Holidays in Winnipeg

2013

The Manitoba Home Builders' Association is celebrating 75 years.

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C M Y K Alleluia, Rejoice! LetoursongsofjoybeourgifttoyouthisChristmas. JOINWON FOR A TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CONCERT 3:00PM Sunday,December1 WestminsterUnitedChurch 745WestminsterAvenue Tickets:$15.00 FridayNovember29 Wine&CheeseEvening,7to9pm Tickets$30,ormembersfree SaturdayNovember30 &SundayDecember1st CRAFTSALEfrom12to5pm SaturdayNovember30 between12and5pm,familyactivities, Père&MèreNöelandphotos SaturdayNovember30 Christmascarolingbetween6and8pm, fireoutsidetowarmupwithhotchocolate &applecider Sunday,December1st between12and5pm,familyactivities, Père&MèreNöelandphotos, andaconcertbyLesPetitsIntrépides 204-237-4500 info@msbm.mb.ca•www.msbm.mb.ca Admissionisbydonation,withhalf oftheproceedsgoingtothelocal ChristmasFoodHampers. CelebratethejoyoftheseasonwiththeWinnipeg CelebratethejoyoftheseasonwiththeWinnipeg PhilharmonicChoir'sChristmaswiththePhil:Trumpets ChristmaswiththePhil:Trumpets Sound, Angels Sing! on Sunday, December 15 at on Sunday, December 15 at WestminsterUnitedChurch. Western Canada's longest-established choir, the Western Canada's longest-established choir, the PhilisachoraltrademarkfortheCityofWinnipeg,and has also captivated audiences inVancouver,Toronto andNewYork'sstoriedCarnegieHall.Renownedfor legendaryperformanceswiththeWinnipegSymphony Orchestra (most recently last spring's sold-out 90th AnniversarygalaperformanceofElijahatStBoniface Cathedral and Beethoven's 9th Symphony at the ConcertHall),thePhil'sannualholidaypresentation has become a hallmark of the Christmas concert season. JoiningthePhilthisyearistheWinnipegBrass QuintetandLindenChristianSchoolSeniorChorus. Angelicvoices.Brilliantbrass.Christmasmusic andsing-alongs.Whocouldaskforanything more?Thisseason,thePhilhasaddedasecond concerttoensureyouwon'tmissanoteofitsannual holidaycelebration. holidaycelebration. Lastyear,thePhilsoldoutitsregular3pmconcert andturnedhundredsawayatthedoor.Toaccommodate demandforwhathasbecomeaveryhotticket,a7pm concert has been added, ensuring that all lovers of beautifulChristmasmusicwillbeabletosharethejoy. ChristmaswiththePhil:TrumpetsSound,Angels Sing! will be presented on Sunday, December 15 at 3pm and 7pm, at Westminster United Church, 745 WestminsteratMaryland.TicketsavailableatM c Nally RobinsonBooksellersorbycalling204-896-PHIL(7445) orvisitingwww.thePhil.ca. CHRISTMAS WITH THEPHIL: TRUMPETSSOUND OUND, ANGELSSING! By Aileen DeWyngaert For the Free Press I t's been a tradition in Manitoba for more than a century and on Saturday, November 16, the big guy returns to the Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade. "We're very excited about the parade this year," said Ron Mark, executive director of the Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade. "This is the 104th parade and every year we try to do a bit more to make sure we have things that are more enjoyable to the public." Depending on the weather, Mark anticipates between 40,000 and 50,000 spectators at this year's event. And he promises they won't be disappointed. There will be close to 100 entries and approximately 2,000-3,000 float riders and walkers. Among them will be a new face: Alvin the Elf, the good-natured and mischievous new mascot. "You never know where he'll pop up," said Mark. "But Mrs. Claus will be in charge of keeping track of him. And Canada Post will be on hand to accept letters to Santa." Wherever Alvin does pop up, Mark assures there will be plenty of great viewing areas along the parade route from Young Street to The Forks. In addition to more than 15 blocks of curb-side viewing, there will be bleachers in front of the University of Winnipeg and about 40 prime indoor viewing spots available primarily for people with mobility issues on the mezzanine of the MTS Centre overlooking the parade route. The MTS Centre mezzanine will be offered on a first come, first served basis. Mark and the 14-member volunteer board worked hard to provide access to people with mobility issues. Anyone who requires special needs seating is encouraged to complete an application form on the Santa Claus Parade website (winnipegsantaparade.com) and arrive between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to meet a volunteer who will direct them to their spot. "We're also proud of a new safety initiative this year called No Feet on the Street," added Mark. "We have about 30 new volunteers who will be wearing safety vests and encouraging people to safely view the parade from the curb. We also have volunteers at all of the intersections helping people with special needs find barrier-free viewing zones." The parade starts at 5 p.m., but it's best to arrive early and take in one of the Host-a-Block parties. Sixteen organizations are hosting mini block parties along the parade route starting at 4 p.m. where participants can enjoy music, mascots and activities like street hockey to keep occupied until the parade starts. Each host will also have a tent where they will accept non-perishable food items, new unwrapped toys and monetary donations for the Christmas Cheer Board. "We really pride ourselves on giving back to the community," said Mark. "This is a really great event for Winnipeg and Manitoba – it's open to everybody and there's no cost." In addition to supporting the Christmas Cheer Board, JCI hosts a Santa's Workshop party for about 250 downtown youth who come and have their picture taken with Santa. If you can't make it out in person, you can watch it live on Shaw, who will also re-broadcast the event at least six times before Christmas. Or