sent displaced Scottish tenement farmers into unbroken Red River territory, seemed to come to pass.  

Three generations earlier, late in August 1812, the first settlers arrived at Red River, a full year behind schedule and too late in the growing season to plant the colony’s first crop as planned. Yet the settlers set to work, building shelter and clearing land in a burned-over area within a loop of the Red River they named Point Douglas.

With no food source over winter, they walked 70 miles to Pembina where the buffalo hunt concluded, camping nightly on the river banks.

Surviving on meat purchased from Métis “freemen” hunters, “people passed the winter in tents or huts according to Indian fashion, and lived on the products of the chase in common with the natives” wrote early pioneer Alexander Ross.  

Returning to their Point Douglas lots in the spring, vegetable gardens and wheat were planted. Settlers often ate a tasteless wild parsnip, since fish and berries were scarce that season. Not enough food was grown for winter supply and again the settlers trekked to Pembina. 

Goods and dried food staples were supplied once or twice a year from English ships arriving in York Factory at Hudson Bay. The supplies were packed tightly into York boats for the arduous inland passage to the Forks. Orders could be placed, but delivery would take place the following year. For decades settlers ate no-yeast bannock and pemmican pressed into cakes since yeast was often not in supply. 

In 1814 a population influx and anticipated food shortage resulted in food policy that included a pemmican export ban and the prohibition of “buffalo running” across the area. A complex set of events followed, including a 22-person death toll at the Battle of Seven Oaks, the eviction of the settlers, and Lord Selkirk himself dramatically arriving from England with a Swiss Army to retake the area.

By 1817 settlers again returned to ravaged Point Douglas farms and another winter at Pembina. According to Ross, settlers had become “drudges of the camp” in order to barter for food. 1818 seemed promising until late one July afternoon when a thick black cloud of grasshoppers descended to strip crops bare by morning. “Unfortunate immigrants, looking up towards heaven, wept”.

Their “endless misery” continued into the next year from hatching larvae deposited by the grasshopper infestation. It wasn’t until the 1830s (after recovering from the great flood of 1826) that the colony experienced some measure of agricultural sustainability. It was at this time that the crop field was planted that eventually grew the celebrated monster potato of 1876.  

- with press citation from Robert Galston, researcher, Point Douglas Resident’s Committee  ♦

No reproduction in any form without permission of author, all rights reserved.

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By Chris Burrows

He’s an everyday hero, he drives a truck, he’s always ready to help and he’s almost always busy but if you need him, he is there. He’s our “Rob o’ the 'Hood,” and one of his projects is taking food that would be wasted from the big chain stores and distributing it.

The North Point Douglas Seniors Association (NPDSA), also known as SWAT or Seniors With Attitude,  lost no time in asking Rob Forbes if he could take some of the food he collects to the seniors in our neighbourhood. The residents at 817 Main have their own arrangement with Harvest, but we know there are quite few seniors who are shut-in and could use a few extra groceries.

Rob makes house calls with his bounty which is usually bread or produce, but sometimes he gets delicious desserts too. Not only is the food handy on a limited budget, but a visit is often welcome too.

We warn the people on the list that there is no guarantee that you will get what you want, but if you can use what you get, it works out. One week there were so many carrots and another an abundance of bananas. The bananas were great for banana bread, and the carrots were good in soup and stew. Rob teased everyone, asking if we had turned into rabbits yet.

If you are a senior living in North Point Douglas and would like to be on the list for a Food on Wheels delivery, please phone 956-4090.  ♦

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By Tyson Cormack

Friends and neighbours, there is still time to get involved and get yourself a plot in the gardens on Euclid, between Meade and Argyle. The boxes are free, and there will be support for watering and general maintenance. 

Food or flowers – it is up to you. We have started many seedlings already, and there will be plants to share. There are compost bins in the gardens, so save your food scraps. 

Gardens are a great way to meet your neighbours and a lovely way to claim space for working people in a area that has seen it's fair share of hardships. When we are out and about in our community it becomes safer place.

Contact The North Point Douglas Women's Centre at 947-0321 if you want a plot.  ♦

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Elaine Bishop and Sheri Nepinak wish Rayne a fond farewell

There are a few changes happening around the Women's Centre. Rayne, our program coordinator, will be leaving us at the end of April, and we are in the process of hiring someone who will fit in with the centre and everyone who comes by. In the meantime Mary, our practicum student from Red River College, is filling in until someone has been hired.

