Bourkevale hosts half-marathon water station

Bourkevale Community Centre hosted the Mile 6 water station for the Winnipeg Police Service half-marathon on May 1. The run is a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society. We would like to thank our community volunteers for coming out to work the station. It's another great example of Bourkevale's community engagement. 

New boards for hockey rinks

Bourkevale Community Centre is installing new state-of-the-art boards on both of its outdoor hockey rinks. The new boards are similar to the arena-style boards previously in place, but are made of a stronger material. Installation began on the south rink the first week of December and crews are expected to start on the north rink later this month. 

Weather permitting, our volunteer ice crew is planning to begin flooding the south rink this month. The opening of the north rink will depend on the progress of installation. 

Bourkevale 30 - a campaign for safer streets

Bourkevale Community Centre is spearheading a campaign to make our neighbourhood streets safer for all. There is evidence from around the world that reducing speed limits saves lives and makes streets safer for children, pedestrians and cyclists. 

Bourkevale will be holding an official campaign kick-off on Sunday July 18 at 2 pm in front of the club. 

We are asking people who support this idea to sign our online petition, which we will present to the City of Winnipeg. 

You can sign the petition here.

The following flyer has been distributed throughout the neighbourhood:

U18 Female Winter Classic at Bourkevale

Bourkevale was proud to host several teams for practices and exhibition games in February. It was a tough season for minor hockey, with indoor arenas closed due to the pandemic. Bourkevale was able to provide ice time to several teams.

The ice season ended on a high note as Bourkevale hosted the Winter Classic Female U18 between the Winnipeg Avros and the St. Mary's Academy Flames. It was a memorable evening.

Temporary redirect at Bourkevale

 

Construction at the end of Ferry Road impacted the community's use of an active transportation path and the local off-leash dog park. Both are very busy! Bikes, school kids, seniors and neighbors all use them.

There was no plan to accommodate the daily users of these areas and a makeshift detour over curbs, through bushes and around the back of buildings, complete with handwritten signs were put up by a well-meaning construction worker.

The volunteers at Bourkevale identified the community concerns and worked with managers from the City of Winnipeg and TetraTech to develop a safe, marked path around the construction, but still connecting the neighbourhood as well as access to the dog park via Douglas Park Road.

Signage and path markers clearly show where we can all safely walk or ride for the next several weeks. This is a great example of how community centres have a role to play as advocates for the neighbourhoods they are in.

Rinks in top shape at Bourkevale

 

 Thanks to all the volunteers who helped get the ice in this year. It was a late start but after about 40 floods, Bourkevale had its rinks ready before Christmas. A big thanks to the volunteers who clean and maintain the rinks every day.

Pickleball in October

What do you do during a pandemic on a Saturday afternoon when it's -2 C out? You play pickleball outdoors, of course, on the north rink at Bourkevale Community Centre. That's what this hearty group from Winnipeg West Pickleball was up to on Oct. 24.

Bourkevale Community Centre continues to thrive during pandemic

Bourkevale Community Centre's indoor facilities may have been largely closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there was plenty of activity at the club outdoors during the spring and summer months. You may have noticed daily pickleball games on the north rink, one of the fastest growing sports in North America. Bourkevale is now home to Winnipeg West Pickleball, which has over 100 members and plays on six freshly-painted courts at the club. With the help of two grants from the City of Winnipeg and a financial contribution from Bourkevale, the club has purchased nets and other equipment for WWP and granted the organization exclusive access to the north rink for games, practices and tournaments from Monday-Saturday between 9 am and 2 pm.

It was also a busy spring and summer for youth soccer at the club. Several games a week (and many practices) were held on Bourkevale's 3/4 field on the west-side grounds. Bourkevale continues to be an active member of the St. Charles Soccer Association and the Winnipeg Youth Soccer Association.

Meanwhile, a local branch of Beaver Scouts (Scouts Canada) is using the club's north rink for outdoor, weekly meetings. The Beavers have scheduled their annual "buggy race" at the club for Saturday Sept. 26, beginning at 2 pm. Bourkevale has also been hosting St. James-Assiniboia Minor Hockey Association's monthly board meetings.

One of the most valuable assets of the club is the ability of the community to use its grounds on a casual basis, which we saw in spades this year; from ball hockey games, rollerblading and basketball on the north rink, to karate classes and other fitness activity on our sprawling greenspace (not to mention daily use of the club's play structure). Undaunted by the constraints of the pandemic, at least one concert band took to the outdoors during the summer and serenaded the community from our front yard with wonderful evenings of fun, toe-taping live music.

Bourkevale held its annual general meeting Sept. 10. The community centre is excited to welcome several new volunteer board members and many returning ones, including our new president Daevid Ramey, vice-president Scott Nystrom, and hall rental assistant Cassandra Zibell. We would like to thank outgoing president Dan Reles for his many years of service and his unwavering commitment to Bourkevale Community Centre.

