Community mapping report final

COMMUNITY MAPPING REPORT

UEY SELKIRK - INTERLAKE

Karin Rensfelt, Community Researcher
June 2010 Understanding the Early Years, Selkirk-Interlake
www.lssd.ca/ueyselkirkinterlake

UEY Selkirk-Interlake Community Mapping Report

UEY Selkirk-Interlake
Community Mapping Report

The UEY Selkirk-Interlake project
is funded by the Government of Canada’s
Understanding the Early Years Initiative.

More information on the UEY Selkirk-Interlake can be found at www.lssd.ca/ueyselkirkinterlake

For more information on UEY Selkirk-Interlake wards see pages 16 - 22 of this report
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COMMUNITY MAPPING REPORT

DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Human Resources and Skills
Development Canada (HRSDC), the Government of Canada or the Lord Selkirk School Division.
Although the UEY Selkirk-Interlake region includes Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, all data from that community
has been extracted. Therefore, there may be discrepancies between this report and others.
While efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information within this report, no warranty is
made as to accuracy, propriety, completeness or usefulness of the information. The user assumes the entire
risk related to accessing and using the data.
Due to the ever changing nature of communities and their resources, the community characteristics may change
before the final publication of this report. Efforts have been made on the part of the author to report on the
most recent characteristics and resources at the time of writing this report.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Understanding the Early Years (UEY) initiative has made a significant contribution to increasing community
capacity with agencies and organizations in the Lord Selkirk School Division region to meet the needs of
young children and their families. We have been able to integrate this project with the ongoing work of the
Southeast Interlake Early Childhood Development Coalition (SEI-ECDC) to achieve mutual goals.
The UEY Selkirk-Interlake Community Mapping Report could not have been possible without the efforts of:

 Happy Thought School

 Healthy Child Manitoba Office

 Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

 Lord Selkirk School Division

 Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University

 Statistics Canada

 South East Interlake Early Development Coalition

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CONTENTS
Acronyms…………………………………………………………………………………………………..7
1. Components of the Understanding the Early Years Initiative
EDI……………………………………………………………………………………………..9
Community Mapping…………………………………………………………………………11
Inventory of Community Services…….……………………………………………………….12
Parent Interview & Direct Assessment of Children Survey…………………………………....13

2. Geography of UEY Selkirk-Interlake
Location of Selkirk-Interlake………………………………………………………………….15
Our Neighbourhoods…………………………………………………………………………16
City of Selkirk………………………………………………………………………………...23

3. Where are the Children and Families Located?..…………………………………………………………25
Population of Young Children ………………………………………………………………..26
Families with Young Children…………………………………………………………………27

4. Community Resources……………………………………………………………………………………...29
Schools………………………………………………………………………………………..31
Kindergarten……………………………………………………………………………….…32
Child Care……………………………………………………………………………………33
Child Centered Resource Availability………………………………………………………...34
Social Supports……………...………………………………………………………………..37
Parent and Family Centred Resource Availability……………………………………………39
Services for Children with Special Needs…………………………………………………….41
Libraries………………………………………………………………………………………43
Recreation…………………………………………………………………………………….46
Preventative Health Services…………………………………………………………………53
Emergency Health Services………………………………………………………………...…55
Cultural and Entertainment Resources………………………………………………………...56
Places of Worship……………………………………………………………………………57
Public Transportation…………………………………………………………………………58

5. Community Strengths and Challenges…………………………………………………………………......59

6. Community Demographics………………………………………………………………………………...63
Population Mobility…………………………………………………………………………..64
Education……………………………………………………………………………………..65
Employment…………………………………………………………………………………...68
Family Income………………………………………………………………………....………69
Prevalence of Low Income……………………………………………………………………74
Family Structure………………………………………………………………………………77
Ethnic and Linguistic Diversity…………………………………………………………………81
Immigration…………………………………………………………………………………...82
Aboriginal Resources…………………………………………………………………………83
Government Transfer Payments………………………………………………………………84
Home Ownership……………………………………………………………………………..85

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7. What does the Evidence tell us?
Highlights of Findings…………………………………………………………………………87
Next Steps……………………………………………………………………………………89
References…………………………………………………………………………………………………….91

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THE ACRONYMS
 ECDC - Early Childhood Development Coalition
 EDI - Early Development Instrument
 GIS - Geographic Information Systems
 HCMO - Healthy Child Manitoba Office
 HRSDC - Human Resources & Skills Development Canada
 LSSD - Lord Selkirk School Division
 PIDACS - Parent Interview & Direct Assessment of Children Survey
 PMK - Person Most Knowledgeable
 SEI-ECDC - South-East Interlake Early Childhood Development Coalition
 SES - Socioeconomic Status
 Triple P - Positive Parenting Program
 UEY - Understanding the Early Years

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COMPONENTS OF THE UEY INITIATIVE
Early Development Instrument (EDI)
 The EDI is a questionnaire completed by Kindergarten teachers in February to gather information on
five areas of child development and measures the school readiness skills of kindergarten children.
 It is not an assessment of individual children, but a tool to monitor populations of children over time.
 The EDI was developed by the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University, which has a
contractual agreement with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada to manage the EDI data
collection and produce reports for each UEY community.
 This data collection is done in collaboration with participating schools, school boards, and the UEY
coordinator.
 The Lord Selkirk School Division has been completing the EDI since 2003 as mandated provincially
through Healthy Child Manitoba Office (HCMO).