Rayne has enjoyed her time here getting to know everyone in the neighbourhood, but she wants to explore a field that she has a passion for. She is ready to go back to school to become a Health Care Aide.

Rayne has accomplished a lot in the six years that she has been with us, and she will be truly missed. We wish her all the best with the new challenges in her life.

It may be a while before things settle down at the Women’s Centre but change is good for everyone. Please feel free to come by and see who has been hired as the New Program Coordinator.  ♦

Walking for Health, Walking for the Neighbourhood

On Wednesday afternoon four tired and slightly sweaty women returned to the Women’s Centre with a glow of satisfaction and damp foreheads. They had just come back from the first Centre Walk.

They had spent an hour walking the neighbourhood in the sunshine – they chose an April day when the temperature hit 19 degrees!  They had walked the streets up and down – Austin, Lorne, Lusted and more, enjoying the exercise as well as the weather. After a water break at the Centre, it was Euclid to Barber and back along the river.

The first nine women to take part in six walks will receive their own personal pedometers. Everyone will be keeping track to see how many kilometers they can collect over the weeks. All women who want to come and walk, meet Sheri at the Women’s Centre each Wednesday morning at 11 am. Children in strollers are welcome, too! 

The Centre safety program is interested in walking as well. We are delighted because we have Powerline for reporting safety concerns and issues. Yet women at the Centre also have asked for a Point Douglas neighbourhood safety walk to help folks get to know their neighbours. Volunteers have put their names forward and gone through safety checks.  Training through the Citizens On Patrol Program (COPPS) is to take place soon. Soon people will be walking the neighbourhood for health and for safety! Both are walking for the neighbourhood.  ♦
 

Wilma Derksen (left) of MCC's Victims Voice and Elaine Bishop (ED of NPDWC) work with ceramic puzzle pieces of a beautiful face as they explore how victimization can shatter, while support and understanding can help rebuild, at a recent event at the Centre.

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Our school-age children had a very busy winter building an ‘igloo’ out of milk jugs and eventually turning it into an Inukshuk!

Their winter adventures led them to The Forks to see a beautiful Ice Castle. As the Olympics were in full swing, the children’s Forks visit happened to introduce them to an Olympic Torch Bearer dressed in Olympic Gear and carrying the infamous flame! This was very exciting for our children (and staff!).

Our pre-school children spent the winter months celebrating visits “Around the World” to India, The Philippines, The Ukraine, Germany and China not to mention honoring our local Aboriginal culture.

The children experienced everything from ethnic foods to arts, dance ‘n costume! Spring has now sprung at both centres, so please do drop by to visit with our children and see the metamorphosis of each centre from the frigid True North to the birth of our budding Spring!

Volunteers are always welcome whether you’re a student, parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or neighbour. If you wish to volunteer, please call Crystal or Cindy at 947-9411. 

 SISTARS/Eagle Wing Annual AGM

May 17, 2010, 6:00 PM

49 Euclid Avenue

SISTARS is looking for volunteers from the community to become Board members, by nomination, at this year’s AGM.  Current Board members have worked hard to get a brand new daycare centre building started, while supporting the present daycare in the current locations. The next immediate project will be renovation of the Barber House for use as a probable seniors’ drop-in/community meeting place.  ♦

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Dear Editor,

It's always nice to get my copy of The Point in my mailbox. I find that it is a nice way to keep up on what is happening on the North Side, and I get to read many fine articles written with genuine heart from people that are obviously passionate about where they live and how to make the area better for everyone.

The March 2010 issue contained a couple of very interesting and passionate articles about North and South Point Douglas and the effect that the new Disraeli Bridge will have on both our communities. Martin Landy and my neighbour Jordan Van Sewell should be commended for speaking the truth and asking the tough questions.

Something that initially made me giggle and then, after I gathered my wits, started me fuming was the smiling face of Mike Pagtakhan on page 4. He looks so happy in the ad promoting himself, and I am sure The Point can use the revenue provided by the ad.

I would like to respectfully suggest that you pull any further Pagtakhan ads until he starts answering all the emails and phone calls his constituents have sent him regarding the Disraeli Fiasco. As of this writing he has not. I think the time on my clock correctly indicates: too late.
I equate this ad to a seal club manufacturer advertising in PETA Magazine.

Thanks for the time. Keep up the good work.

