Garden Work Bee - Tending 2026

Community Garden Work Bee - Tending 2026
Saturday, May 23 2026

Membership:

Please reach out to us should you want to get involved on our Board or as part of our individual Committees! 

Come join us in doing some great community building! 

We have several open positions on the WRA board available this season 

• Co Chair
• Vice Chair
• Various Committee spots
  
  

Succession planning for next season ongoing too!

Please reach out if you are interested in getting involved with the WRA at the Board or at a Committee level.

WRA Chair's Message:

Warm greetings to the Wolseley Community,

WRA May Greeting

Greetings to the Wolseley Community,

I am ever so excited about the prospect presented today as the warm weather & bright sunshine gave hope for the upcoming spring and summer. It has indeed been a long winter, & the cold nights have slowed the greening of our earth, putting a slight ritardando on the promise spring will unfold in all its glory.

But we are now on our way, & our lovely community is full of outdoor activity once again. May this spring & summer be full of good adventure, a slowing of the pace & rejuvenation after the long winter:

The WRA is gearing up for its big Annual General Meeting taking place on Monday, June 8th at McClure Place.

Not only will we have our brief AGM meeting & elections, we will welcome back Erna Buffie to give a reading & book signing on her freshly released book, Out On A Limb.

Following this, Wolseley’s Jocelyn Thorpe will present Winnipeg, Wastewater & Environmental Racism, a fascinating look at the history & politics of Winnipeg’s sewage system. It’s a smelly topic, but timely & important for the health of our city, its waterways & the entire watershed of Manitoba.

Erna Buffie's newest book!

The WRA committees continue to work for the good of Wolseley.

Expect to see more action to Save Our Elms as the WRA Tree Committeehas secured funding for phase 2 of the important inoculations to prevent the mature trees from contracting Dutch Elm Disease. More will follow as the campaign unfolds & expands. 

The community gardens & orchard are starting to come to life & will be glorious as the bounty grows, ripens & becomes a delicious & sustainable summer treat for many in our neighbourhood.

WRA Chair Ross Brownlee at our community's latest Spring Clean.

The first draft of the new bridge design for Omand’s Creek Park has been drawn & presented, & is open for community engagement & feedback. We at the WRA recommend folks look at the proposed development & offer constructive feedback through the online survey.

The Wolseley Greenway is cleaned & ready for cycling, blading, boarding, running & walking. The City is also taking counts of the roadway use & analyzing the data to determine any further design features. The WRA board will take a well deserved summer break, but much action will continue throughout the summer, & new programming & activity will commence in September.

For myself, I feel a little bittersweet as this will be my final term as the Chair of the WRA. It has been nothing short of amazing to hold this role and learn so much about Wolseley, it’s amazing community of residents, & its relationship to the City of Winnipeg & the Province of Manitoba. I have met so many great neighbours & had the pleasure of working with our local politicians at all levels. I have been impressed at each step with the care & dedication all these folks have for our community.

Finally, I have loved the energy, enthusiasm & tireless work of all the board & committee members of the Wolseley Residents Association. These are fine people from all backgrounds who want the best for our community. -Thank you all!

With that, I hope to see folks at the AGM, & wish everyone a wonderful spring & summer. -I think we’ve finally made it!

Ross Brownlee,

Chair of the Wolseley Residents Association

Monday, June 8th, 2026

Join us at  McCLure Place - 533 Greenwood Place Monday, June 8th 7 PM for our WRA Annual General Meeting - featuring Prof Dr. Jocelyn Thorpe & writer, film maker & environmentalist "Tree Lady" Erna Buffie.

Jocelyn Thorpe - Speaking about Water Racism

Dr. Jocelyn Thorpe is a professor in the Departments of History & Women’s & Gender Studies at the University of Manitoba. Thorpe also directs the Centre for Creative Writing & Oral Culture.

As part of the University’s Just Waters project, she's learning morethan she expected about sewage. She looks forward discussing how we can stop sewage from enteringwaterways in our city & in our community!

Erna Buffie - Out On a Limb: Saving the Urban Canopy

Erna comes to share her newest book.

"It is said that trees are the only form of city infrastructure that increase in value & capacity over time. So why do we continue to cut down trees & banish nature from our cities? In Out On a Limb: Saving the Urban Canopy, author Erna Buffie explores the secret lives & extraordinary benefits of trees in cities, the critical role urban forests can play in increasing climate resiliency, & how grassroots organizations can empower city leaders to invest in the urban forests & greenspaces
we love - & need. Erna Buffie is a writer, environmental activist, and documentary filmmaker, who worked with CBC's
The Nature of Things for more than 20 years.

