Afterthought

Trina Flett has a lot to talk about, including her dad - a mostly unsung Manitoba musician - her extraordinary travel adventures and more...

Carolyn and Viola are regularly called on to conduct Indigenous ceremonies, provide education, and bring an Indigenous lens to event openings. In this episode Erika gets to satisfy her own curiosity with Carolyn and Viola by diving deeper on topics like ribbon skirts, the significance of tobacco, powwows, and much more.

There's a growing movement to forgo elaborate, expensive, environmentally-costly burial of human remains, in favour of 'Green Burials'. In this episode, Erika talks to Trish (who is looking for land to create a green cemetery), Rick (who builds green caskets) and Dave (who has been giving this issue a lot of thought since experiencing his brother's green burial). Here's how to follow Trish's project; greencemeterywinnipeg.ca or Green Cemetery Project Winnipeg on Facebook And Rick's business; thevillagecasketmaker.com

Not a lot of people get to hang out in the Chamber at the Manitoba Legislature besides elected officials, except if you are among the 'nerds' (their word) who participate in Youth Parliament Manitoba (YPM) which takes place for 5 days every year between Christmas and New Years. We get two perspectives in this episode - one from first-time attendee, grade 11 student Loquin Warkentin, and the other from a YPM veteran Lien Huynh. Bonus content: Loquin talks about his experience as lead in the school play.

In 1975 I was in first year at the University of Waterloo, living in residence on campus. My guest today, Salah Bachir, also lived there. We haven't been in touch since, but I have followed the trajectory of his life through various times when he has shown up in the Globe and Mail, most recently as the author of a book 'First to Leave the Party: My Life with Ordinary People ... who happen to be Famous'. Just last Saturday, on January 27 one of the book chapters appeared in the Globe in tribute to the late Norman Jewison, one of Salah's ordinary but famous friends. I'm grateful that first, Salah remembered me when I approached him about doing an interview, and second that he agreed to do it. I realize that some of the references in this conversation won't be clear without reading the book. So read the book!

In the last episode we talked about Territorial (or Land) Acknowledgements. Two young people, Mabel McManus and Sarah Fontaine-Sinclair shared about the efforts they made in their schools to uplift Territorial Acknowledgements. And with Niigaan Sinclair we talked about the difference between preformative and meaningful Territorial Acknowledgements. In this episode we go deeper into Treaty One with historian Jean Friesen. What was Treaty One all about, what was the context, what did Indigenous peoples and the Crown hope to gain from it etc...

In this episode two young people take the lead on promoting an understanding of land acknowledgements - one who leads a campaign in her school for students to stand up for the daily land acknowledgement and the other who, with her friends, wrote the land acknowledgement for her school. She, along with her father Niigaan Sinclair, share insights about the whys and hows of good land acknowledgements.

Afterthought host Erika Wiebe talks to her brother Bernie (aka Buck) Wiebe, a retired hospice physician and a current cancer patient, about his thoughts on aging and mortality - with references to the book 'Being Mortal' by Atul Gawande.

Jim Derksen was well known throughout Winnipeg. If you didn't know him personally, you would know him by his distinctive look as he wheeled his way around the community in his colourful caftans and ever-present beret. Jim died in July 2022. In this episode, Erika talks to Jim's sister Shauna and friend Harold about his early life, his quirky style, his parrots and his lifelong commitment to advancing human rights in Winnipeg.

Shauna Faye is a straight woman who is also a drag queen - 'Skirt Browning'. In this episode she talks about what draws her to drag, her relationship with Kurt Browning, what the process of becoming 'Skirt Browning' looks like, the comedy in drag, and what it's like being a woman in the Winnipeg drag scene.

Erika talks to award-winning film makers Joel Penner and Anna Sigrithur, about their beautiful new short film "Wrought" in which Joel's penchant for filming 'rotting' things is taken to the next level. What can we learn by taking a (very) close look at things rotting, what does it say about human beings relationship with nature..... what are the mechanics of collecting and filming dead things...

Abortion was legalized in Canada in 1988. But this didn't happen easily. All across Canada women had been organizing and fighting for this basic health right, for decades. In Winnipeg, Ellen Kruger was one of the leaders of this struggle all through the '70s and '80s. In this episode she tells Afterthought co-host Lynne Fernandez about the organizing strategies, the set-backs, Henry Morgenthaler's influence, what barriers remain for women seeking abortions, and potential implications for Canada of the threats to Roe vs Wade in the US.

A new book 'Disarm, Defund, Dismantle: Police Abolition in Canada' makes the case for radical change in policing including eventual abolition, and lays out historical and current reasons for this. So.... really? How realistic is it to consider police abolition as a viable proposition, and if it is realistic, how would that work exactly? In this episode Erika discusses these questions and more, with two of the contributors - Kevin Walby and Ted Rutland.

Lynne talks to Shauna MacKinnon (Chair, Urban and Inner City Studies Program, U of W) and Kirsten Bernas (West Central Womens Resource Centre), about the many barriers to quality, affordable housing for low-income Winnipegers. In part two they talk about loopholes in rent regulations, role of government including the National Housing Strategy, and housing as a human right - not a commodity.

Lynne talks to Shauna MacKinnon (Chair, Urban and Inner City Studies Program, U of W) and Kirsten Bernas (West Central Womens Resource Centre), about the many barriers to quality, affordable housing for low-income Winnipegers - and how this wasn't always the case. We wonder why so many people are homeless. Well, there are some very practical answers.

In Episode 1, Erika Wiebe talked to Ralph Friesen about the Russia experience of the Mennonites who ended up immigrating to Southern Manitoba in the 1800s. In this episode, they talk about the settler experience, with an eye to uncovering historical events which might help explain the response of Southern Manitoba Mennonites to the Covid pandemic.

