facesofwinnipeg

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Final Faces of Winnipeg by David Lipnowski

Hue Nguyen

Hue is a recognizable face in the downtown area. He has been running his own shoe and leather repair shop for 35 years in several different downtown locations around the Graham mall area. At the age of 15 in his home country of Vietnam, his grandfather wanted him to become a tailor like himself, but Hue enjoyed making soles for shoes, and working with leather. Hue came to Canada in 1982, and has been working extremely hard 6 days a week. He is extremely proud to have been recognized amongst large corporations by the Downtown Winnipeg Biz a few years ago, and displays the plaque in the front window of his store. When not working on shoes or leather, Hue is also into photography; specifically he enjoys making portraits.

Fun Fact: Hue’s favourite movie is Titanic.

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Faces of Winnipeg by David Lipnowski

Jbeks Savanna Mandara

The first thing you notice about Jbeks is her bright colourful hair, which she says in inspired by cotton candy. A creative person, she throws alternative parties, wants to be a baker, is often called a goddess by strangers, and is really into dungeons and dragons, and anything nerdy. Jbeks enjoys singing, and often attends open mics where she sings soul music.

Fun fact: she considers herself a modern day healing witch

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Faces of Winnipeg by David Lipnowski

George Chmara

Originally from Belgium, George's family moved to Canada when he was a young boy. A lifelong bachelor, George is 70 years old, and is now retired from a career working on the railroads in and around Winnipeg. George worked for both railroad companies, CN and CP in various positions over the years. While still working, George discovered a software package that let him create and edit MP3 music files, and he has had a passion for music ever since. During his retirement, he spends a lot of time listening to music, both through headphones and live entertainment at different Winnipeg venues. George also continues spending a lot of time on his hobby of mixing prerecorded music. Looking towards the future, George would still like to travel in his retirement.

Fun Fact: George enjoys waterslides whenever the opportunity presents itself, and he has a vast knowledge about the various waterslides in the province.

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Faces of Winnipeg by David Lipnowski

Will Bazan

Will’s grandparents had escaped prison camps during World War II, and immigrated to Canada from occupied Holland. They started a pig barn and then a chicken coop off highway 59 outside of Winnipeg. On that farm almost four generations lived there before the provincial government expropriated the land in July 2015 forcing the families out.

Will has always enjoyed the outdoors and loved living on the farm. Four families consisting of 11 people lived on the property. He has since moved to the city where he is in the Creative Communications program at Red River College. Being in Winnipeg, he finds there is a lot less space than he is used to, and there are no stars looking out at the night’s sky. Having lived in the country for so long, he misses the things he used to find soothing,such as the sound of the wind.

Fittingly, Will completed a degree in environmental design focusing on landscape architecture before starting the creative communications program where he is focusing on PR. He plans on combining the education received from the two degrees, to hopefully one day land a dream job; capturing landscapes and promoting them to people that are unaware that they exist.

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Faces of Winnipeg by David Lipnowski

Bilisa Shune

Photographed on the day she became a Canadian Citizen, her journey to celebrating her new citizenship has been very long and tumultuous. Originally from Ethiopia, she spent 5 years in exile living in Kenya. Her father was imprisoned by government forces for supporting the wrong side, and their home was demolished because of this. Bilisa feels incredibly fortunate to be living in Canada, having escaped a country that tortures people who have not committed any crime. She was in fact born while her father was still in prison. The Canadian government sponsored her immigration, and she originally landed in Ottawa, and then moved to Hamilton where she already had family. Bilisa then moved to Winnipeg following her engagement to her now husband.

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David Lipnowski - Faces Of Winnipeg

Daniel Peloquin-Hopfner

Originally from St. Rose du Lac, Manitoba which is about 50km east of Dauphin, Daniel grew up on his family's farm where he was home schooled. He left the small town of ~1000 at 17 years-old, to pursue an education in Winnipeg. He went to the University of Manitoba where he studied theatre and performed at the Black Hole Theatre. Daniel is a well-known Winnipeg multi-instrumental musician who tours a lot. He was always in bands growing up, and he has never left the road. A couple fun facts: Daniel has a pretty big Star Wars addiction, and has worked as a Park Interpreter.

