Winnipeg - Of Interest

[biguc]

It may be time for the city to start waving around its expropriation hammer. I've complained in the past how the city's tax assessment value of parking lots and vacant buildings is well below the market value of these properties, but that's an advantage should they start seizing properties. At the very least, the threat of getting below market rates for their properties should motivate deadbeat owners to sell before the city even has to follow through on their threat.

That or they tax these properties at what they're actually worth.

[Urban recluse]

That would take balls, and, well, anyway...

[biguc]

Exactly.

[esquire]

Bus service will be starting up on August 16 between Winnipeg-Grand Forks-Fargo-Sioux Falls-Minneapolis. The carrier is the regional American bus company Jefferson Lines. Here's the press release with details:

SOURCE: Jefferson Lines



August 11, 2017 10:22 ET

Jefferson Lines Expands Bus Service to Winnipeg, Manitoba

MINNEAPOLIS, MN--(Marketwired - August 11, 2017) - Jefferson Lines is excited to announce expansion of their intercity bus service to Winnipeg, Manitoba starting August 16, 2017. This new international route will leave from the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport providing service to thousands of cities across the United States. Key cities along the new route include Fargo and Grand Forks North Dakota, Minneapolis, MN and Sioux Falls, SD. Jefferson Lines is known for providing reliable and affordable transportation and for this new route every schedule will have some ticket prices starting as low as $10.00 USD.

"Jefferson is excited start serving the people of Winnipeg by providing convenient and affordable transportation to the United States. Adding the historic town of Winnipeg to our extensive network of cities will give Winnipeg residents more options for their travel needs," states Steve Woelfel, President of Jefferson Lines.

Jefferson will be located in the Greyhound Terminal at the Winnipeg International Airport. Travelers can purchase tickets at the terminal or go online at www.jeffersonlines.com to book their tickets.

Jefferson buses come equipped with comfortable reclining seats, individual climate control, power outlets and free Wi-Fi in the United States. The company strives to ensure that their passengers have the best experience possible while traveling by motorcoach, and the addition of these international routes are indicative of their efforts.

About Jefferson Lines:

Jefferson Lines is one of the largest and most established motorcoach operators in the country being founded in 1919. Jefferson provides cross-state transportation throughout America's Heartland serving thousands of communities. Our area of service expands over 13 states from Wisconsin to Montana and Minnesota to Texas, serving over 4000 locations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.


Contact Information

Contact: Kevin Pursey
Director of Marketing
Jefferson Lines
612-359-3420

Interesting news. Considering how few cities there are in proximity to Winnipeg, I always thought it was a bit odd how poorly we're connected with nearby American cities when it comes to transportation options. For Fargo, Grand Forks or Minneapolis, you're pretty well driving. You could fly to Minneapolis, but it's not the most appealing option given that prices are generally quite high for a one hour and a bit long flight... more often than not you can fly to California for less than it costs to fly to MSP.

It'll be interesting to see how the uptake is on this service.

[cllew]

Jefferson gave up the route to Winnipeg in the fall of 2010. I heard that it was something related at that time about delays at the border going back into the US.

I wonder what prompted them to come back to Winnipeg? As they are using the Airport Bus depot are they doing a pre clear as I think last time they were here they used the Via Rail Station as their depot.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by cllew

Jefferson gave up the route to Winnipeg in the fall of 2010. I heard that it was something related at that time about delays at the border going back into the US.

I wonder what prompted them to come back to Winnipeg? As they are using the Airport Bus depot are they doing a pre clear as I think last time they were here they used the Via Rail Station as their depot.

I don't remember Jefferson's service at all... was it short-lived?

They will be using the bus station at the airport, which is good I suppose for those with connections, but annoying for most passengers who will probably be ending their trip in or around Winnipeg.

Prices are damn good... I picked random dates in September and it's $24 (US) one way to Minneapolis, although I picked another day and it was $65.

It looked appealing until I checked out the schedule, which is crazy... you leave Winnipeg just before 11 pm, hit the border from 12-1 am, then you get to Fargo at 4 am (!) where you have a 3 hour connection before leaving at 7 and getting to Minneapolis for 11:30.

Northbound schedule is much better, you leave Mall of America at 10 am and get to Winnipeg at 8 pm.

If you really want to be a masochist, you can throw down a hundred bucks and ride to the other end of the Jefferson network in Texarkana, AR. Over 32 hours and 4 buses...

[Roger Strong]

Originally Posted by esquire

They will be using the bus station at the airport, which is good I suppose for those with connections, but annoying for most passengers who will probably be ending their trip in or around Winnipeg.

Perhaps they'll use the airport facilities to pre-clear passengers through customs before leaving Winnipeg....?

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Roger Strong

Perhaps they'll use the airport facilities to pre-clear passengers through customs before leaving Winnipeg....?

