TSN Signs Biggest Deal Ever for Broadcasting 2026

The new Commissioner of the CFL Stewart Johnston is a former TSN executive and it stands to reason the teams across the league were looking for a good TV deal to give them. The league got the highest price and the most game ever across TV, cable and streaming. The estimated amount of money paid out is $500 million over six years. The previous six years was $50 million season.

Bell Media does the most in broadcasts through TSN, CTV and Crave. They will carry 60 of 81 games on Thursday Night Football  and Friday Night Football games starting on next year. DAZN becomes the new streaming partner and will start a new Saturday Night Football program for CFL that has its own broadcast crew, play by play, colour and sideline staff. All CFL broadcasts will be available on DAZN internationally for free.

DAZN is a paid service premium versus watching on basic cable. All sports watching has a fee attached, it will just be curious what one game a week on DAZN ends up costing. Their basic service now is $29.00 Canadian a month. That might be steep for a month where your team only places once or twice on the channel.

As for YouTube, they will be covering pre-season games. Not clear on if they have their own broadcast team for that. They will also cover the CFL Combine which is exciting because it really is a fan experience when done right. There will also be a lot of CFL material on YouTube such as highlights and other features. An All Access behind the scenes show is planned.

To be sure there is a need for more clarity on exactly the costs and the coverage for this extended CFL coverage. It is doubtful Americans would pay that type of money for one NFL game a week for a subscription so why would DAZN think Canadians would? Hope the company clarifies this as there are sure to be questions. Two play-off games are to be on DAZN. Do you need a year subscription to get those?

Make no mistake this is a very good news story for the CFL. They money stabilizes the league finances for years to come. There may be more TV deals coming. The U.S. rights are currently held by CBS Sports for $1 million a year. It stands to reason there may be more coming, especially if there are more teams and more product. Could we see a CBS renewal and more term and money? Or are their other sports networks out there that might want the CFL?

There are a lot of rule changes this year so we'll see if the product on the field makes for exciting football. It is still unique compared to the NFL. That has always been a strength. Too much like the NFL though and there question might be: why a CFL at all? 

Should Stony Mountain Penitentiary Be Replaced?

Following the closure of Kingston, Ontario's federal pen, Stony Mountain has become Canada's oldest and continuously operating federal penitentiary. Soon, with the closure of Newfoundland's provincial pen, it will become the oldest penitentiary in Canada period. Built in 1877, it replaced Lower Fort Garry for federal inmates.

In 2014, an expansion added 96 inmates for a maximum security wing. There are also medium and minimum security wings of 481 and 217 respectively. Adjacent to Stony Mountain is Rockwood Institution built in 1962 which houses as additional 167 inmates. It last had a renovation in 2010 which added 50 inmates. It should be noted these improvements were done during the Harper government. 

Stony is, without doubt, one of the most dangerous prisons in Canada. It has become all too common to have one or two people die inside the walls. Presently, the only real prison construction that is taking place in Canada is at massive provincial level in Ontario to the tune of billions. In Manitoba, the provincial jail system had seen closures but now Dauphin is getting a $142 million correctional facility to replace one that has closed. 

Prisons get old. And they get dangerous. Manitoba's provincial jail in Headingly had a riot that caused so much damage in the 1990s that it took millions to fix. Inmates were kept all over the province until it was done. Now, in 2026, it is one of the older provincial facilities in Canada. At some point, the cost of electrical, water, crumbling concrete would seem to trigger a new build but it hard to get the public excited about prison construction. That is, until you try to close a facility like they did in Dauphin. And then you hear about not facilitating corrections, the loss of jobs and general lack of preparedness for repeat offender who are not fit for the community because they see no consequences for their acts.

The various investigations of deaths at Stony Mountain and the execrable process of time, will continue to put pressure on the corrections facility infrastructure. It is reported violent crime is down the last two years running in Winnipeg but it is higher in rural areas. This could be attributed to more people being arrested for violent crimes and repeat offences being convicted. Or more police prevention. Possibly more work on crime prevention? The list is long on what could account for it.

A replacement of Stony Mountain Institution has to be as much about corrections versus consequences. Turning people into better gang members after 20 years is self defeating. Keeping people in prison for 40 years seems expensive and excessive depending on their crime. Is the present prison even built well enough for security and safety given how many deaths there? There are probably a whole list of things to consider. One thing that should not be considered is not having a prison. There are a number of people in prison who are there for very good reasons. It isn't safe to not incarcerate someone who hunts humans. But prison is not a good place to solve poverty and homelessness.

Regardless of what people think of prison, I think many will agree they don't want a serial killer out on the streets any time soon. Stony Mountain isn't getting any younger. They shouldn't wait till it falls apart like Kingston did.

The Mandalorian and Grogu

George Lucas once said that Star Wars was aimed at 12 year olds when it came out in 1977. That so happened to be my age at the time. Perhaps he meant the 12 year old in all of us. That summer I saw the movie 13 times in various theatres in Winnipeg. I bought the books, has the stickers and bought the soundtrack. But I was also able to laugh at it. In junior high, we were ever parodying it. A classmate had written something where the hero was named Puke Groundjogger.