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David Lipnowski - Faces Of Winnipeg

Michael Gachenga

Michael is currently starting a new job, and is in training as a home care professional. His life’s passion is music, and Michael is trying to live his dream as a musician, but he wanted a job that gives him a rewarding feeling at the end of the day. He found that helping others through this line of work was a good fit. He calls himself a Black Goth, and the style of music he produces is “Industrial / Korean-Goth Pop”. He is in a band called "Gutes Haar”, which translates into “Good Hair”, which is the first thing you notice about him. Michael is interested in many creative fields as well as music, including videography and photography. He is working on the final mastering stages of an album in which he sings in German, called “Glass Mind”. He learned German because he wants to visit the country, as so many aspects of the culture speak to him.

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David Lipnowski - Faces Of Winnipeg

Lisa Fulcher (& Clyde)

Lisa was born in Ottawa, went to school in Victoria, and lived in Arden Hills, Minnesota (which is just north east of Minneapolis). Lisa found her way to Winnipeg about 10 years ago when her parents left Minnesota for Winnipeg. Now that she followed her family here, they have left Winnipeg, but Lisa has chosen to stay. She finds Winnipeg colder than Minnesota, and also misses the variety of food options of the States. Lisa has worked a variety of jobs including working within the ABA program at St. Amant helping people with disabilities, and is now employed as a hair stylist. Her dog Clyde accompanies her a lot, and his history is completely unknown as he is a rescue dog.

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David Lipnowski - Faces Of Winnipeg

Darrell Ballantyne

Darrell is currently finishing his Athletic Therapy degree at the University of Manitoba. He has been doing his field work, which included an assignment to work with the Fort Richmond Centurions basketball team in case an athlete was injured during the game. He is a full time dad and enjoys traveling. Though originally from Winnipeg, Darrell fell in love with the beauty and warmer weather of Vancouver and the west coast through his travels. He hopes to move to Vancouver to start his own Athletic Therapy practice at some point in the future after graduating. The first thing you may notice about Darrell is that most of his body is covered in tattoos, and each one has specific meaning to him.

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David Lipnowski - Faces Of Winnipeg

Dr. Marilyn Simon - Corydon Ave & Cockburn St N

Marilyn is a Shakespearean Scholar working as an instructor at the University of Manitoba. This portrait and interview was a much needed interruption to grading essays at a coffee shop on Corydon. Marilyn is extremely upbeat and full of energy, and feels that she doesn’t get what she deserves in life, she gets more. She has an abundance of wonder and gratitude for being alive, specifically regarding the unfathomable amount of things that have happened in her life to get her to where she is now, right and happy. Marilyn didn’t have a plan to get a Ph.D in Shakespearean literature. She has always loved poetry from a very young age, and she didn’t know how to stop being curious about it. She says that at one point, she had a plan for her life, but these plans were too small compared to what life has opened up for her. 2016 has been a year of saying ‘yes', and has been her best year, sharing it with her friends, over lots of laughter and wine.

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David Lipnowski - Faces Of Winnipeg

Thuy Hong - Corydon Ave & Hugo St N

Thuy is a mother of two, and is very close with her family. Her friends call her Tiffany, and she is originally from Vietnam. Her family left the country when she was 7-years-old as the Vietnam War came to a close. Their family didn't have freedom in Vietnam so they left for North America where they could live free. Tiffany has lived all over North America. She lived in Los Angeles for 25 years where she worked as a furniture designer. She then moved to Chicago where her father owned salons. She learned the business and she is now a successful entrepreneur owning spas all over North America including two in Winnipeg. Tiffany ended up in Winnipeg 10 years ago as her mom lives here. Having lived all over the world, she finds the city very cozy, and loves the friendly people who call Winnipeg home. When not running her businesses, she likes to spend her time reading as well as hanging out with her employees who are like family.

EXIF: f/5 @ 1/160 ISO160 @ 70mm  - 1 flash in a softlighter camera right 

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David Lipnowski - Faces Of Winnipeg – December 7, 2016

Kohei Tanaka - Spence Street & Ellice Ave

Kohei, who is from Japan, has been studying English at the University of Winnipeg for the past 4 months. He is also studying cultural education back home in Kyoto. Kohei had the choice of three international options for studying English, the other two being in Australia and Hawaii. He chose Winnipeg because of the cultural diversity the city is known for, as well as the fact that it was a lot cheaper than the other two (warmer) options. He is scheduled to fly back home to Japan in about a week, and he will miss Winnipeg, but not the cold weather of the past week. He normally enjoys watching baseball back home, but really got into hockey while in Winnipeg, seeing both the Jets and the Moose play. When Kohei returns to Japan at the end of the month, he plans on working a bit to save some money to go traveling again, this time to Germany, because he likes beer.