Copies of Buffie's books will be available for purchase & signing.

Aubrey Bus Loop Discussion

From Councillor Gilroy:
"The City has decided against a community consultation regarding future use of the Aubrey Bus Loop property at this time. 

What Happens Next:
An internal City Review.

City of Winnipeg Transit has said they no longer have use for the Aubrey loop.

The Property & Planning Department is expected to recommend the property be declared surplus at the Wednesday, September 9, 2026, Property & Planning Committee Meeting.

According to Councillor Gilroy:"The Parks Department has indicated they would like to keep this land in the hands of the city, but the committee is also seriously considering selling the land.  

The September 9, 2026, Property & Planning Committee meeting will be the opportunity for Wolseley residents to come forward through in-person delegations & speak directly tothe committee before decisions aremade."

***Councillor Gilroy has committed to keeping community informed***

Parks & Trees Committee Funding Updates:

These past few months both our Trees Committee & Parks & Greenspace Committee have successfully garnered funds essential in maintain our community's Urban Wolseley Forest.

Over the last couple of years we have helped procure grant funding for tree planting in our neighbourhood school yards.

École Laura Secord School, Wolseley School, & now Mulvey Elementary School will be the recipient of new trees! 

Mulvey School

Planting for this third grant will start this year!

Bike to School & Work Day 2026 

Tuesday, June 9th - Morning 6:30 - 9 AM

Join us at the Wolseley Bike To School & Work Pitstop as we band together with Systems Management & École Laura Secord School as we help you refuel on your way to work!

Where: Laura Secord School 960 Wolseley Avenue
When:Tuesday, June 9th, 2026
Time: 6:30 - 9 AM
What: Bike to Work Day Wolseley Pit Stop featuring breakfast drinks & treats!!

Tree Inoculation Demonstration 2026 & Pollinator Event

Wednesday, June 24, 2026 at 04:00 PM

WRA Honoured by our Legislature:  MLA Lisa Naylor

December 1, 2025

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA

Hon. Lisa Naylor (Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure): "I rise today to celebrate the Wolseley Residents Association, an active and dedicated part of our community for 45 years.

Founded in 1980, the association began when neighbours came together with a shared vision of making Wolseley a vibrant & welcoming place for families, & that spirit of creative co-operation continues to guide their work today.

Preserving Wolseley's beloved elm trees has been a priority from the very beginning, & today, the WRA Tree Committee is also focused on bolstering biodiversity. Their recent projects include enhancing green space at Wolseley School & planting an urban food forest in Halter Park near Omand's Creek.

​

The Wolseley Residents Association is also responsible for the Vimy Victory Garden in Vimy Ridge Memorial Park. Now in its fourth season, the garden features 22 raised allotment beds, community beds, a pollinator garden & fruit trees. It has become a gathering place where neighbours grow food, share knowledge & strengthen community ties.

Beyond these initiatives, the WRA hosts town halls on transportation or local politics & workshops on topics such as composting or radon awareness.

They also organize beloved neighbourhood events from Bike Parades & Winter carnivals to this year's post-Halloween Pumpkin Patch Parade.

These projects reflect the values that have guided the Wolseley Residents Association for decades: protecting green space, fostering sustainability & creating meaningful opportunities for connection. Their ongoing work is a powerful reminder of what neighbours can achieve when we work together.

I'm pleased to welcome board members Ross Brownlee, Julie Penner & Aleksandra Osipova, who are in the gallery today.

Please join me in celebrating the Wolseley Residents Association for 45 years of leadership, vision & service to our community.

Thank you, Honourable Speaker."

Membership:

Please reach out to us should you want to get involved on our Board or as part of our individual Committees! 

Come join us in doing some great community building! 

We have several open positions on the WRA board available this season 

• Vice Chair
• Secretary
• Various Committee spots

Succession planning for next season ongoing too!

Please reach out if you are interested in getting involved with the WRA at the Board or at a Committee level.

Community Health & Safety Meeting Winter 2026

Monday, January 12, 6:30 PM

Cornish Library - 20 West Gate -

Who, what where, when, why of 211 Manitoba: Get to know your 211

Join our WRA Health & Safety Committee in tandem with our neighbours at West Broadway Community Organization - Monday, January 2026, 6:30 PM at Cornish Library, 20 West Gate.

We'll be meeting with 211's representative to explore all of the benefits & features of this groundbreaking community outreach & connection tool. 