Afterthought co-host Erika Wiebe has Mennonite heritage and grew up in rural Saskatchewan. During her 40 plus years in Winnipeg she noticed a difference in political and social norms between her Mennonite experience, and the Mennonites of Southern Manitoba. The Covid pandemic has highlighted some of these differences with the high rates of vaccine hesitancy and opposition to government mandates in Southern Manitoba. In a quest to find out if maybe these differences can be explained at all by different immigration histories between the two groups, Erika spoke to Ralph Friesen, author of three books which inform this issue. He also grew up in Steinbach. This episode is the first of two, and focuses on the Russian history, prior to the Mennonite immigration to Southern Manitoba.

Afterthought co-host Lynne Fernandez recently got on the genealogy bandwagon, and learned some new and surprising things about her family. In parts 1 and 2 of this episode, she talkes to two more genealogy enthusiasts, Gillian Glover and Blair Hamilton about what they've learned about their families, and more broadly, their own place in history.

Afterthought co-host Lynne Fernandez recently got on the genealogy bandwagon, and learned some new and surprising things about her family. In this episode she talks to two more genealogy enthusiasts, Gillian Glover and Blair Hamilton about why and how, and insights it has led to about important historical events.

Brothers 14 year-old Loquin and 12 year-old Ellis are Dungeons and Dragons enthusiasts. In this episode they take on the task of explaining the ins and outs of it to 66 year-old Afterthought host Erika Wiebe including how it works, what skills a good Dungeon Master needs and some favourite story lines. Their mom weighs in with some thoughts about how the boys benefit.

In this episode Peter talks about terminology, what it's like to be out in public in a wheelchair, and infrastructure strengths and weaknesses for getting around in a wheelchair. As a special bonus, Peter performs a cover of a Norah Jones tune.

In September 2017, Peter Warkentin was a bike rider, hockey player and in general a regular young guy in Winnipeg. An accident changed all that in an instant. In this episode he talks to Erika about that transition and what he's learned about barriers for people trying to navigate the world in a wheelchair.

Winnipeg labour leader Paul Moist, talks to Lynne about the state of the labour movement within the context of the trucker convoy, Paul Stastny, the 1919 Strike, Steve Bannon and more...

Winnipeg labour leader Paul Moist, talks to Lynne about the state of the labour movement within the context of the trucker convoy, Paul Stastny, the 1919 Strike, Steve Bannon and more...

Erika talks to Winnipeg photographer/singer-song writer Sam Baardman about his relationship to Winnipeg waterways, especially Lake Winnipeg. His photography explores human behaviour related to the water, both life-giving and damaging. Sam also tells the story of his inadvertent fall into the Red River, and how it affected his photography. PLUS we debut a new song from Sam's upcoming new album.

As a follow up to the last episode, historian Esyllt Jones talks about how Covid19 compares to the 1918 Influenza Pandemic

Surprise, surprise - Covid19 is not the only pandemic to have ever arrived in Winnipeg. The 1918 Influenza Pandemic had a major impact. Historian Esyllt Jones has studied the 1918 pandemic and shares her insights in this episode of Afterthought.

Erika and Sean McManus continue their conversation about 'Get Back', the new Beatles documentary - this time focusing on the music.

In 1969 the Beatles get together to write and record their final album. The documentary 'Get Back', streaming now on Disney+, depicts this period of time giving us a close-up look at the John, Paul, George and Ringo and those around them - and giving us plenty to talk about, both in terms of the people and the music. In Part One, Erika and Sean McManus talk about the project as a whole, and the characters. Next episode - Part Two - Erika and Sean get into the music. Recorded in January 2022.

Lynne talks to dog-trainer Janelle McLeod - her neighbour and friend - about tips for caring for and training your dog. Recorded in January 2022.

Erika talks to her pal, Melissa Chung-Mowat about her recent run for politics ("the elephant in the room":)), her multi-heritages, and her uncanny ability with dogs and cats. Recorded in December 2021.

In the second part of a short series on 'Neo-Liberalism' Lynne asks Fletcher Barager more about what it looks like and the impact of Covid 19. Recorded in December 2022.

Lynne talks to Fletcher Barager, University of Manitoba Economics professor, about this weighty topic - leading to the next episode about whether and how Neo-Liberalism has been shaken up by Covid. Recorded in December 2021.

Vi Stoesz has made a career of working with older adults, and has a degree as a Therapeutic Recreation Provider. She talks to Erika about what older people need most, and how institutions can provide it. Recorded in December 2021.

Erika talks to Janet Schmidt, long-time mediator, who shares insights about what motivates anti-vaxxers, and what approaches are most helpful in talking to them. Recorded in December 2021

Listen to Lynne's conversation with Annetta as she talks about her work with Winnipeg's Indigenous community, her connection to the land and her reflections on being part of 'the Yellow Doggers'. Recorded in November 2021.

Erika and long-time friends, Blair Hamilton, Garry Loewen and Shauna MacKinnon get into this meaty issue in light of Covid 19 and vax deniers.

Erika and long-time friends Blair Hamilton, Shauna MacKinnon and Garry Loewen tackle this topic in light of Covid 19 and anti-vaxxers and anti-government sentiments. Recorded in November 2021.

Erika talks to her 10 year-old great niece Mabel McManus who shares her amazing brain, about why things happen the way they do in autumn - scientifically speaking. Recorded in October 2021.

Hosts Lynne Fernandez and Erika Wiebe dive into a topic of common concern - Why aren't we taking better care of old people?

Hosts, Lynne Fernandez and Erika Wiebe talk about their hopes for the show, and start to delve into important developments like Lynne's new electric bike.