Winnipeg - Of Interest

[1ajs]

interesting new city website... http://speakupwinnipeg.com/blog/

[newflyer]

that high end coffe place was always empty while the 2ndcup was always packed hell 2nd cup is busy even at closing time 10pm ish...

Agreed ... but if they were hoping to target those well paid government workers, who weren't present for most of the time they were in business, that pretty well disposed of there business plan.

I enjoy that second cup on Edmonton as much as anyone.. its a really nice place to stop for a cup o'joe. With that said, that part of downtown had little to no hope of keeping a higher end independant coffee house alive without those government workers... and even with them it might have still failed, but we'll never know, as they closed down before the building was completed.

Hopefully that vacant space is filled in the near future with something nice.

[jmt18325]

Agreed ... but if they were hoping to target those well paid government workers

Well, they actually aren't government workers, they work for a company whose only shareholder is the government. Manitoba Hydro, from what I know, is actually operated like many other businesses, they simply have additional responsibilities to the public and the Crown that other companies don't.

[bomberguy]

Canada's Best Places to Liv (http://list.canadianbusiness.com/rankings/bestplacestolive/2009/article.aspx?id=20090501_20007_20007)e

MoneySense’s Top 10 “Canada’s Best Places to Live”
1. Victoria
2. Ottawa-Gatineau
3. Kingston, Ont.
4. Burlington, Ont.
5. Vancouver, B.C.
6. Moncton, N.B.
7. Fredericton, N.B.
8. Winnipeg, Man.
9. Peterborough, Ont.
10. Brandon, Man.
http://list.canadianbusiness.com/rankings/bestplacestolive/2009/Default.aspx?sp2=1&d1=a&sc1=6
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/slideshow/2009/Best_Place_to_Live/

[wags_in_the_peg]

Canada's Best Places to Liv (http://list.canadianbusiness.com/rankings/bestplacestolive/2009/article.aspx?id=20090501_20007_20007)e

MoneySense’s Top 10 “Canada’s Best Places to Live”
1. Victoria
2. Ottawa-Gatineau
3. Kingston, Ont.
4. Burlington, Ont.
5. Vancouver, B.C.
6. Moncton, N.B.
7. Fredericton, N.B.
8. Winnipeg, Man.
9. Peterborough, Ont.
10. Brandon, Man.
http://list.canadianbusiness.com/rankings/bestplacestolive/2009/Default.aspx?sp2=1&d1=a&sc1=6
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/slideshow/2009/Best_Place_to_Live/

AWESOME for Winnipeg!!!
:whip:
Personall pet peeve, Manitoba is abbreviated MB, not Man:whip:

[h0twired]

Canada's Best Places to Liv (http://list.canadianbusiness.com/rankings/bestplacestolive/2009/article.aspx?id=20090501_20007_20007)e

MoneySense’s Top 10 “Canada’s Best Places to Live”
1. Victoria
2. Ottawa-Gatineau
3. Kingston, Ont.
4. Burlington, Ont.
5. Vancouver, B.C.
6. Moncton, N.B.
7. Fredericton, N.B.
8. Winnipeg, Man.
9. Peterborough, Ont.
10. Brandon, Man.
http://list.canadianbusiness.com/rankings/bestplacestolive/2009/Default.aspx?sp2=1&d1=a&sc1=6
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/slideshow/2009/Best_Place_to_Live/

Take THAT Peterborough!

[rrskylar]

Funny I thought maybe the huge debt load you took on was to blame, I'm now corrected, maybe the govt. and taxpayers can bail Canwest out, every other member of your family begs the govt. for support!




CRTC to blame: Asper
Says regulator responsible for broadcasters' woes

By: Jennifer Ditchburn

Canwest Global Communications President and CEO Leonard Asper waits for the start of the CRTC hearings in Gatineau, Que. on Tuesday.

Enlarge Image Enlarge Image icon

Canwest Global Communications President and CEO Leonard Asper waits for the start of the CRTC hearings in Gatineau, Que. on Tuesday. (SEAN KILPATRICK / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

GATINEAU, Que. -- Canwest Global president Leonard Asper took a swipe at the broadcast regulator Tuesday, saying federal rules are to blame for the problems plaguing the TV sector -- not the economic crisis or the staggering debt his company faces.

However, one of his rivals in the cable world accused broadcasters of engaging in a scare campaign based on dubious arguments.

Rogers Communications vice-chairman Phil Lind appeared before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), followed by Asper and his corporate team. The CRTC is holding its regular review of TV licences.

This round of reviews happens as many local TV stations face closure or sale. The commission is looking for ways to temporarily help broadcasters while searching for long-term fixes.

Canwest is in the most perilous financial situation, trying to stave off bankruptcy by renegotiating hefty debts with creditors, but "debt is a separate and distinct issue," Asper said.

"Currently, the system favours one sector over all others," he said, referring to the cable industry. "Basic public policy principles would dictate that once you decide to regulate, it should be fair regulation."

So far, the hearings and the larger public debate have shaken down to a battle pitting cable and satellite companies against "conventional" broadcasters -- networks such as CTV, Global, and TVA.

Asper and other TV presidents are fighting for regulatory changes -- most notably permission to charge cable companies for the right to transmit their signals, known as fee for carriage.

The commission has turned down the request twice before, but is under intense pressure by the industry and antsy MPs to take another look.

Asper framed the issue as a life-or-death situation for stations. Estimates tabled at the hearings put the fees at $352 million a year for the stations -- $72 million annually for beleaguered Canwest.

But cable companies, such as Rogers Communications, have warned that forcing them to pay fees will simply translate into higher bills for subscribers -- anywhere from $2 to $10 more a month.

Rogers Communications vice-chairman Phil Lind told the CRTC that his company's Citytv stations expect to make money after the economic downturn is over. He said other broadcasters have mounted a "scare campaign" with the government and MPs, threatening to close stations unless they get what they want.

"CTV made $200 million, Global made $168 million last year." Lind said. "Everyone says, 'Oh God, give me a crying towel.' These guys are profitable because of their speciality services."

CRTC chairman Konrad Von Finckenstein has said publicly that he does not believe the fee for carriage issue would be a panacea for the industry. He is also looking for guarantees that TV stations would spend those additional revenues on local programming.

[vid]

"CTV made $200 million, Global made $168 million last year." Lind said. "Everyone says, 'Oh God, give me a crying towel.' These guys are profitable because of their speciality services."

Shaw Cable made $2.4 billion in 2006. Rogers Cable made $1.95 billion in some year that Wikipedia doesn't cite.

This (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/87/Using-rogers.png) actually happens? My god, you poor guys in the rest of the country! :no:

[drew]

Since this was brought up in the construction thread, but I don't believe it has been posted yet...

A city with no design standards (http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/a-city-with-no-design-standards-43866827.html)

Robert Galston

The possibility that Canada Post would locate its downtown sorting facility at the corner of Higgins Avenue and Main Street came and went in a matter of days last week, and so it might now seem a little pointless to devote column space to a now-dead development. But in that time, much of the discussion of the matter was of the hope that the design of the facility would not reprise the dismal monstrousness of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's offices a block down the street, at Logan and Main.

At the beginning of the year, as the form of the WRHA's building, boxy and cheap, and its adjacent parkade, crooked and brutal, took shape, it raised much public ire and left civic politicians asking how such an embarrassment was allowed to take shape only four short blocks from city hall. Good question, but what might be more worthwhile is to ask how it can be assured this never happens again.

