Sunday, September 14
Costume Museum of Canada, Railroad Museum, Welcome Party

By Wil Heiduk

This was our first day in Winnipeg and it was Sunday. Our hosts assured that there was no good reason to get up early or to hurry since there wouldn't be much to do anyway, as virtually everything in Winnipeg is closed on Sunday morning. This was just fine with us, because after just having completed a busy two weeks of non-stop activities, we could appreciate a bit of relaxation. Thus, we spent the morning getting acquainted with our new hosts, Dan and Jan, over a leisurely breakfast and getting caught up with our laundry as well.

Later, that afternoon it was decided that we ought to do something. First we went to the Costume Museum of Canada, which displayed an assortment of vintage clothes, mostly women's clothing. It was not outstanding, but it was OK. Afterwards we went to The Forks, a shopping and entertainment area where we walked around a bit and visited the tourist information center before having lunch at The Forks Market. Here there was a number of ethnic and specialty shops offering a variety of places to eat or to purchase souvenirs. Dan didn't join us since he had to go to the Railroad Museum which was located adjacent to the Canadian Pacific Railroad station where he was a docent. As he had spent his entire career working for the Canadian Pacific railroad, starting as a telegrapher, it seemed that volunteering at the museum was a logical retirement activity. After lunch at The Forks we went to the railroad museum where we met Dan, who was demonstrating old telegraph equipment. As expected, there was enough old railroad equipment on display, including antique locomotives, cars and various types of equipment as well as historic displays and old photographs, so that there was something of interest to most. I watched a demonstration showing how to repair railroad tracks by replacing rails and ties. It was interesting and it never hurts to learn a new skill.

Well, although it seemed to be a fairly eventful day so far, it was not over yet. We had to rush home, get cleaned up and hurry to the welcome party which was being held in an office building in downtown Winnipeg. As we arrived at the party we were greeted by a Mountie who was in reality a member of the RCMP; another reminder that we were in Canada. Prior to dinner she was available to pose for photographs. After all, after having been to Canada everyone needs a picture of oneself with a Mountie. Dinner featuring spinach stuffed pork roll was excellent. And the activities following dinner were equally good. There was a "Buffalo race" between American and Canadian teams standing in a circle, the 'buffaloes' being circular plaques, one for each team, with a depiction of a buffalo on each. Somehow the "buffaloes" advanced around the circle, probably in accordance with some cryptic rules. At times it seemed to resemble a quiz but it seemed any answer by almost anyone resulted in an advance. And there was also an element of chance depending on what card was selected from a deck. The outcome wasn't clear either. Was there a winner? But it was lots of fun; everyone seemed to enjoy it and it was an excellent get-acquainted ice-breaker. There was also a very humorous and "informative" presentation by a French-Canadian guest speaker about the role played by the French Voyagers in the exploration and settlement of Manitoba. With thanks to the presenter who was clearly an expert on the subject and to the members of the audience who actively participated by serving as props to clarify the presentation, we now know what really happened. The Mountie's contribution did not end with simply posing for photographs. She also gave a very interesting presentation about the role the RCMP played in the history of Canada and how it evolved into its present form. Overall, it was a memorable evening that was both fun and informative as well as a great introduction into what would turn out to be an enjoyable exchange

Monday, September 15
Terra Mandala, Pinawa Dam, Trans Canada Trail, Whiteshell Hutterite Colony

By Joy Hillman

Up at the crack of dawn for a full day of a bus tour of Manitoba.

We all met at Masonic Temple to pick up the Bus for the day. We drove by Gillis Quarries where the limestone was used for the Manitoba Legislative Building.

Our first stop was at Terra Mandala where people come to heal, learn and reflect in a series of garden rooms that honor spiritual traditions from around the world.

Chagpori Hill: Asian garden is named after a college of medicine in Tibet.
Labyrinth: A labyrinth offers a single path to the centre. In centre to meditate.
Medicine Wheel: The stones replicate medicine wheels found on the Western plains.
Taiga Woodland Garden: Taiga is the Siberian word for boreal forest.
Hildegard’s Herb Garden: Nestled in an oak grove, this garden is named after Hildegard of Bingen.
Great Mother: A petrol form in the form of a snake is located in the garden alongside Great Mother.

We drove along a gravel road and finally arrived at Pinawa Dam where our hosts brought along a great lunch for all of us. Sandwiches, drinks, desserts (cookies and cakes.)

