Local News
Chief Executive Officer of Simkin Centre Laurie Cerqueti assesses how things have changed more than six months into the pandemic
By BERNIE BELLAN As part of our continued commitment to reporting on how various agencies within the Jewish community are functioning during these exceptionally difficult times, from time to time we’ve been speaking with the heads of agencies that are directly involved with the senior population of our community.
We recently spoke with Laurie Cerqueti (pronounced Cherqueti, by the way), who’s now been in her role as CEO of the Simkin Centre for 19 months. Naturally, given all that’s happened, we wondered whether she had ever experienced anything nearly as difficult as what she – and the rest of the 250 staff at the Simkin Centre have been experiencing these past six months.
“I graduated from nursing in 1994,” Laurie said, “but nothing that I’ve ever done before comes close to what we’ve been going through these past six months.” (Prior to becoming CEO of the Simkin Centre, Laurie had been CEO of Meadowood Manor in Winnipeg.)
When I spoke with Laurie early in May – a month and a half after the lockdown of all Personal Care Homes in Manitoba had been put into effect, she described all the extra requirements that had been placed on PCH’s, including having to severely restrict access to the building; extra sanitation procedures; training of almost all staff in feeding and swallowing assistance; and so much more.
Despite the increased burdens that were placed on all PCH’s in the province, the only additional funding from the Provincial Government came in the form of “money to ensure facilities are in line with revised Manitoba Fire Code requirements, including provision of fire suppression systems and increased fire separation enhancements.”
In my May report on the Simkin Centre I noted the concern that Laurie had back then that, while PCH’s were going to have to shoulder extra financial burdens, there would be no additional assistance forthcoming from the Province:
“What about the financial situation for the Simkin Centre?” I wondered. “How different is it as a result of the pandemic?”
“There are a number of large costs for equipment and supplies – right when it started happening,” Laurie answered, “and there are ongoing costs.”
“And you mean Simkin will have to assume responsibility for those costs – and not the province?” I asked.
“I’m not confident that the province will fund partially or fully any of this,” Laurie said.
“Really – wow!” I said. “You mean it’s all going to fall on to the Personal Care Homes themselves to fund?”
“It could,” Laurie said. “I’m not confident”(that the province will provide the funding).
She added that, in addition to the extra costs imposed on PCH’s for equipment and supplies, “there are all these new rules – if you’ve traveled, you can’t come to work for 14 days; if you have any symptoms you have to go get swabbed, and then you have to have the A-OK, you can come back to work; or people that have pre-existing conditions aren’t able to work. So there are increased staffing costs that we are incurring.”
As it turned out, there wasn’t any more money made available to hire extra staff – even though workers at PCH’s were advised not to report for work if they had the slightest suspicion they might be sick. Further, the practice of workers moving between different PCH’s to fill vacant shifts was no longer allowed (quite understandably – in order to minimize the chances of community transmission of the virus).
In July, Julie Turenne-Maynard, executive director of MARCHE — The Manitoba Association of Residential and Community Care Homes for the Elderly — reported that the COVID-19 pandemic was “shining a spotlight on long-term care across the country and highlighting the consequences of a 10-year funding freeze in Manitoba.”
She said that “while Manitoba’s personal care homes have been largely fortunate in the fight against COVID-19 (and, as we’ve all seen since then, that assessment sadly proved quite wrong as PCH’s have been hit with outbreaks of the virus.) they have been chronically underfunded, despite increasing costs and needs from residents.”
Over the past 10 years, Turenne-Maynard noted, “dietary expenses at homes operated by MARCHE’s members have increased by 36 per cent and the cost of incontinence supplies increased by 50 per cent.”
Further, in the case of the Simkin Centre, the spiraling cost of kosher food – as we have noted many times before in this newspaper, has only added to the financial burden of the Jewish Personal Care Home.
Yet, despite all the pressures that the Simkin Centre has been facing, when I asked Laurie how she would describe morale among staff at the home, she said “staff morale has been very good to excellent”.
Laurie described the many ways in which members of the boards of the Simkin Centre Home Board and Foundation Board and residents’ relatives have gone above and beyond in attempting to express their appreciation to the staff. For instance, there have been weekly treats provided to staff – paid for by individual board members, residents and family members (with occasional donations from organizations such as the Gwen Secter Centre); t-shirts emblazoned with the Simkin Centre logo and the words “Simkin Strong” or #simkincares on the back; and various activities intended to boost morale.