If Canada Post wishes to build their facility -- at Higgins, at Portage and Broadway on the so-called "field of dreams," or anywhere else downtown -- with the same degree of banality applied to the design of the WRHA office, there is little to prevent them from doing so. As the WRHA case shows, the worst that can happen is the downtown design review board issues a handful of recommendations to ignore, city councillors who voted for lavish tax credits one day will call the building ugly the next, and a few angry urbanist bloggers like me take to their keyboards.

With Canada Post's new flagship building in the city, currently under construction at Richardson International Airport, possessing a rather snoozy industrial park aesthetic, there is little to suggest that the design of an ancillary downtown sorting facility would complement the streetscape. Canada Post is also the Hagia Sophia of Byzantine bureaucracies, making the WRHA look like a trim upstart firm by comparison. It took the Point Douglas Residents Committee more than one year of petitioning Canada Post's offices in Ottawa to place one letter box in north Point Douglas. It is hard to imagine such an unwieldy organization would be willing or able to respond to whatever "encouragement" a civic design review committee placed on them.

The downtown design review guidelines are well-meaning but hopelessly enfeebled, as Plan Winnipeg was, by its fluffy, non-committal language and a lack of specific legal teeth. Just as there are bylaws regulating residential over-crowding and industrial noise, Winnipeg must have standards that regulate the form of new buildings and ensure that the quality of city spaces are enhanced, not degraded, by new developments. These regulations must be able to stand under the rule of law -- impartial, no matter who the builder is or which way the political winds are blowing.

Planners do not need to be in the city's employ so that they might offer pep talks to developers, then close their eyes and wish and hope that they build something that complements the form and function of city space. Their job should be to ensure that city spaces are not made worse by the types of developments that rise. Basic requirements, such as that no parkades front on important streets, or that windows and active doorways be placed on all streets the building fronts, would ensure that Main Street, or any other downtown neighbourhood, not suffer the same misfortune it did with the WRHA building.

The reaction to the WRHA building showed that Winnipeggers are not sensory-deprived philistines, but if the city continues to naively hope that all builders downtown will put an effort into the design of their projects, it will only lead to more disappointments and sources of civic shame down the road. Hoping for the best worked well a century ago, in an age when architecture was important: before vinyl or cheap stucco became go-to surfaces for builders; before geometry and order ceased to matter; and before parking "requirements" became paramount and windows became optional.

It is not working well for Main Street today. Tomorrow, it may not work for Portage Avenue. If architecture of a standard so inferior that it cannot mitigate a building's hostility is seen as acceptable, then the city gets what it deserves when its streets are rendered ugly and inhumane.

Mayor Sam Katz has seemed to take an interest in creating a sustainable city. Perhaps some effort could also be put into making that sustainable city look good again.

Robert Galston is a Winnipeg writer and Point Douglas resident.

[rrskylar]

^ Rob once again nailed it. The blight of the WRHA building and parking structure is worthy of Kunstler's "eyesore of the month".

[1ajs]

Peddle Power

4/29/2009

Now you'll have a better idea where you're going.... on your bike.

Wedmesday, the city unveiled a new cycling map for the City of Winnipeg. It updates the old one made for the 1999 Pam Am Games.
Another bike-friendly initiative is a GPS project called OttoCycle. 900 cyclists will be able to track their routes between May and October. All you have to do is sign up to participate.

You may also want to mark your calendar. This year, Bike to Work Day is June 19th.

[Pootkao]

On the topic of coffeeshops:

That 'high end' place on Edmonton was also playing mainstream country music when I walked in to check it out. One over-priced and mediocre grilled chicken sandwhich, bad coffee, country music... I was never to return.

The Fyxx on Hargrave suffered two fates:
a) Hydro still hasn't opened its front doors, effectively making Graham Ave the focus point of its building. Staff aren't as likely to walk all the way around the building when Twist Cafe or Second Cup is just across the street.

b) Even at the best of times, the Hargrave location is kinda tucked to the side off Portage and I've never been sure that concert or hockey-game goers are interested in latte's and good sandwhiches before an event. They want beer, excitement, etc. While I think its really awesome and my favorite of the various Fyxx's, a chilled-out east-indian-vibe probably isn't what most MTS Centre patrons are seeking.

Lastly, I'm really glad Twist Cafe is still in business and doing even better now. Great coffee (same espresso as Bar I), great sandwhiches, great vibe, cute and friendly staff. Recipe for success.

[drew]

^ I went into the Fyxx on Portage last year before a concert for dinner.

We had to leave because they had no more food left..!

I stop in at the Fyxx on Broadway about once a month or so.

I got coffee a couple times at the Twist Cafe (drip coffee, not espresso based) and I found it very average.

[rrskylar]

Are the police in this city this incompetent? ( guess he never shot anyone yet, so an arrest wasn't warranted)



Cyclist confronts police with shotgun

WINNIPEG — Police are looking today for a man who brandished a shotgun at police officers while riding a bicycle.

The man was carrying a shotgun while cycling near McGregor Street and Selkirk Avenue when he was spotted at around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, police say.

The officers who saw the man made a U-turn and stopped when they saw the weapon, but the man threw down the bicycle and began yelling and pointing the gun at them, police say.

The officers got out of the cruiser and took cover, demanding the man drop his weapon, but the man allegedly rode away towards Flora Avenue.

Officers tracked down the man, who held up the weapon and began yelling again, police say. The officers took cover a second time and the man escaped, heading east on Flora Ave.

The man is described as aboriginal in appearance and roughly 20 years of age. Police say he was about 5'9" with a slim build and a clean shaven face, wearing a black baseball cap with white insignia on the front, a black hoodie and black pants.

The bicycle was red with Rock Shocks written on the front in white lettering.

Anyone with more information can call police at 986-2849 or Crimestoppers at 786-847

[drew]

^ I can't for the life of me understand how a guy pointing a shotgun at police doesn't get tasered...?

Usually pointing a gun at a cop is a life ending situation, not one where the cops cower behind their car and let the guy get away...twice!

[rrskylar]

^ How the cops knew this guy wasn't out to settle a drug score or was on the way to rob someone is beyond me. The two officers would look pretty stupid if someone had been robbed or killed after letting this person simply ride away!


As someone commented on the FP site, these two officers need to find another line of work!

[1ajs]

o tommarow is may day and this years the 90th aniversy since the genral strike theres some sorta march going ontomarrow starting at ross house meuseam at 6:30 i just noticed a panflit in my junk mail pile

[wags_in_the_peg]

^ How the cops knew this guy wasn't out to settle a drug score or was on the way to rob someone is beyond me. The two officers would look pretty stupid if someone had been robbed or killed after letting this person simply ride away!


As someone commented on the FP site, these two officers need to find another line of work!

cops are scared shitless to pull their weapons and shoot. they'll be critisized to death and good god don't even suggest pulling a taser on this fokker. this guy should've received a bullet to the head, no questions asked. not being racist, but the fact he was aboriginal then they knew that they would get critisized

[1ajs]

cops are scared shitless to pull their weapons and shoot. they'll be critisized to death and good god don't even suggest pulling a taser on this fokker. this guy should've received a bullet to the head, no questions asked. not being racist, but the fact he was aboriginal then they knew that they would get critisized
a guy runing around on a bike with a shot gun is grounds for a kick in the ass christ this is not a screw driver.......... this is a freaking shot gun...

[hexrae]

a guy runing around on a bike with a shot gun is grounds for a kick in the ass christ this is not a screw driver.......... this is a freaking shot gun...

+1

Don't let race become a talking point here. I'd like to comment more but what's the standard procedure, for a police officer, if someone draws a weapon on you? I'm sure drawing your own weapon is in there, but probably taking cover as well, so where did these 2 go wrong?