The five domains of child development looked at in the EDI and examples of skills measured are:
1. Physical Health and Well-Being
 fine motor development
o generally refers to actions of the hands, wrists, and arms, such as using the hands
and fingers to grasp and manipulate objects for activities like eating, writing,
dressing, building and playing
 gross motor development
o generally refers to actions such as sitting, standing, walking, and climbing, using
larger muscle groups
 levels of energy throughout the day
 daily preparedness for school (tired, late, hungry)
 physical independence (independent in washroom, established hand preference, well
coordinated)

2. Social Competence
 cooperative and respectful to others (children and adults)
 able to work within the school environment
 socially appropriate behaviour during school activities
 self-control, self-confidence
 shows respect for others and property
 follows instructions and routines
 curious about new things

3. Emotional Maturity
 pro-social behaviour, helping, tolerance, empathy as opposed to aggressive behaviour,
anxiety, hyperactivity, inattention, impulsiveness
 informal, peer-to-peer interaction - as opposed to the more structured interaction measured
on the social competence scale
 comfortable being left at school by caregiver
 able to concentrate, settle into chosen activities and wait their turn
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4. Language and Cognitive Development
 interest in books, reading, language-related activities (rhyming, group reading)
 literacy – ability to recognize letters, read and write simple words
 interest in simple math related activities
 numeracy – ability to recognize and compare numbers, count, sort, etc.

5. Communication and General Knowledge
 ability to clearly communicate one’s own needs
 ability to understand others
 clear articulation
 active participation in story-telling (not necessarily with good grammar or syntax)
 shows adequate general knowledge

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Community Mapping
Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) computer software, maps are created to display the following
information by different geographic areas of the community:

 Inventory of Community Programs and Services
 Canadian census data
 Early Development Instrument results

The community maps:

 are designed to gather information about the physical and social environment and the programs and
services available in the community
 can help identify areas of strength and need in the community
 will stimulate discussion and bring people together to generate ideas and solutions
 provide a visual picture of the relationships between community factors (i.e. location of parks, libraries
and child care centres), and socio-economic characteristics (i.e. rates of employment and home
ownership)

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Inventory of Community Programs and Services
Each UEY community is responsible for developing an inventory of the local programs and services available
to young children and their families.

 It includes a range of services such as health clinics, schools, family resource centres, recreational
facilities (including parks and pools), and child care facilities, and the programming specific to each.
 Collecting information on the location of these resources allows the researcher to map them with other
data using Arc GIS software.
 The purpose of this exercise is to observe how the availability and distribution of community resources
is linked to young children’s developmental outcomes and whether there are gaps in the provision of
programs and services to support children and their families.

The UEY Selkirk-Interlake inventory included information from six sectors:
1. Education
2. Health and Well-Being
3. Sports and Leisure
4. Social
5. Special Interest
6. Culture and Entertainment

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Parent Interviews and Direct Assessments of Children Survey (PIDACS)
PIDACS examines the relationship between children’s development and various family and community factors
that could influence that development.

It has two parts:
1. An interview with the person most knowledgeable (PMK) about the child - usually a parent or guardian -
to obtain information on the:
- family
- child’s development
- child’s experiences in the community
2. Three direct assessment activities with the child which assess:
- Picture Vocabulary – receptive or hearing vocabulary, words children use for things that they see
- Who Am I? – copying and printing skills related to early literacy and the understanding of shapes
- Number Knowledge – the understanding of numbers, counting, number sequence, simple arithmetic

It is conducted by an independent contractor, R.A. Malatest, hired by Human Resources and Skills
Development Canada.
- The UEY Selkirk-Interlake coordinator and researcher provide local coordination and support, such as
providing information to parents and schools, obtaining permission forms from participating parents, and
acting as a liaison to the contractor hired by HRSDC.
- The data collection is done in collaboration with participating parents, schools, school boards, and the UEY
coordinator.
- The contractor is responsible for analyzing the data and writing community-specific research reports
based on the EDI and PIDACS results for each UEY site.