You can read more about what the Simkin Centre has been doing to keep spirits up among both staff and residents in the Simkin Centre newsletter that is in this issue. You can also follow Simkin Centre activities on their very colourful Facebook page, or sign up to receive their weekly e-newsletter “The Simkin Star” http://eepurl.com/gVT8Q1
Despite the upbeat tone in Laurie’s voice though, I had to ask some tough questions about the toll that the pandemic has taken on residents – both physically and emotionally.
I wondered, for instance, whether there has been any noticeable increase in the number of deaths at the Centre of late?
“There have been more deaths recently than what we usually experience,” Laurie said. “Whether it’s a result of loneliness, it’s hard to say, but over the past few months there is no doubt there have been more deaths here than there would have been normally’ (but she adds that none of the deaths are either COVID related or have anything to do with the care residents receive.)
I wondered whether the loosening the rules governing visits by family members has had any noticeable effect on residents’ moods? (Until July, no family members were allowed into the actual building. You probably recall the heart-rending stories – and pictures – of residents trying to communicate with family members on Facetime or by looking through windows.)
Laurie answered that staff continue to find creative ways to keep residents busy, having fun, and remaining connected to family and faith. Whether this is through FaceTime visits (which has actually connected residents with family members that they otherwise would not have ever connected with), drive-by parades, virtual Passover and High Holiday services or other socially distanced programming.
While it’s certainly an improvement now that each resident is allowed to have visits from two family members, the fact that it always has to be the same two family members who are allowed inside has made it difficult for many families to decide who the two indoor visitors will be.
And, although outdoor visitation has been made available at the Simkin Centre – under strict conditions, now that the weather has gotten colder, those visits will be coming to an end. Plans are underway to determine and renovate a suitable space for visiting during the winter months, Laurie noted.
Given what Laurie told me about the higher than average number of deaths of late in the Simkin Centre, I asked whether there are some vacant beds?
Laurie did say that, while there are some vacancies, “a lot more people in general who are paneled (the process whereby someone is allowed to move into a PCH) are not coming” to the Simkin Centre – or to any other PCH for that matter. The honest to god truth is that so many seniors are terrified at the prospect of having to go into a PCH and subsequently be removed from their families while the pandemic rages. Of course, that places enormous extra burdens on the families of seniors who would otherwise be candidates for admission into a PCH – it goes without saying.
It’s also important to note that, as average life expectancy has increased, the individuals who do reside in PCH’s are much older than what was the typical case not too long ago.
“From 15 years ago to what we see now there are so many more residents who require a much higher level of care,” Laurie observed, while noting once again that there has been no concomitant increase in government funding for PCH’s.
I suggested that I could ask readers to bear in mind the increased financial obligations of the Simkin Centre – and perhaps consider making a donation.
Despite the inevitable stress that anyone who’s involved in health care these days must be feeling, Laurie Cerqueti still ended our conversation by saying that “I really like being associated with the Jewish community and Jewish personal care home.”
I suggested that maybe it’s because Jews and Italians are so alike in so many ways. (My wife and I are often mistaken for Italians when we travel.)
“I’m not Italian myself,” Laurie laughed, “but when you’ve been married to an Italian for 25 years you might as well be.”
Local News
March of the Living 2023 participants form Taste of Hope project to help honour the memory of Holocaust survivor Alex Buckman
By BERNIE BELLAN The March of the Living is an annual two-week international educational program that brings thousands of students and adults to Poland and Israel to study the Holocaust, Jewish history, and the rise of the State of Israel. Founded in 1988, it features a 3-kilometer silent walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day).
Attendees on the march are accompanied by adults, some of whom themselves have been Holocaust survivors.
Following the week in Poland, participants travel to Israel to observe Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) and celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day), marking a journey from darkness to life.
For many years the coordinator of the march in Winnipeg was Roberta Malam, working on behalf of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg. More recently Abby Flackman filled that role, and now the person in charge is Lindsey Kerr.
Since its inception 37 years ago the March of the Living has become a rite of passage for many young Winnipeg Jews who have been able to participate as an organized group from Winnipeg and combine visits to the death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland with the subsequent trip to Israel.
Then – the Covid pandemic hit – in 2020, and the March of the Living was put on hold for two years – in 2020 and 2021.
In 2022, the March of the Living resumed, but there was no organized contingent from Winnipeg participating. (There may have been some Winnipeggers who did go on the march that year, but if there were any they would have been part of a general Canadian group since there was no Winnipeg coordinator that year.)
In 2023, however, once again a very large contingent of young Canadian Jews – 51 altogether, of whom approximately two-thirds were from Winnipeg, went on that year’s March of the Living. That particular march was memorable for many reasons, including the fact it was the last full march since 2019 and was to remain the last march to have an organized Winnipeg contingent in the past six years as the years 2024 and 2025 were interrupted by the war in Gaza. (There were smaller marches held in 2024 and 2025, but again there was no organized contingent from Winnipeg.)
