Thousands and thousands of birds are making Oak Hammock Marsh their home during the migration season, which is well underway in southern Manitoba.
Migration season underway
Trudeau government leaving aviation workers behind
Submitted
Winnipeg, MB –James Bezan, Member of Parliament for Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman and Shadow Minister for National Defence, Marty Morantz, Member of Parliament for Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingley, and Stephanie Kusie, Shadow Minister for Transport, issued the following statement after 14% of Nav Canada employees were laid off this week, and flight centres in Winnipeg and Halifax were closed altogether:
“This week 750 Canadians had to go home to their families worried about how they would put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. These workers face an uncertain future as the jobs they are trained to do and have years of experience in are no longer available.
“These layoffs are in addition to the 25% reduction the Winnipeg Airport Authority has needed to make, as well as the many pilots, fight attendants and mechanics who have been laid off, with no other opportunities available in their fields.
“Yesterday’s Speech from the Throne had no acknowledgement of the challenges COVID-19 has created within the aviation industry and, worse yet, outlined no plan to help workers safely return to the skies.
“When Canada had a shortage of PPE at the start of this pandemic, it was aviation workers who stepped up and worked to bring shipments of PPE to frontline workers. When Canadians were stranded abroad, it was aviation workers who helped bring them back to Canada to be reunited with their families. Aviation workers have stepped up when Canadians needed them. The Trudeau government must step up and deliver a plan to help these workers get back on their feet.”
Sharing is caring – Selkirk’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy used as teaching tool
Submitted by the City of Selkirk
The formula for the City of Selkirk’s success in integrating climate change adaptation into day-to-day operations is now being shared with others to help them succeed as well.
Selkirk CAO Duane Nicol was one of about 20 individuals from across the country invited to be part of the Municipal Climate Services Collaborative, a joint initiative of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Government of Canada’s Canadian Centre for Climate Services.
The MCSC’s goal, Nicol said, was to find ways to assist others in getting the climate change ball rolling.
“This group was put together with the expressed intention of identifying barriers and opportunities to municipalities and local governments thinking about climate change and adopting climate change adaptation practices into their municipal operations to become more resilient communities,” Nicol said.
“We worked at identifying what the problems are, and what the current gaps and barriers are to municipalities adapting to climate change. From that analysis, we identified the tools, processes and resources needed to support municipalities to do this important work.”
The group has just released the first in a series of resources that will help administrators get the climate change conversation started in their municipalities.
Titled ‘Talking it Through: Guide for Local Government Staff on Climate Adaptation’, the downloadable tool was created to help municipal staff talk to decision-makers and elected officials about adapting to the local impacts of climate change.
The guide also includes five case studies – including the City of Selkirk – of various approaches to advancing adaptation; representing communities of different sizes, locations, climate hazards and adaptation approaches.
Being a case study is a huge feather in the city’s climate change cap, Nicol said.
“I think one of the reasons our strategies were identified as being successful and being a leading practice is that rather than have climate change as a standalone project on the side of someone’s desk, we integrate climate change practices into core government operations,” Nicol said.
“Our case study is about the leadership administration has shown to support council in understanding how adaptation can be operationalized without significant additional expenses, and our strategies around integrating it into our existing business decision processes, so that climate change adaptation is the default for the city as opposed to yet another consideration in all of the choices we have to make.”
Selkirk’s Strategic Plan calls for it to make environmental stewardship a priority and to sustain the quality of life for future generations and the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy ticks both those boxes.
Nicol said it’s crucial that climate change be part of infrastructure decisions – if it isn’t, you’re running the risk of costing the taxpayer of tomorrow significant dollars.
“We’re spending millions of dollars every year on infrastructure, we better be making the right long-term investments. For example, if you’re going to put a storm water pipe in the ground that is going to be there for the next 80 years, you better make sure that pipe is going to provide the service needed in the next 20, 50 or 80 years,” he said.
Without that long-term climate vision, you may have to prematurely replace or repair a pipe that was only installed with today’s climate in mind.
“If you have to either replace that pipe or put more pipe into the ground to compensate for the gap that you’ve allowed, that’s going to drive up significant cost and there’s going to be a lot more risk to citizens, so that’s why municipalities have to consider climate change adaptation as part of their infrastructure planning. Frankly if they’re not, it’s really negligent.”
The City of Selkirk has had a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy since 2018.
It first began mitigating climate change with its Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategy in 2016.