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GEOGRAPHY OF UEY SELKIRK-INTERLAKE
Location of UEY-Selkirk-Interlake
UEY Selkirk-Interlake is a geographically diverse, unevenly populated area located north of Winnipeg,
Manitoba. The region stretches along both sides of the Red River, from the southern suburban communities of
Lockport and St. Andrews; through the farming areas of Clandeboye, Petersfield, East Selkirk, and Libau; to
the lakeshore communities of Grand Beach and Victoria Beach on Lake Winnipeg. The historic City of Selkirk
is the hub of the region. These communities encompass 1760 square kilometers.

The communities of the Selkirk-Interlake region celebrate the proud heritage and culture of the region –
including the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, the Scottish pioneers, the Netley Hutterite Colony, the French
Canadian voyageurs, and
the Ukrainian settlers. With
a population of 27,705
people, there are
approximately 14.5 people
per square kilometer! There
are 1875 children under
age six in the region,
representing 6.7% of the
population. The proportion
of young children is
declining each year.
The economy of the Selkirk-
Interlake region is
dependent on the
manufacturing, agriculture,
and tourism industries.
There is a common bond
among the residents of the
region because of shared
services and activities.

Map 1shows the location
of UEY Selkirk-Interlake
within the Province of
Manitoba. It also shows
where the City of Selkirk
is situated in the UEY
Selkirk-Interlake region.

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Our Neighbourhoods
The boundaries for UEY Selkirk Interlake are divided by the electoral boundary lines of the region.

Map 2 - Ward 1 - St. Andrews South
Cloverdale Road borders Wards 1 and 2 in the north. The Red River separates Wards 1 and 4 in the east.
The City of Selkirk’s city limits border Ward 1 to the northeast. The RM of Rockwood is the western border
and Parkdale Road is the border to the south.

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Map 3- Ward 2 - St. Andrews North
The southern border of St. Andrews North is Cloverdale Road and the north boundary of the City of Selkirk.
The Red River separates Wards 2 and 4 in the east. The RM of Rockwood is the western border of Ward 2.
Taylor Road, Philpott Road, Chalet Beach Road and Pilatski Road are northern borders of Ward 2.

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Map 4 - Ward 3 - St. Clements, RM of Victoria Beach, RM of Alexander
Ward 3 extends north to the RM of Victoria Beach, and is bordered to the west by Lake Winnipeg. The
southern border of Ward 3 is Road 89. Ward 3 also borders the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation. A portion of
the RM of Alexander is within Ward 3 and part of it is the eastern border.

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Map 5 - Ward 4 - St. Clements
The Red River runs along the entire western border of Ward 4. Road 89 is the north border while Boundary
Road, Church Road, and the RM of Springfield are all borders in the south. The Lord Selkirk School Division
boundary line is the eastern border of Ward 4.

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Map 6 - Ward 5a - Selkirk North
The north side of Manitoba Avenue is the southern border for Ward 5a. It separates Wards 5a from 5b and
5c. The north border of Ward 5a is the City of Selkirk’s city limits. The Red River borders 5a to the East.
Cloverdale Road and Highway 4 are the borders in the west.

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Map 7 - Ward 5b - Selkirk West
Cloverdale Road borders Ward 5b to the northwest. Selkirk’s city limits borders Ward 5b in the south. Main
Street is the border to the east, with the west side of Main Street part of Ward 5b. To the north, Manitoba
Avenue separates Wards 5b and 5a, with the south side of Manitoba Avenue up to Main Street is part of
Ward 5b.

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Map 8 - Ward 5c - Selkirk East
The Red River borders Ward 5c in the east. The northern border is Manitoba Avenue with the south side of
Manitoba Avenue part of Ward 5c. Main Street is the western border, with the east side of Main Street
being part of Ward 5c. The southern border is the city limits of the City of Selkirk.

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City of Selkirk
Selkirk is the centre of the community for economic, medical, social, and educational activities. Important
regional services are provided to families and young children by the Selkirk & District General Hospital, the
Selkirk Mental Health Centre, the Red River North Regional Library, Nova House Shelter for Women, Selkirk
Friendship Centre, Growing Years Family Resource Centre, Selkirk & District Chamber of Commerce, as well
as many others.

Map 9 shows the
aerial street view
of the City of
Selkirk.

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WHERE ARE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES LOCATED?
Population of Young Children
The 2006 Canadian census data shows the population of UEY Selkirk-Interlake to be 27,705. Of this number,
1875 are children aged six and under which is 6.7% of the population. The neighbourhood with the highest
percentage of children under age six per capita is Ward 5a – Selkirk North with 8.6%. The neighbourhood
with the lowest percentage of children per capita is Ward 3 (St. Clements North, RM of Alexander and the
RM of Victoria Beach) with 2.8%.

Figure 1

Figure 1 shows the
percentage of the total
population that are
between the ages of zero
and six.

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Map 10 shows where the
greatest density of children is
found in the region. The
greatest density of children
live in the City of Selkirk.
The next highest density of
children is found in Ward 1.

