Brett from Cemeteries
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Natalie:This podcast is recorded in Treaty 1 territory, the home and traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Ininew, and Dakota peoples, and the national homeland of the Red River Metis. We acknowledge that our drinking water comes from Shoal Lake forty first nation in Treaty 3 territory. Hi, I'm Natalie.
Tamara:And I'm Tamara.
Natalie:So Tamara, I've been thinking about this one. Mhmm. For for today's episode, if this podcast did run-in a a linear kind of chronological way, Today's episode would be the final chapter.
Tamara:Because we're talking cemeteries?
Natalie:That's right.
Tamara:Okay. Well, it's also fitting we talk about cemeteries in November, specifically our cemeteries. They are the final resting place for a lot of our veterans. And today we're joined by Brett Schenbeck. He is the cemeteries administrator to talk more about this.
Tamara:Well, his main job involves overseeing the three cemeteries here at the city. He's also there to guide people through emotionally difficult times. Before we continue on with the episode, we do want to give you a heads up today that we do discuss death including stillbirth. So we want to make sure that you're taking care when listening. Thanks for joining us today.
Tamara:Your office is in a very unique place. Now cemeteries aren't usually places people visit frequently, but you're there very regularly. What's it like to pull into Brookside Cemetery?
Brett:Yeah. It's it's pretty great. Brookside Cemetery, it's a really special and and really beautiful place. First and foremost, it's a cemetery. So it is associated with death and sadness and loss and mourning.
Brett:But, yeah, it's also a really peaceful, calm, and and beautiful place. There's a lot of natural beauty, a lot of historical beauty as well, thousands of headstones, each one with a really interesting story. So yeah, in that respect, it's a really, really beautiful and and interesting place to work. Most people probably don't know this, but Brookside Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in all of Canada. It's over 200 acres in size.
Brett:Just to put that into perspective, Quildon Park is one of the larger parks in Winnipeg. It's 99 acres. So Brookside Cemetery is like double the size of Quildon Park. So it's, it's quite massive. Just to kinda set the stage for folks who haven't been to Brookside Cemetery before.
Brett:It's it's designed with these curvilinear sort of road networks that seem to go on forever that I even get lost in still from time to time after seven years. It's beautifully landscaped grounds. You've got thousands of mature trees that were, in some cases, planted over a 100 years ago. You've got Omens Creek running through the center of the cemetery. So it's really a park like setting, really beautiful, allows visitors to connect in a really meaningful way with nature and a really sort of serene, tranquil kind of environment.
Brett:So really fortunate to work there five days a week, eight hours a day. I walk and run at lunch a fair bit. And there's lots of other folks that are out doing the same, people who live and work in the area and are out walking their dogs, going for runs. So the park or the cemetery in large part is treated by many in the community like a park. So again, it's a cemetery first and foremost, but it is a park like setting that I think is appreciated by the community in that way as well.
Natalie:Now the city runs two other cemeteries, Saint Vatel and Transcona. All of the locations are significant, certainly, to to people who have their loved ones there. But maybe, you know, stone for stone, Brookside is historically significant, as you said, in Winnipeg. And and and tell us a few more maybe stories that that that emanate from there.
Brett:Yeah. So Brookside Cemetery has a really interesting history. Back in the 1870s, Winnipeg was booming. It was only a few decades later where Winnipeg was coined Chicago in the North. So city was growing.
Brett:Times were good. At that time, I believe St. John's Cemetery was the primary cemetery serving Winnipeg. Winnipeg City Council was growing concerned that there wasn't enough burial space available to meet anticipated future demand. They also wanted to make sure that folks who didn't have financial means to pay for a burial spot could have that opportunity still.
Brett:So they wanted to acquire land for a city run cemetery. So they initiated that process of finding a site and in 1870 purchased 160 acres of land. I had read in a history book at that time describing the site. I wanna read it out just so I get the But quote the way they described the site at the time, it was a treeless hunk of land on the bleak, bald prairie, six miles from the city with no suitable roads or transportation to get to the site.
Tamara:Different than how you described it a couple seconds ago.
Brett:Right. So it's really transformed over the years. Very different then to what it is today. In the nineteen twenties, they added bus service. So the city had grown a fair bit over those years.
Brett:The the nearest trolley station was now about two miles from the the cemetery in 1920. So they added bus service that went back and forth from the trolley station to the cemetery, improving accessibility a little bit, but still, like, somewhat distant from the city and hard to access. Fast forward to today, very different. We've gone from this barren piece of inaccessible land to, you know, one of the largest cemeteries in all of Canada with over 110,000 people buried there. It's like double the size of Brandon.