EXIF: f/6.3 @ 1/160 ISO200 @ 200mm  - 1 flash in a handmade soft lighter camera right + 1 bare flash on the white wall behind him

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David Lipnowski - Faces Of Winnipeg – December 2, 2016

Matt Flemington – Forks Market Road & Fort Gibraltar Trail

Matt is from Winnipeg, and was wandering around The Forks, slipping and sliding on a small patch of ice on the concrete. While most people are enjoying the milder than normal fall weather, Matt can’t wait for the cold weather to finally hit Winnipeg. Matt spends more time outside in the winter than in the summer, and he is hoping the river freezes over soon so he can lace up his skates once again and hit the Red River trail (assuming it gets cold enough that it will be open at all this season). Matt works in a custom metal shop, where he makes products like screw piles for construction projects. He spends his summers mostly indoors playing video games. His big plans for the future include taking time to travel within Canada, with Alberta being on the top of the list.

EXIF: f/6.3 @ 1/80 ISO1000 @ 70mm  - 1 flash in a handmade soft lighter camera left

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Faces Of Winnipeg - 11/23/2016 - 12:46PM - Lucia Martinez – Sherbrook Street & Westminister Avenue

Lucia was was born and lived most of her life in El Salvador where she raised a son and daughter. She doesn't speak much English, so her daughter with whom she spends most of her days in the Sherbrook area, translates Spanish to English for her mom. When Lucia was asked why she moved to Winnipeg, she responded that, “she prayed to God for life, and it brought her to Winnipeg”. She came to Winnipeg 25 years ago after her son moved here for work. That journey was the first time she had ever traveled outside of El Salvador. She worked as a seamstress making gloves and jackets. Lucia still likes to return to her home country during the Winnipeg winters to escape the cold, but she makes a point of saying that she loves Canada’s four distinct seasons, and finds Canada an extremely beautiful country. She is 81 years old, and states she never drank nor smoke.

EXIF: f/3.2 @ 1/125 ISO80 @ 62mm  - 1 flash in a handmade soft lighter camera right

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Faces of Winnipeg - 11/16/2016 -  11:16AM - Laura Spring – Cathedrale Ave & Tache Ave (Winnipeg)

Laura is originally from Northern Manitoba where she worked in the mining industry. Six years ago life circumstances brought her to Winnipeg from Flin Flon. These days her Métis heritage occupies a lot of space in her mind. She didn’t always know that she was Métis. From a young age her parents told her that she was French Canadian. Her father's side is German, and her mother's side is French Canadian. As Laura grew up looking Caucasian, she had a feeling that wasn't all to her heritage. While in her 20’s, she decided to research her genealogy through the St. Boniface Historical Society. Laura believes the fact that her true heritage was kept from her for so long by her parents was to avoid discrimination that was rampant towards Métis people in her youth. Though she may have been sheltered from discrimination growing up, she is all too aware of it, even still today in 2016. Though the Métis people have made great strides recently, there is still a long road ahead for rights and reconciliation with the Government of Canada. Laura is on the ground as an active member of the St. Norbert Parish-La Barriere Metis Council, which is a Local in the Winnipeg Region of the Manitoba Metis Federation governance structure, and is helping create a stronger community.

EXIF: f/5.6 @ 1/60 ISO50 @ 55mm  - 1 flash in a handmade soft lighter camera right

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Faces of Winnipeg - 11/11/2016 -  12:04PM - St. Mathews Ave & Minto St (Winnipeg)

Warrant Officer Ronald Shephard (Retired)

Born in 1931 in England, Mr. Shephard talks fondly with me on Remembrance Day about his time in the Navy, specifically about the time he served in the 2nd battalion PPCLI in B company. He fought in the same battalion as Tommy Prince (who was in C company) during the Battle of Kapyong on April 24th & 25th, 1951 in the Korean War. He told me that during the battle, he manned a Bren Gun and was wounded in several places, ending his time in the Korean War. Remembrance Day is bittersweet for him, as friends greet him, but it also means remembering the brutalities of war from years past. These days at 85 years old, he stays active by exercising for about an hour everyday, and walking with his wife of 50 years. He tells me that that long ago when he was often working in various corners of the world in the military, his wife looked after him and their two daughters, and 50 years later, she is still looking after him.

EXIF: f/5 @ 1/200 ISO200 @ 70mm  - 1 flash in a handmade soft lighter camera right, as well as 1 flash in a shoot through umbrella camera left behind the subject