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Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Pride and power in place
Gena Boubard is checking off a lot of firsts this year. The Anishinaabe makeup artist is the first two-spirit contestant to compete in Miss Indigenous Canada and the organizer of the first-ever Pride celebration in Sagkeeng Anicinabe Nation. Boubard, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, lives in Winnipeg and spends a lot of time visiting family in their home community, which is situated along the Winnipeg River 120 kilometres northeast of the city. SUPPLIED Gena Boubard hopes more First Nations host their own celebrations. SUPPLIED Gena Boubard hopes more First Nations host their own celebrations. Putting on a Pride event, which takes place Saturday, , June 7, has been a way to give back and empower LGBTTQ+ youth living in Sagkeeng; however, being the first came with some trepidation. 'I had so much fear around what people would think or say or how they would view me and I've received nothing but positive feedback. There's a lot more support than I could have ever imagined,' Boubard, 24, says. Saturday's Pride celebration kicks off at 11 a.m. with a parade beginning at the 'Welcome to Sagkeeng' sign featuring a local drum group and entertainment by drag performers, DJ Kaptain and the Bannock Babes. The parade will be followed by a two-spirit powwow, community feast and fireworks. There will be a craft market and speakers throughout the day, including Amazing Race Canada winners Anthony Johnson and James Makokis. The event is family-friendly and drug/alcohol-free. Event preview ● Fort Alexander, Saturday ● June 7 11 a.m. — parade ● 1:30 p.m. — two-spirit powwow and market ● 5 p.m. — community feast ● 10 p.m. — fireworks This is Boubard's first time organizing an event of this scale. 'I'm learning a lot very quickly. I'm overwhelmed, but in the best way. It's been really exciting getting things together and shopping and planning all the fun stuff for the day,' Boubard says. The event is open to the public and Boubard expects attendees from nearby communities and across the province, including Sagkeeng members living off-reserve and representatives from Eastman Pride, which helps co-ordinate Pride activities in eastern Manitoba. 'It really fills my heart and it actually makes me emotional and really proud of my community that so many people are stepping up to support and be involved,' Boubard says, adding the call for volunteers has been met with enthusiasm. 'I'm hoping (attendees) see just how large the two-spirit community is and how much it's really needed right now in the face of the homophobia and transphobia we're seeing throughout North America. And I'm hoping this sparks conversations within Indigenous families in regards to how we view gender identity and sexuality.' LORI PENNER / THE CARILLON Presenters and performers at last year's Pembina Valley Pride March and Rally LORI PENNER / THE CARILLON Presenters and performers at last year's Pembina Valley Pride March and Rally Boubard is already looking forward to next year's Sagkeeng Pride event and wants to see more local First Nations hosting their own celebrations. Discussions are also underway for year-round LGBTTQ+ programming in Sagkeeng. Boubard has been competing in beauty pageants for nearly a decade and says the events have been good training for their current advocacy work. 'It's been a beautiful experience. I've learned a lot of confidence, leadership skills, how to be involved in my community, how to use my voice,' says the Miss Southern Manitoba World title-holder and former Miss World Canada contestant. Miss Indigenous Canada is now in its second year with the 2025 winner set to be crowned in July at a pageant in Six Nations, Ont. Jessica McKenzie, representing Opaskwayak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba, was the contest's inaugural winner. If you value coverage of Manitoba's arts scene, help us do more. Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. Eva WasneyReporter Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Free Press Arts & Life department since 2019. Read more about Eva. Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Co-op team claims top prize at softball provincials
STONEWALL — La Broquerie's École Saint-Joachim and St Pierre-Jolys' École communautaire Réal-Bérard are a pair of small French schools from Manitoba's southeast, but they certainly pack a punch when it comes to fastpitch. The two schools' co-op team blasted through the rest of the competition at the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association softball championships, hosted at Stonewall Quarry Park on Friday and Saturday. An 11-3 mercy rule victory over AAAA school Vincent Massey (Brandon) Vikings capped off an undefeated season for the Braves. 'We're talking about maybe 250 students,' head coach Pat Tetrault said after the game. 'We don't make for quantity we make for quality… There's some tough schools, some good teams out here.' Cassidy Dankochik / THE CARILLON The École Saint-Joachim and Réal-Bérard Braves celebrate their Manitoba High Schools Athletics Association title, capping off their undefeated season on Saturday with a dominant win over Vincent Massey (Brandon). École Saint-Joachim and Réal- Bérard took control of the final early, plating eight runs in the first inning after a Massey home run scored two in the top half of the inning. Brynn Maynard's double scored three, turning a 2-2 tie into a 5-2 advantage which never looked in danger of evaporating. Annabelle Tetrault pitched all five innings of the game for the Braves, before being named the tournament's most valuable player. She gave up six hits and finished with three strikeouts, including two in the first inning after surrendering the home run and one for the final out of the game. 'It's amazing, because I don't think we had to say much. When the ball went over the fence in the first inning, for some reason the team didn't panic,' coach Tetrault said. '(If) we got out of that inning and back on the sticks, we were confident we could get back into this game… next thing you know, we're up six, seven runs and cruising to victory.' École Saint-Joachim have only won a single MHSAA banner in their history, the 2000-01 girls' golf championship. 'For the small schools to not only compete but somewhat dominate and win is somewhat unbelievable,' Tetrault said. Cassidy Dankochik / THE CARILLON Chloe Carriere's opening bunt single in the bottom of the first inning set up École Saint-Joachim and Réal-Bérard for a eight-run inning, more than erasing a top half home run from Vincent Massey (Brandon) in the finals Saturday. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Their one near hiccup came in the first inning of their quarterfinal game early in the morning Saturday, as the team surrendered four runs in the top of the first to Prairie Mountain. Saint-Joachim responded with 10 runs of their own in their first three innings, eventually winning 10-8. That offensive outburst over the season was powered by a deep hitting lineup. Every player on the team was a threat at the plate, no matter what their spot in the batting order was, with all players reaching base at least once in the final. 'They showed up every day wanting to hit, believing in themselves and their buddies,' Tetrault said. 'Everybody that went up to the plate knew if they just tried and concentrated and just swung… they would be successful.' In other provincial high school championship action across the province, the Garden City Gophers took down Steinbach Regional 13-1 in the baseball finals, which were also hosted in Stonewall. — The Carillon Cassidy Dankochik / THE CARILLON Lincoln Carriere pitched a complete game for Garden City to give the school their fourth provincial baseball championship win in the last five years Saturday over the Steinbach Regional hitters.