This is our communities' collective opportunity to get informed, ask questions & provide feedback on this community service initiated by the United Way Centraid Canada.

Come learn about all this essential community service connecting people & resources available 24/7 in +150 languages through phone, web, text & chat format.

See you there neighbours - Monday, January 19, 2026!    

Photo attribution: Colin Corneau

WRA Chair's Message:

Warm greetings to the Wolseley Community,

WRA December Greeting

Warm greetings from your Wolseley Residents Association. As I sit in the warm sun on a cold & sunny December day, it is awesome to think of the many customs, traditions & gatherings that will be taking place around our wonderful Wolseley community this month! It is such a rich & vibrant community with so many cultural, religious & family stories. I find it awesome to think that we can celebrate & share our many and varied & diverse backgrounds in this supportive and welcoming community!

At our house, we have just decorated a tree; it is one of our traditions, & one that elicits memories of the past & allows a platform for new ones! Special music & food brings smiles to faces around our table. We get to spend time with family & friends - something that doesn't always happen in the bustle of our work lives.

The Wolseley Residents Association is slowing for this month to allow much needed time for winter festivities. But it’s been a busy fall, & will be an exciting New Year!

We have a wonderful group of community folks from all walks of life that are keen, enthusiastic & talented at making our neighbourhood a wonderful place to live, work & play! I send a personal thanks to each committee & board member for their creative, patient & careful work. -I also extend a warm invitation to anyone in Wolseley who might like to share their skills & passion for our neighbourhood. We are happy to welcome new members to both our committees & board!

Now, a quick look at this past summer & fall in the community:

The Trees Committee implemented phase 1 of the impressive Dutch Elm Disease inoculation program, & was able to inoculate 56 of the mature Elm trees in the neighborhood. Phase 2 will take place this summer - more information, ways to donate or help your street work to save it’s trees will be upcoming.

Wolseleyites battling it out at our very first Winter Carnival Trivia

continued...

Our Gardens and Greenspace team has made terrific progress in planting new trees in parks, boulevards & in our community parks. A particular highlight is the gorgeous new food forest planted at Halter Park at Omands Creek, on the south west side. -What a gift to our current and future generations! The community gardens had another wonderful growing season at Vimy Park, & the community orchard continued to mature and grow.

The Transportation Committeecontinues to work with the City of Winnipeg to find the best and safest ways for all types of transportation through our neighborhood. Many projects are under study or are being tweaked based on collected data.

There is a newly reformed Community Health and Wellbeing committee that will be working to enhance elements of the community, & our Housing Committee is actively working with the City and residents with all aspects of our diverse existing and future housing.

At the executive level, we are pleased to have hosted the first annual Pumpkin Patch Parade in which families brought their carved pumpkins to RA Steen for a stunning parade of artfully carved orange squash! It was great fun, & even offered organic composting by Hinterland Cooperative for the pumpkins following the parade!

We were also thrilled to host a Town Hall with our elected City Councillor, Cindy Gilroy, and our National MP, Leah Gazan. A large group of neighbours gathered to hear news from our officials, & had a wonderful chance to ask questions, share concerns & encourage further work. Huge thanks to everyone for such a wonderful evening!

In the new year, we have a full slate of activities! Please take note of events, & look for full details on whatever catches your interest. We will spread the word through all available means:)

Here are your upcoming events:

• January 19 at 7pm -Environment & Climate Change Town Hall with MLAs Cindy Gilroy and Mike Moyes. An event to examine the recently released Path to Net Zero document for the Province. Location to be confirmed
• February 6 at 7pm - Second Annual Trivia Event at RA Steen
• March - Housing Retrofit Workshop
• April - History of Wolseley Institutions (Part 1) featuring schools, Businesses and Institutions
• April - Annual Wolseley Spring Clean Up
• April or May - Water and Sewage in Wolseley with Jocelyn Thorpe
• June 8 - Wolseley Residents Association AGM with guest lecturer (TBA)

We are so honoured to work with & for our wonderful community! We wish everyone a wonderful December, whatever your background, tradition or belief. May you find a few special moments in our darkest month, & find a moment to share them with neighbours, families & friends. We also hope to see you at some of the exciting, community oriented events upcoming in the New Year.

Warmest greetings!

Ross Brownlee & the many folks of the Wolseley Residents Association

Learn about Manitoba's Path to Net Zero: MLA Lisa Naylor & MLA Mike Moyes 

Save the date: Monday, January 19, 2026

Link to the PDF of Manitoba's Path to Net Zero released October 2025 can be found at the end of this article

continued...