Jeff A. Monk, Winnipeg, Canada
jeff.monk@gmail.com
http://monksnewandnotable.blogspot.com/
"the important thing, is the obvious thing,
that nobody is saying" - Charles Bukowski

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Dear Editor, 

I continue to believe that the energy of thoughtful, passionate and committed individuals creates a powerful community verve that allows a particular neighbourhood to envision, plan and realize a variety of community projects that can be enjoyed by most members of that community.   

By working along side the many residents, neighbourhood associations, and other community groups of Point Douglas (both North & South), I have seen the fruits of the Point Douglas community verve. I have seen gang houses shut down. I have seen the construction of a new water pad spray park at Norquay Community Centre. We found money at City Hall to tear down the old Ogilvie Mills building, and we continued to advocate for traffic signalization at Higgins & Annabella until we got it. We worked to ensure that housing dollars flowed into the area to build new infill houses and to provide small fix-up grants for homeowners. You pulled my arms off in a community arm wrestling event to raise funds for a climbing wall at Norquay Community Centre.   

Together we asked the City to set in motion a process to change the South Point Douglas area from an industrial policy area into a mixed neighbourhood policy area, and for the City to undertake a process that would include the community in that planning process; and I am pleased that a great number of people from Point Douglas were engaged and involved.   

Most recently, members of the Norquay Community Centre Board worked on a proposal to renovate their kitchen and I am pleased to have provided half of the funding required to realize this project. 

From time to time, moments arise when a member of our community feels that more could be done or done differently; and they feel dissatisfied.  I would be lying if I said that the letter written by Mr. Monk to The Point didn’t bother me. Those close to me wonder why I take letters like the one from Mr. Monk so seriously. They say I can’t please everyone. I generally accept that principle. I want to thank Mr. Monk for helping me become self aware. It helps me realize that I can push myself to be a little bit better, and to self acknowledge that there is always room for improvement. 

Forgiving me for my shortcomings isn’t required, but my door is always open, and I am committed to assisting Mr. Monk or any resident of Point Douglas to the very best of my ability. In the meantime, I do want to thank the Editor and Staff of The Point newsletter for the opportunity to comment.   

Mike Pagtakhan, BA, CIM, CPP

City Councillor - Point Douglas Ward

Editor's Note:  The Editors of The Point would like to thank Jeff Monk for coming forward with his concerns about a very important issue in our community. We would also like to thank Mike Pagtakhan for taking the time to forward us a response so that we could share both sides of this issue with the community.

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By Annie Bergen 

The Red Road Lodge, formerly the Occidental Hotel on the corner of Main and Logan, provides transitional housing and skills development programs aimed to integrate those on social assistance back into the society.

In 2002, owner Richard Walls removed the VLTs and ceased the sale of liquor. Since then the main floor has been transformed into Studio 631, a drop in arts center for the community.   

Open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 – 8:30, Studio 631 is a safe haven where one is free to be creative and to socialize. Coffee is free and so are the art supplies.

The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and there is an air of creativity and inspiration. People are engaged in painting, mosaic, furniture refinishing, making dream catchers, beading, canvas stretching, and sewing. 

In addition to art drop-in Tuesdays and Thursdays, Studio 631 is open to the community on Saturdays from 2 – 8:00 pm for a more focused night of mural creation. The theme of the mural is Restoration, and the project has received funding from Manitoba Arts Council and Neighbourhoods Alive!.  A core group of emerging artists from the inner city is currently collaborating on the design and administration of the mural.

They are also sharing their skills and mentoring the community in the creation of this unique project.  Currently we are working with tile, glass, and miscellaneous found objects to create various mosaic creations on mesh. These will then be attached to the north exterior wall of the Red Road Lodge, as part of an eclectic mixed media mosaic mural.   

Community input is welcomed in the mural design. We invite you to take part in this unique community project. In addition to artistic participation, we would greatly appreciate volunteer help and additional support in way of material or in-kind donations.  

We also invite you to our upcoming fundraiser, taking place May 15^th at the Red Road Lodge. Our core artists will exhibit works, and there will be entertainment, food, and tables set up for those wishing to make art. The event is for all ages, starting at 3:00 pm, and going until 12:00 am. Entry will cost $10.00 after 7:00pm and is free by donations before that time. All proceeds will go towards the Restoration community mural.   

Come on down to 631 Main Street and check it out for yourself!  ♦

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By Craig Ross 

This is the first of what I hope will be a series of articles for The Point on the topic of health. Mount Carmel Clinic focuses on what we call ‘population health,’ which means that we look at health in terms of all things that affect it: income, housing, gender, racism, access to services, etc.

