Shannon Rempel and the need to improve Winnipeg's long track speed skating venue

While at the Morris Stampede earlier today, I had a chance to meet and talk with Shannon Rempel. Shannon is shown with the silver medal she won as part of the women's team pursuit at the Turin Olympics earlier this year.

We talked of the need to improve the long track speed skating venue at Sargeant Park. First of all we need to have artificial ice so that the season can be extended, and so competitions can be held without having to put up with the vagaries of weather. Second we need to enclose the track. To do this as Calgary has done might cost $10 million. But there may be a simpler way. More and more we are seeing golf domes and other structures made from less costly fabrics. It might be possible to enclose the speed skating oval in a simlar fashion - following the outline in pink at the bottom. If it was just the skating surface that was enclosed, plus of course some space and bleechers for a crowd to watch it might cost much less than the $10 million needed in Calgary. Good positioning of cameras could allow spectators to watch the whole track and the whole race on screens. It is just a thought - but we need to do something to enable Manitobans to have better training in long track speed skating here in our province.

Thank you Shannon - and good luck.

The Morris Stampede

Today is day three of the Morris Stampede and Exhibition. This morning was the parade through Morris, and this afternoon was day three of the Rodeo. There was lots to see and do with jugglers, musicians and all sorts of booths.

More problems with the NDP when it comes to roads

Yesterday, when I was just west of highway 305 (west of Portage la Prairie), I found this badly eroded and washed out road. It washed out in April and now three months later, has still not been repaired. The problem is the same as that just south of Portage la Prairie - the province has not signed off on the joint funding through the DFAA program - and the RM of Portage la Prairie is still waiting for the province to act before completing the repairs. More NDP delays. More problems with the NDP when it comes to action on roads.

Intimate Partner Violence edited by Mary R. Hampton and Nikki Gerrard

While I was in Saskatchewan this summer I had the opportunity to talk with my sister-in-law, Nikki Gerrard, about the book Intimate Partner Violence which she co-edited with Mary Hampton.

This book tells the stories of women who are victims of abuse and of the anti-violence workers who help them and advocate for them. It builds upon these stories and the experience of both the victims and the helpers to provide recommendations for an improved policy framework to prevent such violence. As Mary Hampton says in the last chapter "A larger vision of a violence-free society sustains our participants in their long-term commitment to this cause."

The volume is part of the research and networking effort of the regional research network RESOLVE (Research and Education for Solutions to Violence and Abuse). It includes a chapter by Manitoba's Jane Ursel which is entitled "'Over-Policed and Under Protected': A Question of Justice for Aboriginal Women."

Arden and the Prairie Crocus

Arden, just east of Neepawa, has the largest Prairie Crocus in existence (photos above).
This year is the one hundredth anniversary of the year 1906 when the Prairie Crocus became the floral emblem of Manitoba (see http://www.manitobaliberals.ca/2006/03/happy-100th-birthday-to-prairie-crocus.html )

This afternoon I stopped in at Arden to visit.

The Lily Festival in Neepawa

Neepawa is now the world Lily Capital. The Lily Festival this weekend features lots of lillies (top two photos), much entertainment (including Doc Walker tonight), many excellent restaurants in Neepawa - like the Prairie Seasons Bakery and Restaurant run by Rhoda Medina (second from bottom), and booths selling a variety of interesting wares ( like Strokes by U - bottom photo). Julie King and Elvira Tanner with Strokes by U specialize in decorative gifts (for more see www.strokesbyu.com)

This year is the tenth anniversary of the Lily Festival. My congratulations to the organizers and all the volunteers. This year featured a tribute to the War Brides.

When it comes to roads - NDP incompetence strikes again

A word to Manitoba municipalities: if you're expecting the provincial NDP to live up to their end of a deal, don't count on it!

This afternoon, I visited the site of a large washout on an important municipal road located just south of Portage la Prairie. The washout occurred early this spring, and has not yet been fixed. This is an important harvest road, and with harvest well under way in this area, it needs to be repaired quickly.