Brett:So tons of burials, huge cemetery. Thanks to all those decisions made by administrators in the past and dedicated work from staff over the last one hundred and forty years, The cemetery was recently designated as a National Historic Site. So that's really significant. That was just two years ago. It really just captures the rich history and unique design of the cemetery.
Brett:There's only 23 other National Historic Sites in Winnipeg, so sites like the Forks National Historic Site, the Exchange District. These are pretty significant sites, and it's the only cemetery in Manitoba that's been designated as National Historic Site. So, these are all really special places. And I think it's a fitting description for Brookside Cemetery, just capturing that history and beauty and significance in our community.
Tamara:Now, the site itself is steeped in history, but it's also the final resting place for a lot of notable people from the city and the province. Who's buried there?
Brett:Yeah. You could probably spend a whole lifetime just walking around Brookside Cemetery, looking at the stones, learning about each of the people buried there. There's politicians and athletes and veterans and service members, criminals, heroes, just everyday folks with some with very interesting stories. So we could probably spend our whole conversation just talking about people and probably not even scratch the surface. But with that being said, the two most commonly requested people would be Sergeant Tommy Prince, first and foremost.
Brett:He's one of the most decorated indigenous war veterans in Canada. So he received countless medals for his service and bravery before the enemy, and he is buried in the field of honor at Brookside Cemetery. The second most frequently requested would be Harry Coburn. So Harry purchased a small female black bear cub and named it Winnie. You probably know where this story is going.
Brett:After his hometown in Winnipeg, Winnie apparently followed Harry and the other service members around like a dog, essentially. It was like a like a pet. And his superiors eventually said, hey. Like Harry, you gotta get rid of the bear. You can't can't join us on the battlefield.
Brett:Even though I think that would be an advantage to his his group. But, nonetheless, he he placed Winnie in the London Zoo with full intention of of taking her back home after the war. After the war, visited Winnie, saw how well she was doing, didn't wanna remove her from the zoo, so left her there. And apparently, AA Milne, the author, and and his Christopher Robin took a liking to Winnie and and the rest is history. And they wrote the the famous Winnie the Pooh classic.
Brett:So, yeah, you'll often see little bear stuffies at Harry Coburn's site, like little Winnie the Pooh stuffies. Definitely one of the more frequently visited sites, especially younger folks who get excited to see the Winnie the Pooh guy. Some other folks, maybe just some quick hits. Francis Cornish was the first mayor of Winnipeg, so he's buried at Brookside Cemetery. Billy Mozyenko, NHL hockey player, scored the fastest three goals in NHL history at twenty one seconds, which I still can't wrap my head around.
Brett:Like, I play hockey. I don't know how he did it. And I'm not sure I can't imagine it'll ever be beat. Charlotte Wood is really interesting. She's Canada's first Silver Cross mother, so that's awarded to those who suffered great loss during the war.
Brett:So she lost five sons to the war. So she was Canada's first Silver Cross mother, and she's buried at Brookside, close to the Field Of Honour. Maybe in the interest of time, one last quick story. In 1919, here in Winnipeg, we actually had the largest, general strike in the country's history with about half of the city's households going on strike. The city was at a, like, a complete standstill.
Brett:Two men were actually shot and died on what was known as Bloody Sunday. So both of those men, Steve Serbanowicz and Mike Sokolowski, are also buried at at Brookside Cemetery. So maybe I'll leave it there. Again, I we we could probably go on and on, but, yeah, those are some of the most interesting folks.
Natalie:And and I imagine are are some of these gravesites, are are they marked with with anything additional? Or or you really need to go and and get a map?
Brett:Yeah. A number of years ago, we did have, plaques installed close to the road just with some information about some of the more notable folks buried at Brookside Cemetery. But that wasn't until more recently. So Steve Cerbanowicz, who actually didn't have a headstone until fifteen or so years ago when a memorial dealer in town actually recognized that this gentleman still did not have a headstone and did some fundraising to be able to place that for him. So his grave was essentially unmarked until more recently.
Natalie:That's really interesting. I wonder, how did you know he was there? And are you aware of a lot of unmarked graves in the graveyard?
Brett:Yeah, there are quite a few unmarked graves. I'm not sure exactly how many, but I would estimate, if not hundreds, thousands. There's some areas of the cemetery that folks strolling through the cemetery say, Hey, how come there's nobody buried in this area? And there are, it's full. But it just happens that none of them are marked for whatever reason.