[rrskylar]

^ Duh, two armed officers probably with a shotgun of their own in the patrol car, and they let an armed individual simply ride off on his bike with a weapon. No where else in North America would this have happened!

[wags_in_the_peg]

a guy runing around on a bike with a shot gun is grounds for a kick in the ass christ this is not a screw driver.......... this is a freaking shot gun...

the last cop to die on the streets of Winnipeg was by a screwdriver, so even pulling a screwdriver on the cops deserves a bullet!:whip:

[hexrae]

^ Duh, two armed officers probably with a shotgun of their own in the patrol car, and they let an armed individual simply ride off on his bike with a weapon. No where else in North America would this have happened!

Ok, so incompetence it is then. I was asking because I'm sure the procedure is more than "take cover, draw weapon".

[1ajs]

brillint were on the verge of a nurse's strike due to manigment screwing with vaction time and how it works..

[jmt18325]

Nurses can't actually stop work anymore. They can refuse overtime ant things like that, but they can no longer strike in the actual sense of the word.

[1ajs]

Winnipeg's Coalition to Save the Elms working to save itself

Last Updated: Tuesday, May 5, 2009 | 10:15 AM CT Comments7 (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2009/05/05/mb-elms-coalition.html#socialcomments)Recommend8 (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2009/05/05/mb-elms-coalition.html#)

CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/credit.html)


The Coalition to Save the Elms is going through unsteady times, relying on volunteers to see it through after the executive director was let go in March.
The president of the non-profit charitable organization's board of directors said it could no longer afford to keep a full-time employee. Darlene Golinoski said donations are down and the group is trying to decide how to proceed.
"We want to really examine the situation," said Golinoski, adding the key to the coalition's existence may be a strong volunteer base. "That's an area that maybe we haven't put enough effort into this in our recent past. We need to be able to do that to move forward in the direction that we want."
The conservation organization was founded in 1992 in response to the growing threat of Dutch elm disease. Winnipeg's urban forest is composed of the largest American elm population in North America.
Over the years, the organization has updated its strategy to stress the inclusion of all tree species in the city. It promotes the health of the urban forest and the urban environment through public awareness campaigns and tree-banding services.
Over the years it has advocated for government funding for Dutch elm disease research at the Universities of Manitoba and Toronto, maintained vast Winnipeg tree inventories, offered workshops for the public, schools and other organizations, and published a tree owner's manual.
Although the agency is in transition, evaluating how much it can continue to do, it will certainly be there to help Winnipeggers with the tree-banding program in the fall, Golinoski said.

[1ajs]

this is getting interesting...

Province Sets New Photo Radar Rules / Class Action Lawsuit Launched
CJOB's Clay Young reporting
5/8/2009

The Manitoba Government has issued new rules to the City of Winnipeg to prevent another photo-radar fiasco that has caused an uproar among thousands of motorists.

Justice Minister Dave Chomiak told reporters Friday that the Province has cleared up any misconception the city has when it comes to using photo radar in construction zones.



Chomiak says the city has been told the rules take effect immediately. As for the 60-thousand construction zone photo radar tickets, Chomiak says they will be reviewed, but it could take weeks, and is not guaranteeing refunds.


Meanwhile, the gloves have come off on the photo radar issue. A class-action lawsuit has been filed against the Manitoba government for speeding tickets in construction zones. Lawyer Norman Rosenbaum is behind the action. He already has an outstanding suit against the City of Winnipeg for the same thing. Rosenbaum says the city and province have "unjustly enriched themselves" with revenue from the fines. He says the money was received without justification.

[1ajs]

talk about power bumps... we had a black out... whats with our grid these days

[bomberguy]

yeah, had a blackout at work for a good 10-20 minutes.

[1ajs]

yea street lights went all out then i had a masive surge here

[1ajs]

Elvis Costello to headline Folk Festival.
CJOB News Team reporting
5/13/2009

British music legend Elvis Costello and his band The Imposters will kick off this summer's Winnipeg Folk Festival.
It will be Costello's first appearance in the city in 31 years.

[ILYR]

Latest Winnipeg Crime Stats
CJOB's John Copsey reporting
5/17/2009

Crime stats released by the Winnipeg Police show an overall drop in the crime rate of 16% compared to last year.

Most notable is the drop in auto thefts... actual motor vehicle thefts are down 49%; attempted auto thefts are down 20%.

The sexual assault rate is down 38%.

Residential break-and-enters are nearly unchanged, at a slight drop of 2%. Commercial B & E's are down 29%.

It's not all good news though... shootings are up 100%, while Robberies are up 50%.

[1ajs]

now to deal with the shootings and robberies

[1ajs]

stumbled across this rather neat local rap rnb song apears to be quite a bit of tallet kicking around.......
saJAAgc-ArQ

[newflyer]

:previous:

not to shabby .. :yes:

[drew]

I stumbled on this article today, and I thought it would be good food for thought whenever the arguments come up regarding government controlled alcohol sales versus private operations.

Usually it's argued that Alberta has way cheaper prices (in experience, I never really noticed this myself)...but guess what province and their evil government controlled liquor sales is currently cheapest in the country for beer..?



No point brewding about it ... our beer is Canada's priciest and there's no relief in sight for Joe and Jane Sixpack (http://www.calgarysun.com/news/columnists/michael_platt/2009/05/20/9508486-sun.html)

By MICHAEL PLATT

Last Updated: 20th May 2009, 3:52am

Rebekah Jarvis pours a beer in a Calgary pub as Albertans learn they are paying more for bottled beer than anybody else in the country. (Darren Makowichuk, Sun Media)

You can cry in your beer if you want to -- but it isn't going be cheap.

Alberta, in a mere 12 months, has gone from having the cheapest beer in Canada to the most expensive suds in the country, by a long shot.

You might spit and splutter, but don't waste any.

A survey of beer prices from St. John's, N.L., to Victoria shows Albertans are paying as much as $5 more a case for the same brew.

"I'm not surprised at all -- you can blame Stelmach, because he did the worst thing, boosting taxes," said John Dong, owner of Calgary's Royal Liquor Merchants.

But alcohol taxes, which went up $1.30 a case just last month after the province decided to squeeze more revenue out of drinkers, are only partially to blame for the beer-price boom.

Over the past year, aluminium and energy prices have all increased, along with distribution costs and minimum wages.

Add sin taxes to the mix and Albertans who enjoy a cold beer have been repeatedly burned, a nickel and dime at a time.

The price of Alberta beer is now higher than in any province, a complete reversal from April 2008, when this province boasted the lowest average price in Canada for a 12-pack, at $18.42.

That Alberta advantage is now history.

Using a 12-pack of Molson Canadian as a middle-of-the-road, universally available barometer, Alberta registers a dubious place atop the price pile.

In Newfoundland, traditional home to cod cheeks, drizzle and the most expensive beer in Canada, the price of a dozen Canadian is $22.25, including taxes and deposit.

Alberta, at four random liquor stores in Calgary and Edmonton, the same beer goes for between $23.98 and $24.99, including tax and deposit.

You can start weeping now -- like it or not, we are Canada's beer-price champions.

In B.C., the same Molson product is $21.15; Saskatchewan sells it for $20.50.

Out east, in New Brunswick, the dozen goes for $20.50, with Nova Scotians paying $19.99 and P.E.I. residents handing over $20.49.

In Quebec, you can walk into a grocery store and score the Molson case for $18.12, while next door in Ontario, it's $20.50.

In Manitoba, lucky old Manitoba, a case of Canadian is a mere $18.03.

One B.C. Liquor merchant, who asked not to be named, mocked his neighbour's suffering: "You have to be kidding -- that's pretty hilarious," he said.

"Alberta has always been way cheaper. Maybe customers will cross the border and buy beer here for a change."