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Families with Young Children
There are 8365 families in UEY Selkirk-Interlake. Of this number, 4910 (58.7%) families have children at
home. Since more than half of the families in UEY Selkirk-Interlake have children at home, it is important for
the community to provide enough resources and services to help these families and their children. The location
of these services is also important. When adding new programs and services, communities need to identify:
 where programs are implemented now and where there are gaps
 where families live in relation to these programs
 if there are appropriate resources in the areas families are located

The majority of programs
and services are currently
located within the City of
Selkirk, although the
highest population of
families with children live
in Ward 1(St. Andrews
South).

Map 5 shows the greatest
number of families with
children live in Ward 1, and
the least are in Ward 3.

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COMMUNITY RESOURCES –INTRODUCTION
UEY Selkirk-Interlake has many community resources. The Inventory of Community Programs and Services is
available to parents, guardians, community agencies, and anyone who is interested in what the UEY Selkirk-
Interlake community has to offer its young families. Evidence suggests that neighbourhoods and communities
where children grow and learn directly influence their development. Community/neighbourhoods affect
parents’ ability to provide the best possible family environment and the ability of schools to offer the best
possible education. The purpose of the inventory is to:
 Promote collaboration among community groups
 Avoid duplication of effort
 Find gaps that may be used for community planning

In developing the Inventory of Community Programs and Services, UEY Selkirk-Interlake considered community
centered resources that would fall under the sectors of: Health and Well Being, Education, Sports and Leisure,
Social, Special Interest and Culture and Entertainment. See Figure 2 for a list of the sectors, categories and
sub-categories (see page 25 in this report for more information on the Inventory). Information for the
inventory was compiled from several resources – local telephone books, websites, direct contact with
organizations, etc.

Another regional resource is the opportunity to participate in outdoor activities. UEY Selkirk-Interlake is
fortunate to have access to provincial parks, as well as Lower Fort Garry National Historic Park. Grand
Beach Provincial Park is located in Ward 3 and boasts beaches, walking and ski trails, picnic areas and many
other family fun possibilities. There are many opportunities for UEY Selkirk-Interlake families to enjoy the
beautiful outdoors in any season.
The early childhood development coalition is another strength of the community. Since 2003, local services
providers in the region have worked together as members of the Southeast Interlake Early Childhood
Development Coalition (SEI-ECDC). The twenty-seven coalition members represent public health, education,
community library, child care centres, family literacy, friendship centre, family resource centre, and other
community agencies. The strength of this coalition is the community capacity building that has taken place.
Through the monthly coalition meetings, new partnerships have been created, information is shared, and
people are working to offer a greater variety of services to parents with young children. This group has
been a great asset to the region as they continue to work towards a better community for children and
families.

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Figure 2

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Schools
The children of the UEY Selkirk-Interlake region attend school in one of the fifteen schools in the Lord Selkirk
School Division. The division offers a wide variety of programs and services to approximately 5000 students.
The schools include a Hutterian colony school, a French Immersion school, and a Ukrainian Bilingual school. The
majority of children outside the City of Selkirk are bused to school.

Map 12 shows the
location of the
elementary schools,
junior high schools,
high school and
middle school found in
UEY Selkirk-Interlake.

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Kindergarten
There are fifteen kindergarten classes in UEY Selkirk-Interlake, with some schools having more than one
kindergarten class. There are two French Immersion kindergarten classes, one Ukrainian Bilingual
kindergarten class, one Hutterian Colony school, and twelve regular kindergarten classes. In the 2005-2006
school year, there were 305 children registered in kindergarten in the Lord Selkirk School Division. In 2008-
2009, there were 268 kindergarten students registered, a decline of 37students.

Table 1
Schools Number of Kindergarten
Type of Kindergarten class
classes
Bonaventure 2 French Immersion
Table 1shows
Centennial 1 English the number of
Daerwood 1 English
kindergarten
Happy Thought 3 1 Ukrainian Bilingual, 2 English
classes in each
Mapleton 1 English
Netley 1 English school and the
Robert Smith 1 English type of
Ruth Hooker 1 English kindergarten
St. Andrews 2 English class.
Walter Whyte 1 English
William S. Patterson 1 English

Figure 3

Figure 3 shows
the decline in
kindergarten
enrollment rates
from September
2005 to
September
2009.

