Glenelm Neighbourhood Association || Winnipeg, Mb
Here’s the map you’ve been waiting for! Printable version here.
We found over 40 snow sculptures in the neighbourhood – the ones that registered will be entered into a draw for fabulous participation prizes!
More to come…
Our yearly AGM is being held virtually this year due to the pandemic restrictions. You can join in via Zoom on January 31st, 2021 from 4:30pm to 5:00pm.
Unfortunately, we won’t be able to have our usual Winter Warmer celebration at the same time, but we’ll still be including a few fun activities, like playing a bingo game during the meeting.
The Zoom link will be published at glenelm.ca/agm on the day of the meeting.
Hope to see you then!
Have you checked out the Safe at Home Manitoba website? Here you will find an incredible number of FREE, fun and interesting things you can do from home during the pandemic. Here’s a preview of just some of the programs and activities:
As you explore the website, don’t forget to click the “load more” button to bring up new listings.
There is lots of snow on the ground, and the countdown is on… there are just 2 weeks until the 4th annual Glenelm Snow Sculpture Challenge on January 30th!
This is a FREE, non-competitive, household-based event that welcomes participants of all ages and abilities.
Now’s the time to start making your block of snow and dreaming of something neat to carve in it. You can help encourage even more people to participate by making a copy of this printable poster for your box of snow.
Be sure to register your address so that we can take a photo of your sculpture and include it on the map. (And of course, you’ll need to be registered to be entered in a draw for PRIZES!!)
Last year we had an incredible 37 registered sculptures gracing front yards throughout the neighbourhood – can we beat that record this year? Let’s do it, Glenelm!!
For all the information you need, sculpting tips and to see photos from previous years, visit glenelm.ca/snow.
As always, a huge thanks to our sponsors for making the event possible!
There are 2 rinks open at Clara Hughes Recreation Park (281 Henderson Hwy). Please note, clubhouse/bathrooms/canteen are closed. Bring your sleds & crazy carpets, because the toboggan slide is open too!
The large pleasure rink in Elmwood (Roxy) Park (380 Henderson Hwy) is open for use! Very close to the hill for sledding.
Opening soon:
Important Reminder re: Red River
There are many citizen-cleared trails and small rinks that have popped up along the river behind Glenwood – and all over the city! It’s great to see such enthusiasm and hard work going into celebrating our natural environment, especially during this pandemic!
For those who may not be aware, the ice on this part of the river is not monitored for safety by the City, so use is completely at your own risk. It is important that people who choose to use it are aware of the dangers. According to a recent article in the Free Press:
“The City of Winnipeg “does not monitor ice conditions on rivers, waterways or ponds throughout the winter months,” the city spokeswoman said. As a result, the city advises residents to “refrain from venturing on to any ice surface” during the winter, due to the possibility of “rapidly changing ice conditions based on weather, water currents (and) runoff.””
If you choose to use the river trails, please be safe and respectful of others!
The GeNA Tree Committee asks for everyone’s help in reporting trimmed elm branches left on the boulevards in our neighbourhood.
Piles of trimmed elm branches (example shown in the photo above) are left by workers with alarming regularity — despite provincial regulations against storing elm wood!
If you see piles of brush left on the boulevard, please report to 311 (preferably with photos). We’d be grateful if you cc’d trees@glenelm.ca so that we can help monitor as well.
Do NOT take trimmed elm branches to use as firewood! Transporting and storing elm wood is against the law and can increase the spread of Dutch Elm Disease – which we don’t want any more of in Glenelm!
Many thanks to Glenelm resident Natalie Reinhart for contributing this year’s Christmas Bird Count! For more on local birds, see the 2017, 2018 and 2019 CBCs and also a special piece on owls in Glenelm.
2020 Christmas Bird Count
By: Natalie Reinhart
Photo above: A grey morph Eastern screech owl roosting the day away in a tree cavity.
The 2020 Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was held on December 20th and my husband Brent and I were excited to be able to participate in this annual event again this year! Despite COVID-19 limiting bird counters to only participate with members of their own household, many continued to participate in this annual tradition in Winnipeg to count the birds. While some, like Brent and I, participated on foot, others watched and counted at their own backyard feeders. We were very happy for a milder day compared to the chilly day we had last year as we roamed the streets of Glenelm listening and watching for as many birds as we could find!
The usual species were numerous, and we are thrilled to report increased numbers of Black-capped Chickadees, White-Breasted Nuthatches, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers compared to last year. We also had higher counts of some common urban species, including American Crows, Common Ravens, Rock Pigeons, House Sparrows, House Finches and European Starlings. On the rarer side, we spotted three White-Throated Sparrows, a species that normally isn’t found this far north in the colder winter months! These sparrows normally travel further south into the United States for the winter.
The highlight of this year’s CBC in Glenelm was spotting an Eastern Screech Owl! These small owls are year-round residents in Winnipeg which is at the northern periphery of the species’ range. Standing at only 10” tall, they come in grey or red “morphs”, the latter being rare in Manitoba. The Eastern Screech Owl is nocturnal, so it sleeps the day away and comes out from dusk until dawn to hunt mainly small birds, rodents and invertebrates. They roost during the daytime in tree cavities, often unseen, so naturally we were thrilled that one made itself visible to us on count day!
Richard and Diana Staniforth participated in the 2020 CBC by conducting a “Feeder Watch” from their kitchen window, in Glenelm. They recorded as many birds as possible in their yard for the entire day. Their first bird was an Eastern Screech Owl, heard calling at 5:00 am; an early and exciting start to a busy day. Black-capped Chickadees, House Sparrows, White-breasted Nuthatches, woodpeckers and a single White-throated Sparrow were active at their feeders throughout the day. Their final bird was a Bald Eagle, seen flying along the Red River at the bottom of their yard. A good bird with which to end the day’s observations!
We are still waiting to hear the full 2020 CBC results from the Winnipeg area, but hope that the increased number of birds seen in Glenelm is a reflection of the remainder of the city. While 2020 has been a challenging year for many, we have enjoyed time to slow down and appreciate the birds around our neighbourhood. Please contact Rudolf Koes (rkoes@mts.net) if you would like to take part in the Christmas Bird Count 2021.
