Walk In Clinic

The Walk-in Clinic on Pembina Hwy across from the Coop-gas station before you hit Stafford coming from downtown Winnipeg has refused to prescribe medicine for a young woman. She had a sore throat and high fever and the doctor there told her to go to her family doctor. What are Walk-in Clinics for if they do not want to take care of a person. I believe they told the girl, they do not have a file for her. Hello... how do you get a file? Make one instead of dinging the tax payer twice for one job.
Come on you guys, stop bleeding the system.

Share some of your bad experience with providers.

James Walls Heating and Company Winnipeg

If you need your furnace cleaned, do not go to James Wall Heating. A friend had a bad experience with this company recently. After paying out over $300 to clean her furnace to be told by Manitoba Hydro that the furnace is in a dangerous state and the air exchanger is almost clogged. This is ridiculous. If you are going to pay out that kind of money, make sure you are getting good service.

Please share any bad experience you have with companies so that others may not be taken for a ride.

Thanks.

NDU First in Canada to win Nomination for Nigerian Award

The NEA awards is an annual award show recognizing and honoring various artists of Nigerian Heritage. This is the first time in NEA history that a Nigerian-Canadian will be nominated for ANY award. Not only is NDU nominated for an award, but he has also joined the performance list. NDU will be performing alongside Nigerian Great Artists such as FAZE, Sunny Neji and many more aritsts flying into the country from Nigeria. The 3rd Nigerian Entertainment Award will be held on June 21st, 2008 at 5:00pm at the Skirball performing arts Centre. For more information please visit www.nigeriaentawards.comor contact Executive Producer Tope Esan at 917-541-8394

Immigrant and Refugee Families Benefit from Robel Kidane Workshop in Winnipeg

Robel Kidane an Eritrean-Swedish motivational speaker and counselor made a second trip to Winnipeg in March to conduct a workshop for service providers of immigrant and refugee families. Mr. Kidane had traveled to Winnipeg previously at the invitation of the department of Labour and Immigration to provide insight into immigrant refugee family dynamics and offer solutions for addressing same.
A Swedish citizen, Mr Kidane is a psychologist specializing in mind-body relationships. He was involved in the Rwanda Genocide Reconciliation Committee and has expertise in cultural impacts on immigrants in general and African refugees in particular.
The Winnipeg Eritrean community invited Kidane to lead a week long session on "Knowing Your Inner Self" in English and Eritrean languages which was highly successful.
Winnipeg community is fortunate to have an expert of Mr Kidane’s caliber who has conducted seminars in several major cities of the world including all the major European capital cities, in 15 cities with refugee population in the USA and in Toronto and Calgary. Presently he is in a tour in North America addressing intergenerational issues and how to develop healthy families in refugee population from Africa.

The Forks Must Listen-Up

A few days ago I learnt that a 15 year old girl was jumped in the washroom at the Forks Market. I have never heard of such an incident occuring there before and this disturbs me.

I am not sure if a complaint was made to the Forks administration but a police report was made.

The girl who did the jumping was a huge, gigantic girl cowering over a tiny girl to get her purse. This is shameful and this should not be happening at the family friendly Forks Market. I hope the Forks take action immediately to restore confidence in people going there. Whether there should be cameras in the washroom or whatever, something needs to be done to nip this in the bud. I think these belligerent youths are geting more brazen everyday. Many do not seem to fear the police. Is it because our justice system is such a softie on the young, always finding excuses for bad behaviour?

CBC Reporter Nahlah Ayed featured in "On Manitoba" Connecting Alumni and friends of the University of Manitoba

Who would have thought Nahlah Ayed was a Winnipegger? I certainly did not know that until I read in the Manitoban. I felt very proud of her. I've watched her with awe reporting from war torn countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan for several years and wondered how she did it and how she kept herself safe. She is now relocated to Beirut.

Graduate of University of Manitoba with a B.Sc degree, she is a first generation Canadian of Palestinan parents. Ayed the article states always had a passion or justice, the news and writing. She even worked as a reporter for the Manitoban, Universty of Manitoba student newspaper.