Brett:So, yeah, that's fairly common. We do know where everyone's located. There's small little In the past, they were cement numbers or cones. They all have numbers on them. So we know that there's someone there and where they are.
Brett:We can always refer back to our maps and all of our information in the office to find who's there and find the exact location. But yeah, there are many graves that, you know, whether it's for financial reasons or otherwise, the family just didn't place a stone at that time.
Natalie:Wow. And to go on with that, there are some additional pretty impactful monuments that that reside there that maybe aren't just for an individual, but but something a bit more.
Brett:Yeah. So the the Field Of Honour at Brookside Cemetery is one of the oldest and also one of the largest in all of Canada. So there's over 10,000 veterans and service members buried in the Field Of Honour. At the heart of the Field Of Honour is the Stone Of Remembrance, and it's it's probably the most significant monument within all of the cemetery. It was placed in 1960 to remember those who died in World War one and World War two.
Brett:And it's actually the only one of its kind in in all of Canada. Not only all of Canada, but all The Americas. So it's very significant. You'll see it in more significant cemeteries in Europe, but it is the only one of its kind in Canada. Winnipeg was chosen just given the high number of war dead at Brookside Cemetery in the Field Of Honour.
Brett:And also the fact that Winnipeg is essentially the geographic centre of Canada. So that's probably the most significant monument in Brookside Cemetery. Also in the Field Of Honour is what's called the Teardrop Section. So this is the area where the Field Of Honour actually began around 1915. Land was set aside for the internment of veterans at that time.
Brett:It's called the Teardrop Section given its shape. It's actually shaped like a teardrop. And it's considered a really important site in Canada. You'll find such a high number of war dead all buried in one section, which apparently is quite rare. So there's 151 interments within that area, of which 141 are war dead.
Brett:Within the center of that teardrop section is also a cross of sacrifice. There's only 26 of those monuments in Canada. And it was erected in 1922 just to honor those who died in World War I. We also have a small section for firefighters in Brookside Cemetery. Lots are actually provided to them in that section at no cost.
Brett:And there's a memorial, a firefighter plot and memorial that was installed in 2016 That's dedicated to firefighters who lost their lives. There's also a Korean veteran cairn, so that's a memorial that was donated by the Korea Veterans Association of Canada. On the front, it's inscribed with the names of veterans from Manitoba who lost their lives during the Korean War or during peacekeeping duties. And on the other side are the names of 17 soldiers who were actually killed on their way to Korea. Their train crashed.
Brett:It was around Canoe River, BC, and those 17 soldiers lost their life. So they're actually inscribed on that cairn as well. Also wanted to mention the University of Manitoba Medical Memorial. So it's a tribute to those who donated their bodies to medical science. So that memorial was erected in 02/2003.
Brett:It's seven sided. It's quite a large structure. It's seven sided to recognize that medicine is practiced seven days a week. And all the folks kind of buried in and around that area had donated their bodies to science. So we do a service each year in partnership with the University of Manitoba where they enter remains in that area, and it's all folks who donated their bodies to science.
Brett:One last monument I wanted to mention, it's not actually at Brookside Cemetery yet, but it's kind of timely. That's the Bank Of Montreal War Monument. So you may recall that monument standing at Portage and main for many, many years. It was there to honor 231 BMO employees who actually lost their life during World War I. Manitoba Metis Federation purchased that building not long ago.
Brett:And then with the opening of Portage And Main, that statue itself needed to be relocated. So Brookside Cemetery in the Field Of Honour was the chosen location. And we're expecting the relocation of that monument, if not this year, hopefully early next year.
Natalie:It's fitting. Brett, you clearly know a
Tamara:lot about cemeteries, but working for and overseeing them wasn't really part of your career plan. What drew you to becoming the city's cemeteries administrator?
Brett:It's a really good question. It was definitely not on my radar at all. Didn't even know about the position until not that long ago. I've always been really interested in urban planning. So ever since I was a little kid, just very interested in urban environments, going downtown, walking around, just trying to understand how the city works and why things are the way they are.
Brett:Going home and filling the basement with a big Lego city that I'd build. My parents sure loved that. So, yeah, it was a no brainer for me to go into urban planning, completed my education, was really fortunate to get a job with the urban planning division where I worked for about twelve years, working on some really great projects with really amazing people over there, but just felt like I'm just kind of itching for a new challenge, something new, really good timing. This job popped up and the job description just seemed really interesting to me. I've always had a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit, kind of an interest in business.
