The Podcast

Boldness Talks is a podcast that shines light on what's happening in the North End community of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Boldness Talks - Ep. 4 Part 2 - Kalen Taylor (Purpose Construction)

Kalen Taylor is the Executive Director of Purpose Construction, a non-profit social enterprise construction company, offering quality contracting services with a heart since 2009.

“Purpose Construction is a company with a heart. In addition to providing competitive residential and commercial construction services, Purpose Construction is a proud social enterprise. We provide skilled trades training and long term jobs to people with barriers to employment, pay living wages and offer a supportive work environment. Newcomers to Canada. Single mothers. People building a new life for themselves and their families.” – Purpose Construction website.

Boldness Talks - Ep. 4 Part 1 - Kalen Taylor (Purpose Construction)

Kalen Taylor is the Executive Director of Purpose Construction, a non-profit social enterprise construction company, offering quality contracting services with a heart since 2009.

“Purpose Construction is a company with a heart. In addition to providing competitive residential and commercial construction services, Purpose Construction is a proud social enterprise. We provide skilled trades training and long term jobs to people with barriers to employment, pay living wages and offer a supportive work environment. Newcomers to Canada. Single mothers. People building a new life for themselves and their families.” – Purpose Construction website.

Boldness Talks - Ep. 3 - Levi Foy (Sunshine House)

Levi Foy is the Executive Director of Sunshine House, a community drop-in and resource centre focusing on social inclusion & harm reduction.

“Sunshine House is located at the intersection of Logan Ave. and Sherbrook St., which largely serves street involved and homeless people. Many of whom have addictions and are affected by HIV and HCV. Sunshine House offers basic support services including meals, laundry and shower facilities, clothing depot, computer access, harm reduction materials and community and resource information. It is one of the only places in Winnipeg that will allow solvent users, which is an extremely marginalized population.”– Sunshine House Facebook Page

Boldness Talks - Ep. 2 - Bobbette Shoffner (Mount Carmel Clinic)

Boldness Talks - Ep. 1 - Wendy Zebrasky

Land Acknowledgement

The Winnipeg Boldness Project resides in and works on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg (Ojibwe), Anishinabewaki (Oji-Cree), Dené, Michif Piyii (Métis), Nêhiyawak (Cree), and Očhéthi Sakowin (Dakota). We recognize that we have benefited from and continue to benefit from colonization on the Treaty 1, Treaty 3, and Treaty 5 Territories.

It is important to also acknowledge how we benefit in this territory at the cost to Indigenous Peoples. Winnipeg has been drinking clean water for over a century via an aqueduct from Shoal Lake. In 1917, 3000 acres of Treaty 3 was declared property of the city of Winnipeg to build the aqueduct. This aqueduct was built over ancestral burial ground, to build these structures, the ancestors were disinterred and reburied. Construction of the aqueduct changed the waters significantly, causing the peninsula to become a man-made island. This now isolated Nation faced many challenges as a direct result from this aqueduct; Necessities like water, groceries, schools, and mail were only accessible via the dangerous trek to the mainland. Lives of adults and children were lost crossing to and from the mainland. Freedom Road, an all-weather road access finally opened summer 2019, over a century after displacement. This road, a testament to the success of Indigenous-led solutions, helps bring materials to build schools and a water treatment plant.

“I always think of it, even when I turn on the tap I’m like this comes from our community and this water probably contains our ancestors and the spirits of our ancestor. I think about the hardships of the people from Shoal Lake 40 who have gone through so many things for the benefit of Winnipeg’s drinking water,” says Angelina McLeod.1

Another benefit we reap in Winnipeg at a cost to Indigenous Peoples and land is the Hydro Electricity Development in Treaty 5. To optimize water movement for greatest power production the Province of Manitoba increased waterflow by creating the Churchill River Diversion in 1976. The modification of the waterflow caused flooding, shoreline erosion, and changes to water quality. This destruction of habitat has caused disruption to waterway travel, fishing, and hunting.


  1. https://www.aptnnews.ca/facetoface/spirits-of-our-ancestor-shoal-lake-40-is-rectifying-a-century-of-hardships/