Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 6, 2024, Winnipeg, Manitoba B2 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM NEWS I LOCAL T HE Karens are companions who were once co-presidents. Karen Irvine and Karen Jack became friends through their volun- teer work with the St. Vital Agricultur- al Society, which is holding its flagship event — the St. Vital Agricultural Fair — this weekend. The retirees, who have volunteered with the society for 15 and 25 years, respectively, even served as co-pres- idents for a time. Both grew up on mixed farms — Irvine in Dauphin and Jack near Teulon — and both sought out the society and its annual fair when they moved to St. Vital decades ago. “It seems often city people don’t know what an agricultural fair is, whereas I had an advantage coming from a rural background,” says Jack, 68. “It was just a fun way for people to get together. It was something to do in the summer.” And it still is today. While St. Vital is no longer the rural community it was when the society formed in 1909, the fair remains an annual event — save for 2020 and 2021 when it was cancelled due to the pandemic. The fair no longer includes a livestock competition but visitors are still invited to enter their vegetables, flowers, baking, crafts and artwork for a chance to win a ribbon. The event also includes a farmers market. “What’s really nice is how us older ones can get our children and grand- children involved,” says Irvine, 71. “That’s what makes the fair success- ful, is to make it an intergenerational thing — ‘cause who else is going to show these young people that this hap- pens other than us old ones?” Irvine has fond memories of the year her granddaughter won a spot in the fair’s court of honour for a fairy garden she created. She also has fond memories of the first time she was recognized for an apple pie she baked. “To receive an award in the court of honour is pretty special, so to think my pie had won an award is pretty great,” Irvine says. Does she use a secret recipe? “No,” she says. “It’s just a Karen recipe.” When she looks back on fairs of yes- teryear, Irvine remembers the 100th event in 2009. In the months prior, society members had wondered if it might be time to wind things down due to decreasing interest in the event. But the centennial celebration drew big crowds and the society gained new members, giving the fair new life and ensuring it would continue. “It was sort of a pivotal point for the society,” Irvine says, adding that ultimately, the work that goes into organizing the fair is worth it. “It doesn’t require a lot of time — it’s just being willing to give a few hours or so a month just to make something worthwhile in the community come to life.” The 113th fair takes place Aug. 9-10 at the St. Vital Centennial Arena (580 St. Anne’s Rd.). In celebration of Winnipeg’s 150th anniversary, this year’s theme is “Our shared stories, our shared future.” The event includes a pulled pork barbecue supper on Friday and a pancake breakfast and hot dog lunch on Saturday. Visit svas.ca for details. “By me volunteering with the ag society, I can pass it along to the next generation,” Irvine says. “When you think about why the fair is still here today, it’s because of all the volunteers before us who contributed their time and efforts to it — because they realized how important the agri- cultural society was and is,” Jack adds. If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca. TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2024 RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS Karen Jack (left) and Karen Irvine are longtime volunteers with The St. Vital Agricultural Society who have been monumental in maintaining the society’s annual St. Vital Agricultural Fair. Volunteer opportunities ● MS Bike - Gimli: Event day volunteers needed. MS Canada is seeking individuals to join their team to support the Gimli MS Bike, which takes place on Aug. 24 and 25. Volunteer assistance is needed throughout the event to ensure it runs smoothly and that participants have an enjoyable experi- ence while biking to raise crucial funds for those affected by MS. Volunteers are required on Satur- day and/or Sunday, with shifts ranging from two to eight hours depending on the shift and level of commitment. This opportunity offers a chance to make a significant impact in the community by contributing talent and time. For more informa- tion and to view role descriptions and shifts, visit the volunteer website and sign up directly by Aug. 20 (mscanada.ca/volunteer-opportunities). For additional details, contact Karyn Heidrick at karyn. heidrick@mscanada.ca. ● Misericordia Health Centre is seeking volun- teer interviewers to collect survey responses from patients receiving care. Full orientation and train- ing will be provided. Make an impact! Openings: Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays: Ideally 10 a.m. to noon or 12:30-3:30 p.m. For more information call 204.788.8134, email: volunteer@misericordia. mb.ca or apply online at misericordia.mb.ca. Deadline is Aug. 31, however, intake is ongoing. ● Dalnavert Museum and Visitors’ Centre is seeking volunteers for Dalnavert Days, Sept. 7 and 8. Volunteers are needed to assist with various tasks such as set up and tear down, manning the info booth, ensuring crowd control and safety and serv- ing as a Kids’ Zone assistant. For more information on each role, visit friendsofdalnavert.ca/volunteer. Deadline is Aug. 21. ● Melanoma Canada is seeking peer support volunteers with lived experience. If you’ve been diagnosed with melanoma or skin cancer or have been a caregiver to someone with melanoma or skin cancer, you can offer hope and support to others. Melanoma Canada provides extensive training and ongoing support for all peer support volunteers. This is a remote volunteering role with flexible hours for those able to handle difficult conversations, have empathy and active listening skills and can navigate the health-care system. Apply by email at mzawadzki@melanomacanada. ca or online: melanomacanada.ca/get-involved/ volunteer/volunteerpatient. Deadline is Sept. 2. ● Creative Foundation requires both a graphic designer and a podcast personality to join their team. The graphic designer role requires a strong passion for making a difference, with responsibil- ities including creating various designs independ- ently or as part of a team. From posters and invita- tion cards to newsletter layouts and exhibition designs, the designer will also assist in web visuals. Proficiency in Adobe Suite and Microsoft platforms, alongside strong English communica- tion and time-management abilities are essential for this role. Please include a cover letter and sample designs with your application. The podcast personality position calls for someone with a great voice and confidence in public speaking. If you are interested in either role, apply by email at cfiwpg@gmail.com. Deadline is Aug. 18. ● Hood and Dagger