In the time of no Internet, the Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. was the kickoff to a season of horror, sci-fi and fantasy leaving the serious film worthy of Oscar consideration in November and December. Jaws, a horror, film in 1975 was the first of this May long weekend blockbusters. The following summer it was The Omen. The 1970s had a number of studios who were still experimenting with a number of hotshot young directors like Spielberg and Lucas.

Star Wars didn't invent the sequel. Hollywood had been doing that already for decades. Even serious films like the The Godfather warranted a sequel two years after the first one. It is not surprising that the overwhelming popularity of Star Wars saw sequels produced. The first was a movie for CBS called Holiday Special, a universally derided show. However, the Christmas special in 1978 did introduce one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars universe: Boba Fett. He was the original Mandalorian and was featured as a cartoon segment made by Canada's Nelvana Studios.

The Holiday Special, which I did see, was broadcast only once and has become legendary for how poorly it was received. It was not just dreck and but complete sewage. You can only really see in poor quality uploads. Still, it was from this awful piece of TV trash that a character emerged that formed the base of a race called the Mandalorians.

One of the things I learned very early on as a TV and film viewer was sometimes studios would pander. Someone who was 12 didn't want the writing or characters to insult our intelligence. Holiday Special insulted everyone despite some jewels in it. Boba Fett, begat Mando, the Mandalorian. So that part of the equation was good. And the look, feel and voice of Mandalorians in their armour owes a lot to Nelvana of Canada.

The chaos in the movie studio business of acquisition, firings, strikes and general effort to monetize every aspect of a production often leaves very little effort in original material being made. It is no wonder why some creative people, actors, writers and directors, have moved to streaming series so that longer form stories can be done and where budgets are large. And so, it was an attractive move for Jon Favreau who was pitching a Star Wars series. He was partnered with Dave Filoni who had been carrying the water for the franchise in animation with the Clone Wars on cable. The animated series were by far the more clever and original of the Star Wars material.

Still, animated series still have at their hearts a younger audience even though they attract kids of all ages. Some of the easy humour of droids or Ewoks in animation has to be measured when done as a live action show. There is no substitute for good writing and good characters. Make no mistake, The Mandalorian through three season was good writing and good story. And the producers had a fourth season all lined up when the actors and writers strike took place.

Even now, Hollywood is having to come to terms with the strike and the change around the world of streaming and mega-corporations controlling everything. Disney is a mega-corporation. However, even they are up against a world economy that is in flux. And pushback from unions, inflation, toxic fans and fear of new ideas can make any attempt to create something subject to pressure to conform to certain lobbies. Because of the backlog at Disney, they believed the Mandalorian would make for a good feature film.

This meant the planned villain for the fourth season, Admiral Thrawn, was off the table. No one has said whether a fourth season is off the table forever. Presumably, it successful, Mandalorian and Grogu stays in film. Regardless, this meant a new villain had to be created. For whatever reason, it was decided it should be the Hutts. Since Jabba was dead, it was thought that maybe the Jabba's relatives, the Hutt Twins might make good villains. This was a mistake. At best, they were minor and the quest to find Rotta, Jabba's son in exchange for information seemed like thin soup.

However, first Colonel Ward, played by Sigourney Weaver in an underwritten role, sends Mando on a mission to hunt Imperial Remnants. We are dropped into one of these missions just like a James Bond teaser minus the hit single credits. The terrible bonifides of the bad guy are established as he bullies and kills and then Mando and Grogu come save the day. Various storm troopers and walkers are blown up in set action pieces as we see Grogu and Mando work together. The fact that most reviews don't even mention the beginning shows it literally was about starting with a bang and showing Mando take out Imperials.

The reward for Mando by Colonel Ward was a replacement ship for the lost Razor Crest from the series. One can only imagine the fandom swooning. While there is nothing wrong with the parade of ships, equipment and blasters, the service to the fans can derail storytelling. Much like the push for characters having romantic relationship has proven tricky in Star Wars. Sometimes the fanbase will call you woke, some will disagree with matches and will literally send hate mail to actors who have nothing to do with the writing of the story. It is a bit interesting to see Weaver and Pascal portray characters about parenthood. Weaver with Alien and Pascal with The Mandalorian.

Rotta, voiced by Jeremy Allen White, is not a typical Hutt. He is one forged by the fighting pits and seems to revel as a fan favourite. His cousins, a brother and sister known only as The Twins have featured in both Boba Fett series and The Mandalorian have offered intelligence for the rescue of their nephew whom they have not seen since he was a child. Even Mando expresses doubt but Colonel Ward says they need the information to go after one of her game cards of former Imperials. The comparison to the Iraq War is plain to see. As mentioned, the Hutts seem small potatoes even in the streaming series. And even with CGI, the old puppetry feels more real that what we see on screen.