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Child Care
Child care is an issue in communities across Canada and UEY Selkirk-Interlake is no exception. There are 286
licensed child care spaces in UEY Selkirk-Interlake for approximately 1875 children under the age of six.
Those spaces include licensed child care centres, family child care homes, and nursery schools in the area.
It is difficult to determine how many people actually require child care because many people are on more
than one facility wait list and each child care provider keeps their own list.
If a family chooses to use child care, all families should have this option available to them. Research shows
there are many reasons
why enrolling your child in
a child care centre can
have a positive effect.
Children with closer
teacher-child relationships
in child care had better
classroom social and
thinking skills, language
ability, and math skills from
the preschool years into
elementary school (Peisner-
Feinberg et. al, 2000).
Also, children who had
closer relationships to their
child care teachers were
rated lower in problem
behaviors by their teachers
from preschool through
second grade. (Peisner-
Feinberg et. al, 2000)

Map 13 shows the location
of Family Child Care
Homes, Child Care Centres,
Before and After School
Programs and Nursery
Schools in relation to where
young children are located.
Although there is a high
number of children located
in Ward 4, there are only
three child care homes.
There are no child care
spaces in Ward 3.

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Child-Centered Resource Availability
The majority of the child-centered resources are located within the City of Selkirk. For the most part, they are
located throughout the city so they are accessible to most residents. There are very few child-centered
resources outside the City of Selkirk. Accessing programs located outside the City of Selkirk is very difficult if
a family does not have a vehicle. There is no public transportation available and the area is so large that
walking or riding a bike is rarely an option.
Geography is a concern for community service providers as it is difficult to reach parents living in the rural
areas. There is no public transportation available in the region. Thus, parents have difficulty accessing
transportation to participate in services offered in a central location. Although there are parenting, nutrition,
and family literacy programs available in the urban centre, many rural parents and children are unable to
attend. One challenge facing the Selkirk-Interlake region is that local early childhood development programs
(found mostly in the City of Selkirk) are often over-subscribed, with estimates indicating that we are reaching
less than 20% of the children aged 0-5 in the community. It is therefore, a priority to create more programs
in the region and increase awareness of the existing programs.
High quality, universal early child development programs could reduce the costs of mental health and crime to
individuals and society by more than 50% in 25 years (the time it would take from beginning universal early
child development programs to influence the quality and capability of the next generation). (Mustard, F. J.,
2008).
Another challenge to parent participation in early childhood programming is communication and advertising
existing programs. SEI-ECDC has advertised their programs through a monthly calendar of events, but this
calendar does not reach all parents. The money available to early childhood programs is usually just enough
to implement and carry out the programming. Rarely would there be any finances available to advertise.
Many parents who attend programs find out about them through word of mouth, through other programs they
attend, or through the little advertising that is done. Even though the programs are reaching less than 20% of
the children in the community, they are often full, thus highlighting need for more programming.

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Map 14 shows where there are prenatal, preschool, and toddler health and
education programs in proximity to the young children in the region. Almost all
the programs are located inside the City of Selkirk although the highest number
of young children live in Ward 1(St. Andrews South).

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Figure 3

Figure 3 shows the percentage of families in UEY Selkirk-
Interlake that considered each issue to be a barrier to their
use of programs and resources.

The five most prominent barriers identified by the parents
were:

- programs were not available at convenient times (54%)
- being unaware the resource was available (47%)
- programs were only available to older children (41%)
- there was not enough time (41%)
- the programs were too costly (39%).

Source: As part of the UEY project, information was
collected from parents, kindergarten children and their
teachers on the development of children in the community,
using the Parent Interviews and Direct Assessment of
Children Survey (PIDACS) and the Early Development
Instrument (EDI). Some of the preliminary results of this
data collection are shown in Figure 3.

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Social Supports
As with many services in the UEY Selkirk-Interlake area, the majority of the family centered resources and
family support services are located within the City of Selkirk. This does not allow easy access for families
living in rural areas.
The family centered resources within the City of Selkirk offer a variety of programs and supports for families
in the community and surrounding areas. Some examples of family and community social services are:

 Financial services
 Food banks
 Soup kitchens
 Community billboards
 Clothing depots
 Nova House Women’s Shelter

The importance of family support cannot be understated. According to the preliminary data collection results
of PIDACS, 17% of the mothers surveyed in UEY Selkirk-Interlake were displaying strong signs of depression
which is significantly higher than the 10% of mothers surveyed in other 2007 UEY communities in Canada.
There are many possibilities of why this could be. Since the number is higher than the national average,
maternal depression in the region should not be discounted. More resources need to be put in place for new
mothers to get the support and help they need. More opportunities need to be made for mothers living in
isolated areas to get together with other mothers at play groups or programs.
The City of Selkirk does have a regularly operating soup kitchen and food bank which not all communities
have. Nutritious meals are served on a regular basis at Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen offering families a
place to go when in need.
Families with few resources and who live in underprivileged areas have more difficulty providing their
children with an upbringing that will keep them away from deviant and at-risk behavior (Smith 2004).
Therefore it is important that as a community we are there to support all families and be sure that the
resources are in place for those who need them.

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Map 15 shows the location of social supports in relation to where children
live in the region. There are many locations of billboards for families to
check to see what is happening in their community.

