Local News
Dr. Joel Antel new Canadian Dental association president
By MYRON LOVE Dr. Joel Antel, the newly-installed president of the Canadian Dental Association, says that he approaches dentistry from a customer service perspective. That means, he explains, taking time to get to know his patients, helping them with filling out forms – for insurance claims, for example – and striving to provide a positive customer experience.
Dentistry, it seems, was always in the cards for the 45-year dental practitioner. “Growing up, I was exposed to people in a wide variety of fields,” he recalls. “Dentistry grabbed my attention. As far back as high school, I knew that I wanted to be a dentist.”
Once in practice, it was only a few years before Antel became involved in dental governance. In giving of his time to the community, as the son of the late community leaders Oscar and Bella Antel, Joel says his parents set the example for him. Prior to assuming his most recent position as presidents of the Canadian Dental Association, Joel already had a solid record of volunteering in both the Jewish and wider community.
In his younger days, he notes, he performed with the Sarah Sommer Chai Folk Ensemble – as a musician. (He also played guitar and bass for many years – in his free time – for Mandibular Black, a rock cover band). Joel represented the performers on the Chai Board and later served as Chai’s president. He remains a member of the Board of Governors of Chai to this day.
When his kids were in school, Joel was a member of the Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate parent council and the Board of Jewish Education. He further pursued his interest in promoting education through his long-time involvement with the Stevenson Britannia Adult Learning Centre, which caters to adults of all ages who want to complete their high school degrees or take additional high school courses needed to qualify for post-secondary programs.
Joel’s entry into leadership within the dental profession began in 1991 when he was invited to join the Manitoba Dental Association’s Communications Committee. “I expected that my participation in the association would be short-term,” he says. “But I found it rewarding being involved.”
Joel soon became a board member, then, in 2011, became president (a one-year-term). In 2017, he became the MDA’s representative on the board of the Canadian Dental Association. Two years ago, he was asked to take on the office of vice-president – becoming president-elect one year later and is now beginning his term as president.
The CDA’s activities are multi-faceted, the new president points out. These activities include: position statements on matters of import to the profession, a regular publication – as well as social media platforms – keeping dentists and other oral healthcare staff up to date on new developments in the field, and providing answers to questions that members may have, co-operation with provincial and territorial dental associations, media relations and liaison with government.
The major focus currently is implementation of the Federal Government’s newly-announced national dental care program.
“This is a very ambitious project,” Joel says. “And we at the CDA are working closely with the government to bring it to fruition. Arrangements with three provinces have already been finalized and we are confident that the other provinces will soon sign on, too.”
Naturally, as president of the CDA, there will be much travel for Joel over the coming year. He estimates that he will be in the air every six weeks or so. “I am thankful for modern technology,” he observes. “In addition to the travel, I am on Zoom across the country at least once or twice a week.
“I am thankful that I have a supportive wife (Bonnie) and staff.”
In recognition of his tireless efforts on behalf of both the MDA and the CDA – as well as the hours he has put in teaching at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry and continuing education programs for dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants, Joel Antel has been honoured with the MDA President’s Appreciation Award (1998), the MDA’s Award of Merit (2003), and the CDI College Assisting Dental Program Practicum Partnership Award (2009). He has also been recipient of Fellowships from the International College of Dentists, the Academy of Dentistry International, and the Pierre Fouchard Academy.
For Joel Antel, what makes all of his volunteer efforts on behalf of his fellow professionals worth it is the opportunities he has had to connect with so many people across Canada.
“I am energized by my constant association with so many in my professions,” he says, “not only fellow dentists, but also by the support staff and students I have also had the opportunity to get to know.”
Local News
Nakba exhbit at CMHR – you can see it right here and make your own assessment
By BERNIE BELLAN (Posted June 26, updated July 19) The Nakba exhibit at the Canadian Exhibit for Human Rights opened to the public June 27. The morning before the exhibit was set to open to the public, (it had a private opening for invited guests the evening of June 26) we received a press release from the CMHR. That press release gave a very detailed description of what was in the exhibit, along with photos (supplied by Annie Kierans of the CMHR).
There is also a link right at the beginning of the press release that will allow you to watch the same videos that anyone attending the exhibit can watch. We reprinted what was sent to us without making one edit. We leave it to you to form your own opinion as to whether the exhibit is fair in its presentation, and whether it is lacking “context” – which is an accusation that has been levelled at the exhibit’s organizers by some representatives of Jewish organizations.
We have received many emails in reaction to the exhibit. If you have an opinion and would like to see it published on this website, you can send it to jewishp@mymts.net, but please indicate whether you would be willing to have it published on this website.
Here is what we received the morning of June 26:
Winnipeg, MB — June 26, 2026 — The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) will open a new exhibit tomorrow that explores human rights violations related to the ongoing forced displacement of Palestinian Canadians.
Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present will be on display in the Rights Today gallery on Level 5 until 2028. Featuring personal stories told through artifacts and video testimonies, the exhibit presents Palestinian Canadians reflecting on their ongoing struggle for human rights. The small exhibit reveals enduring patterns of loss and resilience, helping visitors understand more about this contemporary human rights story.