We had lunch and were able to walk and see the Pinawa Dam which was not in service at this time. Nearby was the Trans Canada Trail and many of us walked to
see it.

After lunch on the bus again to ride to Whiteshell Hutterite Colony, where we experienced a different way of life and their furniture business instead of farming for a livelihood. We were welcome and were shown the buildings that they have just built for their furniture business. We were also able to go through the houses where they eat and the kitchen. All the men sit on one side of the dining room and on the other side the women sit. They school the children on the property.

Off again on the bus for a very different dinner at Greenhouse Supper Club. We had a hard time finding the place as they didn’t have a sign out and we were in the country. When we did arrive, there was a trapper to give us a talk on trapping wild animals. He had furs and explained about the different traps that they used over the years.

Dinner was a BBQ with Boar and Bison sausage with salad and vegetables and a very good dessert. After dinner we had a long ride home. The sunset was fabulous for the end of a great day.

Tuesday, September 16
Spiritual Tour of Winnipeg: Shaarey Zedek Synagogue, Hindu Temple,
Vladimir & Olga Cathedral

By Elizabeth Shumway

Today we took a Spiritual Tour of Winnipeg. The first stop was the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue. The Shamus, Mr. Wiseman, explained the difference between Orthodox and Reformed (1670). They did not recognize each others views. The third group, Conservatives (men and women equal) comes in between. A Prayer Shawl is worn at morning prayers. It has 613 knots in the tassel representing the 613 Commandments. Over 300 are no longer used. The commandments regarding sacrifice have been replaced with charity. The beginning of the Bible is the same as the Torah. Orthodox do not work, prepare food or drive (except in an emergency) from Friday night to Saturday night. Reformed and Conservatives are not as strict. The Shaarey Zedek Synagogue has about 3000 members.

The next stop was the Hindu Temple. The Priest talked about the many idols. Hindus believe in one God—the superior being who is split in two—male and female. Male is consequence and female is energy—God and Goddess are always worshipped. The idol with eight arms is symbolic of eight directions. The idol with ten arms represents the ten directions (top and bottom added). The congregation has approximately 3000 members.

The Vladimir & Olga Cathedral was the third stop. Rafael Saray, a student with extensive knowledge of the cathedral, gave a very informative tour. This is the main cathedral in Canada. It was built in the late 40’s and early 50’s. There were two rows of stained glass windows—one by Leo Mal and the other by a New York artist. Every day services and private masses are held in the chapel. There are three masses on Sunday—two in Ukraine and one in English. Rafael gave us an excellent tour. After the Cathedral he gave us a tour of the neighborhood.

It was a very interesting day.

Wednesday, September 17
Manitoba Provincial Legislative Building, The Forks, Thunderbird Lodge

By Karen McCready

With cloudy and intermittently weepy skies, we were lucky to have a mostly indoor day. The highlights were our visit to the Manitoba Provincial Legislative Building, lunch at The Forks, an introduction to the “First Nations” people at the Thunderbird Lodge, and a home hosted dinner out in the country.

Built between 1913 and 1920, the Legislative Building was constructed of the region’s Tyndal limestone from Garson, Manitoba, in the popular Neoclassical style of the day. The lobby of pink and black marble, with two massive bison flanking the grand staircase, provided an imposing entrance. Of special interest to me were the portraits of HRH Elizabeth II and Philip and of her grandparents, George V and Mary and the Books of Remembrance in the Manitoba Room. A page is turned each day to reveal more names of those lost in battle. Relatives of the honorees are contacted so that they can be there to mark that day. One of our entertaining guide Daisy’s best stories was of the contractor who stole seven pillars from the building site and had the nerve to place them on his own porch just down the street. Nancy Allen, the Minister of Labor and Immigration, did us the special honor of dropping by to explain their governmental system and immigration policy and to answer other questions. We viewed the legislative chamber from the Public Gallery, Daisy noting that the U-shaped seating was designed to create a more peaceful environment than the usual left and right divisions. She also described the famous "Golden Boy” statue on top of the dome—a torch in one hand and a sheaf of wheat in the other to represent eternal youth and the spirit of enterprise.

“Bears on Broadway,” a display of cast concrete sculptures decorated by different organizations with northern prairie themes, included Nanookshuk (using the traditional Inuit symbol) and Loony Bear. We saw a large display of these next to the Legislative Building and individual ones around town.