The city won the Canadian Network of Asset Managers Tereo award in 2019 for their innovative Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.
Megan Jakilazek, the city’s Asset Management and GIS Coordinator, led the development of the city’s adaptation strategy. Jakilazek and Nicol have been invited to speak about the city’s work in this area multiple times. After presenting at an FCM training workshop in Saskatchewan, Jakilazek appears in informational videos for the national municipal organization.
“I feel very proud, and lucky to be a part of the leadership team on climate change adaptation, for a city that is not only thinking about the impacts of climate change but taking action to adapt and mitigate for the sake of future generations. Being recognized as a national leader, and having our work showcased reminds us that we are unequivocally doing something right in the fight against climate change,” Jakilazek said.
Selkirk Park lift station construction underway, connecting Selkirk Park to the new wastewater treatment plant
Submitted by the City of Selkirk
When the new Wastewater Treatment Plant opens, citizens will know their wastewater is being treated to some of the highest standards in the province. Soon visitors to Selkirk Park will have those same standards.
Construction has started on the Selkirk Park Lift Station, which will pump wastewater from Selkirk Park to the new state-of-the-art Wastewater Treatment Plant. This includes wastewater from the campground, the pool, and other restroom facilities.
“Trucks are there now, and workers are beginning to build the new lift station. We’ll then be laying pipe in Selkirk Park that will connect to the new Wastewater Treatment Plant system,” said the city’s Director of Operations Dan McDermid.
The project is in line with the city’s Strategic Plan, calling for the city to be environmental stewards by improving city practices and services, and encouraging more environmentally responsible development.
“The park had been serviced by a lagoon treatment system for the past 60 years or so. Not only does this not meet the standards of today, it comes no where near the standards we hold ourselves to,” said McDermid.
“If this was left the way it is, we wouldn’t be able to open the things our citizens have come to expect like the campground, the Selkirk Park Pool + Splashpad, or any of the restrooms in the future until this was changed.”
The city’s Chief Administrative Officer Duane Nicol says the new Wastewater Treatment Plan will go far and beyond the provincial regulations of today.
“Wastewater standards will only get tighter. When they do, the new treatment plant will still likely meet the standards without costly retrofits or new construction,” said Nicol.
While the new Wastewater Treatment Plant is looking ahead for the future, so is the new lift station at Selkirk Park.
“We’re not sure what kind of expansion will happen in Selkirk Park in twenty years, so we’re upgrading the capacity of the sewer system now while we do this work,” said Nicol.
“In the future if council decides to expand the campground or add some sort of facility, they will have the proper sewage system already in place.”
The project was budgeted in the 2020 Financial Plan and will cost $735,585, with money coming from the water utility reserves. The project is expected to wrap-up around the new year.
Cambrian Excavators will be undertaking the project having successfully won a competitive procurement process last summer.
During construction there will be interruptions to park access and temporary closures to both park roads and amenities. While every effort will be made not to interrupt the Boat Launch, users may also see interruptions.
For your safety, the city asks that citizens please stay clear of equipment and construction sites.
Gearing up to hurry hard
The Selkirk and District Curling Club finally held its Registration Night for the 2020-21 season on Sept. 17, but organizers are still hoping to draw more curlers back into its house.
“We currently operate five leagues — Tuesday Men’s, Wednesday Women’s, Thursday Men’s, Friday Mixed/Open and Saturday Juniors,” Kathleen McCallum, the club’s past-president, wrote in an email. “All leagues except for Wednesday Women’s — which has the same number of teams as last year — are slightly down. I am not sure if this is due directly to concerns over COVID-19. Generally, we have fewer registered teams on Registration Night than will be curling for the year. We still take registration up to the first nights of league play and beyond.”
The season starts Oct. 13, with all sorts of pandemic protocols swept into place.
“What was a little different this year, due to the pandemic, was not knowing if we would be able to open and what it would look like if we did!” McCallum wrote. “Our executive undertook a review of the practices of neighbouring clubs, and we relied heavily on the guidelines developed by Curling Canada and CurlManitoba. Due to the uncertainty of a new season, we did not advertise the AGM and Registration Night as we have done in the past, so our lower numbers at this point might be (due) to this.
“We are in the process of contacting former curlers and looking for ways to let people know we have room for more teams in most of our leagues. And we have prepared protocols for our facility, both canteen area and lounge, as well as on ice play, that make the safety and health of our members, staff and visitors our Number 1 priority. For example, face masks will be mandatory to enter, and move around the building.”