The story moves swiftly along and the Hutts relay only the flimsiest of clues but it leads to a planet outside the old empire. The strength of the series is always Mando and Grogu but it bubbles along with featured players. In the case of the planet our heroes go to, it is a four armed cook at the street vendor voiced by a nervous Martin Scorsese. Through him we learn of where Rotta is and what he is doing in the fighting pits. It is how Mando finds out about Lord Janu who runs the pits and specifically, Rotta.

The special effects are pretty impressive throughout but the musical score really carries the film in a way we have not seen in some time. I think what could have used some work is some characters floating in and out, sometimes involved in the mission and then other times on the sidelines. One specific character is Garazeb "Zeb" Orellios is in and then out helping Mando and Grogu but he always seems to be on call.

The animated series of Star Wars Rebels has been ripe material for use on The Mandalorian. For Star Wars fans, not all might be familiar with the storylines from the animated series. And for younger fans, they might not know all the Star Wars history and characters. Each story in film still has to have one coherent story.

I think I can't reveal too much more of the storyline without giving everything away. A lot of is riding on this movie for Disney and trying to appeal to as big an audience without peeving those off looking for woke moments to criticize, or lack of X-wing fighter or no romance moments. Tick off every box or don't and the accusations of pandering will come or not paying enough attention to Star Wars main touchstones.

Some movies I have to see again to properly assess just as a restaurant review based on a single visit might not capture everything about what you can get. I liked a lot of the movie to see it again and enjoy it once more. Unlike Star Wars in 1977 which I saw 13 times, I think I might be able to enjoy this a few more times. I don't know that I will be buying all the merchandise as I did back in the 1970s. For Disney, that sales of toys for this movie might outmatch the box office. And for that alone, it will get a sequel.

Two More 7-Elevens Immediately Close in Winnipeg, Four or Five on the Bubble 2026

Two More 7-Elevens have closed immediately and have been emptied out and boarded up. The locations are Notre Dame and Arlington and Keeewatin and Logan. The rumour is all 7-Elevens east of the Red River are next and at least two others could go as well. The security and thefts have gotten so bad that the company felt they had no choice but to close. It pretty much mean everything in the northern part of the city is closed.

The news gets worse. It appears some Dolloramas, Shoppers and other pharmacy and grocery stores are hanging on by their finger nails in those same areas. By the end of 2026, it is possible that every convenience store, grocery, pharmacy and gas station in certain areas could be closed. The issue is spreading from neighbourhood to neighbourhood.

After suggesting there would be an uptick in 7-Elevens for the city, the company is abandoning certain areas because it is a struggle every day. Some councillors are suggesting it is because 7-Eleven prices are too high. They are convenience stores, not Walmart. However, no store no matter the low price, can withstand removal of products from their shelves at this scale and the level of violence that can often happen.

The city and the province have a real problem on their hands. If the burnt out and empty buildings are not making it clear, the lack of banks, grocery stores, convenience stores and other businesses makes it plain to see. And the problem just extends down every major road as those looking places where they can take things with seemingly no consequence.

A lot of sympathy can be given for people who are suffering. That won't stop the problem now. Addiction is so prevalent now that what is in stores is used as currency. As any family who has tried to support a family member with addiction, it can be impossible at times for them to take whatever they can in the house to support that need. If no family can sustain that indefinitely, neither can a business.

Tom Broadbeck at the Free Press says businesses might have to control who comes into stores like the liquor stores do. Already drastic security measures such as rolling door and window covers are in place like Beirut. This doesn't help if your place is set on fire. While the police have caught many arsonists, protection rackets and repeat offenders, it hasn't been enough to stop what may be the worst of summer. The huge drug bust by police might see addicted people act more desperately. Still, the trafficking of Mexican cartel and bikers gangs can't continue to bring worse and worse drugs into Manitoba. It seems shortsighted to let them continue just because addicted people will seek out other stimulants.

It is unclear if a safe injection center or a sobering centre with a 72 hour hold will work or help the way the government thinks it might. Most charities are struggling right now to keep up. Some might criticize that they are religious and they screw it up. Still, they the ones who donate. Some are saying we need a collectivist society where housing, food and transport are all free. That may well be helpful. But will all those things overcome addiction? So many people who have homes with supports still reject them in favour of substances. It is heartbreaking.

This is a crisis at this point. The election is in the fall. Crime will be an issue. The loss of stores, housing, safety will be issues. And yet no prominent left or right of center candidate are stepping forward so far and no councillor will ever give up their seat because they have to resign from council to run. Talk is cheap. We have a lot of people who seem to want to bypass other elected areas straight to mayor. There are some who have sought other offices but turning up every four years just for mayor seems to happen often. Unless your name was the late Nick Ternette who was an urban activist all his life, it seems a vanity project.

The campaign is likely to be about crime. Mayor Gillingham will be on the defensive if an entire area of the city collapses from businesses fleeing. Blaming the businesses is going to not stop them from closing.