Brett:And the position seemed like an opportunity to kind of manage a small to medium sized business unit. So it kind of seemed appealing in that way. And just utilized some of my planning skills and some of the other competencies that I've developed from my time over at planning. So it just seemed like a really good fit for me at the right time. And it's been a really good move.
Brett:I do miss planning from time to time, but I really enjoy the work that I do, you know, helping families. And I think it's been a really good move for me.
Natalie:Yeah. Maybe make those connections a little bit more. Because urban planning is about creating environments for the living. And and now you're doing the same thing, but with those who are no longer with us. You know, are are are there any kind of core pieces of education that really have helped you in this role?
Brett:Yeah. There's definitely some that that sort of jump out at me when you ask that question. So much like planning an urban environment, we'd often be looking at, you know, different housing typologies and what sort of supply of different housing types and other land uses industrial and commercial do we have? And what are we going to need to meet future anticipated demand? Planning the cemetery environment is not that different.
Brett:We're looking at the different types of interment options that we have and how much do we have and how much do we expect to need in the future based on death rates and other factors and planning accordingly to ensure that we have enough supply available to meet that future demand. So there's definitely a lot of similarities in that respect. Brookside Cemetery, we do about 600 burials per year. Transcona and St. Vatel, we do an additional about 150 per year at each, so about 900 burials per year.
Brett:And we're really fortunate in that we have about a hundred year land supply, which is really great. Not all cemeteries have that sort of robust supply.
Natalie:And to put that in so it's it's been with us for a century and we still have a century to go.
Brett:That's right. Yeah. It varies a little bit from cemetery to cemetery, but Brookside Cemetery in particular, we have really significant land supply to serve our community's needs for about one hundred years into the future. Another part of the job that I think urban planning really prepared me for is community engagement and working with stakeholders of various types. Every day, we're engaging with funeral homes and memorial dealers and community groups and religious groups and the general public.
Brett:You know, with urban planning, you're often considering the needs of various stakeholders, which are sometimes divergent or competing interests. And so I learned a lot from that experience. And I think that's really helped me as well just with working with families and other stakeholders.
Tamara:Now there's a lot of tradition around burials. How have things changed since Brookside was created? But also, how have they stayed the same?
Brett:In a lot of ways, cemeteries are similar to how they were, you know, a hundred years ago or more in their fundamental purpose. You know, it's it's a cemetery, and they're there to serve as a designated place for the burial of folks who pass away and provide a location for grieving families to visit and remember their loved ones. So in that respect, that fundamental purpose is very much the same, but they've evolved in a lot of ways too, they're different in some significant ways. So when Brookside first opened in 1878, every single burial would have been a traditional casket burial in the ground. Most people who passed away would end up in a cemetery unless they're burying their loved ones on a family farm or something to that effect.
Brett:But cemetery was, like in a lot of ways, it was the only game in town. That's that's where you ended up. Fast forward to today, less than 35% of the burials we do are like a traditional burial in a casket. Now, about 65% of our burials are cremated remains, whether in the ground or above ground in a column barrier structure. So there's been a real shift and that's really affected our operations in a lot of ways.
Brett:And it's affected the types of products and services that we offer Winnipeggers to meet their changing demands. So yeah, that's been the biggest change. And I mentioned that basically everyone ended up in a cemetery in the past. And I've seen some varying statistics, but from what I could tell, of the cremated remains, now only about 20 40% of those actually end up in the cemetery. So a lot of folks are holding on to their loved ones or potentially spreading them at a family cottage or a place that was really special to their loved one.
Brett:So not only are we seeing this shift from traditional burials to cremation, we're also seeing folks hold on to those remains in a lot of cases. So it's changed how cemeteries operate in a lot of ways. And cemeteries aren't the only option anymore in many respects. Another thing I wanted to mention is green or natural burials. And that's kind of a case of, like, something old is kind of new again.
Brett:So really natural burials are reverting back to how burials have been done for thousands and thousands of years before elaborate caskets and embalming and memorialization that we see today. So we were really excited just a few weeks ago to be the first cemetery in Manitoba to be certified by the Green Burial Society of Canada to provide natural burials here in Manitoba. So we took about a half acre site at Brookside Cemetery, a really beautiful site nestled along Omens Creek. It had been mowed for decades, just a piece of conventional lawn. Really transformed that site, naturalizing it with native prairie grasses and wildflowers.
