Winnipeg - Of Interest

[Wolf13]

I'm cynical towards OUR police and perhaps their ability to spend... but while I sympathize for the need for more addictions, we don't need to act like its inhumane to suggest that more police presence/spending helps reduce crime. That's generally the trend.

Winnipeg should be able to do more within its generous budget though.

[esquire]

What's going on with downtown dog runs? Is there just the one at Bonnycastle?

I was walking by the triangle near the Burt today and it reminds me of the urban dog runs you see in some cities... similar size and scale. Seeing that people seldom use that park for its intended purpose, I wonder if that spot has ever been considered for conversion to a small dog run?

Sort of like this:

[bomberjet]

Bonnycastle is the only one I'm aware of. I do find it a bit odd about dogs and downtowns. They just piss allover the sidewalk and that's where they're supposed to be doing business because there is nothing else.

I was in Vancouver recently and there are signs like: No cycling, no skateboarding, yes for dog pissing lol

[Kris22]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Bonnycastle is the only one I'm aware of. I do find it a bit odd about dogs and downtowns. They just piss allover the sidewalk and that's where they're supposed to be doing business because there is nothing else.

I was in Vancouver recently and there are signs like: No cycling, no skateboarding, yes for dog pissing lol

I wonder if there is a fine given if you're caught letting your dog piss on the sidewalk. It really is disgusting. There are some high-rises downtown where I see it all the time when I walk by: The dog owners come out the front door, walk 10 feet away from the entrance, let their dog piss on the sidewalk/edge of the building, then go right back inside. And this is during summer time so it just runs all over the place. Its lazy pet ownership and disrespectful to everyone else because its a public space.

[buzzg]

The city could/should mandate all new residential have dog runs. Also, we could just start putting more grass back on quieter streets.

[OTA in Winnipeg]

So I drove down Grant Ave today from Stafford to the Charleswood Mall. Almost all the trees on the center meridian, mostly elms, are all dead. And these are good sized trees. Drought? Seems possible as there were a lot of them off the curb lanes also looking pretty bad in places. Seemed fine along the Assiniboine Forest but all mostly brown/dead everywhere else.

[Ando]

Have you heard of dutch elm disease?

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by Ando

Have you heard of dutch elm disease?

Are you 5? Of course I've heard of dutch elm disease. You think it got every one of them on the boulevard?

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by Ando

Have you heard of dutch elm disease?

Those are Siberian elms, they do not get dutch elm disease. Only American elms do.

[Ando]

Originally Posted by OTA in Winnipeg

Are you 5? Of course I've heard of dutch elm disease. You think it got every one of them on the boulevard?

It's possible. Not sure what my age has to do with it.

[Ando]

Originally Posted by Riverman

Those are Siberian elms, they do not get dutch elm disease. Only American elms do.

Actually not true. Siberian elms are less susceptible but can be infected.

[cllew]

EK Transcona Community Committee asked a few years ago for a report from the city admin about why trees were dying on Henderson Highway and they were told that the trees demise was due to stress caused by winter deicing salt and lack of water. Damage from auto accidents and various forms of tree disease rounded out the list.

Its interesting the lack of water was brought up as a cause because the city has not used the boulevard sprinklers for years (at least on Henderson Highway) . I am not sure if this was a conservation measure from the Wally Watersaver days in the early 1990's or a cost cutting measure.

They still do require in tender specs that if a contractor damages any of the boulevard piping or heads they have to be fixed or replaced at the contractors cost.

[bomberjet]

Median sprinklers?? Say whaaaa. I don't think I've ever seen any median sprinklers. Will have to look harder next time I drive down Henderson.

[Pinus]

Originally Posted by Riverman

Those are Siberian elms, they do not get dutch elm disease. Only American elms do.

That's not true. Siberian (or Chinese) can contract Dutch Elm Disease (DED), however they do have more of a resistance built up against the disease and it's far less prevalent with Siberians in comparison with Whites (American).

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by OTA in Winnipeg

So I drove down Grant Ave today from Stafford to the Charleswood Mall. Almost all the trees on the center meridian, mostly elms, are all dead. And these are good sized trees. Drought? Seems possible as there were a lot of them off the curb lanes also looking pretty bad in places. Seemed fine along the Assiniboine Forest but all mostly brown/dead everywhere else.

Lived in RH for 25 years. Never saw the city replace a single tree on Grant as they died or got damaged over the years, not sure why. Contrast that with Corydon where the city finally replanted a ton of lost median trees in the last tw years. For some bizarre reason though they planted them in a zig zag pattern as opposed to a straight line, making them even closer to the street.

I know people on here have mentioned the city isn’t putting new trees in these “high stress” areas anymore, but I call BS on that, as there’s new trees on many other medians, as well as all over downtown, including Portage Ave medians which have outdated tree beds with no protection.

What I don’t understand is why sidewalk trees haven’t been replaced in Little Italy, yet all the tree beds were left in when they just redid all the sidewalks.

[Pinus]

Originally Posted by Ando

Actually not true. Siberian elms are less susceptible but can be infected.

Sorry, didn't see this post until just now, after I made mine.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Median sprinklers?? Say whaaaa. I don't think I've ever seen any median sprinklers. Will have to look harder next time I drive down Henderson.

They have not been in use for maybe 30/35 years and now with all of the grass in the Henderson median being replaced with the red shale or solid concrete I would not expect the city to use them.

I know there were there because depending on what shift I was working I would get my car wet coming home from work due to the sprinklers being on.

I was able to find on Google Maps a picture of a piece of the old system sticking out of the shale at Harbison and Henderson.

[Jeff]

the amount of dead-looking elms on broadway is alarming. I'm not sure if it's die-off from the hot summer or Dutch Elm Disease but it might be an ugly year next season when the trees don't grow leaves

[cllew]

Here is some information on tree mortality from the Urban Forestry Branch section of the city website;

Every year approximately 2,000 - 3,000 boulevard & park trees are lost. The reasons include vehicle impact, vandalism, snow plow damage, construction requirements, and normal tree mortality

[buzzg]

There's still many median planters all over the city that have sprinklers built in. Including on Portage.