Features
Jewish Federation GrowWinnipeg director Dalia Szpiro revels in opportunity to meet other new immigrants, experience different cultures
By MYRON LOVE “One of the things I most enjoy about my work is getting to know families from different countries and cultures,” observes Dalia Szpiro, the director of our Jewish Federation’s GrowWinnipeg initiative. “Having all of these new families here really adds to the vibrancy of our community.”
It was just over 20 years ago that the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg established the GrowWinnipeg initiative to try to stabilize and increase our city’s declining Jewish population. While the initiative also focused on keeping young Jews in Winnipeg and persuading former Winnipeggers to return, the program has seen its greatest success in attracting new immigrants.
And who better to lead such a program and smooth the way for newcomers here than Szpiro herself who, with her husband, Eduardo Borovich, arrived here from their home in Montevideo, Uruguay. They were among the first newcomers to respond to the GrowWinnipeg initiative.
“We weren’t planning on leaving Uruguay,” Szpiro recalls. “But, at the time, we were dealing with a troubled economy in the region. Eduardo learned about the Winnipeg Jewish community’s efforts to recruit new families.”
Dalia and Eduardo and their first-born, Yael (Vanessa, their younger daughter, was born here) arrived in what was to become their new home in September 2002. “When we got off the plane,” Szpiro recounts, “we were all bundled up for the cold. Much to our surprise, people were wearing T-shirts and shorts. It was 20 degrees.”
She recalls the unknown situation that the family initially encountered. “This was before Google and Facebook,” Szpiro observes. “Families who are coming now are much better informed. But the community embraced us and we soon felt right at home.”
Both Dalia and Eduardo quickly found jobs here – he as an accountant working for RBC, and she as assistant to Evelyn Hecht, GrowWinnipeg’s original director.
“Evelyn was a joy to work with,” Szpiro says. “I learned through her the generosity, openness and welcoming spirit that our Jewish community has. Her door was always open. Evelyn is an inspiring role model for me. We remain close friends.”
When Hecht retired in 2006, Szpiro ( who was trained as a psychologist) became her obvious successor.
As Szpiro notes, while the initial thrust in the program was aimed at attracting Jewish families from South America – specifically Argentina, in recent years, the majority of Jewish families have come from Israel. As well, it makes sense that many of the Israeli families that have come here have recent Eastern European ancestry since they are already familiar with life in a winter climate.
In more recent years though families from Brazil, Mexico, and Turkey have applied through the GrownWinnipeg initiative and became part of our community.
“What we offer as a community to newcomers is unique,” Szpiro points out. “One of the requirements to apply for permanent residency is an exploratory visit to Manitoba. We have a great number of volunteers who connect with the exploratory visitors and their families. We work to build contacts between prospective newcomers and members of the community. We try to match new families with people with similar backgrounds. They start to build their network before moving here, so when they move here they feel at home. Candidates are connected to all our organizations and services, including JCFS, Rady JCC, Gray Academy, synagogues, professional regulatory bodies, and other relevant contacts.”
Naturally, the pandemic lockdowns put a pause on immigration due to the restrictions on travellign to Canada. “We worked hard during that time to keep up contacts with prospective immigrants,” Szpiro says. “We arranged all of our meetings online. But the number of exploratory visits really decreased.”
While the numbers are increasing again, she further reports, “we understand all the efforts that a candidate must make to come in an exploratory visit to Manitoba. The cost of flights is up and the provincial government requirements are more demanding. Applicants are required to pass English-language tests. It costs more money and takes longer to prepare”.
More documentation is also required – which also costs more money.
Further, priority is given to those applicants who qualify for an occupation where workers are in demand.
Szpiro reports that GrowWinnipeg’s goal this year is to receive 40 exploratory visitors, then increase to 60 and to 75 the following two years. “We hope to continue increasing the number of candidates that are able to come on exploratory visits,” Szpiro says. “While most of our new families continue to be coming from Israel, we are also getting a lot of inquiries from Mexico, Brazil Argentina, Turkey, Hungary, South Africa, Colombia, Ukraine and Russia.”
As for her and her family, Dalia and Eduardo are satisfied that they made the right move. Vanessa is now a student at Gray Academy while (Gray Academy graduate) Yael is now working for Scotia Bank after earning a business degree from the Asper School of Business.