In future articles, I’ll try to keep you updated on what’s new in the population health world, how it affects you, and how you can get involved. For now, here’s a quick update on some of the changes that we’ve made in the last little while. 

One of our major goals at Mount Carmel is to improve access to our services. This came out of the ‘Community Consultations’ we held in 2009. One of the ways we’re working on this is through our ‘Access Nurse,’ a new position whose role is to see clients who don’t have a regular family physician and who need immediate care.

If you live in Mount Carmel’s boundary area (Red River to the east, Inkster to the north, McPhillips to the west, and Logan to the south), you can come in to see Marion, the Access Nurse. Marion gained much of her experience working solo in the North, and she can address many healthcare needs and make referrals to other programs. 

Nurses already run a number of the special programs at MCC, including our Hepatitis C, Foot Care, and Perinatal programs, so it makes sense to have nurses practicing their expertise side-by-side with the doctors. According to a recent article in the Globe & Mail, “Regardless of who runs the show, what matters is that access and care is improved.” 

If you’d like to come in, drop by 886 Main St. or call 582-2311. Services are available to those who live in our area, plus anyone seeking pregnancy/fertility services, immigrants/refugees in Canada less than 3 years, and all clients of other Mount Carmel programs. For more information, just give us a call or check out www.mountcarmel.ca.

Here’s more good news: Mount Carmel Clinic is now accepting new clients from our neighbourhood!  ♦

 Craig Ross is Director of Community Services at Mount Carmel Clinic 

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By Heather Geddie

Primal Contracting, a local company owned by resident Eric Dihic which employs workers from our community, has taken on a job that it seems no one else could handle.  

This derelict, burnt-out, mould-infested eyesore on the corner of Euclid Avenue and Hallet Street was passed from owner to owner growing more unsightly and dangerous year by year, as one owner after another failed to find the solution.  

Since Eric and his crew took on the job, things have moved quickly, and the building is being transformed from an eyesore into a community asset.  

I came by recently to find the guys hard at work in the trenches – literally. Eric gave me a tour of the interior, which is already looking very inviting, and showed me some of the interesting things the guys had dug up from the dirt around the foundation.  

When the work is finished, this building will offer four lovely one-bedroom suites, complete with balconies and patios. The suites should be ready by the end of the summer, and rental information will be available closer to that time. Rents will be geared to low-income tenants.  ♦

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By Dave Delorme 

WOW! Thanks for all the feed back and offers to walk dogs etc. I realized that it would be hard to integrate and train volunteers into my household at the moment, but I am working on it.  

I have a very serious reminder for everyone. Service dogs, meaning seeing-eye dogs and other working dogs, are not to be approached by other dogs, nor are you allowed to pet, give a treat, or interfere with the dog and owner without permission from the owner. This is the law and carries a $5,000 fine.

It costs thousands and takes a lot of work and time to train a service dog, not to mention the problems it causes the owner if the dog has to be sent away to get retrained. So keep your dog on leash and away from service and working dogs.

How do you know it is a working or service dog? Easy--it is wearing a harness or a vest. Just stay well back. This is very important! Even if your dog is friendly, keep it back. 

Spring is here and I have been noticing many dogs off-leash with their owners some distance away. This puts your dog and others at risk. When doing off-leash training my dogs still drag their leash or I use a 30-foot line. I also notice that some people think it is OK for their dogs to defecate on the street. Rover Avenue and in front of the school are my biggest peeves in this regard. Pick up your dog’s messes!   

Point Douglas has become a hotbed of Skijoring. Congrats to Steve Diamond of Diamond Disk Dogs for taking first place at the snow motion classic and yours truly for a respectable fourth place finish. On the home front one of my dogs that I rescued last year has made it into the Manitoba Search and Rescue K-9 Unit and is now training as a tracking dog.  ♦

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Thanks to the General Authority Community Council of W9innipeg (WCFS) for providing funding for the new bowling and table tennis equipment. Thanks also go to Winnipeg Harvest for supporting our after school program; Seven Oaks Optimists for providing the Centre with circus tickets again this year; Graffiti Art Programming and their staff; and our student volunteers Michelle, Shayne, and Randi.