The second photo is taken from the bank of the washout, and you can see where the road resumes in the distance. The third photo is the washout viewed from the side...

What's the hold up, you ask? In the case of a washout like this, repair costs get shared between the provincial government and the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie under the province's Disaster Financial Assitance Program. The Minister responsible? NDP Emergency Measures Minister Scott Smith.

Now, the RM of Portage la Prairie is quite keen to get to work on the repairs, but you guessed it, the province (Scott Smith to be more exact) keeps delaying on signing-off on the shared funding. Without the provincial money, the RM can't proceed.

This is a simple matter for the NDP provincial government to attend to - give the RM of Portage la Prairie the money they are owed! It seems the only time the big-spending NDP has a problem signing a cheque is when the money is for municipal road infrastructure.

New inductees into the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame

Today, in Portage la Prairie, William Esmond Jarvis, Dr. Eugene Lange, Owen McAuley, Thomas Scott and Bill Vaags were inducted into the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame. More details of these men and their contributions can be found at http://www.mts.net/~agrifame/

Photos from top show Bill Vaags coming forward to receive his recognition, (middle photo) the unveiling of the plaque honouring Thomas Scott and (bottom photo) Owen McAuley and his wife Anna Mae.

Congratulations to the inductees and their families.

Joan Mackie 1910-2006

Joan Mackie was quite a woman. As we heard earlier today from her brother Dr. Sandy Campbell, she was in a suffragette parade in England when she was only 2 years old. (Her father was studying with Sir William Osler, and her mother was avid in her support for votes for women). When the suffragette's march became particularly animated, Joan was sheltered safely from the activity between the hooves of the horse belonging to one of the local constabulary (at his suggestion).

From early on, in Winnipeg, Joan attended the church of the Dr. C.W. Gordon, one who worked in 1914 and 1915 with Nellie McClung and Tobias Norris to successfully bring to Manitoba the vote for women.

Later, with her husband Phil, she was active in he travel business in Manitoba.

Fittingly, the service today in her memory, was held in the University Women's Club building - a building at 54 Westgate which was once the home of Dr. C.W. Gordon, who was also widely known for his writings as Ralph Connor.

Romeo Dallaire - a powerful speaker with a powerful message

Romeo Dallaire joined us at our Manitoba Liberal Party reception last night. Drawing on his experiences in Rwanda and in many other places, he spoke with passion and feeling.

He took us to Rwanda, and made us feel the agony of decision making - and the courage and humanity of many of the soldiers who served with him.

He spoke of human rights, and of his philosophy of humanity - that no one is more human than anyone else - and that as Canadians, and Canadian peacekeepers we have a responsibilty as an important middle power to help protect others whether it is in Rwanda, in the middle east or in Darfur.

The Club that made Rotary International

Ninety-six years ago, in what was then the YMCA building (later the Birks Building) on Portage Avenue, there was the first meeting of the Winnipeg Rotary Club, the club to which I belong.

The Rotary Club of Winnipeg was the first Rotary Club outside of the United States - and thus the club that made Rotary International. Today, following our rotary meeting, Richard Whidden, President of the Winnipeg Rotary Club, and Rick Felstead (District Governor - from the Brandon Rotary Club) unveiled a plaque to commemorate the event of 96 years ago.

The Winnipeg Rotary Club has made major contributions to our community over the last 96 years and continues to make contributions.

Finding a young Bald Eagle on the ground

During our five days on Besnard Lake we checked 38 Bald Eagle nests. Twenty-nine of these had a resident pair of Bald Eagles. Sixteen of these nests had young.

One nest, on a small island, was in very poor shape, and we wondered if it was even an eagle nest. But we walked in to check below the nest, and to our surprise we found a young Bald Eagle on the ground under a small tree.

There was quite a bit of whitewash on the ground nearby indicatig the eaglet had been on the ground for a few days, and near the eaglet was the remains of a fish which had been brought in quite recently by one of the adults.