There will be a Q & A at our community engagement event, - a chance for you to ask & clarify your understanding.

For more information, & an opportunity to deep dive into this initiative, please also visit the fill length PDF document below:

Manitoba Path to Net Zero

Save the date, Friday February 6, 2026

Wolseley Residents Association & R.A. Steen C.C. invite you to celebrate the launch of Wolseley Winter Carnival 2026 with us!

Join us at RA Steen Community Centre Friday, February 6th 8 PMfor Annual Winter Carnival -gathering our neighbours & our minds together!

Gather your tables, create your group names & get prepare to claim the title of top Wolseley Trivia team!

RA Steen canteen will be open with tasty treats & the best of bevies.  

We shall of course feature our fabulous silent auction full of the flavours of our neighbourhood.

Please consider donating to the silent auction supporting our beloved Robert A Steen Community Centre & WRA's extended community programming.

Wolseley Health & Safety Image Competition:

Know a sinkhole the size of a hot tub? Caught up by that same piece of cleaving sidewalk? Keep bracing yourself at that same crumbling curb?

-We want your community safety pet peeves!

Please forward your images of health & safety concerns in our neighhbhood you'd like us to send to 311!

Some examples include but don't define

• Sink holes
• Potholes
• Cleaving sidewalk
• Crumbling curbs - accessibility issues
• Burnt out lightstandards
• Missing street signage
• Missing community garbage cans
• Mangled bike stands

We want them all!

All entries will be eligible for an entry to win a community prize.

All entries must be submitted by Thursday, February 5, 2026.

Entries to Facebook here!

Draw to be held at the WRA Trivia Night Friday, February 6, 2026

WRA Tree Committee: Tree Inoculation Update

As many of you are well aware, this spring our WRA Tree Committee launched “SAVE OUR ELMS” — a project 
preserving elms on our two main streets - Wolseley & Westminster
Avenues.

PHASE 1 is complete! - Our neighbourhood campaign in June & July raised just over $27,000, including a $5000 grant from Assiniboine Credit Union & generous support from Green Drop.

These funds allowed us to inoculate 57of the 165 elm trees on Wolseley & Westminster Avenues! 

Arborists, the City of Winnipeg Forestry Branch, & WRA Tree Committee members chose a tree sections which would help ensure success for a“partial inoculation”. -This type of root inoculation protects a tree for three years.

​PHASE 2 - Planned for Fall 2025. We're launch our neighbourhood business campaign & seeking more grant funding.

Our goal is to inoculate the remaining healthy elms on Wolseley & Westminster Avenues.

Residents who wish to inoculate trees on their own property, AND additionalWolseley neighbourhood streetswanting innoculation as a group, MUST collect funds themselves & may contact Green Drop later summer 2026 for the same discount as our WRA Tree project.

More information will be available as the time approaches.

Please connect with the WRA Trees Committee if you want to lead as your own Street/ Block Tree Captain. 

​The strategy's focus is a 10 year period from 2025 to 2035, with inoculations occurring every threeyears.

Community support started our project, & we aim to secure long-range funding to support the project.

AND - THANK YOU!!

HUGE Thank-you to ALL our generousWolseley residents who supported our community's initial fundraising campaign.

While we can acknowledge individual GoFundMe donations via that platform, our website is the only way we can reach those donors who e-transferred funds or who wrote a cheque.

Any & ALL donation sizes are greatly appreciated! Every donation dollar counts to preserve our Wolseley Urban Forest Canopy.

So, to all of you THANK-YOU SO MUCH!  

Want to ADOPT A TREE?: Several donors gave enough to cover the fullcost of inoculating one tree. Check our website for this list of supporters. 

VOLUNTEER ORCHARD PLANTERS NEEDED
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3rd, 3 - 6:30 PM

- Pizza Dinner to Follow -

Let's grow a Food Forest at Omands Creek!

Our WRA Garden Committeereceived a grant from Trees for Life to plant a native food forest at Halter Park at Omand's Creek!

We're so excited to begin the planting, & we need your help to make this happen!

An arbour company's planting the majority of trees (90 trees & shrubs). Our grant still requires community engagement from at least 20Wolseleyite community volunteers, -ideally at the initial planting stage of our orchard.  

We've secured all of the approvals required from our granters & the city, we still need commitment from additional community volunteerslike you to get this project to fruition, -or it won't happen!