Palestinian Canadian stories are now included alongside many other stories of forced displacement and human rights violations featured in the Museum’s galleries. Each of these stories contribute to our visitors understanding of human rights and help the Museum fulfill its mandate to foster reflection and dialogue.
Exhibition highlights
Personal stories and artifacts: Experience firsthand accounts from Palestinian Canadians sharing their journeys of displacement and memory through a series of five artifacts. Cases display artifacts like property deeds, house keys, and a traditional Palestinian embroidered dress, accompanied by short videos that deepen understanding of the impacts of displacement.
Powerful artworks: In her painting Bound Together in Gaza, Malak Mattar, a Gazan artist, captures the struggles and resilience of her generation shaped by conflict. Her work pays homage to Guernica, Picasso’s powerful masterpiece depicting civilian suffering during war.
Curfews and Closures, by Rajie Cook, bears witness to life under military occupation during the 2000–2005 Palestinian uprising, when curfews and closures were expanded and further limited basic rights and freedoms.
Cultural heritage: Discover traditional Palestinian embroidery called tatreez. Tatreez motifs and colours are tied to place, family history and regional identity. Patterns are associated with particular towns, villages or areas of Palestine. In this way, tatreez is a form of storytelling: a way of preserving memory, sustaining identity and expressing resilience across displacement and exile.
Poetry and reflection: Engage with Mahmoud Darwish’s evocative verses, inspiring personal reflection on exile, voice, and responsibility. Visitors can take a card containing Darwish’s poem and add a personal note, fostering ongoing dialogue beyond the exhibit.
Contemporary context: Witness striking images of current events in Gaza and the West Bank, connecting past displacement to ongoing struggles.
Quotes:
“No force can silence the truth we carry. Growing up in Canada, my children lived the Nakba through our stories. And now we watch it happen again, live, on our phones. When I see the images coming out of Gaza, I am not watching the news. I am watching my history repeat itself.” -Fouad Sahyoun, a Palestinian Canadian featured in the exhibit
“We developed this exhibit with a clear awareness that Palestinian Canadian voices have too often been marginalized, silenced or spoken over — and that anti-Palestinian racism affects whose stories are heard and whose suffering is recognized. That is why we intentionally centred Palestinian Canadian voices throughout the exhibit.” -Isabelle Masson, Curator of Palestine Uprooted
“Human rights matter precisely when they are inconvenient, when the question of who deserves the dignity of having their rights recognized is genuinely contested. These are the moments where having a national museum for human rights is most important.
There are people who believe this exhibit should not exist in its current form. There are people who believe it should have existed sooner. There are people who will visit this exhibit and feel that it does not say enough, and others who will feel it says too much.
We have listened to every one of these voices. We have reflected. And we have renewed our resolve to continue the difficult, sometimes contested, and often controversial work of building understanding about human rights. We are a museum grounded in Canada’s human rights framework, whose mandate requires us to bear witness to the full complexity of the human story. We are proud to open this exhibit because the story it tells will help achieve that mandate, and because this story belongs in the collective memory of Canadians.”
- – Isha Khan, CEO
Local News
A photo that’s being circulated on the internet about me
For those of you not familiar with nutjob Michael Kalo – the psycho who created the notorious “$hitler’s List” years ago and the same psycho who went after Ben Carr, well – now he’s obviously taken a strong disliking to the stance I’ve taken on the Nakba exhibit at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (You can read elsewhere on this website how I simply posted the entire exhibit as it is – and asked readers to form their own opinions.)
Kalo likes to send out emails to various individual using phony names – such as Frank Ostrowski. When people ask me (or asked Ben Carr) why we don’t take action against him, my answer is: What’s the use? He only basks in the attention.
So Michael – enjoy the attention you’re receiving. I know how much of an embarrassment you are to your wonderfully talented daughters.
Local News
Ami Hassan returning as owner of Falafel Place
By BERNIE BELLAN In a surprise move – and after more than a six-year absence as owner of Falafel Place (Corydon at Wilton) the legendary Ami Hassan has decided to return as owner of one of Winnipeg’s most famous eateries.
Long known for his sometimes irreverent attitude to his customers, e.g., “If you’re finished, get out!”, Ami decided to return to running Falafel Place after having retired years ago (or so he thought) from running the Corydon Avenue restaurant.
We asked Ami whether he’ll be sending a special invitation to Julia Roberts to come visit him at Falafel Place. He asked again: “Who’s Julia Roberts?” (Just kidding – he really does know how Julia Roberts is.) Read the story how Ami told her to leave the restaurant and come back later at Julia Roberts turned away from Falafel Place
Ami did note that when customers saw him inside the restaurant one recent day as he was getting it ready for the reopening Monday, August 10, over 20 of them came in asking him if he was open already.
We asked Ami whether the menu will be the same as it was when he last ran the place and he said everything will be the same.
Falafel Place will be open 7 days a week from 7 am – 2 pm. Remember, if you’re finished – get out!