Bourkevale's board continues to monitor and follow public health orders regarding COVID-19. There are plans to begin re-opening the club's indoor facilities on a limited basis in the fall. Unfortunately, owing to wide-ranging public health orders that require the club to adhere to social distancing rules and other requirements, it will be some time before the club is fully operational again. Nevertheless, we are making the best of it and Bourkevale continues to be a thriving  and important part of our community. 

If you have an idea for the club, would like to attend one of our monthly board meetings or just want to send us a note, please email us at bourkevale@gmail.com. We are always eager to hear from community members and count on your support and participation to ensure the longevity of the club.

Pickleball comes to Bourkevale

Bourkevale Community Centre is proud to announce that it is the new home for Winnipeg West Pickleball. WWPB (an affiliate of Pickleball Manitoba) will be playing outdoors on the club's north rink, which was recently painted with new court lines. All information about the new program can be found at winnipegwestpickleball.club

Apuckalypse Now tournament a great success

Apuckalypse Now held its 8th Annual Tournament at Bourkevale Community Centre on Feb. 16. The fundraiser for the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba drew over 100 people.

Music fills the hall at Bourkevale

The Friday Morning Concert Band gets together, you guessed it, every Friday morning at the club to play some wonderful music.

Bourkevale's Bike to Work Day pit stop a great success

Cyclists, including Mayor Brian Bowman, stopped by Bourkevale's
pit stop Monday for snacks, refreshments and prizes.

For the sixth consecutive year, Bourkevale Community Centre hosted a Bike to Work Day pit stop on Monday, June 18. Turn-out was great with lots of people stopping by for snacks, refreshments and prizes. We had 80 cyclists come through our pit stop, which we believe is the most we've ever had. We also had more kids come through on bikes than ever before. We'd like to thank all the volunteers who helped make this event happen.


Bourkevale Community Centre would also like to thank the
following local businesses for making the pit stop possible:

Advance Conditioning
High Tea Bakery
IDA Silver Heights Pharmacy
Olympia Cycle
Portage Family Foods
Sargent Sundae
The Burger Place
Underworld Scuba & Sport
Vandenberg's Fine Jewellery
YMCA-YWCA Winnipeg Downtown

To learn more about Bike Week Winnipeg, click here.

Another great Hoedown

The Millennium Big Band performs at Bourkevale's annual Hoedown Sept. 9. The event was another great success. Thanks to all the volunteers who made this year's Hoedown such a great event.

Bike to Work Day pit stop big success

Bourkevale was one of many official pit stops around the city for Winnipeg's Bike to Work Day Friday June 23. About 25 riders stopped by en route to their destinations. Among them was Winnipeg's Mayor Brian Bowman and local Coun. Scott Gillingham. A big thanks to Mary and family and Kim for organizing the event.

Mayor Brian Bowman (l) and more than 20 other riders dropped by Bourkevale's Bike to Work Day pit stop Friday.

Coun. Scott Gillingham was among about two dozen cyclists who stopped by Bourkevale's pit stop Friday.

Bourkevale honours its longest serving volunteer

Past-president Gary Kristiansen and Joan Templeton at
Bourkevale's April 13 Annual General Meeting

Joan Templeton began volunteering at Bourkevale in the 1960s, when her son was four and when community centres in Winnipeg were the social hubs of most neighbourhoods. Nearly half a century and literally thousands of volunteer hours later, Joan is finally relinquishing her duties.
The mother of two and grandmother of four began her volunteer career at Bourkevale - when the club was barely 20 years old - as a member of the ladies' auxiliary, which in those days were the chief operators of Winnipeg community centres. Joan took on a number of responsibilities at the club throughout the years, including canteen duties, the social committee and hall rental coordinator, a position she held until this month and one which she performed dutifully and with the kind of loyalty that keeps volunteer-based community clubs alive.
Joan is undoubtedly one of the longest serving volunteers of any community centre in the city, having given some 48 continuous years of her time, energy and passion to the club.  She has not only "given back" to her community, she has helped make it what it is today; a close-knit, family-oriented group of area residents with a strong sense of collegiality.
Joan will be missed, but we know she'll still be around to help out with the odd event. Thank you Joan for your years of unwavering service to the community.

Bourkevale's rink project video Part ll

Bourkevale's rink project has been a major success. The new state-of-the-art rink boards and the re-asphalted north rink have exceeded all expectations. We captured a few images during construction to give you some idea of what went into this project. You can view the first video here if you missed it. 

Hoedown video 2016

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Thanks to all the volunteers who made the 2016 Hoedown such a great success.

Video: Bourkevale's rink project Part 1

Bourkevale's outdoor rink project took place over the summer and fall of 2016. The old wooden rink boards were removed and the north rink was excavated and re-paved. For more details on this project, check out the E-bulletin we published at the time.

