NEWS I CITY

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2016 WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM

A5

DAVID LIPNOWSKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Dr. Karina Gamboa (left) and Dr. Carla Cohn work on Mwashite Mbekalo from Tanzania at the University of Manitobas College of Dentistry Saturday during the Open Wide clinic.

Newcomers all smiles after free volunteer dental clinic

DANIELLE DOIRON

ATURDAY was anything but a

regular day at the office for dozens
of Manitoba dentists, hygienists,
assistants and dental students.
As a blue balloon made out of a
disposable glove bounced between
cubicles at the University of Manitobas College of Dentistry, a dentist
and two young girls chased after it.
Around them, a maze of dental professionals examined, cleaned, filled and
extracted teeth as part of Open Wide
2016, a one-day event to help refugees
and other newcomers.
Their needs are great, and the
benefits that are afforded to them by
the government are limited, Dr. Carla
Cohn, president of the Manitoba Dental
Association, said. We felt if we could
do our part to help out and give these

people a bit of a better start, then we

would do that for them.
The association and College of Dentistry holds an Open Wide clinic every
few years to help people who otherwise
couldnt afford or access dental care.
This year, Cohn said, they hope to treat
about 400 refugees.
Weve got some of the people that
have been in camps for years, not receiving any dental care. Thats not high
on the list of priorities when youre
starving or trying to stay safe, so they
come to us with a lot of unmet needs,
she said above the constant buzz of
dental tools. They can come to Canada
and be taken care of, and this is our effort to help them with oral health.
Every dentist and assistant volunteered their time for the event,
which started at 8 a.m. on whats usually their day off, and dental suppliers

and manufacturers donated equipment

and materials including toothbrushes and toothpaste to take home so
the clinic was free to patients. Cohn
said she hopes the treatment will help
alleviate at least a few of the challenges these newcomers face.
What we hope to be able to help is if
somebodys in pain, to get them out of
pain, Cohn said. If theyve got a broken tooth, to fix that tooth. It might not
seem like a huge issue, (but) when you
have a toothache, then that takes all of
your head space, and that discomfort
affects everything. It affects what
youre eating, how youre feeling, how
youre thinking straight, so we want to
be able to help people get out of pain
and (give) emergency treatment.
Cohn said anyone with healthy teeth
would receive a cleaning and advice on
good oral hygiene, but she anticipated

most patients, like Mwashite Mbekalo,

who moved to Canada from Tanzania
in April, would have minor issues.
As Dr. Karina Gamboa, a pediatric
dentist, examined Mbekalo, Cohn noted the 19-year-old had small cavities
around her mouth, but she mentioned
she saw another girl whose teeth were
in much worse shape.
For the whole family, it means a
lot, said Marian Braun, one of about
two dozen parishioners of the Meeting Place sponsoring Mbekalo and her
family. Its been really fabulous to
realize the resources that are available
in Winnipeg for newcomers.
She said the family sometimes struggles with language barriers (the family
of seven speaks Swahili, and the father
and two oldest daughters also speak
French), but Open Wide was prepared
with volunteer interpreters and intake

forms in different languages.

I think theyre feeling safe, Braun
said, echoing one of Cohns hopes for
the event.
A lot of these people... they come
from a lot of unrest, Cohn said. When
you get a white coat in front of you,
sometimes thats a little scary, so I
think it takes a big effort to get people
into the clinic.
Dr. Tom Colina, a dentist and one
of Open Wides co-chairmen, agrees.
While the clinic helps treat immediate
dental issues, he hopes it also helps
refugees feel at home in Canada.
Hopefully, were not just making
their dental health, oral health better,
but hopefully, were making them feel
welcome in this new country.
danielle.doiron@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @dmdoiron

Our Manitoba Grower Stories at PeakMarket.com/Growers

CHEESY HUBBARD SQUASH

Metric

Ingredients

Imperial

1
50 ml
250 ml
250 ml
250 ml
30 ml
250 ml

green hubbard squash

butter
celery, diced
onion, finely chopped
fresh mushrooms, sliced
salt & pepper to taste
parsley, chopped
old cheddar cheese, grated

1
1/4 cup
1 cup
1 cup
1 cup
2 tbsp
1 cup

Directions

DAVID LIPNOWSKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

A sneak peak of the Winnie the Pooh exhibit, which will be unveiled Monday at the Assiniboine Park Pavilion.

Cut squash in half and place cut side down in roasting pan. Bake
squash at 350 F (180 C) for 1 hour or until almost tender. Saut
celery and onion in butter until transparent, add mushrooms and
cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.Add salt, pepper and parsley. Distribute
mixture evenly in shells. Place in roasting pan, cover, and continue
to bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle cheese over mixture.
Cook for about 5 minutes or until cheese melts and is bubbly.
Servings: 6

New exhibit tells story of Winnies originator

THIS Winnie never lived in the Hundred Acre Wood or stuck her paws into
honey pots, but shes getting her own
exhibit at the Assiniboine Park Pavilion.
Many people are familiar with the
real-life black bear named after Winnipeg that inspired A. A. Milnes Winnie-the-Pooh, but the exhibit, Remembering the Real Winnie: The Worlds
Most Famous Bear Turns 100, delves
deeper into the story.
The exhibit showcases the life of Lt.

Harry Colebourn, who adopted, transported and then delivered the bear to
the ZLS London Zoo during the First
World War. It replaces the Pooh Gallery, which displayed memorabilia related to the fictional Winnie.
The new exhibit now tells the story
of Colebourn, Laura Curtis of the
Assiniboine Park Conservancy said.
This collection has objects from his
personal collection and his time in the
war.
Curtis said the display will include

diaries, photographs and other documents. The exhibit was inspired by

Lindsay Mattick, Colebourns greatgranddaughter and the author of Finding Winnie, a picture book telling the
story behind the real bear.
Mattick and Irene Gammel, the exhibits curator, will be on hand when
Remembering the Real Winnie is
unveiled to the public Monday at 11
a.m.
The exhibit will remain open for a
year and is free to the public.

Larry McIntosh

More Recipes at PeakMarket.com/Recipes