All spring programs will run until the end of June. The Winnipeg Public Library 'Check It Out!' continues throughout the summer, every second and fourth Thursday of the month, featuring books and magazines for all ages.  ♦

Summer hours for the Community Centre: Drop-in, Monday to Friday 1pm to 9pm
Splash Park opens July 1, hours are Monday to Sunday 11am to 6:30pm

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By Erin Galston 

I had a frightening experience walking my 10-month-old son in Norquay Park recently.  A big, tough looking dog with no owner in sight was running loose and sniffing around us. Two women who were out for a stroll in the park with a toddler were close by and also frightened. They were kind enough to walk Henry and me home after the dog finally went on his way.  

This isn't the first incident of loose dogs I've encountered or heard of, and I have wanted to bring this issue up publicly for quite some time. Last summer my daughter Sadie and her friend from across the street, both 3 years old at the time, were doing chalk art on our front sidewalk when two rottweilers bolted down the sidewalk. I immediately brought both kids into our yard and watched as within the next hour the dogs ran up and down the street at their leisure. Other neighbours have shared stories of frightening experiences with dogs running loose. 

I grew up on a farm with German shepherds. I have nothing against dogs. I simply don't feel that I or any other resident of Point Douglas should have to learn how to act when encountering a vicious dog unleashed. I know from other dog owners that there is one dog in the neighborhood that has killed a rottweiler. How do I know when I encounter an unleashed dog, it isn't that one?  

Like crack and derelict buildings, the issue of dogs on the loose or poorly controlled by their owners is a quality of life issue in North Point Douglas and it affects everyone in the neighborhood, directly or indirectly. I would love to see something done about this so that people, especially children, can feel safe in our streets and parks.  

If you see unleashed dogs, call 311. They will get a description of the dog and send Animal Services to look for it. They can pick up the animal and enforce stiff fines for irresponsible pet owners.  ♦

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By Jordan Van Sewell

I’ve been conducting a program at a school in the city. It’s a ceramic workshop in which the students come down to the art room one class at a time and spend a half day creating a clay sculpture under my tutelage. They all saw my instructional DVD, so they do know what to expect.

It’s been amazing. There are some really good ones and then there are some really bad ones. You know: good at modeling the thing, good at listening and understanding the directions, the goal, and how to get there. They communicate when they need clarification. They communicate just to communicate.

Then there are the ones on the other side. Let’s call it the dark side. They don’t communicate in the same way. Their communication is not meant to make the environment or the experience good, or ‘gooder’. No! Better is not in the vocabulary. Some of them don’t get it.

Some of those that don’t get it don’t mess with the program or the goal, but I’m not talking about them. The ones I’m addressing here are bad. Maybe they won’t always be bad. Someone or something will eventually get through to them, and then maybe their new understanding will change their hearts and minds. You never know. But for now, and this is the present that we’re talking about, it’s bad… bad, bad company. They take the event in the wrong direction.

I’ll be there for another week later on in the month. It’s going pretty much like I knew it would. It‘s okay. Sometimes it can be different than what you expect. That reminds me. I was down at City Hall for one of those Disraeli Bridge meetings and noticed a lot of similarities to my artist-in-the-school experience. Some people, including politicians and bureaucrats, can turn events in the wrong direction.  ♦

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On Sunday April 25, Point Douglas residents gathered at the Norquay Community Centre to find out what’s been happening with the PDRC in the past year. Roanna Hepburn, Chair, summarized the year as one of challenge and change. Plans for the coming year include organizational development and community consultation to determine the direction of your Residents Committee. 

Chris McCarville was introduced as the new Executive Director, replacing Karen Peters who is home with her new daughter. Chris has extensive experience in community development, having worked as a board and staff member for LITE and as a co-op development officer with the Province of Manitoba.

Chris is looking forward to getting to know everyone in the neighbourhood and lending her skills to help the Residents Committee grow and thrive. She also thanks her hard-working board for being such dedicated volunteers and organizing a great AGM. 

Elections took place and the following residents are new board members: Karin Streu (Secretary), Phillip Cramer, Ivan Fleming, Martin Landy, and Kurt McMullen. They join veteran board members Roanna Hepburn (Chair), Tyson Cormack (Vice Chair), Elaine Bishop (Treasurer), Gerald Brown, Heather Geddie, Jim Chapyrk, and Michelle Bruce. Thanks to Sel Burrows for running the elections. 

Hope to see you on Saturday, May 8 for our Spring Clean-up. We are meeting up at Joe Zuken Park at 10 am and there will be a free BBQ to follow. Check out our website at www.pointdouglas.ca.  ♦

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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.

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