you can watch a live video stream on Global Winnipeg TV's website. The Santa Claus Parade also has a Facebook page and Twitter account – their social media platforms will be in full effect during the parade. "We want to pack as much into the event as possible," said Mark. "Winnipeggers are a fantastic bunch of people and winter is part of our reality. I want to encourage people to dress warmly, enjoy the Host-a-Block parties and help us kick of the winter festival season in Manitoba!" parade Set to kick holiday Spirit into high gear By Nancy Boomer For the Free Press A s the designated charity for this year's Santa Claus Parade, the Christmas Cheer Board will have a strong presence at the event, giving parade- goers many opportunities to show their support for the annual drive. Cheer Board volunteers will be collecting cash donations, non-perishable food items and new, unwrapped toys along the parade route to help out this year's Cheer Board drive. Cheer Board executive director Kai Madsen marvels at the way Winnipeg rises to the occasion every year in support of their disadvantaged fellow citizens. "People attending the parade have always been very generous toward us, so we hope they have a good time and, once again, show their support. After all, the Christmas Cheer Board belongs to all of us." The Christmas Cheer Board was born in 1919 as a caring response from a community determined to help fellow Winnipeggers in need at holiday time. Today's Cheer Board makes Christmas merrier for families in financial need by providing food for a traditional holiday dinner and gift-wrapped presents so that everyone can enjoy the season and experience the spirit of giving. In 2012, the Cheer Board prepared and provided holiday hampers for about 18,000 families and toys for 20,000 kids. Volunteers have already begun to arrive at Cheer Board headquarters, located at 550-1395 Ellice Ave. at Milt Stegall Drive, though more will certainly be needed to pack and deliver hampers. Madsen says about 4,000 volunteers of all ages make it all happen, from the groups of school children who volunteer to pack hampers to the more than 2,000 volunteer drivers who deliver them. Hampers are sponsored by individuals, community groups, families and local businesses. To donate or volunteer, call the Christmas Cheer Board office in Winnipeg at 204-948-2022. Kai madsen, executive director of the Christmas Cheer board. Winnipeg Free Press Archives S u p p l e m e n t t o t h e W i n n i p e g F r e e p r e S S • n o v e m b e r 9 , 2 0 1 3 G 11 cheer Board inviteS 'peggerS to love and Share By Aileen DeWyngaert For the Free Press Y ou may know him best as one half of "The Tims", the now famous father-son duo from Winnipeg who won the inaugural edition of The Amazing Race Canada. But on Saturday, November 16, Tim Hague Sr. will don a different hat as Grand Marshal of the 104th annual Santa Claus Parade in Winnipeg. The Hagues have a long history of attending the parade, which makes this honour all the more special for Tim Sr. "Tim Jr. was born in 1990," he said. "We bundled him up and went to his first Santa Claus Parade that year. We were freezing our butts off, but it was a great time and we enjoyed going to the parade for many years." Although he's flattered by all the attention he's received since appearing on the show, he says it can still take him by surprise at times. During taping, they didn't get a true sense of the amount of pride Winnipeggers took in their hometown team at first, but it finally sunk in on his way to work one morning. "I take the bus to work every other day and a few days after our win was revealed I stepped on the bus and the entire bus erupted in applause. I just wanted to melt into the floorboards – I was embarrassed, overwhelmed and immensely proud all at the same time. It was wild," he said. But it's this new-found fame that's creating a major opportunity for Hague, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's three years ago, to raise awareness of the issue and partner with various organizations to develop programs for people living with the disease. Viewers who tuned into The Amazing Race Canada each week saw how Hague fearlessly faced all of the challenges. The most nerve-wracking had to be walking off a plank in British Columbia in spite of the physical symptoms of Parkinson's, which is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that can cause shaking, rigidity and slowness of movement. Since returning home, he's had countless speaking engagements, co-ordinated the Party for Parkinson's, a cruise on the River Rouge this past summer, and plans to create more awareness events. And most recently, he spearheaded a new Parkinson's Wellness Program at the Reh-Fit Centre on Taylor. "There's a need for more resources available for people with Parkinson's," he said. "Everyone knows about the cardiac program at the Reh- Fit Centre. We went to them and said 'we want something like that for Parkinson's.'" Still in its infancy, Hague is working on developing a more robust program that he plans to launch in the New Year. All this while still holding down his job as a nurse and juggling his role as activist with public speaking engagements and spending time with his family. He plans to visit Tim Jr. in his new home in New Brunswick in December. More information about Hague's Parkinson's Wellness Program is available by calling the Parkinson's Association of Manitoba or the Reh- Fit Centre. parade marshal tim Hague Sr. won the inaugural edition of The Amazing Race Canada with his son, tim Jr. Submitted photo. From AmAzing RAce to Face oF the parade

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