Those running liquor stores locally say Alberta's latest price bump, courtesy of April's provincial budget, has been a serious buzz-kill for customers.

"They're angry and they're blaming us," said Dong, who runs a quartet of stores in Calgary.

"All we can tell them is it's not our fault."

Alberta beer drinker Greg Morrell says he's not pleased about the climbing prices, and like many on a tight beer budget, he's been forced to switch brands to save money.

"I'm unhappy about it -- there are no major label brands for a reasonable price, so I have to buy the cheap stuff," said Morrell, 47.

"In response to the prices, I buy Black Label -- it's about as cheap as I can go and still find it palatable."

The government that helped push Alberta to the lonely peak of prices refuses to discuss the impact on customers -- people who once naively believed liquor store privatization would lead to cheaper suds.

Along with beer, the new taxes pushed wine prices up 75 cents a bottle and hard liquor $2.85 a bottle.

That decision, made as part of last month's budget, will add about $180 million to the $658 million raised through booze sales in 2007-2008.

Lynn Hutchings-Mah, spokeswoman for the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission, said Alberta's government wanted more revenue from liquor sales and higher prices are the result.

"The government made the decision to increase the liquor mark-up to increase revenue, and pay for programs Albertan's need," said Hutchings-Mah.

"They made the decision, and that's about all I can speak to."

MICHAEL.PLATT@SUNMEDIA.CA

[1ajs]

reading the doors open winnipeg list theres 54 buildings this year

anyhow that church beside the disrelie on disrelie st is marked as downtown hah thats some typo iness north point douglas is considerd downtown now all the suden?
http://www.doorsopenwinnipeg.ca/buildings_active.php?cid=2&pid=107

St. Michael’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church

i used to go to daycare in the basement of that place man the memories

[flatlander]

^^I like this.

It would be interesting to know how much taxes on a 12 pack of beer vary from province to province. I suspect that taxes are only part of the explanation for the higher prices.

[rgalston]

I am definately going to go to St. Michael's--oldest orthodox church in W. Canada.

Last year, I think I only went to Bridgman/Bank of Montreal on Higgins and Main, St. John's Cathedral, and Bishop Velychkovsky's shrine, which was the highlight.

Then I'm going to participate in the general strike musical. I will play the emaciated North End boy, who was beat up by Marxist thugs for selling newspapers outside the sanction of the Strike Committee. Oh wait...

[1ajs]

didn't relize st michiels is the oldest crazy

[ue]

you guys get doors open too? that's cool. it just started here last year and it's been in calgary for years.

[1ajs]

you guys get doors open too? that's cool. it just started here last year and it's been in calgary for years.

yep we have had it going on for a while now think it started in 06 maybe earlyer

from last years
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3266/2699363747_1f70b253fe.jpg?v=0

[vid]

Doors Open has been running here since September 2003. I thought it had been in every large city across the country for years. :shrug: Toronto has had it since 1999.

Thunder Bay's is held in September, like London's. Not sure why. I think the local driving force behind it got the idea from European events instead of Canadian ones and planned it for the same time without knowing the rest of the country does it in May. :shrug:

[ue]

Edmonton last yr was in Aug, this year it's this weekend.

[hexrae]

Lots more money to promote Winnipeg (http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/lots-more-money-to-promote-winnipeg-45835872.html)
Destination Winnipeg's budget expected to double, thanks to accommodation taxes

By: Martin Cash

Destination Winnipeg's budget may increase by more than 50 per cent this year because of contributions made by the city from its new accommodation tax.

Destination Winnipeg officials say the additional funding -- including up to $1 million for a sports and special events fund -- makes sense because the city has a lot more to sell.
Nick Logan says events Destination Winnipeg attracts have a significant economic impact on the city.

Nick Logan says events Destination Winnipeg attracts have a significant economic impact on the city. (MIKE.DEAL@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)

At the economic development agency's annual general meeting Thursday, its CEO, Stuart Duncan, said the city is punching above its weight in terms of its marketing successes.

"Sitting back in 2003, you would not have thought we would be where we are now," he said. "There has been some interesting momentum. The city is on a roll and it is getting recognized for it. The more that's happening, the more we have to market."

The organization's total budget for 2008 was $3.3 million, including $1.3 million from the city. This year, the city's contribution will come in the form of 30 per cent of the controversial accommodation tax, which is expected to be about $2.1 million.

In addition, that new tax revenue is going to be partially used to create a discrete fund -- up to $1 million per year -- that Destination Winnipeg will be able to apply towards bidding for and acquiring national and major sporting and special events.

Duncan said the existence of the fund will allow for quicker and more aggressive bidding on projects. He said it has already been used towards securing the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships that took place last month in Winnipeg and the national junior soccer championships that will be held here in October.

"You can already see that this is not a fund that is just going to sit there," he said.

Nick Logan, CEO of National Leasing and chairman of the board of Destination Winnipeg, said the work the organization does behind the scenes in bringing in events like that create significant economic impact.

"The 12 national sports and special events in Winnipeg in 2008, like the Tim Hortons Brier and Canadian Country Music Awards, generated about $30 million worth of economic impact for the city," Logan said.

Destination Winnipeg believes its aggressive marketing of the city has a definite payback. In 2008, the organization funded some new research on future potential economic development in the city. Duncan said the purpose was to update the cluster study done in 2002.

Without revealing any specifics, he said the results of the study indicate the city has some sustainable strengths worthy of the additional marketing clout Destination Winnipeg is now going to have at its disposal.

"If this type of study was done five or six years ago, you wouldn't see the types of growth projections that are in there," said Duncan. "These projections are based on solid research and we have great data that we look at every day."

Douglas Porter, the deputy chief economist of BMO Capital Markets, who was in Winnipeg Thursday, said the current strength of the Prairie economy is not a surprise.

He said the drivers of the regional economic growth have not gone away. Although total employment is down a little in Manitoba, it is far more stable than it is in virtually every other province in the country.

He said a quiet recovery of some commodity prices like oil and copper may suggest a turnaround in the global economy may happen sooner than has been anticipated.

Along with the sustained strength of agricultural commodity prices, he said a recovery in other commodities is bound to be beneficial to western Canadian economies.

martin.cash@freepress.ca

[hexrae]

New partners strengthen local bid for HIV vaccine centre (http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/New-partners-strengthen-local-bid-for-HIV-vaccine-centre-45854727.html)

By: Geoff Kirbyson

WINNIPEG — The International Centre for Infectious Diseases has unveiled details, including a high-powered group of partners, of its bid to bring an $88-million HIV vaccine manufacturing facility to Winnipeg.

The Winnipeg-based not-for-profit applied in March to the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative, a joint project of the federal government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to build a one-of-a-kind facility dedicated to accelerating the production of promising vaccine candidates for the world's most deadly disease.

The proposed facility would be built on currently vacant land at Alexander Avenue and Arlington Street in Winnipeg's "BioMed" zone, adjacent to the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health and just blocks away from the University of Manitoba's medical school and the Health Sciences Centre.

The consortium partners include:

* The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, the world's largest dedicated HIV vaccine research and development not-for-profit organization. TIME magazine recently named Dr. Seth Berkley, its president and CEO, as one of this year's "100 most influential people in the world."
* VIDO/InterVac, a world leader in research and development of vaccine and immunity-enhancing technology for humans and animals based out of Saskatoon.
* Canadian Trials Network, Canada's only HIV clinical trails network, which is based at the University of British Columbia.
* The University of Manitoba and the L'Université de Montréal, both leaders in HIV/AIDS vaccine research.

