Local News
Freda Steel pays homage to her parents’ role in leading her to law career
By GERRY POSNER
Perhaps one of the most remarkable stories about a child of Holocaust survivors who began with humble origins and then rose to a level even she could never have dreamed, is that of Freda Steel, or more properly Madam Justice Freda Steel.
This is not a rags to riches story, but it is a true account of a family that came to Canada with so little and then created a life for themselves, enriched by a daughter who now sits as a Justice on the Court of Appeal for the Province of Manitoba.
The parents, Morris and Sonia Steel, arrived in Canada after managing to survive the Holocaust (a whole other story) and landed in Stonewall, Manitoba, where Morris’ older brother, Sam Steele, father to none other than former Senator Mira Spivak, had settled. (There must be some explanation for the extra “e” for one family and not the other). But, it was not long before the Steel family, then consisting of the parents and their young son Sam, moved into the north end of Winnipeg on Flora Avenue, where Freda was born.
After a few years, Morris and Sonia were able to buy a grocery store at Redwood and Andrews. The fact that Morris could speak seven languages was a key factor in the success of the store. Freda attended Talmud Torah followed by Garden City Collegiate. (By then the family lived on Forest Park Drive). It was her late brother Sam who instilled in Freda the ambition to enter into law and we all ought to be grateful to him for that advice. That advice, taken together with the lesson learned from her parents that the rule of law could easily be destroyed, took Freda to law school at the University of Manitoba and indeed, may have propelled her later to a Masters of Law from Harvard. How many Harvard alumni are sitting judges on the Courts of Appeal across Canada? Maybe Freda knows that answer.
Freda did practice for a few years in Winnipeg but after her Harvard time, she became a professor of law at the University of Ottawa in the Common Law section – and she loved it. In fact, her teaching career added up to a total of 18 years between Ottawa and the law school at the University of Manitoba, where she became Associate Dean. As well, Freda worked for the Law Society of Manitoba as the Director of Legal Education, also did some legal arbitration work in human rights and labour law.
In 1995, Freda was appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench of Manitoba and that must have been quite a moment for her and indeed her whole family (which, by then, included her husband, David Gisser, QC, and her children, Jason and Meira) when she put on her judicial robes. Move forward five more years and in 2000, Freda Steel was appointed to the Manitoba Court of Appeal, becoming just the second woman appointed to that court, following Madame Justice Bonnie Helper.
Freda offers an interesting perspective of her role on the bench: “I have had many years of legal education and practice time, but for my work on the Bench, the most important part of my education were the years growing up in the back of a grocery store in the north end. The stories of the people who came in daily to buy their milk and bread and chat with my father left an indelible impression.”
Since her appointment, Freda has been very involved in legal and judicial education through the Law Society, the Canadian Bar Association and the National Judicial Institute. Her resumé goes long and deep, but what stands out is that, in 2012, Freda Steel received the prestigious Cecilia I. Johnstone Award acknowledging her professional excellence in her field and her influence on other women in their quest to pursue a legal career.
Now, with all that said, surely one of Freda’s greatest joys would be the fact that both her children, Jason and Meira, have followed her path and indeed the path of their father into the legal profession with Jason working as counsel to the University of Manitoba Faculty Association and Meira for the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. I wonder what the conversation is about when the four of them get together for dinner?
It has been quite a trail that Freda Steel has created for herself and the trail keeps on going and in many directions. What is certain is that the Jewish community of Winnipeg, the City of Winnipeg and the Province of Manitoba have much to be proud of in Freda Steel.
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!
