with insights from Tracy Whitby, Executive Director“While not all of the survivors we serve are women, the majority are,” shares Tracy Whitby, Executive Director at Agape House. “International Women’s Day is a powerful opportunity to shine a spotlight on the strength and resilience of women in our community. Every day, we witness stories of courage, determination, and success. IWD provides the perfect platform to highlight those stories—to celebrate not only survival, but growth, healing, and empowerment.”

Women and families often enter shelter at one of the most difficult moments in their lives. “They have uprooted everything familiar to them and stepped into a new, shared, and unfamiliar space in order to be safe. That transition alone requires tremendous courage,” says Tracy. Each day, women work alongside the shelter team to rebuild their lives—“setting goals, prioritizing next steps, navigating medical, legal, and housing systems, and often starting over; all while caring for their children and managing the many responsibilities of daily life.”

Over time, transformation unfolds. “We see confidence grow. We see belief take root; belief that they can do this, and that they and their families deserve safety and stability. Watching that strength unfold is truly why we do this work,” Tracy adds.

Recognizing International Women’s Day also helps raise awareness about gender-based violence in the community. “For Agape House and our community, International Women’s Day is closely connected to our largest annual fundraiser—the Purple Gala. This event brings together community members who want to see positive change. It creates space to share stories, successes, and challenges, and to work collectively to reduce the shame and stigma surrounding gender-based violence,” explains Tracy.

Broadway Moments

March 19-21

7 p.m.

SRSS Theatre

$30 Regular, $15 Students

Broadway Moments is a concert-style musical revue celebrating over a decade of community musical theatre in Steinbach. This high-energy production brings together emerging artists and seasoned local performers to showcase the music, voices, and storytelling that define SAC’s musical community.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said, “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”

Judging by the projected budget deficit ($1.6 billion and counting), Manitoba’s NDP government is finding out just how easy it is to run out of other people’s money. There’s a limit to how much money you can squeeze out of hard-working Manitobans.

Unfortunately, it looks like Premier Wab Kinew plans to double down on failed NDP economics. During a recent radio interview, Kinew hinted at a tax hike coming for the wealthiest Manitobans.

“We’re going to have some help in the budget on the education property tax front, and we might be asking the top one per cent to help us out with that,” explained Kinew.

Hate is real. Threats are real. Intimidation is real. Violence against Christians is real. When churches are burned, when schools are no longer safe, and when community spaces are targeted, Canadians expect Parliament to stand up and respond.

Yet since 2021, around 100 Christian churches across Canada have been burned, vandalized, or desecrated. It stunned many Canadians when Parliament could not unanimously condemn these actions when the motion was brought forward on Feb. 2, 2024.

This reality forms the backdrop to the debate over Bill C-9. Ironically, the abbreviated name of the bill is the “Combatting Hate” Act. Legal experts explain that many provisions of this bill duplicate what already exists. That’s why Conservatives claim the challenge is not new legislation, but consistent enforcement of the laws that already exist.

An exception is an amendment proposed by the Bloc and accepted by the Liberal government in order to secure Bloc support for the bill. The amendment removes the religious freedom safeguard from the Criminal Code, exposing people of faith to criminal prosecution for the simple act of quoting sacred texts. As Member of Parliament Andrew Lawton said, “the Liberals have agreed to team up with the Bloc to dismantle longstanding religious freedom protections.” The oft-quoted statements of the former Liberal chair of the House of Commons justice Committee, Marc Miller, called sections of the Bible and Torah “clearly hateful.”

We are eating lunch in an outdoor restaurant in Chefchaouen, Morocco. Stray cats repeatedly try jumping up on our table. My husband, knowing I’m allergic to felines, manages to chase most of them away. But keeping the cats at bay is an ongoing battle throughout our meal. At one point we look over at the couple sitting just across from us and see three cats on their table sniffing various dishes of food.

There are multitudes of stray cats everywhere in Morocco. There is a religious reason for that. It is believed the Prophet Muhammad had a deep affection for cats. According to the Hadith, a secondary holy text to the Quran, it is forbidden to hurt or kill cats. Mistreating them can lead to eternal punishment. Cats are considered children of Allah, a source of protection and blessing.

The cats of Morocco are just one example of how religious beliefs deeply influence daily life here. Whether we are staying in a guesthouse in a tiny village high in the Atlas Mountains or in a nice hotel in a big city like Fes, we are awakened each morning at 5:30 a.m. by the loud calls to prayer emanating from the speakers in the towers of the closest mosque. People are called to prayer five times a day and take that religious duty very seriously whether they are at home or out in public.

Our extended stay in Morocco coincides with the month of Ramadan. That means there is no alcohol for sale anywhere and many shops and restaurants have been closed for the holy holiday which extends from February 18th to March 20th. Government offices and banks have reduced their opening hours. When we toured a massive new mosque in Casablanca we were told that during Ramadan they would welcome some 80,000 worshippers each day.