Terry Duguid, president and CEO of ICID, said the securing of such well-respected partners is a "huge win" for its bid, which is competing against proposals from London, Ont. and Laval, Que. The evaluations will take place in Ottawa shortly and a final decision is expected this fall. It will be another two to three years until the vaccine centre is built and running.

Previously announced partners include the Serum Institute of India, Ltd., the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, and Winnipeg-based Cangene Ltd., Canada's largest biotechnology firm.

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca

London Free Press (http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2009/05/22/9540886.html) on London proposal

Couldn't find info on proposals from Laval or Peterborough (see London article).

[1ajs]

interesting

[Keng]

This would be a terrific fit and another step to realizing 'Bio-Med' city concept. On merit alone it looks like we have great chance of landing this.

These competitions for facilities and hi-quality jobs always worry me. Not because Winnipeg can't compete, but for the fear of it becoming a purely political decision. Especially when Ontario/Quebec are players...

[jmt18325]

Does anyone know what the holdup is with awarding some of the street renewal contracts for the city? It seems to be taking a while for some (over a month).

[metonymy]

Have you looked here (http://winnipeg.ca/finance/findata/matmgt/bidres/Past/2009.asp)? The May 1 tender close on Rue Aubert, Cottonwood has been awarded (Darco), although several older projects that closed in April have not yet been listed as awarded. Most before that have all been awarded.

[jmt18325]

Yes, that's where I found that some of the street projects haven't been awarded. I was just wondering why.

[1ajs]

just slow down campain youth video contest
http://justslowdown.ca/?page_id=203

the video at the botem of the entries seems to be the best of them

[1ajs]

City Invites Public to Comment On Water and Sewer Proposal
Two Round Table Sessions Planned for June
http://www.winnipeg.ca/cao/media/news/nr_2009/nr_20090529.stm#1

[1ajs]

wow downtown is going to be a buz with partying people the moose won game 2!

[wags_in_the_peg]

wow downtown is going to be a buz with partying people the moose won game 2!

the environment would be like that 42 nights a year + playoffs if we had an NHL team.

[wags_in_the_peg]

I'd love to see Vandal run again and lose, thus creating an opening for St.B. I think this guy is a tool, a total tool.

Vandal considers taking another shot at mayor's job
By: Bartley Kives

St. Boniface Coun. Dan Vandal might take another run at the mayor's office, setting the stage for a potential rematch of the 2004 civic byelection that saw him finish second to Sam Katz.

Against the backdrop of Katz's accusations the province is meddling in civic affairs, Vandal said in an interview he will decide this fall whether to run for mayor in the October 2010 civic election.

In 2004, Vandal lost to Katz by 43,371 votes in a crowded mayoral race that featured five high-profile candidates.

A rematch is possible next year, as Katz is expected to run for office for the third and final time. Katz supports the concept of term limits and has said he will not serve more than two full terms, in addition to his abbreviated first term.

Vandal, who served as St. Boniface's councillor from 1995 to 2004 before returning to office in 2006, will have to consider the pros and cons of a race against a well-known incumbent.

"I'm considering it, but I'm not in a position to make a decision right now. I have to talk this over with my family," said Vandal. He made his comments after the Doer government unveiled new campaign-finance reform rules similar to what the St. Boniface councillor tried and failed to get Winnipeg's city council to adopt on its own in March.

The proposed electoral changes, which include a ban on union and corporate donations, would neither aid nor hinder Vandal in a head-to-head race against Katz, at least on paper. In the 2006 mayoral race, the vast majority of Katz's campaign contributors were individuals, not corporations, though businesses such as Western Glove Works, Nygard International and the Gauthier Automotive Group were among the list of donors who forked over the maximum $1,500 donation.

Still, Katz and other city hall observers suggest the Doer government may be attempting to aid Vandal because the NDP's large pool of campaign volunteers could be more effective in a mayoral race with a reduced pool of campaign donations.

For example, in the close 2009 River Heights-Fort Garry byelection race between NDP-backed John Orlikow and Conservative-affiliated Geoff Currier, the NDP's machine appeared to have played a large role in Orlikow's victory.

"They have all these bodies they can move around. Employees take leaves of absence of all the time to work on elections. So how do you create an advantage for NDP-minded candidates? This is one way," said St. Norbert Coun. Justin Swandel, who supported Vandal's motion to ban union and corporate donations when council voted down the idea 11-5 in March.

"This is the part of politics I find distasteful and disgusting. There's some motivation for doing this. God knows what's going on," added Katz on Wednesday, suggesting elements within the Doer government -- although not the premier himself -- may be working to unseat him.

"I understand (Finance Minister) Greg Selinger and Dan Vandal are very close," said Katz, who nonetheless scoffed at the notion Vandal is ready for a rematch in 2010.

"I don't think Dan Vandal will run. I think Dan Vandal will only run if he's guaranteed he's going to win and that won't be the case. I don't think Dan Vandal wants to sit on the sidelines another four years, and I'm not convinced the government will give him another parachute like they did last time," Katz said, referring to Vandal's job with the Winnipeg Partnership Agreement following his election loss in 2004. "He was unemployed until the NDP gave him a job, paying more than a councillor, I might add."

[sledhead35]

the environment would be like that 42 nights a year + playoffs if we had an NHL team.

you are assuming our nhl team would win every home game? way to think positively:tup:

[1ajs]

Winnipeg to pave section of Portage Avenue with recycled tires

Last Updated: Monday, June 8, 2009 | 2:45 PM CT Comments13 (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2009/06/08/mb-tires-asphalt-mix-winnipeg.html#socialcomments)Recommend16 (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2009/06/08/mb-tires-asphalt-mix-winnipeg.html#)

CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/credit.html)


An experimental mix of asphalt and recycled rubber tires will be laid down along a stretch of Winnipeg's Portage Avenue this week as a test to determine how well it resists wear and tear.
'When ice starts forming, the traffic will actually flex the pavement and cause the ice to crack and mitigate the ice build up.'— Lester Deane, City of Winnipeg engineer A similar mix is already being used in Alberta, where it has been found to last two to four years longer than regular asphalt, according to Lester Deane, an engineer with the City of Winnipeg's public works department.
"It's more resistant to cracking and rutting," he said. "It's also supposed to reduce ice build-up in that it's a little bit flexible, so when ice starts forming, the traffic will actually flex the pavement and cause the ice to crack and mitigate the ice build up."
The mix costs about 30 per cent more than regular asphalt, but could divert tonnes of old tires from being dumped in landfills, said Deane.
He said the mix was put down on a pedestrian cycle path along Bishop Grandin last summer with good results.
Now it's time to try it out where there is heavier traffic, Deane said.
"We've decided to go right to a full-blown test of the material. So we're going to use it on Portage Avenue, arguably one of our higher-profile and high-traffic roadways in both truck traffic, bus traffic and car traffic," he said.
Weather permitting, 800 metric tonnes of the mix will be put down on three eastbound lanes on Portage Avenue between Unicity Mall and Cavalier Drive. The covering will be monitored for seven years to see if it performs better than regular asphalt.
If so, more roads and possibly provincial highways will be resurfaced with the same material, Deane said.

[flatlander]

Public works committee votes against tipping fee increases at Brady Road Landfill
By: Bartley Kives
9/06/2009 10:30 AM | Comments: 1
PRINT E–MAIL SHARE THIS
WINNIPEG--City council's public works committee has voted against tipping fee increases at Brady Road Landfill.
The committee voted 2-1 against a plan to generate $3.8 million in revenue for a new provincial program designed to divert more waste away from landfills and fund recycling programs.
The city actually stands to receive more money from the program than it contributes, as taxpayer contributions would be $2.6 million a year while the province would hand back $4.4 million under a complex formula determined by relative rates of recycling in Manitoba municipalities.
But Couns. Harry Lazarenko (Mynarski) and Harvey Smith (Daniel McIntyre) voted against the plan, which would see tipping fees rise $10 a tonne for large loads and increase $5 for small loads.
Lazarenko believes the program is unnecessary and Smith worries it will encourage more illegal dumping.
Executive policy committee will likely reverse this decision on Wednesday.