Being a correspondent in the Middleast, she must stand out as a role model for the women in those parts who may not be able to dream of such a position. Also her cultural background must also give her a edge and sensitivity to the quality of her reporting.

Ayed says in the article she hopes to explore other cultures before returning to settle home - "Winnipeg is home".

We should all be proud of Nahlah and her work. Congratulations

Rising Star Fenom

Fenom a.k.a. Rhonda Thompson, is featured in a full page spread in Mariatalk, Manitoba Francophone Music Scene magazine (Spring 2008.)Fenom is featured with her long braids. There is a soulful look to her. She does not look very happy. Her music career appears to be taking off though. She is listed as a singer/rapper. Fenom is also a part of Bonafide. Fenom has talent and stage presence and she is beautiful. I heard her a couple of times and she holds your attention.

Winnipeg grows a lot of talent but I when you are a minority the path to success is even harder as it is for most minority population trying to make it to the top of their game no matter what that game is.

Fenom said she is not prepared to jump fence yet listening to the advice of Canada's new R&B Diva, Jully Black, who once told her "if everybody runs there is no industry left".

Canada has to do more to achieve equity for artists from minority backgrounds. As Tonya Lee Williams, also known as Dr. Olivia B. Winters on the soap opera "The young and the restless", said Canadians people of colour in the art world are treated differently and not given as much support as white artists. Most of the time artists of colour do not get what they deserve, the grantors or the powers that be always seem to hold back. "It's easier to throw a bone than to do something useful. Don't give $5,000 when you should give $50,000. Why are we getting less?"

The same thing is happening in Winnipeg. Time and again the big funding goes to artists who are white while artists of colour get no grant or a small pittance that do not go very far.

We need change in the way funds are allocated. We need culturally sensitive people doing the decision-making around here.

Surprising Statistics - Winnipeg's getting dirtier and dirtier

For once the innercity did not win the cake for negative occurrences in the city of Winnipeg. It is the subburbanits who are the villains when it comes to dirt and nastiness.

Recent research by Take Pride Winnipeg revealed that the Fort Garry/Fort Richmond/St. Norbert area was rated as having the most litter in the city.

The three south-end suburbs received a score of 2.53 on the index, which gives a score of one for litter-free areas and four for highly littered areas. McGillivray Boulevard, Waverley Street and Bison Drive were identified as particularly dirty.

The River Heights/Tuxedo/Charleswood area was ranked the next-dirtiest, scoring 2.42.

Come on you suburban guys with your four pets per household. I'm sure a big part of the problem is pet droppings either in plain view or in plastic bags strewn along the paths.

If there is one thing I hate it's litter. Let's get this city up in shape. Suburbanites in all your fancy homes how could you stand it? Let's get out and get our city back where it's belong let us shine like our friends in the Northend. These folks might be poor but they sure like their surroundings clean. Good for you Northend folks, keep it up and show them what we're about.

Dangerous Drug Alert


Health Canada is calling “Bisphenol A” a dangerous substance, making it the first regulatory body in the world to reach such a determination and taking the initial step toward measures to control exposures to it.

Bisphenol A is the new dangerous drug in town. The Government of Canada has declared the substance dangerous and people are now skittish about using any plastic stuff for fear of getting the big C. Bisphenol A is a chemical used to make polycarbon plastics and epoxy resins. It is found in among other items, baby bottles, canned foods, watercooler bottles, flatware and seals for cavity-prone teeth.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a compound that mimics estrogen, which can disrupt the endocrine system and could induce adverse hormonal responses. Studied effects on animals give rise to fear that low-level exposure might cause similar effects in human beings.

What next are we to be afraid of?

Insurance for Cyclists Needed

Have you ever wondered what would happen to you should a cyclist knock you over and leave you with a disability? Well I've looked into it and as far as Manitoba goes there is no mandatory insurance requirement for cyclists. If you are injured by a cyclist and cannot work for a period of time, tough luck if your Employment Insurance runs out. Does that mean you go on Income Assistance. I think this is a question that needs to be addressed. As we become more environmental enthusiasts, there will be more people opting to ride bicycles rather than expensive unenvironmentally friendly cars. The probability of serious accidents involving cyclists is high and the public must be protected as we are if a car hits us. We should be able to rely on some kind of insurance from the cyclists to help us through difficult times if a cyclist knocks us over.
It is not fair that cyclists can collect from car insurance and not vice-versa.