Brett:And we planted those about a year and a half ago, giving the site some time to fully establish. And we're now in a position where we can begin to offer Winnipeggers natural burials on that property. So in addition to the fact that the site's been naturalized, there's no embalming, no individual memorials like the headstones, Folks can only be buried in shrouds or biodegradable caskets. So like how things were done a hundred years ago, returning the body to the earth in a fairly natural state. So I think that's kind of an example of how things have changed, but also kind of not.
Brett:Just reverting back to how we did things not long ago.
Natalie:And one more thing to kind of keep going on that theme of change. Different cultures have many different practices when it comes to to how they say goodbye to their loved ones. And I understand, you know, education, understanding for you and your staff, that's all been very important in in supporting those needs.
Brett:Yeah, 100%. Burial practices, they're super personal. They're varied. We do about 900 burials a year. And a lot of those burials look the same, but there's also a lot of differences as well.
Brett:For example, we do a fair number of Muslim burials. We work with the Manitoba Islamic Association a number of years ago to develop a section at Transcona Cemetery that accommodates some of their specific needs. For example, the section itself is kind of oriented in a manner that bodies can be laid in the grave on their right side facing Qibla, which is really important for that culture. We also do many Indigenous burials each year. This year, we worked with the Indigenous Relations Division and we planted the four sacred medicines at Brookside Cemetery.
Brett:So sage, sweet grass, cedar, and tobacco. And they're available for anyone to pick at any time to use what you need as part of your burial practice. So I think that's something that's really meaningful. I learned a lot about some indigenous burial practices over the last few years. A specific family I was helping out and they invited me to a feast at their daughter's gravesite, something they do every year.
Brett:It was really interesting and really meaningful for me just to participate in that process, the smudging, sharing food, telling stories, reaffirming the connection between the living and the spirit world. It was just really interesting. And they had a feast actually again a days ago and invited me again. So, yeah, that was really, really special. Just a few examples.
Brett:But you know, again, the burial practices are so personal, they're so varied, and we're just happy to help people as best we can. We can't accommodate every need, but we do our best.
Tamara:You and your staff are with people on some of their most difficult days, whether they're planning a service for somebody else or themselves or putting on a burial. How do you deal with that? How do your staff deal with
Brett:Yeah. We're seeing people on, you know, one of their worst or most difficult days. They're often saying goodbye to someone forever. So, you know, I really just try to keep that in mind. Some people have really tough days in the office and they take it out staff.
Brett:So really just trying to not take that personal. Just understand what folks are going through, put myself in their shoes, and just operate with compassion and understanding is really, really important. I'm not in the trenches quite as much as some of the other staff, the ground staff and office staff who are every day fielding those phone calls and face to face with folks many, many times a day. But they do such an amazing job just demonstrating that understanding and compassion, which is super, super important. The toughest day for me each year, we work with the Health Science Centre.
Brett:They bury the remains of stillborn babies within our scattering bed at Brookside Cemetery. And each year there's maybe 10 to 20 families that participate in that ceremony. Not all do. A lot of families do their own private burials, but it is an option for families. And these are all folks who lost their child before they even really got to know them.
Brett:I've got a four year old at home, so it hits me so hard. I just feel so deeply for those families. And, yeah, that's one of those days where I just I go home and give my little guy a big hug for sure. So, yeah, there's there's good days and where you can help people. There's days that are tough emotionally for me and for the rest of the the team.
Brett:It can be really difficult, but I guess for me, what kind of gets me through it is just knowing kind of why I'm here, why it's important. It's important to help families through these difficult times and just knowing that I'm doing good work and that it's important work. And that's what really gets me through the day.
Natalie:You've shared so much that has probably piqued a lot of interests. And I'm looking for some balance here for people who want to explore the sites while also maintaining that respect that this is the location of people's loved ones. What do you suggest if someone's trying to visit?
Brett:Yeah, we get folks visiting all the time, popping into our office, looking for loved ones or undertaking historical research. Genealogy is very popular these days. So we're happy to help folks find whoever they're looking for. We have detailed maps and can provide directions to help folks find these people they're looking for. We do have an online burial search also, which is very helpful, folks can search from home at their own leisure.
Brett:They can figure out who's buried at one of our cemeteries, where they're buried, date of their death, date of burial. So that's a really helpful feature for a lot of folks. For those who like to walk or run like myself, nothing wrong with enjoying the cemetery as many people do out for walks with their families, friends, loved ones. Often, the stones will catch my eye. I'll see a name that kind of piques my interest and head back to the office and do a little bit of research.