Recently, we were contacted by one of the participants of that 2023 march, Ethan Levene, who asked us whether we’d be interested in running what turned out be a very poignant story about one particular aspect of that 2023 March of the Living.
Here is what Ethan wrote:
“In April 2023, the Coast to Coast Canadian delegation of March of the Living was privileged to travel with Holocaust survivor Alex Buckman (z”l). March of the Living is a Holocaust education trip that allows participants to visit and bear witness to the sites of the Holocaust. Unfortunately, while sharing his story in Poland, Alex passed away. However, the impact he left on us students was immeasurable.
“While speaking to us in Warsaw, Alex told us the story of his Aunt Becky’s gâteau à l’orange (orange cake). While in Ravensbruck concentration camp, his aunt managed to write down this recipe. After his parents’ murder, his Aunt Becky went on to raise Alex after surviving. In addition to sharing his story, Alex tasked us with baking the cake with family and friends.
“Out of this, a group of alumni from our trip have created this project: ‘A Taste of Hope.’ On February 1st, university students from over 5 universities across Canada will come together to bake the gâteau à l’orange and hear Alex’s story. Proceeds from the event and this fundraising page will support the World Federation of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants. Alex was heavily involved with this organization, whose mission is to both create community for Holocaust survivors and their descendants and educate about the Holocaust to help fight against antisemitism and all forms of bigotry and hate.
“Here is information from our fundraising page for the event – ‘A Taste of Hope’: Fundraising for A Taste of Hope.
Ethan added that “it’s completely student led, all by alumni from our 2023 trip attending university at these various locations across Canada; Winnipeg, London, Kingston, Montreal.”
He also added: “Follow us on instagram@tastehope.“
Here is a link to a CBC story about Alex Buckman: Alex Buckman story
In a subsequent email Ethan gave the names of Winnipeggers who are involved in A Taste of Hope: Ethan Levene (studies at McGill), Zahra Slutchuk, Alex Stoller (studies at Queens), Coby Samphir, Izzy Silver (studies at Waterloo).
He also added names of others who are involved in the project: Jessie Ages, Anneke Goodwin, Lilah Silver, Ella Pertman, Ellie Vogel, and Talia Cherun.
To find out more about March of the Living in Winnipeg go to: March of the Living
Local News
Young Researcher Eryn Kirshenbaum 2025 recipient of the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences prestigious Dr. T. Edward Cuddy Award
By MYRON LOVE Fifth year University of Manitoba Faculty of Sciences Microbiology student Eryn Kirshenbaum is this year’s recipient of the Dr. T. Edward Cuddy Student Award in recognition of her excellence in research under the supervision of Dr. Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin, Assistant Professor of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba and Principle Investigator in Women’s Heart Health Research at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at the St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre.
When asked for her reaction to learning she was the 2025 recipient of the student award, Kirshenbaum says “I was so honoured, humbled and excited to have been nominated and then chosen as the recipient out of many well deserving students.”
Rabinovich-Nikitin, Kirshenbaum’s mentor, says “This is Eryn’s third year working in my lab and I am incredibly proud of her for winning the Dr. T. Edward Cuddy Research Award.” She adds: “It is a truly deserved honour. Since joining my laboratory in 2023, Eryn has shown an exceptional combination of technical skill, intellectual curiosity, and professional maturity, becoming an integral contributor to our research on women’s heart health, an area of growing scientific importance that demands both rigorous methodology and a strong understanding of sex-based differences in heart disease.
“Not only has Eryn provided invaluable experimental support, but she has also taken on a leadership role in training new students and has demonstrated a strong commitment to collaboration and mentorship.”
In return, Kirshenbaum notes that she has “learned a lot from Dr. Rabinovich-Nikitin. She is a great mentor and I look forward to learning and growing even more under her leadership”.
The T. Edward Cuddy Award is one of 12 awards presented annually by the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences in partnership with the University of Manitoba.
The 27th Annual Institute of Cardiovascular Naranjan Dhalla Awards were held on December 2nd and 3rd as part of a two-day conference comprised of a scientific forum and awards ceremony. The awards celebrate the leadership of individuals who have profoundly influenced the advancement of cardiovascular research, medicine and health education, including, in previous years, Nobel Prize winners and Gairdner Award Scholars. The Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences Gold Medal was awarded to Dr. Stanley Nattel, Director of the Montreal Heart Institute for his outstanding contributions to advancements in cardiac arrythmias and patient care.