[drew]

Where I live everyone "tips" into the autobins... actually I don't know how I'd survive without an autobin in the back lane now, it's very convenient.

[metonymy]

The end of every month as people move, the autobins in my area are full of mattresses and futons and various furniture pieces.

[rich_200]

Hi again guys

I just received the acceptation letter from the Unviersity of Manitoba, so now it's a sure thing I will be going to Winnipeg for the Fall term, I'm so happy I'll be in your city so soon. The only things that I need to do is find a place to stay, it's been harder than expected, so if you guys are renting a room, need a roommate or know someone who does please let me know, I can pay up to $530 CDN per month. And I will be there from August 31 to December 30.

[Donovanf]

Hey, I am looking to sublease my one bedroom apartment that is $414 a month starting Sept 1. Send me a message if you are interested. The address is 190 Colony, it close to a bus route to a direct route to the university. I also have a good friend from Mexico City who lives in Winnipeg now, you will have to meet him.

[1ajs]

yo congratz on getting accepted to the u of m

[rich_200]

Thank you 1ajs

I would like to meet your friend Donovanf

[JayM]

For anyone wanting to see the Moose game tonight.. You can watch it on the massive GlobalTV TV downtown.

[1ajs]

Bike to Work Day (http://login.greatbignews.com/agents/linkTrack.cfm?mid=0009080D58&eid=564A6F5F0306030D062E0D0E0619095B5C1E570202&link=0304010758)
Friday, June 19. Bike to Work Day Winnipeg is our chance to celebrate the bicycle as a safe, fun and healthy mode of transportation. Register for your chance to win prizes!

Rockin' the District Block Party (http://login.greatbignews.com/agents/linkTrack.cfm?mid=0009080D58&eid=564A6F5F0306030D062E0D0E0619095B5C1E570202&link=0303090254)
June 19-20. Three-day block party in the Exchange District. Free concerts, fashion shows and more!


Central Market for Global Families Opening
Grand kick off of new market in Central Park. Market will be open Fridays and Saturdays for the whole summer.
Saturdays: June 20 – end of August
Time: 10am – 2pm
Fridays: June 27 – end of August
Time: 4pm – 10pm

2009 Groove-FM Jazz Winnipeg Festival (http://login.greatbignews.com/agents/linkTrack.cfm?mid=0009080D58&eid=564A6F5F0306030D062E0D0E0619095B5C1E570202&link=06020400)
June 26 to July 5
Tuesday, June 23 - FESTIVAL PREVIEW SHOW
Derek Trucks Band with Romi Mayes Band, Pantages Playhouse Theatre, 8:00 pm
Friday, June 26 - Branford Marsalis Quartet with Michelle Grégoire Quintet, Pantages Playhouse Theatre, 8:00 pm
Vieux Farka Touré with NAfro Band, Pyramid Cabaret, 10:00 pm
Ndidi Onukwulu, Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club, 9:30 pm and Midnight
Click here to see the entire line up. (http://login.greatbignews.com/agents/linkTrack.cfm?mid=0009080D58&eid=564A6F5F0306030D062E0D0E0619095B5C1E570202&link=06020400)

Video Games Live festival
https://www.wso.mb.ca/admin/documents/VGL_logo_web.jpg

Monday July 6 8:00 pm


Tuesday July 7 8:00 pm
Wednesday July 8 8:00 pm
Pre-concert events begin at 6:00 pm
Video Games Live is a groundbreaking event celebrating the music of video games. Experience the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and choir, accompanied by synchronized video, lighting, special effects, crowd interactivity and live action.
On July 6, 7 and 8, the WSO is proud to host Video Games Live for a unique 3-day festival, which includes two nights of concerts surrounding a Guitar Hero® showdown. Hear music from your favourite video games, including Mario®, Zelda®, Halo® and Warcraft®.
www.videogameslive.com (http://www.videogameslive.com/)

[1ajs]

Tense moments at court office

Angry motorists take photo-radar frustrations out on sheriff's officers

By: Mike McIntyre
17/06/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 10 (http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/tense-moments-at-court-office-48239687.html#comments)



Print (http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/tense-moments-at-court-office-48239687.html#)
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Share This (javascript:void(0))
Manitoba's photo radar flap has led to increased hostilities -- and beefed-up security -- at a downtown court office.
Several provincial sheriff's officers have said they've become targets for citizens looking to vent their rage after learning they won't get refunds for their construction zone speeding tickets.
http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/240*393/1255445.jpg Enlarge Image http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/designimages/enlargeicon_WFP.gif (http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/1255445.jpg)
(PHIL.HOSSACK@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)


"It's getting crazy over there," one officer said Tuesday, referring to the Summary Conviction Court at 373 Broadway. "People aren't happy."
There have been at least four recent incidents that involved heated confrontations between members of the public, provincial magistrates and the sheriffs who patrol the courts. The most serious spilled out of the building and onto the sidewalk and involved one irate man swinging at an officer. There were no injuries.
Security has been increased because of the rising tensions, according to the sheriffs.
Dave Brickwood, assistant deputy minister of the courts, confirmed Tuesday there have been two recent incidents that ended with Winnipeg police being called. He doesn't believe criminal charges were laid in either case because there may have been "other factors" involved, such as mental illness.
"People seem to get a bit passionate about their tickets every now and then," he said. However, Brickwood downplayed any security concerns raised by front-line officers, saying it was basically "business as usual."
Photo radar made headlines earlier this year when third-year University of Manitoba law student Jodi Koffman successfully argued it was the intention of lawmakers to only enforce reduced speeds in construction zones when workers are present and not otherwise. Magistate Norm Sundstrom agreed in dismissing nine tickets. In a written decision he said in all of the cases before him the motorists were proven to have exceeded the temporary posted speed of 60 km/h -- not the actual 80 km/h speed limit -- in worker-free construction zones.
The Crown immediately filed an appeal, but the city was caught off guard earlier this month when the province announced it was abandoning its fight. What made it worse for the city and the police traffic division is that the Crown also said the public works department had not properly installed signs at the end of photo-enforced construction zones to tell drivers they could increase their speed to the posted limit. Because of that, the Crown also announced it would drop 875 speeding offences still before the courts on the basis it could not prosecute because of the lack of signage.
The decision later outraged the public when Justice Minister Dave Chomiak said tickets issued last year would not be refunded where an estimated $10 million in fines had already been paid to the city and province.
The province has now set in law how police can use photo radar in construction zones.
The new rules say city-run speed-enforcement cameras can only be used in construction zones when workers are present. If no workers are present, there must be a specific safety risk for police to enforce reduced speeds on weekends. There also must be a proper sign in place advising drivers they are entering a construction zone with a reduced speed and a second sign at the end of the construction zone advising drivers they can resume travelling the posted speed limit.
Meanwhile, a Winnipeg man has initiated a class-action lawsuit against the City of Winnipeg, alleging the city improperly collected the photo-radar fines. The legal action must still be accepted by the courts as a class-action suit on behalf of all motorists. The statement of claim says the city "unjustly enriched itself at the expense of the plaintiffs" and that all fines, fees and other penalties imposed through the photo-radar tickets, "were without colour of right and thus should not have been levied, imposed, sought or collected."
www.mikeoncrime.com

[wags_in_the_peg]

man it's nice seen ART like this at the corner of P&M. not those fugly dog or bycycle status along portage, or god help me the 'bears'. too bad other large companies like greatwest or IG didn't have something like this outside their building. this is classy!!!

http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/090618_plants.jpg

[ILYR]

Looks like a solid economy is also making its way to the Blue Bombers.