Osborne Village 2026

There is always a lamenting for the great old days of an area. Osborne Village has been called Canada's greatest neighbourhoods pre-pandemic. Honestly, the entire area has gone in cycles of ups and downs. I'm sure someone would say the best era was when it was the Osborne Barracks and housing was free...for the soldiers. And it was mostly horses. For some the 1980s and 90s with various clubs and Papa Georgie's open till 4 AM. Plus rents from $400 to $600 a month. If you back into the 1970s, rooming houses were $100 or less.

The days of rooming houses and fraternity houses are over. With many of the houses way over a 100 years old, they simply either had to be upgraded and demolished. Much of the older housing stock has to face this. Even Wellington Crescent houses have to be constantly cared for of they fall apart.

In Osborne there are still two and three story houses. Some are owned by one family but others are now condos inside houses. This was the story of the 1980s as house after house made way for something new. Oddly, density went down in part of the neighbourhood but that is true of many areas like River Heights and Wolseley. Fewer kids under the roof of a mom and dad. Still, in the highrise areas, the density is still high by Canadian standards.

There are good bones in Osborne. Grocery, pharmacy and some restaurants are resilient. Nearly 300 units of housing built since 2020 have helped. Regular police and support foot patrols have been helpful. The city still is coping with massive drug use, encampments and theft. It could get very bad again this summer. It seems no matter how fast supportive housing takes in new people, more are on the street. This might be the year to see if all of Canada can turn things around.

There is also lots of housing all over the city going up. The rule of thumb still applies that the housing built now becomes the affordable housing of 20 years from now. However, there does seem to be a focus on geared to income housing and affordable that is slowly starting to materialize including in the Osborne area. 

We have had an enormous growth in population but did nothing to improve housing starts or twenty years prior to 2020. In fact, we dragged our feet even when the obvious benefits were plain to see. It is still painful to get approvals for a lot of space even when consultations drag out years. And any vacant place now faces arson for even short periods where no one is there. One after the other 7-Elevens are closing all over the city. We need to get a handle on this city-wide problem.

But, as mentioned, Osborne as good bones. It doesn't have to look for things that other neighbourhoods don't to make them walkable. River Heights doesn't have a large grocer that is easily a walk away. The larger density and various commercial space makes for more opportunities in Osborne. The connectivity is both a strength and a weakness. More people are coming through Osborne than live there. It can be traffic chaos. There are frequent suggestions to divert it elsewhere but it is like putting a finger in a dike. The problem materializes elsewhere.

If a neighbourhood becomes too popular, people want to come and will ask: Where do I park or how do I drive there? If neighbourhood becomes too unpopular it can whither on the vine. What is the perfect mix? Somehow, you try to make sure people leave their cars and walk more in a neighbourhood. Osborne lost 24 businesses last year and it is just starting to recover. Each business that fills a gap creates foot traffic. Every empty part of the street is a difficult gap for people to commit to, especially if they are accosted for money or abused simply for being each step.

There is safety in crowds. Perhaps this is the moment where the tide is turning. Still, it will probably feel like sliding backwards from time to time with desperate addictions problems. The big police arrests of Hell's Angels drugs might make for a supply problem on streets where some resort to ever more aggressive moves to make money and more toxic options for getting high. The province is kicking in millions for street patrols downtown. It might have to be extended elsewhere. It might not be enough even at that.

Osborne will only be reclaimed one building at a time, one street at a time. I think video security and sadly, facial recognition, will be used to crackdown on those who abuse people and target stores over and over. If there are no consequences, the bad acts will continue. Osborne Village will probably never have as old and cheap housing as once before. The dream of $400 may only be achievable through geared to income supports and mixed developments. 

 There is sadness about the closure of the Osborne Village Inn and the end of music and meeting halls. Not to mention the loss of a beer vendor. However, the apartment that went up is likely to bring new life to a large space. The first commercial tenants on the first floor could breath life on the street. It could be transformative. Some of the larger spaces owned by previous long term owners have been sub-divided. The days of very large restaurants is over. Likewise, shops don't need as big a space.

We should be seeing if this summer things start to change back to a time when the neighbourhood was getting recognition from across Canada.

David Byrne - Burning Down the House 2026 Goodbye Colbert

U.S. Pulls Out of Canada/Defence Group

The U.S. has suspended activities in a defence board set up by Franklin D. Roosevelt and William Lyon Mackenzie King in 1940 in WWII. Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby blames the Davos speech by Mark Carney as the reason for the move although the speech never mentioned the U.S. or North American defence.

In addition to blaming the speech, it says Canada has not met it's obligations to the U.S. but doesn't specifically say what those area. The 2% GDP of defence spending has been met and moves are being made to take it to 3.5% and beyond. Is he referring to that? Is he referring to the F-35s being re-assessed by Canada? There have 16 bought so far of the 88 and down payments made on the next batch. Canadian pilots begin training on the planes very shortly. Canada has already committed to purchase other aircraft fully from American contractors. However, is it enough for our American blowhard is defence?

