Don't Boo the Kids from UND at the Bomber Game

About five months ago, the Blue Bombers invited the University of North Dakota's Marching Band, the Pride of the North to perform at Princess Auto Stadium during the tilt against the Montreal Alouettes. Certainly, Canada and the U.S. have been at trade odds for more than a year but the relationship between UND and Manitoba is a long one.

Two of our present day players, one Canadian and one American, are alumni of UND. Despite the fact that we don't have a reciprocity agreement with North Dakota as we do with Minnesota, many Canadians (particularly from Manitoba) attend specialized programs such as speech pathology to sports programs like football and hockey. The owner of the Jets is a University of North Dakota alumni. Lots of people in Manitoba went there. It is the largest university in three state only two hours away from us and 

The management and players on the team have asked fans to be kind to the kids in the marching band and any North Dakota and Minnesota people attending. The social media outrage about the UND band was white hot. It isn't the kid's fault and nor are they responsible for the timing. Traditionally, around Grand Forks and Fargo where the universities are has been friendly territory for Canadians. It may be a Republican now state but it was once dominated by Democrats federally. Elections matter. And it is evidence of how things can change back and forth.

The uncivil behavior of fans on kids is misdirected. Thankfully, most of the heat might have been unleashed online. Bomber fans need to focus on the win against Alouettes. Appreciate the CF-18 flyovers, thank military in attendance and appreciate the kids who have come to entertain you in your barn. And if you can't watch, go to the Rum Hut and fill that trap so you are in a more cordial mood. 

Donald Trump to Attend Opening of Teddy Roosevelt Library in Medora, North Dakota July 1, 2026

It will be a busy July 1st for President Trump. He will be visiting North Dakota to be there for the opening of the Teddy Roosevelt Library in Medora, North Dakota. It will be a quick trip because he is supposed to be back in Washington, D.C. for the trilateral meeting of Canada, Mexico and the United States for trade talks and possibly a deal or does Trump announce U.S. is pulling out? Carney will be meeting him that day. No word on that itinerary. 

The Teddy Roosevelt Library is a non-profit creation since the official libraries program for presidents only started in 1955. The 96,000 square foot building is on a 92,000 square foot campus carved into a butte in Medora, North Dakota beside the Teddy Roosevelt National Park in the far west part of the state by the Badlands.

Roosevelt is intimately identified with North Dakota from his journeys in the state from 1883 to 1887. His wife and mother died a short time after one another in the state where he was a cattle rancher. He was popular writer and historian and became a war hero. As a progressive Republican, he established a conservation program that is the basis of the national park system that exists today. He was first non-European to win a Nobel Prize. In many presidential rankings, he consistently is one of the highest in approval in U.S. history.

The name Teddy Bear is coined for the man and his connection to the death of a black bear. How it ended up being a cute kids stuffie is apart of American. It certainly is not the story of Winnie, the bear named after Winnipeg that became Winnie the Pooh. Roosevelt visited Winnipeg a number of times on his way to Delta Marsh where they hired Metis guides for hunting trips.

There is probably just too little space to go over the expansive life of Teddy Roosevelt. He makes the last several years of presidents look like croppers. It is of little wonder that Trump wants to visit the Teddy Roosevelt Library. Built be the same designer of the gorgeous central library in Calgary, the building and the campus is stunning.

The design allows the visitor to feel part of the incredible vista. The curation of the collection appears to be a worthy homage to the 26th President of the United States. Trump's visit should help garner some publicity to the area. Many people from Manitoba are very fond of North Dakota and not just the eastern cities of Grand Forks or Fargo. The $150 million facility is architecturally noteworthy.

Medora has honoured Teddy Roosevelt since 1965 with the Medora Musical. It is an old timey Old West musical review and it is as charming as it is fun. It is very nearby the new library. Perhaps in the near future people in Manitoba will want to visit their old friend. Some of that enthusiasm could be tempered by Trump's later appointment on that same day with Carney. Here's hoping the visit July 1 is positive in so many ways.

