Mayor marks one year in office 

Mayor Brian Bowman celebrated his first year at city hall on Oct. 22 by meeting with small business owners. In a news release, Bowman said “council is off to a strong start (and) has done a remarkable job getting City Hall back on the right track in only our first year.” His first-year highlights included renewing Winnipeg streets and delivering “unprecedented access to information” to the public. 

 

Allies visit Shoal Lake 40 

Friends of Shoal Lake 40 – a group of city councillors and other local leaders – will visit Shoal Lake 40 First Nation on Oct. 30 to try and hash out funding plans for Freedom Road. Building an all-weather road would help the community members come and go as they please during all seasons, rather than have to rely on a ferry or walking over frozen water to leave the island. Shoal Lake 40 is the source of Winnipeg’s drinking water, but has been under a boil water advisory itself for more than 17 years. 

 

Body positivity gets #BARE 

A new website is hoping to help women feel beautiful without wearing makeup. Sheisbare.com is a storytelling project by Rhianna Saj, a Creative Communications student at Red River College. It features a weekly blog written by Saj and a Dear Me section showcasing letters by other women writing to their younger selves about staying positive. To submit to the website or find out more information, email thebarewebsite@ gmail.com. 

 

Trudeau appoints new cabinet 

Prime Minister designate Justin Trudeau will announce his new cabinet on Nov. 4. Names of some new Manitoban members of Parliament have been tossed around as possible appointments. Winnipeg Centre MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette and Saint Boniface-Saint Vital MP Dan Vandal are rumoured candidates for aboriginal affairs minister. Online petitions are urging Trudeau to cross party lines and appoint Green party leader Elizabeth May as environment minister. 

 

Halloween haunts 

Halloween happens at the end of the month and if you feel like getting off the couch and stepping away from the candy bag for some unknown reason, there’s plenty to do around town. The Dalnavert Museum is offering spooky after-dark tours and Muddy Water Ghost Tours is a perennial favourite. Outside the perimeter, Terror on 12 (near Anola) and A Maze in Corn (near St. Adolphe) offer haunted mazes and forests for optimum scares. Bring Depends.

Published in Volume 70, Number 8 of The Uniter (October 29, 2015)