He should sit down in front of a reporter and explain his thuggish behaviour and what he truly means. It could be all about trade which is not really in the remit of an underlying in Pete Hegseth's department. It is just more vague gangster bullying until they pout up what they actually want. For all we know this is the response to Canada not graciously taking the U.S. up on 51st state.

The Canadian government has long learned not to overreact. It commented but the fact that has largely been ignored by U.S. and world media is noteworthy. Carney rightfully pointed out that there are other areas of cooperation in defence. Unless this Colby is hinting the U.S. is about to pull out of NORAD because of the relationship, he is probably just trying to be a thug.

The National Post as it is wont to do says this is all Carney's fault and says if he would just sign a trade deal and commit to buying all 88 F-35s. Seriously. The conservative media and Poilievre seem to think that only if they were in charge, the chaos would end. Ask the countries that have signed deals how they feel. Nothing but instability. The endless tributes of money and flattery earn nothing except more requests for same.

Given the lack of publicity in the U.S., let's assume this gangland threat wasn't exactly approved by the capo. However, it is broader policy of transactional bullying where the States gets what they want and we are allowed to buy their products instead of making our own. No one in Canada should be hoping for a quick fix or deal to get back to normal. Colby was part of a group that wrote the policy of how to be a brute.

Should Victoria Day End?

Should Victoria Day end?

Well, not as a holiday but Victoria Day? That is to say, change the name and expand what it celebrates. Keep the first Monday of the third as a statutory day between May 18 and May 24 but why should be Queen Victoria be honoured in perpetuity? 

I don'ts think she should have been pushed down and had her head cut off on the north lawn of the Legislature. You go down that route and maybe you are climbing up the walls to cut the head off the Golden Boy to make a point.

Queen Victoria is a historically important figure in Canada becoming a nation. However, even in Manitoba, she was long gone by the time the Legislature went up. Manitoba is slow to change though. Our flag still has the Union Jack on it and is barely recognizable compared to Ontario's. 

I suppose no one moves slower than Ontario. They finally allowed shopping on Victoria Day. One tradition they have still is fireworks. In Manitoba, or at least Winnipeg, zero fireworks at all. For anything.

While people appreciate the holiday, there is no significant meaning of Victoria Day for today's Canadian. None. It is frequently just another shopping day.

The day needs to be re-claimed and that probably means expanding the honours given to those important in the last and in the present. 

It is worth noting that the U.S. has Memorial Day on the following weekend. It has evolved over the years too from Decoration Day for the Civil War to Memorial Day for all veterans. The traditional kick off to summer in U.S.

Canada's Remembrance is not a national statutory day off all over Canada. It is a holiday in Manitoba but in say, Ontario. The U.S. has Veterans Day on the same day. Ceremonies take place on November 11 in Canada and the U.S. but in most of the Canada, it is a regular day except at 11 AM.

It may be time to consider a national Memorial Day that is a statutory day. There are no more WWI veterans and if a few more years there will not be any WWII veterans. However, we should maybe have a debate what Victoria Day might change to.

Just honours for veterans? How about first responders too. Police, fire, paramedics, fire fighters? One thing is certain: Victoria Day means less and less. Canadian holidays are evolving. Or they should. Even New Year's Day is barely celebrated. 

At least Canada Day keeps evolving. Except in Manitoba where nothing happens on the Eve anymore and the day is a snoozefest.

Uniqlo Opens in Polo Park

When I lived in Japan, Uniqlo was just a few years open and only really known by Japanese or foreigners who lived in the country. While a lot of people were focused on international stores opening in the country such as Virgin Records, not as much attention was paid to a number stores opening in Japan that would take the world by storm. In 1984, the first store in Hiroshima was called Unique Clothing Warehouse. By 1988, because of an error in registration for brand name in Hong Kong, someone slipped a Q in and by 1989 Uniqlo was the official name. This is when I arrived in Japan.

People said the company was fast fashion but the reputation even then was for durable and enjoyable clothing. Affordable, which Japanese had not seen much of, during a steady luxury brands and stores entering the market. Living there as long as I did, I appreciated goods that fit and were not insanely priced. As Japan's economy went through a prolonged stagnation in the 1990s, Uniqlo grew in popularity as a staple of men and women's closets.

The first store in Canada was Eaton Centre in Toronto in 2016. Last years there was a flurry of stores in places in places like Vancouver and Calgary. Now Polo Park and later this year, St. Vital Centre get their Uniqlos.

How important is Uniqlo to the malls of Winnipeg? Very important. Generation Z is very much into a return to the mall. Unlike some Millennials who only order online, only text and don't like social settings, Generation Z is into experiences and socializing. It has been this generation that lined up for the store opening and showed a general enthusiasm for the event. Other generations also went but Uniqlo and Zara are among a few stores that have helped malls in Winnipeg find their mojo.

