News in brief: Mosquito carrying West Nile found in Winnipeg
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This article was published 28/06/2018 (2099 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Mosquito carrying West Nile found in Winnipeg
The provincial government is urging the public to take precautions after a mosquito carrying West Nile virus was found in Winnipeg.
The season’s first Culex tarsalis mosquito infected with the virus was collected from a trap in Winnipeg the week of June 17. There are no human cases of West Nile virus identified in the province at this time, officials say.
The potential for human exposure to infected Culex tarsalis mosquitoes is present throughout southern Manitoba, the province warns, and the risk of exposure to the virus is expected to continue in the coming weeks, especially if conditions are warm and dry.
The risk of mosquito bites and exposure to the virus can be reduced by reducing the amount of time spent outdoors during peak mosquito hours between dusk and dawn, using appropriate mosquito repellent, wearing light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing, and maintaining door and window screens so they fit tightly and are free of holes.
Mosquito habitats can also be reduced by removing standing water, cleaning eavestroughs, regularly emptying bird baths, and covering rain barrels.
More information about West Nile virus and the weekly average trap counts of Culex tarsalis mosquitoes is available at www.gov.mb.ca/health/wnv
Assiniboine Park on its last straw
Assiniboine Park Conservancy has announced it will no longer provide single-use plastic straws in its food and beverage operations.
As of July 1, the park and zoo will replace plastic straws with biodegradable paper straws, if required or requested.
Single-use plastic bags will also be eliminated from the park’s retailers.
“This is an amazing commitment and a fantastic opportunity to initiate cultural change within our organization and actively demonstrate how small efforts can have big impacts when we work together,”
Dustin Karsin, head of environment and sustainability at Assiniboine Park Conservancy, said in a statement.
According a recent report from the United Nations Environment Programme, much of the plastic produced is designed to be thrown away after being used once and only nine per cent of the nine billion tonnes of plastic the world has produced has been recycled.
Chaeban Ice Cream owners “Foodies of the Year”
Western Living magazine has named local ice cream duo Joseph Chaeban and Zainab Ali 2018 Foodies of the Year.
The pair were among 10 Canadian entrepreneurs awarded by the magazine for their contributions to their local food and beverage scene.
Chaeban and Ali opened Chaeban Ice Cream at the former location of the Banana Boat in South Osborne this past December. The shop specializes in high-quality, handcrafted ice creams and uses ingredients like orchid root, pistachios, fresh mint, ricotta cheese, rose water, and orange blossom.
The shop’s Abir Al Sham ice cream is one of the biggest sellers and a traditional Arabic recipe. Chaeban is a dairy scientist by trade and former head cheesemaker.
Chaeban and Ali were also supported by the South Osborne community which rallied around the couple to sponsor 13 of Ali’s family members who had fled the war in Syria to come to Winnipeg.
“The whole reason I opened this business here in Winnipeg is because I love Winnipeg, especially this community,” Chaeban told The Sou’wester in November 2017. “If it wasn’t this location or South Osborne, I wouldn’t have opened anything.”
Bert & Lee Friesen Foundation give $250K to Canada’s Diversity Gardens
The latest project by the Assiniboine Park Conservancy has received a significant boost from a local foundation.
The Bert & Lee Friesen Foundation has donated $250,000 to the Imagine a Place Campaign which supports the development of Canada’s Diversity Gardens.
The donation will be recognized inside the Tropical Biome within The Leaf garden, officials say.
“We are pleased to support the Diversity Gardens Project. In viewing the plans we were particularly drawn to the bridge inside the Tropical Biome which we see as a symbol that provides a safe connection between peoples, a connection amidst plants and humans all within a protected lit space during the changing seasons,” said Bert & Lee Friesen in a statement.
“For us the bridge invites one to cross from one side to the other on our journey to explore the four cornerstone attractions.”
Scheduled to open in late 2020 and located in the southeast corner of Assiniboine Park, Canada’s Diversity Gardens will be a celebration of the world’s cultural and biodiversity, officials say. It has four cornerstone attractions: The Leaf, The Indigenous Peoples’ Gardens, The Cultural Mosaic Gardens and The Grove.
“We’re extremely grateful to the Bert & Lee Friesen Foundation for their support of this incredible project,” Margaret Redmond, Assiniboine Park Conservancy president and CEO, said in a statement. “It’s thanks to leaders like this in our community and others that we’ve been able to transform this wonderful park to where we are today and I’m so excited for what’s next as we continue the development of Canada’s Diversity Gardens.”
According to APC, the federal government has contributed $35 million to the project, the province $15 million and the City of Winnipeg, $10 million. Private sector donations publicly announced to date total over $10 million.
$1 million dollar scholarship program benefits U of M students
The University of Manitoba’s Front and Centre Campaign has received $1 million in support of students’ studies.
The Gerald Schwartz & Heather Reisman Foundation recently announced the Schwartz/Reisman Scholars Program.
The million-dollar investment will award scholarships valued between $10,000 and $30,000 to undergrad and graduate students each academic year until 2020, officials with the U of M say.
“Supporting our community’s future leaders is an investment,” Gerald Schwartz said in a statement. “By giving the university’s most promising students strong foundations to build on we are helping them reach their full potential, and go on to make a difference in Manitoba and beyond.”
The Schwartz/Reisman Scholars Program recognizes community involvement, leadership, and academic excellence among undergraduate and graduate students studying in the I.H. Asper School of Business and the Faculty of Law at the U of M, according to a release.
Twenty-seven students have already received scholarships in the first two years of the program.