Come help our Omand's Orchard blossom! -Be an inaugural Omand's Orchard planter Friday, October 3rd from 3 -6:30 PM!

Planting starts 3 PM & ends 6:30 PM, or sooner if completed earlier. 

We're planting 15 haskap & 15 saskatoon bushes. We'll mulch, stalk & fence these bushes.

Our celebratory pizza dinner arrives during the planting!

Halter Park, between Raglan Avenue & Omand's Creek proper -close to the Portage Avenue Mennonite Church, is our orchard site. 

It'll be a big job, so it would be great to recruit a minimum of 10 capable volunteers to help!

This is our community's opportunity to add immense biodiversity to this Wolseley area; increase the health of the riparian zone; add a source of organic food for both animal & human visitors  -while overall continuing to add beauty to this often overlooked section of Omand's Creek.

See you there neighbours - Friday, October 3rd, 2025!    

WRA Chair's Message:

Warm greetings to the Wolseley Community,

As I write this, a beam of sunlight is streaming through the room & highlighting the lush green trees, crisp fall-like air & the chirping of birds. It is the first weekend of the new school year, & many families are making the shift from the relaxation & slower pace of summer to the excitement & energy of the school season. -I wish everyone in all capacities a wonderful transition from summer to fall.

The folks at the WRA are also gearing up for a new season, & we wanted to highlight some of the past summer's activities, & offer a preview of upcoming events.

I personally thank the wonderful WRA Board of Directors & our amazing Committees making up the working part of our Residents' Association. -Together, we all work to represent & support our community, helping to make it a wonderful place to live, work & play.

The WRA Trees Committee ran a very ambitious & successful campaign to “SAVE THE ELMS” of Wolseley.  A huge thank you to the community for donating nearly $25,000 to start the process of inoculating our majestic Elms of Wolseley & Westminster Avenues.

It's fabulous to see these iconic trees receiving treatment over the last few weeks rather than being cut down due to Dutch Elm Disease. -It indicates a shift from despair, to hope for their future. It also hearkens back to the very first iteration of the WRA which was started to save the famous “Wolseley Elm”!

Please stay posted, as this is just the start of the WRA work to save our mature trees & help plant new, thriving & diverse replacements!

Our WRA Gardens Committee is in the midst of harvest time for the community gardens in Vimy Ridge Park. Not only do the gardens allow our residents the chance to grow their own food, but also create a wonderful sense of community & companionship.

The committee has also been working hard at securing funding for new plantings, including a community orchard - Omand's Food Forest -at Halter Park, the north side of Omand's Creek.

Their fruit orchard in Vimy Ridge Parkis becoming more established, & is looking great. Please feel free to visit these sights on your walks, runs & outdoor activities.

This year, we have several eventsplanned, including our Second Annual Trivia Night! Mark your calendars for this exciting & entertaining event during the February Winter Carnival at RA Steen.

We're also excited to host several workshops including:

• Transportation in Wolseley
• Townhall with Elected Officials
• Wolseley Home Retrofit & Energy Efficiency
• Wolseley History Lecture
• Spring Clean-Up.

Details will follow in subsequent newsletters, posters & online. We look forward to seeing you at the events!

In the meantime, all of us at the WRA wish the community a wonderful fall season, & invite you to be in touch with any questions or community ideas.

Sincerely,

Ross Brownlee

Chair of the Wolseley Residents' Association

Lawn signs, funded by our City Councillor Cindy Gilroy, Wolseley Butterflyway member gardens will receive, -inspiring others to join this important project! 

New Neighbourhood
Endeavour:

Wolseley Butterfly Way  

The Wolseley Residents Association & R.A. Steen C.C. would like to invite you to celebrate an extended spooky season with us!

Join us at RA Steen Community Centre Saturday, November 1st, 5 - 8 PM for a Pumpkin Patch Parade -gathering our neighbours & our pumpkins together!

Pumpkins will be set up in the courtyard at 5 PM where we'll light them up & admire them all together as a community!

RA Steen will be open for washrooms & canteen goodies. We'll even have a warming fire!

At 8 PM folks'll have an opportunity from Hinterland Nature CO-Op to compost & haul away pumpkins the same evening.

Please do not drop off pumpkins once the event is over.

Membership:

Please reach out to us should you want to get involved on our Board or as part of our individual Committees! 

Come join us in doing some great community building! 

We have several open positions on the WRA board available this season 

• Vice Chair
• Secretary
• Various Committee spots

Succession planning for next season ongoing too!

Please reach out if you are interested in getting involved with the WRA at the Board or at a Committee level.