We are not nearly as over-malled as the U.S. nor have some of the long contracts that crippled some malls such as Mall of America. Sears, which has been closed for a very long time, has a 99 year lease at the mall so the space remains unoccupied. Columbia Mall is nearly abandoned in Grand Forks, North Dakota. At one time, the mall in Grand Forks led the way of what people in Winnipeg hoped to see in their malls. Overall, most cities seems to be absorbing the lost space left by retailers like Sears and The Bay.

Uniqlo had some of the best marketing we have seen in some time. They hired local as many times as they could in entertainment and food and product. The brought in influencers, They bought ads, And they invited media. It was a masterclass of how to make a grand entrance. And their target audience came even though it was a school day. I don't think this is the last retailer we see that draws a crowd but it might be harder to find leasable space since Polo Park and St. Vital seem to have a plan to attract stores people want.

How Bad A Summer Will It Be?

More and more businesses are saying problems along Portage and into Wolseley are exploding. Rampant drug use, aggressive behaviour and fires set are out of control. The Free Press interviewed people about the new security rebate from the province and emerged with a scary story of how fast things are deteriorating. 

How bad is it? It is so bad that the block around north Portage by Sherbrook narrowly avoided being burned down. There are a number of businesses there begging for help from the government. They are not reactionary types with a hate for low income people. They are desperate not not be hurt through violence. They don't want their customers to be driven away. And they don't want to clean up people using their doorways as washrooms, sleeping stalls or spots to launch attacks.

These are not corporate tycoons. They are small businesses and ordinary people. Some have opened convenience stores and no one should feel they might subject to assault, fire or outright neglect. Blaming the people who are trying to make sure the area is not without bakeries, restaurants and stores is so unfair.

There are so many NDP MLAs and cabinet ministers in Winnipeg. Double the amount of councillors. They seem to be content fighting in the Legislature. Wab Kinew and Obby Khan just call each other names in Question Period. The NDP government is saying they are doing something but one building after another burns down. The NDP MLAs are invisible.

This is an election year in Winnipeg. They councillors and mayor could be vulnerable to defeat but the voter turnout is very low. No sitting mayor has been defeated since the 1950s. Very rarely does a sitting councillor get defeated. Unless a new system like ballot selection is chosen, there may be no fix for the same people in office. Ditto the MLAs who are just not visible.

This is not to say that some areas of improvement are helpful. The downtown safety patrols that are in part funded by True North are being trusted enough to get people on the path to some care routine. The spike in HIV and other diseases is an indication of some of the accelerated breakdown in health, especially in preventable diseases. Drug addiction, mental health are running rampant. Hepatitis A is running out of control. This suggests a complete failure in care. People are only being revived by paramedics just to suffer treatable diseases the rest of their lives.

It is clear that some on the streets have no impulse control and even placing them in homes is not enough support for the toxicity of the drugs. In fact, seniors who have had drug addiction folks placed in their buildings are saying they are under siege. Where are the wraparound supports? What we've been hearing is support staff won't go in buildings because it is too dangerous. This is outrageous. 

Every citizen will have the misfortune to use a hospital for their own use or family and friends in the next years and one by one, they are all being listed as unsafe by the very nurses who have to work there. This is considered acceptable? The amount of assaults on staff inside and outside hospitals is at critical levels.

Gordon Bell High School is in the middle of meth and fentanyl overdoses in the middle of the day as student walk through discarded needles. Security guards specializing in hard reduction are planned for next school term but the problem grows every day until then.

The fire department is reporting ever rising cases of places being brought down by arson. The city can barely keep up with vacant buildings and demolished buildings. A building that is closes could face arson only days after being boarded up. Fire services can be out multiple times a night. Paramedics are out at even great rates.

As far as Transit goes, the new route system sometimes leaves people feeling vulnerable during transfers. Many shelters might be filled with needles and occupied permanently. Inside the buses, the drivers want to shut off from the passengers. This may help the drivers while the passengers don't have any protections. 

An interesting story about San Francisco Democratic mayor Daniel Lurie appeared in the the Washington Post in the past days. He has done been cited even by Donald Trump about his crime fighting in the city. Using both public and private partnerships, he has made progress in the city that went through a terrible downtown following Covid and crime that seemed to have little regard for enforcement. Using technology and backfilling shortages of police has helped as well as various strategies to help people from falling into harmful behaviour.

So the question remains, how bad could it get for Winnipeg and Manitoba? While we may not have police shortages in Winnipeg, the RCMP is short very many officers. This does not help in terms of drug and human trafficking or episodes of school violence where response time is terrible. It seems unbelievable we have rising unemployment with a shortage of thousands of RCMP. Why are these positions unfilled?

Things have been moving so quickly that something terrible is going to happen and then it will be all reactive. It is hard to say what that might be. Homicide, arson, encampments along Portage Avenue, major city parks, multiple deaths from Hep A, overdoses and deaths? I don't know but things are moving painfully slow and the government and opposition seem only interested in calling each other names in the Legislature. City Hall seems overwhelmed and more focused on road construction and trying to get the Feds to pay for their sewer.