“They love it here,” says Szpiro of her daughters. Both are involved in our community and in the general community.
“Winnipeg not only offers a lot for families but also to young adults. There are so many opportunities for them.”
Szpiro adds with pride that both daughters enjoy being involved. Yael is already playing a leading role in the community as a board member and Chair of the Federation’s Genesis YWG, a training ground for future community leaders. Vanessa has been a volunteer for different initiatives, including community events and CJA, where she is part of the executive committee for TAP (Teens and Philanthropy). She is also active in BBYO.
Features
Why Fitness Routines Fall Apart — and How to Rebuild Yours
Every spring, gyms see a flood of hopeful faces. New shoes, fresh playlists, unwavering intentions, by mid-summer? Half of them vanish into the fog of abandoned routines. The story repeats year after year until it starts to feel almost scripted. Why does enthusiasm evaporate? The easy answer involves willpower but that explanation misses the point. Habits don’t fail because people are weak. Life stress, boredom, and monotony ruin routines. Timely lever pulls can change narratives. The hardest part is persevering when motivation wanes.
Mistaking Motivation for Momentum
Most chase that opening surge, the lightning strike of motivation, but then stop searching once enthusiasm fizzles. A scroll through sites like PUR Pharma (pur-pharma.is/) or a glimpse of an influencer’s progress triggers a burst of action: new workout gear ordered, plans scribbled in planners destined for dusty drawers. Yet momentum fades when small setbacks pop up (a late meeting here, rainy weather there). Real progress comes from building systems stronger than any fleeting pep talk. Those who frame fitness as something owed to motivation end up back at square one every time life interrupts, which it always does.
Overcomplicating Everything
It’s tempting to turn wellness into a science fair project with spreadsheets and specialized equipment lined up on day one. This is the allure of complexity disguised as seriousness, a new diet paired with seven types of supplements and four color-coded bottles. Simplicity gets lost in the noise almost instantly. Most successful routines rely on two principles: keep it simple and keep showing up even when everything else is chaos outside those gym walls. Anyone insisting that perfection is required before taking step one has already constructed an excuse not to begin at all.
Forgetting Fun Completely
Who decided exercise must hurt or look like punishment? Somewhere along the line, fun got swapped out for grind culture and “no pain, no gain.” That isn’t just unappealing, it’s unsustainable over months or years. If sessions feel like torture devices borrowed from medieval times, nobody should be surprised when commitment falters fast. Seek activities that actually spark some joy or curiosity, a dance class instead of yet another treadmill session, maybe, or play a pickup game rather than slogging through solo circuits again and again.
Ignoring Recovery (and Reality)
Sleep deprivation, disguised as discipline, fools anyone, except perhaps uncritical Instagram followers. Ignoring recovery turns ambition into tiredness faster than any missed session. Because bodies break without rest, routines must breathe with owners. Cycling, real leisure, and honest self-checks regarding weekly goals build endurance, not continual pushing.
Conclusion
Change rarely arrives by force alone but usually grows quietly from patterns repeated imperfectly over time, even if last month looked nothing like this week so far. Drop the hunt for nonstop inspiration. Instead of breaking behaviors at the first hint of stress or boredom, build habits that last. People who rebuild methodically after every stumble or detour make progress, not those who peak and then fall.
Features
How DIY Auto Repairs Can Help You Cut Costs—Safely
Regular maintenance and minor repairs are the greatest approach for many car drivers to save money without sacrificing dependability. DIY repairs can save you a lot of money over the life of your car since most of the expense is in the labour. DIY helps you learn how things work and notice tiny issues before they become costly ones. Every work requires planning, patience, and safety.
Test Your Talents with Safe Limits
DIY solutions succeed when one is honest about their talents. Wiper blades, air filters, and occupant filters are beginner-friendly. With the correct equipment, intermediate owners can replace brake pads, spark plugs, coolant, and brake fluid. Pressurized fuel, high-voltage hybrids, airbags, and timing components are risky. Only professionals should manage them. Limitations protect you and your car. Drivers trust sources like Parts Avenue to find, install, and schedule manufacturer-approved work.
Set Up a Reliable Workspace and Tools
Good tools pay for themselves quickly. Ratchets, torque wrenches, combination wrenches, heavy jack stands, and wheel chocks are essential. It is advisable to engage specialists for specific tasks. A clean, flat, well-lit, and open space is essential. Please take your time. While working, keep a charged phone nearby to read repair instructions or write torque patterns.