Barry, our hosts Bea and Graham, and I picked out our various lunches at the food booths in The Forks and did a little shopping. Barry fell in love with a soapstone seal sculpture and had it shipped home. [It arrived a couple of weeks ago, not completely intact but still a wonderful touchstone.]

Our final group event of the day was the visit to Thunderbird Lodge, built in 1998. Perry Francois, Northern Wolf of the White Wolf Clan, explained that its shape represents “The Circle of Life” and that it is not strictly intended for First Nations people. Our hostess and ED, Bea Buckingham, presented a gift of tobacco on behalf of our group. Along with sage, cedar, and sweet grass, it is considered the sacred medicine which represents the four directions. Some of the wisdom of the people that Perry shared
with us:

Every living thing has a responsibility.
The colors in the lodge’s décor—white, yellow, red, and black—represent all peoples.
The bear song that he sang asks the bear to help people heal.
What you believe doesn’t matter; it’s how you present it.
He showed us the sweat lodge improvised outside the main building and explained its healing properties.

Dinner for ten of us out at the Babijes’ in La Salle capped off the day beautifully. Vivian, recovering from multiple surgeries for cancer, was a tireless group hostess all week, she and Gerry home hosted the Gustavsons, and she organized one of the day long outings on the prairie. Then she returned home to prepare a meal that included much produce from her own huge garden. It was a lovely evening of sharing for all of us lucky guests.

Thursday, September 18
Free Day with Day Host: Lake Winnipeg, Gimly, Willow Island

By Barry Rader

The day started out with a filling breakfast of cereal, yogurt, toast and melon. Our whole group—Karen, Be, Graham and myself—attached ourselves to our neighbor, Muriel, and Pat and Dave to go to Lake Winnipeg and Gimli. We picked up Mary Jane, who would be our guide to the wonderful world of the Lake area.

After catching a nap on the hour drive to the area we stopped at Mary Jane’s summer cabin that was 95 years old. We met her daughter and had cookies and tea. Off to the “Fish Fly Gallery," where I purchased a small table made from driftwood and Karen purchased a pair of earrings. Then to the beach, and Gimli where we had lunch at Amma’s Tea Room. I had chicken salad with cranberries and a green salad, and Karen had a quiche. The food was excellent, but better than the food was the atmosphere, which was charming with pretty china cups all over the place.

Then off to the New Iceland Museum for a video and viewing the artifacts of the early settlers from Iceland. Then off to see and appreciate the murals along the breakwater. They had a certain charm and some historical interest. We went off to Willow Island where the original settlers landed under less than ideal circumstances. We looked; we appreciated; we left.

From the Lake we came back to the Italian section of Winnipeg for a dinner of pasta and wine. Everybody had a great time, and we all enjoyed the day.

Friday, September 19
Costume Museum of Canada; Farewell Dinner

By Martha and Bill Crowe

We had a special morning at the Costume Museum of Canada in Winnipeg which celebrates fashion, culture and history in the theater district with a 35,000 item collection. This is a joint venture between local ladies who were collecting and doing fashion shows, and university professors who brought back items from their travels for the Clothing and Textile Museum. This was for teaching purposes to support the Human and Ecology Courses but the scope of the university was changing and they needed a new home for their exhibits.

3,500 of the artifacts are wedding dresses and many of them are not white. One of the most unusual had black stripes painted on the blue material. There are shoes, gloves, gowns, that are shown on a rotating basis.  

During the war, women did lots of home sewing and remade old dresses, used flour sacks, parachute silks, whatever they could find. 

Inuit skins were shown with fur side in and sewed with sinew and gussets/darts to provide air insulation. The exterior layer was fur side out to repel water and ice. Hoods were used to carry infants and children.

The Eastern European clothing had intricate embroidery with special designs on the chest and wrists to protect the weaker parts.

Elaborate Japanese kimonos were on display with one using 13 dragons in the design to denote royalty.

The afternoon was spent with hosts and then followed by the farewell dinner. We all gathered in a lovely United Church where we were met with tables literally groaning with food. We had a lavish Fall Feast with turkey and all the trimmings prepared by our hosts. Following the meal, we were entertained by a special reading of the poem, “If You’re Not From the Prairie” by David Bouchard, spirited music and songs by Tom McDermott, followed by the play written by Graham Buckingham called the “Body Shoppe.” The main character had to make a decision whether he would choose California or Manitoba after being regaled with numerous “facts” and “information” about both sites.

Following this, we managed to get on stage and sing our songs through the guidance of our director, Gail (a true trooper)

Another memorable and wonderful evening!!