Productions, Inc., Winnipeg’s newest not-for-profit community theatre company, is recruiting additional board members, especially those with expertise in accounting (CPA), marketing or fundraising. Their bylaws include a director indemnity clause, and director and officer insurance is in effect. Incorporated in January 2024, Hood and Dagger Production’s mandate is to build community through community theatre. All Hood & Dagger Productions’ cast, crew and board members are volunteers. If you are looking for a fun and fulfilling experience to work with a new and exciting not- for-profit, look no further. Please contact them at HoodandDagger@outlook.com by Aug. 23. ● Prairie Strides, Inc. is a charitable organization offering adaptive horse riding for children aged 5 to 15 with disabilities. They are seeking volunteer side-walkers, horse leaders and physio/occupa- tional therapists for their 10-week fall session on Monday evenings at West Wind Stables. Training is provided. Email exedir@prairiestrides.com by Aug. 16 to be part of their supportive community and make a real difference in these children’s lives. ● Shelter Movers is a national, volunteer-pow- ered charity providing free moving and storage services to individuals and families fleeing abuse. Shelter Movers needs onboarding co-ordinators to support its expansion into Winnipeg. As the first point of contact for new volunteer applicants, onboarding co-ordinators will communicate with applicants, conduct screening interviews and support them in the onboarding process to ensure a positive experience. This is a remote position for people 18+ with an ongoing commitment of approximately four hours/week. Email volunteer. winnipeg@sheltermovers.com by Aug. 15. ● Are you passionate about creating inclusive communities? Do you want to contribute your expertise and energy to a vibrant organization dedicated to advocacy, support, and transforma- tive change? If so, Inclusion Winnipeg invites you to join their board of directors. Inclusion Winnipeg is a registered charity that for over 60 years has been dedicated to making life better for children and adults living with intellectual disabilities. It is currently seeking enthusiastic and dedicated individuals with diverse backgrounds and skills to join its board. Successful candidates should have a commitment to the organization’s mission and be able to attend and actively participate in monthly board meetings. For more information, and to submit your application, please contact Janet Forbes, executive director at jforbes@inclusion- winnipeg.org. Deadline to apply is Aug. 16. 113 years of St. Vital Agricultural Fair Ag society fair continues to bloom AARON EPP VOLUNTEERS There are other things hospitals can do to improve patient flow through their facili- ties, including better co-ordination between departments. But those, too, are far more difficult and complex to implement. An- nouncing expanded hours at minor-injury clinics is a lot easier. Either way, the ER numbers don’t lie. So far, whatever the NDP government has done to supposedly reduce wait times hasn’t worked. As the Kinew government approaches its one-year anniversary in office in October, the pressure will mount to make good on the election pledges it made last year. Long wait times are not just an incon- venience for low-acuity patients who wait longer to see a doctor or nurse practitioner than more urgent patients. It means pa- tients who are sick enough to be admitted to hospital are not getting the care they should be getting on medical wards. ER physicians have warned repeatedly that outcomes for patients who wait days in ER hallways suffer compared with those who are treated on medical wards. What regional health authorities should be releasing on a regular basis are length- of-stay statistics of admitted patients in emergency departments. That would give the public a more accurate picture of what is happening in ERs. So why do governments insist on mis- leading the public about how expanding clinics supposedly reduces ER wait times? Because it gives people the impression poli- ticians are doing something about a serious problem. It’s believable, even though ER doctors have repeatedly called out govern- ments that make the claim. It plays into the falsehood that the main reason we have long ER wait times is because low-acuity patients are going to hospital when they should be seeing their family doctor or visiting a clinic. More clinics and better access to prima- ry care are important and they improve long-term outcomes for patients. But they don’t solve the immediate problem of admitted patients piling up in ERs waiting for a medical bed. That problem can only be solved by increasing hospital capacity and improving patient flow. That’s where government and regional health authorities should be focusing their attention. tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca BRODBECK ● FROM B1 National organ-donation program improves transplant odds for hardest-to-match patients A national organ-sharing program has turned bleak odds to brighter days for 52 Manitobans who’ve re- ceived desperately needed kidneys over the past 11 years. The Canadian Blood Services’ High- ly Sensitized Patient Program, in col- laboration with Transplant Manitoba, changes the lives of people who carry antibodies preventing them from be- ing matched with 95 per cent of donor organs. “We can’t give them that organ, no matter how long we waited,” said Dr. Julie Ho, medical director for Trans- plant Manitoba. “They’re really dis- advantaged in trying to get a match.” Receiving a kidney transplant has a “massive impact” on patients, Ho said. It means they can get back to school or work and continue living more normal lives. “We know that compared to staying on dialysis, people with a kidney transplant tend to live longer… but they also feel better,” she said. “Their quality of life is better. Life on dialysis is really challenging.” Most transplant organs come from deceased donors, Ho said, but there are, occasionally, non-directed an- onymous donors who step forward to help those in greatest need. There have been 44 kidneys donated through the lo- cal organization. At any given time, there are about 200 people wait- ing for a kidney transplant in the province. More than 70,000 Manitobans are registered to donate out of a pool of almost 1.4 million people living in the province. The program “buys patients another lottery ticket” and increases their chances of finding a match in the larger pool of potential donors in Canada, said Ho. Previously, patients could wait as long as 15 years to get a kidney transplant. Many died before a match was found. More than 1,000 of the hardest-to-match patients across Canada have received transplant organs through the program. Ho said one organ donor can save up to eight lives. To register, all that’s needed is name, health card number and date of birth at signupforlife.ca. jura.mcilraith@freepress.mb.ca JURA MCILRAITH Dr. Julie Ho ;