The election is in November and the situation with crime and drugs isn't going to go away. If it is a horrific summer, it will surely goad various governments to act. Finger pointing won't cut it although we are likely to see a lot of it. Winnipeg will need to surge all out. Simply swapping out needles and testing drugs won't cut it if violence and property crime escalate beyond the pale. If even the support workers fear going to work, you have already lost the battle.

Summer is when a lot of politicians in Manitoba like to take time off but it is unlikely that they will be able to escape scrutiny. Last years the province was on fire and there was no break. This year the drug and crime issue will do the same. There will be no hiding from it.

Lands Around Polo Park Being Sold Off

 

Shindico has indicated that Cadillac Fairview's priority surrounding Polo Park has been downgraded. The blame has been put on the City of Winnipeg slow walking zoning, the rising costs of construction and fewer multi-unit housing starts planned. Some of this is true but it is also true that Polo Park has had continuous upgrades from Sears to Zellers and has still has The Bay to deal with. Each projects takes time and millions.

There was a mad rush to get the arena and the stadium down and street improvements made. An urgency was presented for the speed of the work. The airport zoning was changed years ago. If we are to believe the news now, there was only a tiny window about 10 years ago or so and now it is gone. 

The truth is probably more in the middle. The two developers had amassed a huge 84 acres but the so-called delay they describe around 2020 was already in the middle of Covid. The site has already lost to the Seasons of Tuxedo site a huge amount of retail, hotels, commercial buildings and entertainment. In the race to develop, Seasons was way ahead. And there was not much room for a whole new outlet mall.

Now, it may be the Kapyong Barracks time although is likely to be piece by piece. Hoarding an 84 acre site when both Shindico and Cadillac Fairview have their own projects and competitors nipping at their heels. Holding onto land another decade probably seems like a costly thing to keep on the balance sheet. What they originally thought was that was the whole site would be built in steady phases and that they would be collecting ever rising rent over the years. 

There is no doubt that some other businesses would build in a red hot minutes if they could both own and operate the near Polo Park. Hence, the word hoarding is used in this case. No one was buying what these two companies were selling. They were trying to build luxury, high end rental property thinking it would sell like a hotcakes. It wasn't. The endless empty parking lots with shiny new roads all around is an indication of that. And like so many projects, bait a switch. A rush to approve demolition and then no start to construction.

Hopefully, the sale will reveal who is serious about getting stuff built. The city can help get stuff built with the shovel ready program. The luxury stuff can be handled by the developers themselves. The government can focus on support for lower income units and residents who need support directly.  Helping to pay for shopping centers isn't needed.

It isn't likely we see anything soon on Polo Park. Cadillac Fairview and Shindico have a lot of projects on the go. Other companies can carry the football over the line now. It's time for big corporations and government to get out of the way. And in some circumstances, the public who can make outrageous demands on height restrictions, density or design even when buildings are outside their area. The desire to control things reminds me of the time Linden Woods had a petition against The Keg building across Waverley many years ago because the smell of steaks might drive dogs nuts. The citizens won.

There is no doubt that several different restaurant groups might be interested in having an establishment at Polo Park. Cactus Club, Milestone's and others have considered expanding into Winnipeg but a site next to a major attraction like the arena or Polo Park has been considered key. Several American companies like Shake Shack have been looking to expand to Winnipeg.

As far as apartments, there are several assisted living companies looking for space and Polo Park would seem to fit the bill. However, they might not have had room with the large developers who often want to do the work in-house or whose cut was just too big to make viable. Land hoarding is done by both private and public organizations. And the land around Polo Park has been hoarded for a long time with no results. Waiting for the maximum sales value has meant empty parking lots.

It seems the mad rush to clear out the stadium and arena for something better will take more time. It won't be the first time or the last that the city has been told by a developer to demolish things only to slick back into the sidelines and blame the city for not moving even faster. In the end, the sale off could a very good thing. What once was a warehousing area and manufacturing sector is being populated by hotels and specialized retail. And now more people might actually be able to live in the area.

Polo Park isn't about to become a declining area. Millions are being spent on the mall and surrounding areas. I expect security and policing to be a major issue this year so expect a big boost in those areas. If Polo Park declines then the whole city is likely in crisis. That doesn't seem likely. The prospect and new enthusiastic developers for the site will be welcome.

Sunrise Records Kildonan Place to Close

Kildonan has been on a relentless transformation over the last 15 years as major anchors have closed and they try to find new ones and upgrade to new attractions. After grocery and theatre upgrades, the last area is the food court. And with that has come a lot of moves and closures to accommodate the change.

By all rights, record stores should be dead. But they refuse to be in Canada. Sunrise Records is the descendent of HMV Records and seems to be doing well even in 2026. It can be a tough time for legacy stores of 30 or 40 years vintage. Warehouse, based in Winnipeg and across the country is being liquidated along with sister company Bootlegger. It seems unlikely they survive in any form but who knows. Toys R Us is also in final stages of closure. 

