Teachers’ Society president won’t seek re-election

WINNIPEG — The president of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society won’t seek re-election following a first term marked by infighting and low morale across the union’s operational ranks.

Shortly after the final bell rang for winter break, Nathan Martindale took to social media to announce he will carry out his two-year appointment that ends in the spring and step away from labour relations after that.

“After many conversations with my family and deep reflection on their needs, I have made the decision to not run for a second term as MTS president,” he wrote in a post uploaded to Facebook Friday.

Martindale, a special education resource teacher in Winnipeg, has spent the last 12 years in full-time union roles.

Advent: A season of reflection, anticipation, generosity

As snow blanketed Brandon this December, churches across the city embraced Advent, a season of “spiritual preparation” marked by prayer, reflection, and acts of kindness.

At St. Matthew’s Anglican Church located at 403 13th St., the Advent season took on special significance, with clergy and parishioners coming together to observe four Sundays of Advent in meaningful ways.

Alexis Frei, a lay reader at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, told the Sun advent is a time of spiritual preparation, dual anticipation: celebrating the Nativity of Christ and preparing for His second coming.

“Advent consists of four Sundays and serves a dual purpose. It prepares us to celebrate Christmas, one of the great feasts of the church, and to reflect on the return of our Lord Jesus Christ to fully inaugurate His kingdom on earth,” Frei said.

Fond old memories of timeless Christmas fare

Christmas has always been a time for traditions, flavours, and creating memorable experiences — a season to gather around tables filled with food that tells the story of who we are and where we come from.

For someone like me, a retired chef and restaurateur with decades of international culinary adventures, including providing authentic, nationality-specific catering for over forty embassies in Hanoi, the holiday season evokes a delightful mix of nostalgia, hunger, thirst and humour.

And what better way to celebrate than through dishes that reflect Canada’s rich ethnic diversity?

From my reasonably extensive travel experiences, it’s clear that every corner of the globe deeply appreciates the humble yet delightful meat pie. In my previous role in curating menus for over forty embassies in the capital city of Hanoi, Vietnam, it was crucial to ensure that the savoury pastries were authentically prepared in accordance with the culinary traditions of each specific country. Highlighting these pastries prominently on the menu was essential to provide an authentic cultural experience for the guests.

RIVERS — Three wise kings walked the aisle, joined the shepherds and the angels, and then opened presents from Santa.

The Harrow Christmas concert has breathed another year. In a tradition that dates back before the ’60s, the small community near the historic Harrow schoolhouse once again gathered for a Christmas evening. Kids dressed as characters from the story of Jesus’s birth acted out a pageant, sang songs, opened presents, and continued the ritual that started before their grandparents were alive.

“My parents kept it going for me,” said local resident Mayvis MacLellan. “So I kept it going for my kids, and now we’re into grandchildren coming. It’s been going on so long, that it’s just kind-of passed through the generations.”

The local grandmother told the Sun she attended for every stage of her life. She was in Grade 4 when the schoolhouse closed, she brought her kids when she became a mother, and now she leads storytime for the event as a grandmother.

Assiniboine Cougars give the gift of inspiration

The Assiniboine Cougars women’s hockey team has been spreading cheer this season by sharing the love of hockey with the hopes of inspiring young players in the process.

For a team that frequently travels to the U.S. for road games, spending hours on the bus becomes second nature.

As such frequent road trips to rural rinks in our region is easy, especially considering the reward.

On top of being one of the top college hockey programs in American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division 2 for the last six years, the Cougars are gearing up for another run at a national title, but the team is focused on more than just wins.

Christmas an opportunity to lead with love

This Christmas season brings with it chaos and turbulence, mixed in with uncertainty and often, fear. Ours is a world filled with wars and politics seemingly out of control. The weather patterns we have always counted on are changing and nothing is quite the way we remember.

However, this sense of turmoil is not new for us or for our ancestors who witnessed this part of the world welcoming new people from afar, or for those whose ancestors were the ones who came here for a new life with expectations of a better future for their children.

Throughout the ages, generation after generation has lived through its own times of upheaval and confusion, and yet each generation has been able to settle in and make peace amid chaos. Families gathered and created new traditions and memories. Communities grew in new and original ways, growing with them opportunities for many and possibilities for all.

Time after time after time, we have been faced with the big questions like: “I wonder if,” and “how better could this work?”

Teddy Bear Toss a way to spread the joy

The teddy-bear toss simply never gets old for the Brandon Wheat Kings and the franchise’s longest-serving employee.

Chris (Falko) Falkevitch is the team’s director of game day operations and community relations, and has been with the club for more than a decade.

On Nov. 7, they held the 28th edition of the much loved event, which was first held in 1996 and nearly three decades later is still making an impact in the community.

“Teddy-bear toss is one of the funnest nights of the year,” Falkevitch said. “If you can’t get excited for teddy-bear toss, then you should not be working in hockey. It is absolutely a blast.