Those protocols include specific markings on the ice for where curlers are supposed to stay when not sweeping, including the skip.
“Our icemaker (Dale Lott) will be using CurlManitoba guidelines to mark out areas on the ice for non-throwing teams to stand, and rocks will be placed in single file,” McCallum said. “We will have sanitizing wipes so that teams can wipe down their own rocks before and after the games, as well as for other high-touch areas.
“We feel fortunate to open our doors this year and we do not want to do anything that will jeopardize the season, or jeopardize the health and safety of our members, visitors and staff. We know there will be a learning curve to some of the new protocols. But, with some patience and flexibility, we are confident that curling can be a safe and welcome winter activity option for community members of all ages!”
Tom Matheson was elected the club’s new president.
Peace in the midst of a pandemic
The other Sunday in church, one of the fellows made the comment that in a time like we are now going through in our society, we need two things: sanity and certainty. He went on to say he didn’t even want to turn on TV news anymore because of some of the insane things happening in our world.
I agreed with him on the insanity part: protests, riots and all sorts of what I consider craziness going on, especially with our neighbours to the south (where they are just amping up for their Presidential elections in November; I hate to think what will will happen after the election, no matter which candidate wins…)
There’s another aspect that is a great factor in the upset of today and that is the anxiety level of so many. Stats Canada recently released the results of a survey dealing with Canadians’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. From April 24 to May 11, 2020, approximately 46,000 Canadians participated in an online questionnaire, “Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians: Your mental health.” They referred to a statement by the Secretary General of the United Nations that the mental health and wellbeing of societies have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
They reported that most (88%) participants said they had experienced at least one symptom of anxiety in the two weeks prior to completing the survey. “Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge” was the most commonly reported symptom (71%), followed by “becoming easily annoyed or irritable” (69%) and “trouble relaxing” (64%).
The other day, I myself received a phone call asking me to participate in a survey on the pandemic, where one of the questions asked related to anxiety. On a scale of one to five, I was to rate my anxiety level from very low to very high. My response was that it was a one.
My reason for giving that answer was because of the second thing that fellow at church stated that our society today needs: certainty. And I have that. And it comes from belief in God and what it says in the Bible about fear: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
The reason we do not have fear but rather peace in a time of pandemic is because we are convince that God is total control of what happens on planet earth. We read of that control in the Book of Job in the Bible: “For God is so wise and so mighty… If He commands it, the sun won’t rise and the stars won’t shine. He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea.” Job 9:4-8. That control includes pandemics.
One time, Jesus was in a boat with His disciples on the Sea of Galillee. A huge storm came up and threatened to swamp the boat. Jesus “got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. The disciples were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!’”
It’s that same Jesus who brings us peace, especially at a time like this He promises: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
May that be your experience too, during this pandemic.
Henry Ozirney was the founding pastor of New Life Church in Stonewall, where he served from 1970 until he retired in 2014. He is currently Interim Pastor at New Life Church in Teulon, Manitoba. He can be reached at henryoz@mts.net or 204-461-1105.
Interesting times for high school sports
By Brook Jones – Keeping Up With Jones
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of our modern lives and has impacted society in many ways.
Sports are very much part of our society and are woven into the fabric of the high school experience for many.
In a typical year as the calendar approaches later September, cross country running is well underway as well as volleyball, but things are drastically different this year due to the pandemic.
Brook Jones is the editor of the Selkirk Settler Times.
Special Olympics coach continuing to give back
Submitted
Meet Special Olympics Manitoba coach Reagan Croy
Reagan Croy has been a volunteer with Special Olympics Manitoba since 2013 and is the Head Coach of Interlake Athletics. Aside from her coaching role, her commitment to building up and increasing awareness of Special Olympics in the Manitoba Interlake Region is what sets her apart.
What made you get involved with Special Olympics Manitoba in 2013?
I started volunteering with Special Olympics Manitoba because my cousin was running the Interlake Athletics Club in Manitoba and she was looking for volunteers. It did not take long until I fell in love with volunteering and began to get my coaching certifications to work my way up within the club.
I also had two cousins who were athletes at the time, so Special Olympics became a way for me to connect with them weekly. Our club has a uniqueness to it because my brother and I both started volunteering around the same time and we brought our friends out to volunteer at the practices as well, so we quickly grew the program from a club, into a community.
What do you love about coaching?