We were able to determine that the nest had fallen apart, possible in a strong wind, and the eaglet had fallen to the ground. The young one was being cared for on the ground by the adults.
We have seen a number of similar circumstances over the years, and have found that if the eaglet is left where it is the chances are excellent that it will be raised by the parents until it is ready to fly. Indeed, the parents usually continue to provide food for the young for some time after they are flying and until they are foraging on their own.

Five days at Besnard Lake

Each year, like many other Canadian families we try to get a bit of time at the lake. For us, we go to a lake where many years ago, we worked with friends to put up a log cabin. My brother Peter (shown with his wife Nikki in front of the cabin in the second photo), was very involved at the time.

This year we had five really good days - yes the weather was variable - and yes there were a few horse flies and mosquitos - but just to be away in a relatively isolated spot, and to spend time with family and friends is marvellous. For us, it is a great break from my busy life as a politician and Naomi's life as a nurse and an artist.

Like many other families, we do a lot of boating and fishing, and enjoy nothing better than freshly caught fish sizzled over a fire.

But we also spend time checking up on the local Bald Eagles. For many years, Naomi and I have been involved with observing and banding Bald Eagles. These big beautiful birds nest along many of the lakes and rivers of Canada's boreal forest and along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. They nest very high in trees. At Besnard Lake, eagles usually nest in Aspen Poplar, Balsam Poplar, White Spruce or Jack Pine, but rarely in Birch or in Black Spruce.Young Bald Eagles have brown heads and they do not get the full white head of their adult plumage until they are about four or five years old. The young eagles grow quickly and are as large as the adults by the time they leave the nest. If you are interested in a more complete description of Bald Ealges and our involvement with them on Besnard Lake, you can find it in the book called The Bald Eagle: Haunts and Habits of a Wilderness Monarch, published by the Smithsonian Institute Press.

Two happy 90th birthdays

While in Saskatoon a few days ago, we celebrated the fact that this year both my parents have their 90th birthdays. We feel privileged to have both of our parents living and doing remarkably well. My mother still plays 18 holes of golf two or three times a week. My father still goes for long walks every day.

The middle photo shows four generations eating birthday cake. In the one below, we tour Peter and Nikki's colourful garden along the Saskatchewan River.

Situation in the Middle East

It is a shock to learn that rockets are landing in parts of Israel where Naomi and I visited in February. It is a bigger shock to know that 8 Canadians, including four children, have died in a bomb attack on Aitaroun, Labanon.

We have good friends on both sides of the border and we are deeply saddened at what is happening in the Middle East. There must surely be a better way to achieve peace in this region.

Dr. Stuart Houston, Mary Houston and Turkey Vultures

Just north of Russell, at the Shellmouth Dam, we found about a dozen Turkey Vultures perching and flying near the dam (top two photos show several of these birds).

While in Saskatoon, July 4, we stopped in to visit with Dr. Stuart Houston and his wife Mary. Stuart has become, in recent years, a world leading expert on Turkey Vultures. Together with a team of people he has been putting wing markers and satellite transmitters on Turkey Vultures in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

In the last two decades there has been a major increase in the number of Turkey Vultures on the prairies. While historically these birds nested in caves in cliffs (which are not common on the prairies), they are now nesting in abandoned farmhouses (and sadly these are now quite common). Perhaps because of the increase in potential nest sites and perhaps for other reasons, the Turkey Vulture population on the prairies has been increasing. According to Stuart the region around the Shellmouth Dam has seen one of the largest increases.

From the wing markers and transmitters, Stuart and his team have found Saskatchewan Turkey Vultures wintering in Costa Rica and Venezuela. At present, they have the only current Turkey Vulture wing tapping program in North America. They have the only nestling carrying a satellite transmitter (tagged west of Leoville, Saskatchewan, wintered in Costa Rica and then summered in Nebraska the following summer). And they have the only two adult vultures captures on their nest carrying GPS transmitters providing hourly reports of locations with a 10 m accuracy.