27,742 people out to the Bombers pre-season game! Let the summer commence. :cheers:

[1ajs]

yea and they won!

[wags_in_the_peg]

Looks like a solid economy is also making its way to the Blue Bombers.

27,742 people out to the Bombers pre-season game! Let the summer commence. :cheers:

i agree, it was great to see, however tickets were free to season ticket holder (they got 2 each).

go BLUE go

[Only The Lonely..]

man it's nice seen ART like this at the corner of P&M. not those fugly dog or bycycle status along portage, or god help me the 'bears'. too bad other large companies like greatwest or IG didn't have something like this outside their building. this is classy!!!

http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/090618_plants.jpg

I totally agree.

[1ajs]

today the farimont had a lober lunch meal thing going on in the plazza i missed ut as i had stoped at city hall instead and had a bizson burger and sat and listened to live music
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3633/3639028835_1ed97df29e_o.jpg

[hexrae]

man it's nice seen ART like this at the corner of P&M. not those fugly dog or bycycle status along portage, or god help me the 'bears'. too bad other large companies like greatwest or IG didn't have something like this outside their building. this is classy!!!

Isn't there an art structure in front of the GWL building? Some men on horseback, IIRC.

Also...


New Assiniboine Park plan to be unveiled Friday (http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/New-Assiniboine-Park-plan-to-be-unveiled-Friday-48553577.html)

By: Bartley Kives

18/06/2009 4:50 PM | Comments: 1

The new arm’s-length body responsible for running Assiniboine Park will announce its long-term plan to improve the green space on Friday morning.

The Assiniboine Park Conservancy will unveil its plans at a 10 a.m. press conference at the Pavilion in Assiniboine Park.

The conservancy is responsible for raising public and private money to reverse the decline of the park, which faces a $200 million infrastructure deficit.

[wags_in_the_peg]

Isn't there an art structure in front of the GWL building? Some men on horseback, IIRC.

Also...

phase 1 will be a new playground for kids (nature themed), bigger duck pond, some type of concession building and a lazy river for tubing. I LOVE THE RIVER TUBING idea!!! I wonder what it'll cost? $4 person all day would be reasonable. too bad it'll only be open 3 months a year

[wags_in_the_peg]

WHO?


PM names Lee as Manitoba's new Lieutenant Governor

OTTAWA -- Manitoba’s new Lieutenant Governor will be a Chinese immigrant to Canada and long-time City of Winnipeg employee.

Philip Lee was named by the Prime Minister’s Office Friday.

Lee was born in Hong Kong but came to Canada in 1962 to study at the University of Manitoba.

He graduated with bachelor of science in 1966 and a public administration diploma in 1977.

He worked for the City of Winnipeg from 1967 to 2005, first as a research chemist in the area of water research. When he retired, he was the Branch Head Chemist in charge of Winnipeg’s Industrial Waste Control Program.

Lee has also been active in the Chinese community in Winnipeg and was a key player in the construction of the Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Centre in Winnipeg’s Dynasty Building, the Chinese Gate and Garden and the Mandarin Building.

He is a former vice-president of the Folk Arts Council, served on the City of Winnipeg’s Refugee Assistance Committee, was on the Multiculturalism Council of Canada.

He was named to the Order of Canada in 1999.

He is married and has three daughters.

The announcement ends a lot of speculation over the new appointment to replace John Harvard, whose term is set to expire next month

[DowntownWpg]

I miss Aunt Sally's Farm, they should bring that back!

http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n359/myphotobucket_027/DowntownWpg/kissing_a_pig.jpg

[sledhead35]

this picture is probably the reason it is no longer, that cannot be healthy lol.

[newflyer]

this picture is probably the reason it is no longer, that cannot be healthy lol.

so what you're saying is slipping a pig the tongue is what.. an unhealthy activity?? :sly: ... yeah I'd say your onto something.

[Andy6]

this picture is probably the reason it is no longer, that cannot be healthy lol.

The global swine flu epidemic can be traced back to that moment.

Actually it would probably barely make the Top Ten of the things a toddler shouldn't have licked but did, on any given day.

[SKYSTHELIMIT]

Isn't there an art structure in front of the GWL building? Some men on horseback, IIRC.

Also...

It's actually 3 men on camelback...but it is only out at Christmas:haha:

[hexrae]

It's actually 3 men on camelback...but it is only out at Christmas:haha:

Ah, so close! :cool: Thanks.

[SKYSTHELIMIT]

Ah, so close! :cool: Thanks.

I figured u were hinting at it, but I couldn't resist :cheers:

[Andy6]

An idea arising from the discussion in the Construction thread:

I've wondered sometimes whether cutting the size of Winnipeg city council was a big mistake. When there were 50 councillors, not everyone considered it a lifelong profession to be a councillor. People with other jobs did it on the side because it wasn't as time-consuming to represent 10,000 people in your own neighbourhood as it is to represent 50,000 people across a huge swath of the city. There was a greater variety of voices on council and people really knew the person they were voting for. There were more openings for new people to get into city government. There was a much greater sense of the city as a collection of neighbourhoods. I've often wondered whether going back to at least 30 or 40 with part-time pay would be better.

[vid]

How much do Winnipeg councillors make?

[1ajs]

40-120 i think in that nieghborhood somewhere

[rgalston]

An idea arising from the discussion in the Construction thread:

I've wondered sometimes whether cutting the size of Winnipeg city council was a big mistake. When there were 50 councillors, not everyone considered it a lifelong profession to be a councillor. People with other jobs did it on the side because it wasn't as time-consuming to represent 10,000 people in your own neighbourhood as it is to represent 50,000 people across a huge swath of the city. There was a greater variety of voices on council and people really knew the person they were voting for. There were more openings for new people to get into city government. There was a much greater sense of the city as a collection of neighbourhoods. I've often wondered whether going back to at least 30 or 40 with part-time pay would be better.

I agree emphatically. But the first argument you will hear against that is that offering part-time pay excludes poor people in favor of businessmen who can afford to dedicate some time pro bonoto serve on Council.

[vid]

Thunder Bay's 12 councillors make about 30,000 and almost all of them are doing it part-time. Only the mayor is expected to work full-time.

[rrskylar]

Thunder Bay's 12 councillors make about 30,000 and almost all of them are doing it part-time. Only the mayor is expected to work full-time.

12 councillors for a city of 100,000 is that a joke? Calgary has 14 and Winnipeg 15!

[Andy6]

12 councillors for a city of 100,000 is that a joke? Calgary has 14 and Winnipeg 15!

Pretty normal, I'd say. It's the small number in the big cities that's the recent development, and not a very good development in my opinion. City councillors used to be people like school board members, who served for a bit of money to represent a small ward that they knew intimately. Now they've become full-time (mostly) professional politicians with staffs and so on. There were real neighbourhood people on council in the old days; colourful characters. That's mostly gone now with the usual politically ambitious party-hack types taking over.

[rrskylar]

^ Do you work in the public sector?

[vid]

Thunder Bay elects one council, decides it has had enough for them, and re-elects the previous one. The only people that get elected are those with name recognition. Previous councillors, lawyers with big advertising budgets, and union heads. Tonight, they will decide whether or not we should have a referendum on getting rid of the ward system, which will make it even harder for unknowns to get into politics. Our future election could have 100 people run for mayor, and the top 13 will get in.