I love being able to help the athletes reach their goals, whatever they might be. To some athletes, they are happy every week by seeing their friends, others want to be there for fitness and physical activity, and others want to compete and get huge personal best times and distances. So, whatever their individual goals are, I am just so happy to be able to be a part of it, and help them get there.
I also love coaching because of the community it creates. It brings community not only for the athletes in the sense of their comradery with their peers, but it also brings a sense of community for the coaches, the volunteers, and the parents. Something that is really unique about my club is that whenever we practice there is always a group of parents or caregivers that will socialize, and they become their own kind of community and support for each other.
The combination of the athlete’s individual goals and the sense of community that Special Olympics brings is what makes me absolutely love being a coach.
What is your favourite Special Olympics moment/memory?
I have so many favourite memories and moments within Special Olympics, but there are two that stand out for me:
The first one is that last year, an athlete that I coach sang ‘O Canada’ at the Winnipeg Winter Games. For reference, the Winnipeg Winter Games are the qualifying competition for the National Games, so there were over 400 people in the crowd. Now, I wish I could tell you that I was singing along with him, but instead I was just standing there filming and crying because I was so proud of his confidence to be able to do that in front of this huge crowd. Additionally, this athlete typically has a stutter in regular speech, so to see him sing flawlessly is always a treat, and I was glad Special Olympics allowed him the opportunity to sing.
Another moment that stands out for me is when I was coaching an athlete in shotput. I will try to not get into too much of the technique here, but the main part we were working on was for him to lift up his elbow. We worked on it every week, but it was always something I would have to cue, because he wouldn’t do it on his own.
Then one day when we were at an indoor track meet, he lined up for his throw; at this point in a competition, I do not cue anymore because competitions are for the athlete’s to try their best on their own, and not a time for me to coach. When he got ready to throw he got into his typical stance, with a low elbow, but moments before he threw, he used his opposite hand to physically lift up his elbow and he threw incredibly. I was just beaming; the track meet could have ended there for me. I was so proud of him.
How has Special Olympics changed your life?
Special Olympics has changed my life immensely. Being a volunteer at a young age changed the path I decided to take in school and the occupation I am currently working towards. I was a track and field athlete through high school and I continued to compete in university, but after a severe ankle injury, I decided to take a year off and do some travelling.
In that year off I realized how much I missed my Special Olympics community, and that I wanted to return to volunteering when I was home. I ended up switching universities because I wanted to study Disability Studies. I ended up getting a minor in disability studies and I am currently working on my Master’s of Occupational Therapy. The plan right now is to find an avenue as an Occupational Therapist to work with people with intellectual disabilities. Regardless of where I end up working in the future, Special Olympics has been a huge reason for why I am the person I am today. I honestly do not know who I would be if I hadn’t started volunteering with Special Olympics.
Learn more about Special Olympics:
https://www.specialolympics.ca/
What have you learned from Special Olympics athletes?
I have learned so much from Special Olympic athletes. I have learned that Special Olympics athletes are truly athletes. I know that might sound obvious, but sometimes I think the public looks at Special Olympics as a ‘feel-good’ sport, or like it is just for fun, when in reality, these athletes are working hard, putting in the time, and crushing their goals.
I have also learned the importance of sport and the importance of routine. Sometimes I think those can be neglected, but when I see the value that these athletes get from the weekly community that we have built together, I see the importance. My athletes have taught me to not take sport and community for granted, in fact they remind me every practice of the importance of Special Olympics for them.
In what other ways are you involved with Special Olympics, aside from coaching?
I sit as the Secretary for the Special Olympics Interlake Leadership Team and last year, I organized a couple fundraisers for the region I coach in, mainly out of necessity. We had a big team of athletes heading to the National Games and we needed someway to support them to go. A goal within Special Olympics is for the athletes to pay as little as possible because often people with intellectual disabilities already have barriers to work and income, so it doesn’t seem fair to ask them to pay for their recreation.
To support the athletes, I put on a Yaymaker fundraiser (formerly known as Paintnite) at the local restaurant I work at. It ended up being a full house and we raised over $500 for our athletes.
My club and I also linked up with our local Safeway and held a barbeque where all the proceeds went towards the athletes heading to Nationals. That fundraiser was incredibly fun because the athletes were in charge of pretty much everything and got to engage the public in the fundraiser in a way that was fun for them.
I also organized a fundraiser/information booth at our local fair and rodeo. Athletes, parents, volunteers, and coaches all took turns at the booth to try and spread awareness of our club, while also accepting donations.