If you see a Turkey Vulture with a wing marker, please email Stuart Houston at houstons@duke.usask.ca

Mary Houston, it should be noted, was recently given an award for her volunteer service, the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal. For more details see http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:JZURW3UMwWsJ:www.gov.sk.ca/newsrel/releases/2006/05/01-350-attachment.pdf+Saskatchewan+Volunteer+Medal+-+Mary+Houston&hl=en&gl=ca&ct=clnk&cd=1

Russell and Bio-regional Economic Development

The evening of July 2, we stayed in Russell at the Sanderson's Hill bed and breakfast operated by Joan and Ron Clement. It was an excellent opportunity to enjoy good hospitality in Russell and to get an appreciation for the economic development efforts in the region.

Both Joan and Ron are champions for their community and their region. Ron has been a strong advocate for bio-regional economic development - economic development which is based on the advantages of the region.

People in Russell have done an excellent job of moving forward with tourist development efforts which recognize the importance of year round activities. In the winter, the Assissippi Ski Hill is a major draw for the region. In the summer, the wonderful advantages of fishing and of various regional tourist attractions (Fort Ellice, the Inglis elevators and the Skinner farm are examples) to draw visitors. The community has built on these natural attractions with various summer learning or schooling programs - for hockey, for art, for music and for dance.

In the past I have met with various community leaders with respect to plans for regional economic development. A proposal to harness the water power at the Shellmouth Dam for hydroelectricity is one example.

This visit, Ron talks at length about his dreams to develop a Storybook Village in Russell. Ron makes the point, a good one, that it is important for communities to look at sustainable, continuous draws for tourists, not just at "event" tourism. I agree. I have seen many good examples of communities which have developed local tourist attractions which bring in visitors in a steady consistent fashion. To date neither the Tories nor the NDP in Manitoba have shown much interest in this approach. We may need a Liberal government in our province to move this forward Ron and Joan. But even from our current position in opposition, we will continue to work with you to help move your ideas forward.

Boissevain a Community in Bloom

Boissevain is gorgeous. The flowers in Boissevain are stunning. We were fortunate to be able to have a ride around the community, thanks to Stewart Mannix and his horse-drawn carriage (bottom photo). As well as the flowers and murals (http://www.manitobaliberals.ca/2006/07/boissevain-colourful-and-artistic.html), there are historic buildings like St. Paul's United Church, built in 1893 in Gothic Revival style.

Congratulations to mayor Ed Anderson and to the many, many volunteers who have made Boissevain such an attractive community to visit. Among the dedicated volunteers are Betty and Norma (second from the bottom).

The Common Ground Art Exhibition July 2-31 at the Cherry Creek Gallery in Boissevain

For the first time in the history of the Manitoba and Alberta Art Societies, they have a joint exhibition touring our two provinces. The Exhibition is in Boissevain from July 2-31 at the Cherry Creek Gallery. The exhibition features works by 50 professional artists from the two provinces and the work was chosen by expert jury selection.

In the top photo, my wife Naomi is with Kathy Hehn standing in front of Kathy's painting Morning has Broken.

In the middle photo, Naomi is with Pam Health. Both are artists with works featured in the exhibition.

Carol Mills (of the Manitoba Society of Artists) and Karin Richter (of the Alberta Society of Artists) organized the joint exhibition. They are shown in the bottom photo.

Boissevain - a colourful and artistic community

The afternoon of July 2, Naomi and I were in Boissevain for the opening of the Common Ground Art Exhibition at the Cherry Creek Gallery. Boissevain is a vibrant community with an incredible number of murals painted on buildings.

For more about Boissevain see http://www.boissevain.ca/index.html

Manitoba corn growing two meters tall by July 2 near Morden

The morning of July 2, Naomi and I were near Morden visiting with Ralph and Edith Gowan and checking out their field of corn. Already, he had corn which was higher than I am tall. Pretty impressive.