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Parent and Family Centered Resource Availability
It is important to provide support and services to parents as it is a key factor in early childhood development.
Examples of parent and family centered resources are:

 Counselling services
 Support groups
 Parenting programs

Parents want the best for their children and sometimes need a little help and education to do so.
Often parents do not know about the many little things they can do to foster their children’s healthy cognitive
and emotional development, such as talking to children beginning in infancy, reading to them from a very
early age, and helping them play simple games. Parents, especially new or young parents, may also need
help recognizing their child’s cues indicating they are hungry for stimulation or have had enough. (T. Hawley.
2000).
In some cases, written materials or attending parenting education classes may be all that a parent needs to
learn how to provide his or her child with appropriate stimulation. However, parenting styles and beliefs that
have evolved over generations - such as rarely talking to babies - can be difficult for parents to change.
Many parents benefit from community-based programs in which a parent group leader or a home visitor acts
as a role model and coach, supporting parents in their relationships with their children. Programs that work
with parents over several years can be very successful in helping them become effective "first teachers" of
their children. (Olds 1993).
An example of a parenting program in UEY Selkirk-Interlake is Triple P (Positive Parenting Program). It is
offered at the Student Services Centre at Daerwood School to help parents with their parenting skills. It is an
effective, practical approach to raising children that emphasizes the positive. Triple P is based on strong
nurturing relationships, good communication and positive attention to help children develop. It involves
creating a family environment that is loving, supportive and predictable. (Government of Manitoba)

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Map 16 shows where
counselling services,
support groups and
parenting programs are
found in relation to where
young children live.
Although there are a
number of services within
the City of Selkirk that
families can access, there
are no services in the rural
areas.

Families of children with disabilities are twice as likely as other families to run out of money
for food (16% compared to 8%).
-Harvey, 2002

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Services for Children with Special Needs
A sub-committee of the National Children’s Alliance developed a definition of Children with Special Needs,
and this is the description we have chosen to use. They define children with special needs as infants and
young children and their families who require additional specialized resources, intervention, and support
because of the presence of a single or multiple, identified childhood developmental delay(s) or disability(ies).
This could include an established condition or diagnosed disability that may persist over time and may
prevent or limit participation in age-appropriate activities due to problems in function in one or more of the
following areas: physical, cognitive, sensory, learning, communication, social and emotional, or behavioural.

Extra costs associated
with raising a child with
special needs often
make it difficult to
provide for the most
basic of needs.
Additional assistance
and financial help are
needed to meet the
extra needs of children
with disabilities and to
support their families,
regardless of their
income. (Canadian
Coaliton for the Rights of
Children. 2003).
As a community, supports
for these families could
be free programming
that offers a nutritious
snack.

Map 17 shows where
there are services for
children with special
needs in the region.

More access to
transportation is needed.
The Selkirk and District
Handi Bus is available,
but they only service the
west side of the Red
River, therefore Wards
Page 41


3 and 4 are unable to access this resource. If a child is involved with Children’s Special Services through the
Province of Manitoba, assistance may be available for families who need financial support to cover the costs
of transportation to and from medical appointments and specialized services for their child with disabilities.
This is mainly for families in rural and northern Manitoba. (Manitoba, Children's Special Services 2010).

Page 42


Libraries
There are two public libraries within the UEY Selkirk-Interlake boundaries. The main public library, the Red
River North Regional Library services the municipalities of Selkirk, St. Andrews and St. Clements. The location
is central within the City of Selkirk and is easily accessible to Selkirk residents. There is no public
transportation for residents outside the City of Selkirk which can make accessing the library for rural residents
an issue.
The size of the Red River North Regional Library is 5,000 sq feet which is far below recommendations. The
province recommends 27,000 sq ft for the number of people living in this region. There are current plans to
build a new library that will be 21,000 square feet, which is better then the current library size, but still 6,000
square feet smaller than the provincial recommendations. The size of our current library is typical for
communities under 3,000 people in rural Manitoba. The limited space causes a number of concerns, such as
having to limit the size of programming events for both children and adults. The building is designed for
30,000 collection items, but the library has 41,500 collection items, the recommended number for our
population is for 90,000 volumes.
Modern libraries can be quite noisy community places. Due to the current size of the Red River North Regional
Library, it is difficult to designate areas for quiet study and for others to use for community space.
Even after doubling the number of public computers to 10 adult and 3 children, there are still waiting lists
which requires the library to limit public computer access to one hour at a time per person. A new library
would allow double the number of public computers.
The other library in the UEY Selkirk-Interlake community is Beaches Library located in Walter Whyte School.
This library is a branch of the Allard Library located in St. George, Manitoba. The library services those
residents living in the north eastern section of the UEY Selkirk-Interlake area.

Figure 4

Figure 4 shows the increase in
library memberships from
2005-2009 at the Red River
North Regional Library.

Page 43


Figure 5

Figure 5 shows the
increase in items
borrowed at the Red
River North Regional
Library from 2005-2009.