Bike to Work Day big success at Bourkevale

Bourkevale Community Centre was a busy place during Winnipeg's Bike to Work Day, Friday June 24. A total of 63 cyclists stopped at the club's pit stop for refreshments, snacks and information, including 10 children cycling to school with their parents. A big thanks to our volunteers Scotty and Elaine Nystrom for organizing and running the pit stop.

Bourkevale elects new board

Bourkevale's 2016 Annual General Meeting

Bourkevale Community Centre elected its new board for 2016-17 on Thursday April 14. The AGM was well attended and included about 45 area residents.
Elaine Nystrom was elected as the club's new president and Nick Hook was elected vice-president.
Outgoing president Gary Kristiansen and vice-president Tom Brodbeck were honoured for the eight years of service they provided to the club, which included transforming the community centre's finances into a more sustainable model that has allowed the club today to invest into important capital projects.
All board members agreed to stay on for another term in office, a testament to the dedication of area residents to the ongoing viability of the club. Suzanna Libby was elected as the board's new treasurer and former club president Dan Reles has agreed to remain on the board as second buildings and grounds director. St. James-Brooklands-Weston Councillor Scott Gillingham was also present for the AGM to lend his support to the community centre. As was former city councillor Jae Eadie, an area resident and a longtime supporter of Bourkevale.

Here is Bourkevale's new board:

Elaine Nystrom - President
Nick Hook - Vice-President/hockey convenor
Scotty Nystrom - 2nd Vice-President
Suzanna Libby - Treasurer
Kim Roffey - Secretary
Gary Kristiansen - Past-president
Tom Brodbeck - Director of Communications
Jeff Valgardson - Buildings and Grounds
Dan Reles - 2nd Buildings and Grounds
Natasha Taiarol - Soccer convenor
Lisa Diamond-Burchuk - 2nd Soccer convenor
Mary Northover-Ramey - Special events coordinator
Joan Templeton - Hall rentals

Bourkevale Bruins 7/8 hockey team win Tim Vandale Memorial Tournament

Bourkevale 7/8s. Tim Vandale Memorial Tournament champions 2016

Bourkevale's 7/8 hockey team won the Tim Vandale Memorial Tournament Feb.14, with an impressive 5-1 record. It was a strong finish for a team that played four games Sunday to take the championship. Well done Bourkevale! The outdoor tournament took place at Sturgeon Heights Community Centre. The tournament was renamed after Tim Vandale in honour of Tim's tireless contributions to amateur hockey and his years of involvement in the Sturgeon Heights community. For more pics, click here.

Winnipeg Jets practice at Bourkevale 93-94

The first incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets held a practice at Bourkevale Community Centre's outdoor rinks during the 1993-94 season. This picture was recently donated to us and we're happy to now have it in our possession.
Conspicuous in his absence from the picture was Jets forward Teemu Selanne, who was out with an injury at the time, a severed achilles. Winnipeg Sun staffers Ted Wyman and Kevin King helped us identify the players in this pic. If you have any further info or stories about this practice, including  the identification of the players, please send us a note at bourkevale@gmail.com.

Back row Left to right: Craig Fisher, Darryl Shannon, Mike O'Neill, Dallas Drake, Darrin Shannon, Igor Ulanov, Alexei Zhamnov

Middle row left to right: Wayne McBean, Thomas Steen, Tie Domi

Bottom row left to right: Paul Ysebaert, Dave Manson, Teppo Numminen, Stephane Quintal, Luciano Borsato, Keith Tkachuk, Dean Kennedy, Tim Cheveldae, Randy Gilhen, Nelson Emerson, Kris King, Mike Eagles

Very front: Russ Romaniuk.

Not 100% on Fisher and Ysebaert. Can anybody confirm?

Bourkevale gets into the Christmas spirit



Santa and Lauren at Bourkevale's children's Christmas party Sunday



 

Sand Skyscraper performed at Bourkevale's Christmas party.

"Arctic" the Arctic Fox came by for a visit at Bourkevale's Christmas party this year.

Halloween Howl was a hoot

Bourkevale's Halloween Howl Friday night was a huge success, with over 80 kids attending the annual event.
The music was great, the dancing was superb and a frightening good time was had by all.
A big thanks to all the volunteers who helped decorate the hall and who stayed to clean up.
A special thanks to Dale and Ben for the fantastic job they did spinning the tunes and organizing the games for the kids.
This was community spirit at its best.

Calling all concert band musicians!

The sweet sounds of concert band music have been filling the air at Bourkevale Community Centre in recent months, as dozens of local musicians get together weekly to share their love of music. The informal gathering is organized by band leader Howard Mar and others who were looking for a rehearsal hall for their group. The drop-in program has been a smashing success with as many as 30 to 40 players - mostly retired folks - turning out every week to join in on the musical fun. The group meets every Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. All are welcome and the drop-in fee is only $1.