Eryn Kirshenbaum, the daughter of Barry and Kim Kirshenbaum, says she was always interested in understanding the functioning’s of the human body, in particular the heart, which has fit with her desire to pursue a career in medicine and possibly continued heart health research.
A graduate of the Hebrew Bilingual program at Brock Corydon Elementary School, Ecole River Heights, and Kelvin High School French Immersion, Eryn says that she has always been interested in science, particularly cardiology. She reports that she has assisted as co-author on 5 research papers, including one where she was the primary author, focusing on women’s heart health and how heart disease affects women differently than men. That paper also investigated the connection between disrupted circadian rhythms and heart disease, specifically related to individuals with irregular sleep patterns, such as shift workers.
Eryn notes that, in addition to her university studies and research activities, she works part time as a Medical First Responder with St. John Ambulance – an activity which complements her medical research. “With St. John Ambulance, I have had calls dealing with the early stages of heart attacks and strokes as well as basic first aid,” she notes.
Readers might also run into Eryn at many Jewish celebrations such as Yom Ha’atzmaut, where she helps her dad with the family entertainment business.
While her ultimate goal, she says, is to practice medicine, she adds that she is really enjoying doing research.
Local News
Young entrepreneur Noah Palansky and partner Jordan Davis are the first Winnipeggers to crack Forbes Magazine’s “top 30 Under 30” list
By MYRON LOVE From a very young age, Noah Palansky has demonstrated initiative and leadership. I first met and interviewed Palansky in 2011 at a low point in his life. His mother, Naomi Palansky, had sadly passed away at a young age. The then 12-year-old channeled his mourning into action. With his younger sister, Lexi, by his side – and the support of his father, Bruce – the preteen entered a team in the annual CancerCare Manitoba Foundation Challenge for Life. For the next few years, Palansky’s teams – under the banner, “Kids Count” – raised thousands of dollars for cancer researched.
Fast forward to 2019. Palansky was by then a young adult with a new initiative. The year before, he and a couple of friends had entered a potential business proposal in a competition sponsored by Winnipeg-based North Forge, Canada’s only start up incubator and fabrication lab, and won the top prize.
In that 2019 story, the young entrepreneur recalled how he came up with idea for his new business – TAIV (the AI stands for artificial intelligence). In the spring of 2018, he recounted, at the height of the Winnipeg Jets playoff run, he and his girlfriend were watching the game on a big screen while having drinks in a restaurant when an ad appeared onscreen promoting a rival restaurant and advertising the same drink he was imbibing – at a lower price.
“That ad gave me the germ of an idea,” he said in that earlier interview. “I immediately spoke to the restaurant manager and asked how he felt about the ad,” he recalls. “He was not pleased.”
That germ of an idea has developed into a highly successful new business venture. The idea that was put into practice has landed Palansky and his partner, Jordan Davis, on Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 list in the Marketing and Advertising category. The duo are the first Winnipeg-based entrepreneurs to have received this honour.
“It came as a complete surprise,” Palansky responds. “We had no advance notice that we were even being considered for this recognition.”
Since TAIV officially launched in 2021, the company – still based in Winnipeg – has grown to a workforce of about 80 – most of whom are based here. Palansky notes that TAIV also has sales offices in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
In the past four years, TAIV has built a presence in nearly 5,000 venues across the United States. The company works with brands like Coke, Pepsi, Netflix, T-Mobile, FanDuel, Fox, and United Airlines.
“The way this works,” Palansky explained to this writer in 2019, “ is that if you are in Boston Pizza, for example, watching a Jets game and a commercial comes on, our software will switch the commercial to an ad for Boston Pizza.
“We make a little box that sits between your cable box and the TV. Our box can detect when a commercial is coming on and switch the ad out for one promoting the restaurant or store the box is in.”
For larger enterprises, Palansky notes, TAIV produces a web app that allows the company to switch its own in-house ads for the ads that would be appearing on screen.
In a statement by North Force celebrating Palansky and Davis’ achievement, Palansky is quoted as saying that “the Forbes achievement offered a rare moment to pause and reflect.
“There are very few moments where a third party reaches out and says, ‘We’ve noticed what you did, and we think it’s awesome.’ This felt like one of those rare moments.”
The North Forge report also sees the recognition as a win for the community.
“I wish we had more Winnipeg entrepreneurs on the global stage because it’s really good for the local ecosystem,” Palansky is quoted as saying. “I’m trying to do what I can to help others get off the ground.”
Palansky and Davis are looking forward to going to Phoenix in April for the official presentation.
He adds that TAIV continues expanding across North America, strengthening partnerships, and onboarding advertisers as the network grows. For local venues or businesses interested in installing TAIV or exploring advertising opportunities, the company welcomes inquiries at hello@taiv.tv.