Find the Problem before Replacing the Parts
It may cost more to replace something without diagnosing it. Instead of ideas, start with symptoms. OBD-II readers detect leaks, sounds, and DTCs. Simple tests like voltage, smoke indicating vacuum leaks, pad thickness, and rotor runout might reveal failure. A good analysis saves components, protects surrounding parts, and fosters future trust.
Maintenance That Pays off is Most Crucial
Jobs compensate for time and tools differently. Prioritize returns and maintenance. Change the oil and filter, rotate the tires, evaluate the air pressure, replace low brake fluid, clean the coolant with the right chemicals, and replace belts and filters before they fail. These items extend automotive life, stabilize fuel efficiency, and reduce roadside towing issues that can take months to resolve.
Do as Instructed, Utilize Quality Parts, and Follow Torque Requirements
Understand the service. Set the jacking points, tighten the screws in the appropriate order, and use threadlocker or anti-seize as suggested by the maker. Rotor wear can cause leaks, distortions, or broken threads. Choose components that meet or exceed OEM requirements and fit your car’s VIN, engine code, and manufacturing date. Cheap parts that break easily cost extra.
Test, Record, and Discard Carefully
Safely test the system before patching. Check under the car for drops, bleed the brakes again, and check fluid levels after a short drive. Note torques, parts, miles, and repair date. Photo and document storage for car sales. Properly dispose of oil, filters, coolant, and brake fluid. Controlling hazards protects your community and workplace.
Know When to Seek Professional Help
Self-employed individuals recognize their constraints. If a task is challenging, requires special instruments, or involves safety, consult an expert. Collaboration makes cars safer, cheaper, and more efficient. Selecting, planning, and implementing processes properly improves performance, lowers costs, and ensures safety.
Features
What It Means for Ontario to Be the Most Open iGaming Market in Canada
Ontario is the most open commercial iGaming market in Canada, having been the first province to open up to commercial actors in the online casino and betting space since 2022.
Since gambling laws in Canada are managed on a provincial level, each province has its own legislation.
Before April 4th, 2022, Ontario was similar to any other Canadian province in the iGaming space. The only gaming site regulated in the province was run by government-owned Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, also known as OLG. However, when the market opened up, numerous high-quality gambling companies established themselves in the province, quickly generating substantial revenue. As the largest online gambling market in Canada, it’s now, three years later, also one of the biggest in North America.
The fully regulated commercial market is run under iGaming Ontario and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. These licensed casinos and online sportsbooks are thus fully legal and safe for players to play at, while at the same time, the open market allows companies to compete and offer different products and platforms as long as they all fit within the requirements set up by the state of Ontario.
This means that Ontarians have a wide choice of licensed sites, whether they’re interested in sports betting, live dealer games, or slots – all with strict consumer-protection rules that keep them safe while exploring the many options. (Source: https://esportsinsider.com/ca/gambling/online-casinos-canada)
There are many benefits to online gaming, especially in a country that’s as sparsely populated as Canada, leaving physical venues often few and far between for those living outside the biggest cities.
Even before Ontario launched its own gambling sites, online gambling had been common among Ontarians. Regulating the market and offering alternatives regulated by the province has often added safer and more controlled options.
Since 85% of Ontarians now play at regulated sites, the initiative of opening up the market seems a clear win in more than one way.
Despite the huge success of the Ontario market, most provinces in Canada haven’t changed much in the iGaming sector in the past few years. Some provinces keep Crown-run monopolies, while others limit activity to a single government-run platform. This often leads Canadians to seek offshore alternatives instead, since the options are so few in their own province.
But 2025 marks an important change. The provinces seem to have noticed that Ontario picked a winning strategy, and Alberta has clearly been taking notes.
While the province of Alberta has previously opted for controlled gambling through one government website, the province is now opening up the commercial online gambling market. The Alberta iGaming Corporation will be in charge of licensing and inspecting actors that operate in the province. This will mean many more options for players, coupled with consumer protection and a high level of safety.
Meanwhile, the Ontario iGaming market continues to prosper, grow, and develop. Now that a second province is following in its footsteps, it seems more likely that other provinces will also start following the trend.