Winnipeg Free Press
25-04-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Measles cases spur fears of outbreak
Efforts are being made to slow the spread of measles in a region with Manitoba's lowest vaccination rate, as cases of the highly contagious virus climb locally and across the country. 'We've been concerned about the potential for significant measles outbreaks for a long time,' said Dr. Davinder Singh, the province's public health lead on the subject of measles. 'If it just happens to get into an under-immunized group, they have a real significant exposure during a contagious time, it could increase quite rapidly.' The province announced Wednesday two new confirmed cases of measles in the Southern Health region at an elementary school in the Rural Municipality of Stanley. SUPPLIED Dr. Davinder Singh, Manitoba's public health lead on the subject of measles. SUPPLIED Dr. Davinder Singh, Manitoba's public health lead on the subject of measles. On Thursday, public health officials were setting up an immunization clinic at Southwood School between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to offer inoculations to the school population and community at large, Garden Valley School Division superintendent Dan Ward told the Free Press. The province said the sites of exposure were Southwood School on April 14 and 15 during school hours, and Bus 2683 before and after school, servicing Southwood School and Prairie Dale School in the nearby community of Schanzenfeld. The two measles cases stemmed from recent international travel to Mexico, a news release said. In a letter send to parents and staff, Ward wrote Southwood School is working closely with public health to ensure the health and safety of students, staff and families. Singh said a school exposure is of significant concern and public health will continue to connect with families with outdated immunization records. Since 2023, the province's five regional health authorities have been monitoring immunization rates and deploying public messaging within communities with lower vaccine uptake, Singh said. 'This is an entirely preventable type of outbreak. We have an extremely effective, extremely safe vaccine … it's within our control entirely to be able to prevent outbreaks of measles.'–Dr. Davinder Singh Measles vaccination rates in the Southern Health region continue to be the lowest in the province and currently make up the majority of confirmed cases and exposures provincewide. According to the province's 2023 annual report on immunization coverage in children, Southern Health had a measles vaccination rate of 63.8 per cent for children up to two years old receiving the first dose and 53.3 per cent for children receiving the second dose by age seven. Manitoba's first-dose rate was 79.9 per cent and 65.4 per cent for second doses. RM of Stanley reeve Ike Friesen was informed of the newest cases Wednesday evening by the school division's board of trustees. JURA MCILRAITH / THE CARILLON FILES Winkler mayor Henry Siemens. JURA MCILRAITH / THE CARILLON FILES Winkler mayor Henry Siemens. Friesen said he is not concerned about the recent cases and the RM is taking a hands-off approach to communicating the emerging virus numbers to the public. 'It's not our responsibility for any health issues like that, it's up to Southern Health,' he said. 'There is really nothing that we would be involved in.' Friesen said the RM would not be relaying information about the vaccine clinic to residents. Winkler mayor Henry Siemens made similar comments regarding the city's responsibility for public messaging regarding measles and denied there were any lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to be brought forward. 'There is absolutely no story or lesson to be learned here,' Siemens said. The mayor applauded the school division and Southern Health for its communication regarding the recent cases. Southern Health deferred comment regarding spreading awareness about measles and vaccination to Singh. He said the province is taking every available opportunity to discuss vaccinations with residents, but recognizes it is important to tread lightly. 'There is absolutely no story or lesson to be learned here.'–Winkler mayor Henry Siemens 'If you have someone who is hesitant or not wanting a specific recommended intervention, then pushing too hard often has the opposite effect to what you hope for … so trying to address those in a respectful way is just the approach that we try to take whenever we have those opportunities,' he said. As of Thursday, there have been 12 confirmed or probable cases of measles in Manitoba in 2025, including five confirmed cases of people living in the same household. The Public Health Agency of Canada said measles cases have been reported in six provinces — Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan. Ontario reported 95 new measles cases Thursday, bringing the total number of infections to 1,020 since October. Seventy-six people, including 57 children, have been hospitalized during the outbreak. All but four of those hospitalized were unvaccinated. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. In Alberta, 122 cases of measles have been reported since March. Measles is a highly infectious communicable disease and tends to be more severe in infants and young children. Symptoms of measles generally appear seven to 21 days after exposure and may include fever, runny nose, drowsiness, irritability and red eyes. Several days after initial symptoms, a red blotchy rash appears on the face and progresses down the body. Measles can lead to complications including ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia and encephalitis. Singh asked the public to check vaccine records and stay up to date on inoculations. 'This is an entirely preventable type of outbreak. We have an extremely effective, extremely safe vaccine … it's within our control entirely to be able to prevent outbreaks of measles,' he said. April 21 marked national immunization week. The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority urged residents to check their immunization records and get caught up if necessary. Nicole BuffieMultimedia producer Nicole Buffie is a multimedia producer who reports for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College's Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom in 2023. Read more about Nicole. Every piece of reporting Nicole produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