I also held a snowshoe competition in our region, which was the first of its kind. It was a way for the athletes to have some meaningful competition before heading to the National Games.
How difficult have the past few months in quarantine been on your athletes and you as a coach?
These past few months have been tough, and they have felt weird. When lockdown first happened, we decided as a club, to shut down and take an extended summer holiday.
Interlake Athletics is very much a community, so it is difficult for the athletes to not be able to connect the same way. Usually this time of the year is filled with a lot of excitement as the athletes get back to training and we all get to share about how the summer has been. Even though we have not been able to gather formally, I know that my club is looking forward to starting up again when it is safe to do so. We are all having to practice our patience in these ever-changing times.
Why should other people get involved with Special Olympics?
Well if my story hasn’t already convinced people to be involved in Special Olympics, let me try a little harder: people should be involved in Special Olympics because you don’t know what you’re missing until you join. On top of being a lot of fun, being involved in Special Olympics is part of a bigger movement of inclusion. As a society, we still have a long way to go, but I think we are making steps, and movements like Special Olympics, motionball, and In the Schools programs, are some of those steps towards inclusion.
If that’s not enough of a reason, I can almost guarantee that you will get more out of volunteering with Special Olympics than what you put into it. I can’t tell you the number of times that I have left a practice with more energy than when I arrived. It is hard to describe, and best understood by being involved, so if you are ever in the Selkirk area, feel free to stop by my club and see what it’s all about!
Courtesy of Special Olympics Canada
Hnatiuk thankful for all that sport has given him in life
They say in life it is greater to give than to receive, but when it comes to Sport Manitoba president and CEO Jeff Hnatiuk, he gave so much that he also received a most precious gift in life. The gift of being able to connect with thousands of people in a most unique way through his love and passion for sport.
Hnatiuk gave 24 years of his life to running sport Manitoba and in the end he can move on to become the deputy minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage, knowing he made a lasting impact on the sports community not only in Manitoba, but across Canada.
This story will be updated.
Some lessons I have learned through this pandemic
It is five months now since the Coronavirus Pandemic hit. We have all gone through the experiences of lockdowns, wearing masks, social distancing and a host of other things. As I look back, there have been some lessons that I have learned as a result of it.
First, my belief in the uncertainty of life has definitely been reinforced by this experience. The other day as I was walking uptown, I looked around and saw that most people were wearing a mask. It almost looked like something from the Twilight Zone or Outer Limits. My initial reaction was to think, “Who would’ve thought one year ago that this is what we would be doing?”
Just like the meme I saw online the other day: “So in retrospect, in 2015, not a single person got the answer right to the question: ‘Where do you see yourself in five years from now?’” I agree; who would’ve said?
All of my life, I have been convinced of life’s uncertainty based on verses like these from the Bible: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4:13-15.) Now, I believe it even stronger than ever.
Lesson Number Two: I have come to believe that a virus is the strongest thing in the world. Recently, my son Curtis, who has a degree in the sciences, said to me, “A virus is the strongest thing in the entire world. “ He went on to say, “We had almost come to the place where we thought that we as humankind were. But in reality that’s not true; viruses are much stronger than people.”
I agree with him. We have seen the entire world brought to its knees by this virus. No one is invincible to it: rich or poor, famous or unknown, all are vulnerable.
The other day, I was meeting with a group of men from our church, all of us social distancing as we enjoyed our donuts and coffee. One of the guys made a profound statement. He said this virus has shut down all the wars in the world. Come to think of it that’s exactly what happened. There are no wars going on today.
And finally, I have had my belief strengthened in the fact that God is in control. As I read the Bible, I see it teaching the truth of the sovereignty of God: “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and
His kingdom rules over all” Psalms 103:19.
There are two polar opposite worldviews when it comes to history and existence. First, there’s “Existentialism” which states that history has no purpose; that things happen and there is no rhyme or reason for them. Second, there is “Theodicy” which says that God has a purpose in history and He has promised that “all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose” Romans 828.
This final truth gives me the greatest reassurance as I face the unknown future. I do believe that God is in control and in His plan, everything is going to work out for good.
I take great comfort in that.
Henry Ozirney was the founding pastor of New Life Church in Stonewall, where he served from 1970 until he retired in 2014. He is currently Interim Pastor at New Life Church in Teulon, Manitoba. He can be reached at henryoz@mts.net or 204-461-1105.