I hope our politicians in Manitoba take note of this and think of how to address this timely question.

Yesterday shopping at the Vita Health Store on Osborne, I was force to pay five cents for a plastic bag. I thought it was the store policy. The store clerk claims the money is going to charity. She named two charities the money will go to and asked me to choose but I told her I did not care which charity it went to. Today I am shopping at another Vita Health and there is no such policy. I got my bag and went along my merry way. What up with that? Is every store developing its own environmental policy to tax the taxpayers more. I don't mind when it's a choice but when this is mandatory, I give it with a grudge.
Get your acts together. Is it mandatory or not.

Wayans Brothers in Winnipeg?

I heard through the grapevine that the Wayans brothers were in Winnipeg recently to conduct auditions for opening act in their upcoming cross Canada Tour. Ryan McMahon, an Aboriginal comedian of note in the City was invited by the brothers to audition - that's huge - to be invited meant they liked him. They invited him after seeing him perform at a local nightspot here in the city. From all appearances, Ryan blew them out of the water. He was funny. Ryan is a seriously talented guy whose time for the big break has come. I hope he gets this small break.
I understand there were about 200 people a lot of them Black people at the open audition. I guess they were all invited because if it was for pay there wouldn't be that many black people.

Downtown Y Becoming a Dangerous Place

Recent reports indicat that the Downtown Y is not as safe as it used to be. People complain about thefts and drug dealing going on around the place. Thieves are breaking into lockers and there are more fights than before. If things do not change the paying customers will escape to the private suburban gyms.

If we are serious about attracting foot traffic in the downtown then there needs to be a concerted effort to clean the place of criminals and turn it into a more people friendly place to be.

There needs to be more foot patrols and maybe the Y needs to hire special guards to ensure that there is order in the gym. Perhaps there is also need for more cameras where crimes at the Y can stop before they happen. It is really frustrating when criminals drive law-abiding people out of the downtown.

If someone is caught stealing, fighting or dealing drugs that person should be banned from all the City Y's for a year. That's my suggestion. It is called tough love.

The Manitoba Schizophrenic Society held its annual gala evening on April 12th at the Fairmont hotel at which representatives of the government, corporations and community leaders attended and brought greetings. The Iris Gala includes cocktails, a full course meal complete with wine and award presentations followed by silent auctions of donated items. The evening winds down with the sounds of Winnipeg’s institutional Ron Paley Band.
The MSS chose iris this symbol hope and valour as its symbol of those suffering from mental illness following the historic sale of “Les Irises” by Vincent van Gogh, which went for more than $50 million in 1987. Van Gogh painted Les Irises in the asylum garden at St. Remy in the south of France in May 1889 at a time when van Gogh was said to have in the midst of a psychosis.
Winnipeg’s singer/songwriter, Maiko Watson, performed with Ron Paley at this event

GCO SPRING TEA

Spring tea is a staple in the Caribbean community in Winnipeg. Each year several of the Caribbean Organizations hold Tea to bring together community members to share in one of our rites of spring and Easter season as well.

The dainties for the tea are usually prepared by volunteers of the organization. Usually these are traditional sweets such as mettai, sponge cake, tri-colour butter-cheese mixture between thin slices of bread, vegetable, fruits and even egg roll which is not typical Guyanese but it reflects the growing diversity within our community. Some of our members have intermarried with Filipinas and have introduced some new cuisines.

There was a large turn out of the multicultural community.

Brian Archer, a Guyanese son, and an engineer of Manitoba Hydro opened the Tea. Several representatives from other sister organizations took turns to pour tea as is customary.
Members of the GCO graciously served the participants constantly bringing a variety of dainties to choose from.

It was a beautiful day in Winnipeg and women were dressed up in their Sunday best and men in their nice suits. It was a wonderful day. Congrats to the GCO for always putting on a great event.