Lehotsky's dream alive: Harry's values and vision still being followed today
By John Mohan

If you've lived in Winnipeg only a couple of years, the name Reverend Harry Lehotsky may mean little to you -- which is too bad. But to we longer-term residents and especially those working in the front lines of poverty, he is still revered and we gladly work under his long shadow.

Harry was and still is a legend. For 23 years he focused his life and energy, and raised his family in a community of poverty, injustice and brokenness.

A pastor and the founder of New Life Ministries and Church, he was never delicate about his calling. He challenged welfare systems and police services. He badgered politicians, exposed pushers and harassed pimps. He pushed back against prostitution and drug dens masquerading as boarding houses. And he fundamentally believed in people and his West End community enough to challenge them to do and be better and take responsibility for their own solutions.

Harry Lehotsky was also a builder, acquiring and renovating derelict houses and apartments in his area to provide safe, affordable housing for low-income tenants. The Ellice Cafe and Theatre were two of his final projects to contribute to community revitalization.

When he passed away in 2006 at the age of 49, a lot of people wondered what would happen to his vision and initiatives. Could they survive without this highly respected human dynamo and visionary leader? Recently a community came together at John M. King School to celebrate Harry's life and accomplishments but to also do two other things.

One was the kick off the Harry Lehotsky Memorial Work Project which will see construction of a unique kindergarten playground learning environment and include indigenous plants and trees.

The second part of the memorialization was an announcement of a soon-to-be published biography on Lehotsky's life called The Urban Saint, by Winnipeg author Paul H. Boge.

Some key community people attended, including other social agency leaders, Mayor Katz, Coun. Harvey Smith, and most notably Harry's wife Virginia Lehotsky, who commented: "He wouldn't want all the accolades and his name on it, but to see what he did affect people's lives and make them want to do something different, that's really cool." Not that it matters, but I agree.

People like Harry don't labour for so long in such difficult circumstances to create great social, community and personal change to be immortalized through structures, buildings or even books in their honour. But those things are still important to do because they serve as a reminder to the rest of us of the values and vision of trailblazers like Harry.

Leaders like him know and knew that if the mission is going to continue into the future it must be transferred to those around them and to following generations. When the vision is intentionally and effectively passed on, and when people act on it and perpetuate it, it creates stronger and healthier communities and residents.

But if we passively sit back and do nothing but wait for another great leader or government program, we will have failed ourselves, our communities and in this case, Harry. And he deserves better than just having a plaque with his name on it that in a few years people will wonder, "Who was Harry Lehotsky?"

--John Mohan is the CEO of Siloam Mission.

http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/columnists/john_mohan/2009/07/08/10059961-sun.html

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