Page 44


Map 18 shows where there are:

- Computer lending resources
- Toy and book lending library
- Community computers
- Public libraries
- Resource libraries
- Early literacy computers

The entire region has access to
these services although, location
and transportation to these
services may be an issue.

Page 45


Recreation
Recreation and physical activity are an equally important criteria to the development of young children.
Children need physical activity to help develop a healthy living lifestyle.
Physical development in the early years includes the development of the body, the senses, and skills such as
coordination and balance. A vital component of physical maturation is motor development, which includes
increases in strength, coordination and movement control. Motor development affects exploration, play and
interaction with peers, which in turn influence cognitive, language and social development. (CCL, 2007).
There are a number of parks in the UEY-Selkirk Interlake area which allows for inexpensive family
entertainment and activities.
There are many play structures within the City of Selkirk. The majority of these play structures are situated at
schools which poses a problem for families wanting to use the play structures during school hours. Many other
play structures in the City of Selkirk are in poor condition. Most of the play structures outside the City of
Selkirk are located at schools, which again is not convenient for families wanting to use play structures during
the day.
If, at a conservative estimate, 20% to 25% of Canadian children are overweight or obese when they enter
school, we need widespread multisectoral preventive efforts to ensure that they do not increase their risk of
future problems during their school years. This will require health promotion policies in schools concerning diet
and exercise, support from food industries to offer more nutritious food, support from the public and private
sectors to facilitate healthy pregnancies, and local, provincial and national funding and legislation to improve
the safety of neighbourhoods and increase access to playgrounds and recreational facilities. (Willms 2004).
There are a number of organized sports that UEY Selkirk-Interlake children can participate in, although at
times they can be expensive and not all families can afford this. As part of the UEY project, information was
collected from parents, kindergarten children and their teachers on the development of children in the
community, using the Parent Interviews and Direct Assessments of Children Survey (PIDACS) and the Early
Development Instrument (EDI). Preliminary results of this data collection show many of the children in the region
are taking part in unorganized sport and play which gives just as many benefits if not more according to
Willms 2003. Willms results suggest that the benefits of participation in unorganized sport and physical
activity increase with age, and are more important than involvement in organized sport.
Selkirk has a number of sports facilities that can be used by families when they are not being used by an
organized sports team. There are many soccer fields and baseball diamonds that can be used for
recreational games. Throwing or kicking a ball around is very beneficial in helping young children develop
their gross motor skills.
Walking and skiing trails are another asset that UEY Selkirk-Interlake has. Some of those trails are located in
Ward 3 in Grand Beach Provincial Park, but there is also a trail around Selkirk Park. Another option for
families is the track at the Selkirk High School, parents can walk around the track while kids can play catch or
soccer on the grassy area in the centre. In East Selkirk, there is a walking trail around the soccer fields.
There are many options for UEY Selkirk-Interlake families to take part in physical activity.

Page 46


Figure 6

Figure 6 shows the number of times per week
kindergarten children in UEY Selkirk-Interlake were
engaged in sports and other activities. On average,
they were engaged in organized sports that involve a
coach or instructor about 1.4 times a week, which is the
same as the average of other surveyed UEY sites. The
children in UEY Selkirk-Interlake were more engaged
in unorganized sports (4.6 times a week).
Unorganized sports do not require a coach or
instructor, and can include things such as, running,
swimming, or sports activities in their neighbourhood.

Source: As part of the UEY project, information was
collected from parents, kindergarten children and their
teachers on the development of children in the
community, using the Parent Interview and Direct
Assessment of Children Survey (PIDACS) and the Early
Development Instrument (EDI). Some of the preliminary
results of this data are shown in Figure 6.

Page 47


Map 19 shows the location of parks, play structures, campgrounds and picnic areas.

It also shows where resources are located in proximity to young children in the region.

There are many play structures in the City of Selkirk, but very few in the south rural region of UEY
Selkirk-Interlake in comparison to the number of children living there.

Page 48


Map 20 displays the high number of sport facilities in UEY Selkirk-Interlake. Each
Ward has a variety of facilities that can be used by families for both organized
and unorganized sports.

Page 49


Map 20a shows a detailed view of the location of sports facilities in the City of
Selkirk and where facilities are located in relation to young children in the city.

Page 50


Map 21 shows the location of organized sports and recreational programs for
preschool children and where those programs are located in relation to where
preschool children live. Families living in the City of Selkirk or the southern region
of UEY Selkirk-Interlake would be close to programs they could access. There are
no organized preschool sports programs in the northern region for families.

Page 51


Map 22 shows the location
of:
- Water parks
- Walking and ski trails
- Community halls
- Recreation centres
- Community gardens

It also shows where these
resources are found in
relation to where young
children live. There are
many community halls in
the region which
neighbourhoods can use to
plan community events.
There is one water park
which is located in the
Grand Beach area.