[1ajs]

National, Winnipeg ballets to share stage for Olympic shows

Last Updated: Monday, June 22, 2009 | 3:44 PM CT Comments0 (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2009/06/22/cultural-olympiad.html#socialcomments)Recommended3

CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/credit.html)


The National Ballet of Canada and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet will share a stage in Vancouver next February as part of the cultural Olympiad accompanying the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
The Olympic ballet gala, featuring contemporary dance from the two classical ballet companies, is one of 35 new arts projects announced Monday by Vancouver 2010 organizers.
It will be the first time in two decades that the two companies have performed together.
The National Ballet will perform choreographer Marie Chouinard's 24 Preludes by Chopin while the Royal Winnipeg Ballet presents Itzik Galili's trademark Hikarizatto.
Taiwan's U Theatre martial artists will perform The Sound of the Ocean and Toronto performing arts company Red Sky Performance will dance Tono.
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra will play with violinist Adrian Anantawan and again with vocalist Daniel Bernard Roumain.
The Lost Fingers are coming from Quebec, American jazz improviser Anthony Braxton is bringing his Sonic Genome Project, TAO will supply Japanese taiko drumming and François Houle will offer French-Canadian folk tales and music .
Theatre projects include:

White Cabin, a darkly comic work from Russia's Akhe Theatre.
BASH'd: A Gay Rap Opera, from Edmonton-based playwrights and performers Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow.
Body and Soul, by Canadian playwright Judith Thompson.
Rick: The Rick Hansen Story, a family show by Manitoba Theatre for Young People about the paraplegic athlete.
The Erotic Anguish of Don Juan, from Old Trout Puppet Workshop. The program starts on Jan. 22, 2010, and runs throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to March 21.
There will be more than 600 ticketed and free performances and exhibitions in 50 venues in Metro Vancouver and British Columbia's Sea to Sky corridor.

[Jeff]

recent observation: vaughan @ portage - may it be the busiest pedestrain corner in the downtown? everytime i go by there i'm almost trampled to the ground as if i'd be on yonge st. in TO [this is during 9-5 office hours].. it really is a great convergence point with people from the u of w, the bay, portage place and graham ave. if they'd ever build on those pads on portage place and once the new building goes up on the army surplus site, i see this trend continuing! the franchise owner of that new timmy's there is gonna do well!

[1ajs]

not just during those hrs i have passed by at 11pm and there be lots of people out and about that times has added to the area now if the way would just stay open later...

[wags_in_the_peg]

from todays globe and mail... it says Winnipeg downtown parking is $18 day...that BS $10 a day max I thought?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/calgarys-parking-spots-the-priciest/article1195092/



In Calgary, you could buy an iPhone every month this year for less than it costs to park your car.

The operators of the parking lots that dot the downtown cores of major cities are bucking the trend of the recession, raising prices by almost 10 per cent at a time inflation sits at just above zero.

Canadians pay an average of $17.78 a day to park, according to a survey released Wednesday by Colliers International, a commercial real estate consultancy. Monthly parking rates hit an average of $222.75.

Calgary is the country's most expensive, with median rates of $22 daily and $460 monthly. The numbers bolster Calgary's reputation as the country's most expensive in which to do business – the city has the highest office rental rates. But while parking fees are going up, analysts have said Calgary's office rents are poised for a fall, thanks to too much supply and not enough demand.

The only city in North America with parking fees higher than Calgary's is New York. Toronto was next highest on the list, while Regina and Saskatoon boast the lowest rates of Canada's urban centres.

This is the sixth year in a row that rates have gone up in Canada, compared with the United States, where parking rates have fallen slightly.

Montreal is the only city where monthly rates have fallen, and Vancouver also showed a drop in daily prices. In contrast, Winnipeg has seen a boom in monthly rates, where prices are up 72 per cent.

Still, Canadians have something to be thankful for: They pay rates that pale in comparison to those of the Brits. London's monthly average at the car park is $1,353.

That's a lot of bus passes.

[rrskylar]

From letters to the editor in today's freep:

Thunderbird pride

Early most Sunday mornings during the summer I like to ride my bike and explore the quiet streets of downtown Winnipeg. This past Sunday morning found me at the iconic Thunderbird House on Main Street. My first impressions were, "What a dump this place has become!"

This potentially beautiful property looks like it has been abandoned as it apparently hasn't seen any maintenance since it first opened around 10 years ago. What I saw was wall-to-wall dandelions, trampled and yellowed grass, weed-infested and untended shrub beds and litter. C'mon, First Nations peoples of Winnipeg! Where is your pride? Is this the first impression you want to leave with non-aboriginal people and visitors to Winnipeg? This beautiful building and surrounding grounds is representative of your culture. This site should be as immaculate as the legislature grounds and could become a tourist draw.

AL PROKOPOWICH

Winnipeg

[Biff]

I am also disgusted with the shape the building is in and state of the property. every time i drive by that corner it is saddening to see, i actually like he building architecturally and believe it to enhance the corner greatly. It it true that it is abandoned? If so find a tenant for it, for christ sake turn it into a bank or something. If the first nations can't make it work then fine. It is a landmark building and should be put to use. I know Me-dian Credit union was looking for a new home (they already found one) but maybe something similar.

It is just a shame.

[DowntownWpg]

From letters to the editor in today's freep:

Thunderbird pride

Early most Sunday mornings during the summer I like to ride my bike and explore the quiet streets of downtown Winnipeg. This past Sunday morning found me at the iconic Thunderbird House on Main Street. My first impressions were, "What a dump this place has become!"

This potentially beautiful property looks like it has been abandoned as it apparently hasn't seen any maintenance since it first opened around 10 years ago. What I saw was wall-to-wall dandelions, trampled and yellowed grass, weed-infested and untended shrub beds and litter. C'mon, First Nations peoples of Winnipeg! Where is your pride? Is this the first impression you want to leave with non-aboriginal people and visitors to Winnipeg? This beautiful building and surrounding grounds is representative of your culture. This site should be as immaculate as the legislature grounds and could become a tourist draw.

AL PROKOPOWICH

Winnipeg

About two years ago, I took take part in a three day workshop there to foster better awareness of Aboriginal issues.

Maybe I should have wrote about this a while back in the CMHR thread, but I had some very bad impressions from what their Elders were trying to indoctrinate into us.

I found it to be blatantely racist, and always directed at "the white man" (I lost count of how many times one of the elders said "the white man"). Blaming all of their woes on "colonization" and Residential Schools. However, it was always a race-based rant.

They conveniently ignored the fact that the Catholic and Anglican Churches had much to do with residential schools, it was all just blanket statements about "the white man."

Figurative finger pointing.

Also, how we have to cater to Aboriginals specifically.

Myself, I think that when addressing poverty, crime, addictions, that programs should not be ethnicity-based. Makes it more inclusive that way. There can, of course, be links between social services and Aboriginal leadership and Elders to improve access, but to give special status and parallel programs on everything is ridiculous IMHO.

But, mainly, my beef was the pointing of blame. What the hell did I have to do with residential schools? Also, my great-grandparents weren't even alive during "colonization."

Somehow, I'm to blame, and need to be kept in-check.

I can honestly say that my experience at the Thunderbird House had much to do with shaping my views related to things such as the CMHR and the "right to not be offended" mentality that the Canadian human rights industry propagates, due to the line of "reasoning" that I was exposed to at Thunderbird House. One of the organizations listed as a supporter of the CMHR was the same group that ran the workshop.


Oh yeah, on the inside, at least then, there was notable damage to the inside as well. Some wood paneling on the walls was apparently stolen.