Brett:So I think that's great as well. Lots of interesting tours that roll through Brookside Cemetery. This is a gentleman who has been offering a Winnipeg general strike tour, and that's been really popular. There's a private company that's been offering historical tours and tours of the field of honor. The city of Winnipeg actually arranges school tours during Remembrance Week.
Brett:So we bring out a number of typically grade four or five classrooms, and we have an opportunity for them to speak with a veteran, see some sort of historical military artifacts, and then we take them through Brookside Cemetery for a tour of the field of honor. So that's one way to connect with the cemetery as well. There have been some ghost tours that have strolled through over the years. So definitely no shortage of ways to explore the cemetery.
Tamara:And for people who are listening to this and don't have those final resting place wishes or plans developed, what advice or guidance do you have for them?
Brett:Yeah. I mean, people have all sorts of different religious beliefs, personal values, preferences, influences that all kind of influence that decision making process for sure. So some people it's a really easy decision. Like they know from a young age exactly what they want to do and that's great. But I've been in the industry for six, seven years now.
Brett:I still have no clue what I'm doing. So for others, it can be a really, really tough decision, and I appreciate how difficult that can be. I would just encourage people to take your time if you can. Consider your options. Talk to your loved ones.
Brett:Consider maybe connecting with a funeral director or someone in the industry. Definitely come by to our office. We're happy to explain all of the different options at Brookside, Transcona, and St. Vatel Cemetery. But in my view, it's really about just explore those options, gather as much information as you can, and just make the decision that feels right for you at your own pace when it feels right, you know, not being subject to high pressure sales tactics or anything like that.
Brett:Just consider your options and take your time if you're able to. I think it's also important for a lot of folks to have plans in place as early as possible and before they pass away. We have a lot of folks coming to our office who get a lot of peace of mind just from making those arrangements. They're making a big purchase, but you could see the excitement in swiping that credit card and just the relief that it's done. They don't have to worry about it.
Brett:Their loved ones don't have to worry about it. It's something really important to them to check that box that they've done it. They don't have to worry about it anymore. So I think that's also something that's really important, just to make those arrangements and make sure your family is really clear on what you want to do when your time comes.
Natalie:Well, thank you so much, Brett. You've shared some great things here about what I think a lot of people don't know or or haven't considered before. But that does bring us to our last question, which we ask everyone, and that's to share one more thing about Winnipeg that you wish people knew. This one doesn't have to be about work, but it can if you want.
Brett:Yeah. It's a hard question because Winnipeg has so many gems. It's hard to pick just one. But my wife and I actually moved to Charleswood about six years ago. Our home is right next to a Cinnamoin forest, and we've just fallen in love with the forest.
Brett:It's the 700 acre forest in the middle of the city, one of the largest urban forests in Canada. So, you know, we talked a little bit about, you know, sometimes work is tough and emotional and there's nothing better than just going for a walk in the forest, like at the end of the day and going out with my son and picking berries and watching the deer run run around. So, yeah, I I I think that's been it's so awesome moving to that area and just having the opportunity to spend so much time in in a forest environment in the city. And it actually kinda reminds me of Brookside Cemetery in a little bit. You know, before I had this job, I hadn't visited Brookside Cemetery.
Brett:I knew very little about it. Now I feel like everyone needs to visit at least, you know, at one point in their lives. You It's know, one of the largest cemeteries in Canada, a 110,000 people buried there. It's a national historic site. You've got over 10,000 veterans and service people buried in one of the largest fields of honor.
Brett:Setting is beautiful. So I feel like Cinnaboyne Forest and Brookside Cemetery are both places everyone should probably visit at least once. Just those truly underappreciated gems in Winnipeg.
Natalie:Thank you. That's wonderful. Thank you so much.
Tamara:Natalie, that was a great conversation with Brett. And, certainly a lot of us, now have a lot to think about, I think.
Natalie:Mhmm. Time marches on. Speaking of, next month, December. Well, know, we're gonna talk about something that you might use on your way to or from say a holiday party, cabs, ride shares. Citi has a team for that.
Tamara:Can't wait for that conversation. But before then, we wanna hear from you. If there's a topic or a project or or an area of the city that you want to learn more about, let us know. Email uscity-podcast@Winnipeg.ca and we'll see what we can do. Thanks for listening.
Tamara:Bye for now.