Sunrise Records will be around but the days of a record store at Kildonan Place appear to be over for now. It has had a number of record stores in it since its founding. And there could be one day in the future where one might return.

The overall health of the malls in Winnipeg appears to be good despite the closure of The Bay which still leave space to filled at Polo Park and St. Vital. There have been a few incidents at Kildonan and other major malls but overall security is responsive and there are no large vacancy rates that can be seen all over the U.S.

Generation Z seems to be helping a revival of malls but it isn't entirely clear if they are buying old fashioned records. If they are, then maybe see a return of a record store in the future at Kildonan.

Another 7-Eleven in Winnipeg Closes 2026

After an indication that 7-Eleven was looking to expand in Winnipeg, another store at 1871 Main Street has closed. It has opened a huge debate in the city. Some are arguing this is just corporate downsizing the company is doing all over North America. It is true. The 7-Eleven owners in Japan fended off Circle K's takeover bid and now shareholders are looking for profitability in the shares.

Circle K has easily been more valuable as a stock whatever people's feeling are on where it it ranks as a convenience store. 7-Eleven in Canada is often in the same locations it has been since the 1970s. Some of these locations are small, in need of physical updates, owned by third parties who sometimes have other plans for the site and some have parking spaces that are too few when shared with other tenants. Not every store closure is about retail theft.

Having said that, store theft is out of control and not just at convenience stores. It is everywhere. It is becoming more brazen and sometimes includes violence. To most citizens it seems to happen with impunity. Someone picked up by the police is often released and back at it again. It is like to repeated drunk drive who is released and even when their license is taken away, does it again and again till someone if hurt.

The rate of theft post pandemic has risen dramatically. It is concurrent with poverty levels, addictions and mental health issues and homelessness. It is likely that those areas will take time and effort and many years to overcome. Only disaster or war comes close to the devastation wrought on so many over a widespread area. And like post-WWII, only a national plan focused on the displaced will come close to ending it.

Some crime numbers have dropped over the years, even in cities. In some rural areas, they have dropped to historic lows. Hard as it is to believe, there was more violence years past. What has really taken off is property crime and store theft. Even 7-Eleven with industry leading security has not been able to withstand the theft in their stores. No store can really. Despite claims by some that this is just corporate chicanery, most realistic observers have seen the helplessness of clerks and cashiers as people walk out laden with loot. Whatever sympathy for those who might by doing this is lost when yet another store closes or a clerk hurt by those in a rush to get out. 

Those who believe that any and all business is bad will not care about a 7-Eleven closing. Some seemed to think it impeded small independent stores. This, however, ignore the fact that 7-Eleven innovated in Manitoba by being open 24 hours, seven days a week against forces that wanted them closed before 11, on Sundays and holidays. No store that was family owned was challenging that. Only those who have never had a need overnight or holiday thinks stores closed when you need a tin a cat food for a cat who is in full hunger yowl think this was great times.

Convenience stores have continued to be under full assault. In some neighbourhoods, it has only gotten worse. If 7-Eleven intends on expanding via franchising in Winnipeg, it is likely not going to do it in areas that they abandoned unless there was a dramatic turn in shoplifting. While the police have made some key arrests, the proliferation of crime has been only overcome when with drastic security measures such as ID entry only for  entrance.  The most we have seen from grocery stores is the closure of second entrances all over Winnipeg starting around Covid.

It is unlikely that 7-Eleven would only allow entry via being buzzed in. That would entail a whole bunch of people who are banned from entering a whole bunch a businesses. In many parts of the U.S., 24 hour stores lock their doors and only serve through a slot in the front. In the past, they used to have the cashier locked in a booth but that doesn't protect the items in the store. In fact the booth sometimes didn't protect the occupant inside.

Some point to the hands off approach inside stores that was adopted to stop employees or customers from being hurt and liability. In Winnipeg, there have been a number of court cases where employees and owners and have tried to stop theft resulting in injury. On the side of the ledger, there have been employees injured and sexually assaulted even when they did nothing. Just this week a worker at a cannabis store was not only robbed but sexually assaulted.

Despite all that has been happening, there have been a number of convenience stores opening in the city, including downtown. Property crime has been around as long as human have been around. There is a reason keys and locks were invented so very long ago. 

It is unknown whether any retail will ever go in the 7-Elevens that are closed around the city. At least not for a while. I'm sure the owners would gladly sell to a convenience store if they dared to open there. The truth is between break and entering and store theft, it could be some neighbourhoods just won't have any commercial businesses willing to move into the area.

The trend of store theft is world-wide. Winnipeg isn't just the special case. Having said that, the only way to reduce the issue is to keep focusing on making it difficult for break and enters, store thefts and the like to happen. Some states are making an aggregate of $5000 over 180 days the marker for jail time. That alone won't do it but a few measures to avoid the non-stop revolving door would be meaningful. Meanwhile, 7-Elevens and other stores will close.