In 2008, Growing Years
Family Resource Centre and
the Chronic Disease
Prevention Initiative
organized its first community
garden in Selkirk. It was a
real community effort - St.
Margaret’s Church donated
the land and local businesses
donated seeds. Community
help was donated to
prepare the land and give
gardening tips to families
working in the garden. The
project is a hands-on
opportunity for families to
learn more about growing
food for themselves and
taking care of a plot of land.

Page 52


Preventative Health Services
The health of children begins in the prenatal period. Numerous studies have shown the devastating effects on
intelligence and brain development due to a lack of basic nutrients in the prenatal period, in infancy and in
early childhood (T. Hawley. 2000). Therefore, it is important that expectant families have access to
appropriate health care as soon as possible.
The majority of doctors and other preventative health services in UEY Selkirk-Interlake are located in the City
of Selkirk. There is a seasonal doctor in Grand Beach, as well as in Victoria Beach.
There is only one pediatrician for the 1875 children under age six in UEY Selkirk-Interlake. Since this number
does not include children
over age six, one
pediatrician is insufficient
for all 6380 children
under age eighteen in our
area. It is impossible for
one pediatrician to be
able to care for that
number of children.
Therefore, many families
have to travel to
communities outside of
UEY Selkirk-Interlake to
find a doctor.

Map 23 shows the
preventative health services
in the region in relation to
where the young children
live.

Page 53


According to the EDI results for the Lord Selkirk School Division, many children in our area are not ready for
school in the Physical Health and Well Being domain. There are a number of nutrition programs available to
teach families about healthy eating, such as the Alphabet Soup parent-child program offered at Ruth Hooker
School. Also, some schools have a breakfast program that provides a healthy breakfast to school-age
children.

Map 23a shows a detailed
view of the preventative
health services in the City of
Selkirk and where they are
located in proximity to
where young children live.
There are five nutrition
programs available. This is
important for teaching
healthy eating which is
essential in living a healthy
lifestyle. Teaching children
healthy habits early can
help them continue those
skills into adulthood.

Page 54


Emergency Health Services
There is one hospital to service the entire UEY-Selkirk Interlake area. The Selkirk & District General Hospital
provides emergency care, long term care, and ambulance service.
Victoria Beach has an Emergency First Response service and the Victoria Beach Police Service which are found
at the same location.
There are three RCMP offices in the region. The main office in Selkirk. There is a community RCMP office in
Grand Marais and a traffic services office in East Selkirk.
There are five fire
stations in UEY Selkirk-
Interlake:

 City of Selkirk
 Clandeboye
 St. Andrews
 East Selkirk
 Grand Marais

The 911 emergency
number covers the entire
area.

Map 24 shows the
security services in UEY
Selkirk-Interlake. There
are five fire
departments which cover
the region. Some of
these are volunteer fire
departments.

Page 55


Cultural and Entertainment Resources
Cultural and Entertainment Resources in UEY Selkirk-Interlake include art galleries, cultural centres, theatres,
museums, movie theatres and tourist centres. There are six museums in the area. The largest is Lower Fort
Garry National Historic Site which is commemorated as the location where Treaty #1 was signed between the
Ojibwa and Swampy Cree of Manitoba, and the Crown. It was a major business site for all in the Red River
Settlement.
There are two cultural centres in UEY Selkirk-Interlake. The Selkirk Friendship Centre is located in the City of
Selkirk and Windy Hill Community Learning and Wellness Centre is located in the Hillside Beach area in the
north western region.
The Windy Hill Community
Learning and Wellness
Centre was developed
through the Ma Mawi Wi
Chi Itata Centre in
Winnipeg. It offers
innovative program
offerings focus on personal
mastery, teamwork,
leadership development,
cultural development, real
life challenges, prevention,
connecting with nature and
outreach activities.
(www.Mamawi.com)

Map 25 shows where there are
Cultural and Entertainment
Resources in relation to where
young children live. There are
six museums, all of which are
located in the south region of
UEY Selkirk-Interlake.

We believe that strengthening
children, youth and families is a
worthy investment in the future.

-Windy Hill Community Learning
and Wellness Centre

Page 56


Places of Worship
There are forty-two churches in UEY Selkirk-Interlake and approximately thirteen of those offer Sunday school
for children. The churches are widely spread throughout the area with sixteen of the churches found within the
City of Selkirk city limits. Churches can offer support to families by being used as a meeting place for
families with similar interests. Many churches have halls that are used for community functions. Enrolling
children in Sunday school is an opportunity for children to meet new friends to learn important social skills they
require when they enter kindergarten.

Map 26 shows the
location of churches and
Sunday Schools in the
region in proximity to
where young children
live. Although the
denomination of the
churches is not shown,
the region has a variety
of denominations. In
most areas, there is a
church that would be
easily accessible to
families.

Page 57

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