According to Jefferson's website, you have to get off at the border along with your bags and clear customs. It appears as though they've set about an hour aside for that in either direction.

Not so bad on the northbound leg, but heading south you're off the bus from 12-1 am to clear customs. Not fun.

[pacman]

Wow, just checked random dates in September and price is $10.00 each way Winnipeg to Fargo, $20.00 round trip, THAT'S CHEAP!

As far as preclearing questions, passengers get off the bus, retrieve bags, and go through security both directions at the border, which is why they allow one hour at the border in their schedule.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by esquire

I don't remember Jefferson's service at all... was it short-lived?

:

apparently 2001 to 2010 from what I can see on a Manitoba bus history site I found

[esquire]

According to news reports, it was just announced that Metro Winnipeg is shutting down effective immediately. Today's edition will be the last.

I know Metro was not exactly the most important news source in town, but it's still unfortunate to lose a newspaper. I wonder if this might give the Sun a shot in the arm, since they've been distributing tons of free copies in recent years in what I presume is an effort to prevent Metro from stealing readers with their free tabloid.

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by esquire

According to news reports, it was just announced that Metro Winnipeg is shutting down effective immediately. Today's edition will be the last.

I know Metro was not exactly the most important news source in town, but it's still unfortunate to lose a newspaper. I wonder if this might give the Sun a shot in the arm, since they've been distributing tons of free copies in recent years in what I presume is an effort to prevent Metro from stealing readers with their free tabloid.

^^^
https://globalnews.ca/news/3882558/p...ty-newspapers/

[esquire]

^ Given that Postmedia acquired Metro only to turn right around and shut it down, you would think that shoring up their other local paper, the Sun, must have been the driving factor in that decision.

[cllew]

I guess that means no more free Winnipeg Sun's showing up around lunch time at select downtown locations.

[Roger Strong]

Originally Posted by cllew

I guess that means no more free Winnipeg Sun's showing up around lunch time at select downtown locations.

If they're thorough enough in shutting down free local news, they can put a paywall on their web site.

[esquire]

^ The Sun used to distribute free copies before Metro, albeit not on as wide a scale as they have in recent years. I'd be pretty surprised if they got rid of that altogether.

[Curmudgeon]

The days for print media are numbered. Only select niche magazines will survive.

[esquire]

The City has eliminated the annual $600,000 contribution to Centreventure.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manito...dget-1.4420385

The mayor was implying that of the various economic development agencies in existence here, Economic Development Winnipeg is the one that he sees as offering the biggest bang for the buck. Between Centreventure, Economic Development Winnipeg, Travel Manitoba, Yes Winnipeg, World Trade Centre Winnipeg and ANIM, you have to wonder some/all of those agencies could be consolidated.

[Wolf13]

Originally Posted by esquire

According to news reports, it was just announced that Metro Winnipeg is shutting down effective immediately. Today's edition will be the last.

I know Metro was not exactly the most important news source in town, but it's still unfortunate to lose a newspaper. I wonder if this might give the Sun a shot in the arm, since they've been distributing tons of free copies in recent years in what I presume is an effort to prevent Metro from stealing readers with their free tabloid.

That paper and all of its fringe interest SJW stuff got irritating quick. They were more partisan than the Sun.

Originally Posted by esquire

The City has eliminated the annual $600,000 contribution to Centreventure.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manito...dget-1.4420385

The mayor was implying that of the various economic development agencies in existence here, Economic Development Winnipeg is the one that he sees as offering the biggest bang for the buck. Between Centreventure, Economic Development Winnipeg, Travel Manitoba, Yes Winnipeg, World Trade Centre Winnipeg and ANIM, you have to wonder some/all of those agencies could be consolidated.

Well, I might have kept Centreventure over the others...

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Wolf13

That paper and all of its fringe interest SJW stuff got irritating quick. They were more partisan than the Sun.

I did not find it that way at all. Obviously they reflected Torstar's editorial stance, but I would hardly call it "fringe".

That said, and I know this is probably an unpopular opinion, but I don't think the loss of the Metro is much of a loss to the Winnipeg news media. I mean, I hate to see anyone lose their job and I wish the paper had stayed in business for that reason alone, but let's face it... a couple of tiny local stories, a few wire stories and a Torstar article or two a day did not provide a whole lot of substance.

If this helps to make the Sun sustainable over the longer term then it might be for the better... even the Sun, in its emaciated current form, still has something resembling an actual newsroom left.

Well, I might have kept Centreventure over the others...

CV strikes me as an organization that could be folded into something like EDW. CV started out with a very narrow mandate (sale of surplus City properties), did a great job with that, but then kind of branched out into a bunch of other things and even did some lasting damage (North Main comes to mind) along the way to a few successes. I think redefining that organization's focus again could be a good idea.