Fargo Forum Fires Three Columnists

I have commented on the Fargo Forum which is the largest newspaper in North Dakota and paper of of record in Fargo-Moorhead. It is a Pulitzer Prize winning paper with a sister prize winner in the Grand Fork Herald. WDAY in Fargo is part of the same company. Together, they are part of the Marcil family's media group in the state. The private company is its fifth generation. How much money does the family have? Hard to say but it would be within the realm that they are among the richest in the state. It is a Conservative newspaper but back in 2016, they did not endorse Trump. Like a lot of newspapers across North America, they began a withdrawal from endorsing in general. The Winnipeg Free Press also stopped political endorsements a few decades ago.

The Marcil family are associated with old school Republicans. At the moment the MAGA movement is trying to strip other Republicans of party status. It is as ugly as it comes. There are national and state level reverberations. The Forum columnists didn't shrink from them. They called out the cowardice of the North Dakota representatives on issues like trade that deeply hurt agriculture in the state. Senators, cabinet and the lone House of Representative were called out on this. The response in March was to tell columnists to stay away from national issues and politics and only comment on state stuff, There was even a call to do more people related stories that had less politics.

The columnists largely continued as they have and this week was the response: Three of them were fired and the paper is limiting opinion page material to two days a week instead of every day of publication. They will also limit national editorials. The reason that is given is that it will help curate a better balance. The changes will affect the whole of the operation of print publication for the Forum news including the Grand Forks Herald. 

The reaction in Fargo has been one of surprise, mostly negative. Some Republicans are happy that a thorn in the side of the party is gone. However, as mentioned, there is a battle going on among MAGA and the party. The most recent convention was poorly attended because MAGA is trying to kick out non Trump loyalists. Even the Republican governor is incredulous. These battles are happening among Republicans in every state. However, the reaction in the editorial offices is to back into the bushes like Home Simpson. Has this been an owner dictate or something the editorial department has decided after countless letters and digital feedback fighting tooth and claw over left and right, but mostly left?

Now, don't get me wrong. I have credited Forum Communications with having amazing local news and sports coverage. Together, with their ABC affiliate WDAY in Fargo, they have fabulous coverage of local news, weather and top tier sports coverage. The WDAY station has six meteorologists! We don't have any based on TV or radio networks in Winnipeg. Both Fargo Forum and WDAY have healthy sized newsrooms. Their sports reporting on local school and university sports is better than the entire province of Manitoba. Hockey, football, basketball in both girls and boys sports is off the charts. In Winnipeg, we are an utter failure at it. I have noticed more school and junior sports coverage from Shaw/Rogers on their public access. It doesn't come close to North Dakota.

The Free Press in Winnipeg has been excellent in photo journalists working. The pro sports coverage for Jets and Bombers is well done. Business has dedicated writers. As far as arts coverage goes, the Free Press is superior and perhaps on CBC radio competes in that area. However, the Free Press is by far the most extensive for opinion coverage locally. The Sun, by contrast, has relied to heavily on Postmedia opinion although they have invested locally in recent years.

The Fargo Forum has had continuous and diverse opinion till now. They are limited it now to a few days a week. Their reasoning is not known. The result is though that Jim Shaw, Joan Bricker and Jack Zaleski all wrote their final opinion columns on Sunday. Some columnist remain but their platform has been shortened and their ability to write about national politicians even in their own state clipped. This shocking result has led to about 60 people of Fargo protesting outside the doors. I'd be surprised if that has ever happened in the paper's history.

The letters have been mostly negative with some saying that conservative columnists kept their jobs. Since there is only one newspaper in Fargo, the opinion pages tried, in the past, to have a variety of coverage. The amount of protests shows that not everyone will go gently into the night. The High Plains Reader is a monthly progressive publication but a publication that size can't possibly make up for the loss of weekly columns.

I hope we never see this happen in Winnipeg. Still, it is AI and search engines that is not paying for content that is the biggest issue that all content providers worry about more. Fargo is at a turning point for their new and opinion content. Winnipeg, by contrast, as two local owned news papers with s much opinin to chse from.

 

What Makes Winnipeg Great?

A lot of focus has been on the negative aspects of Winnipeg both in mainstream media and social media. Sometimes that results in very public announcements of people leaving or commenting about how happy they are since they left. Every now and again, there is someone who says just how much they love about this city or how glad they moved here.

Geographically, Winnipeg at the center of the country has been an important aspect of its attractiveness for business, cultural gatherings and shelter. The rivers were the key aspect of that growth but it was when the railways came that the city's development took off. It sometimes comes as a shock when people learn that Winnipeg was once the third largest city in Canada until the Panama Canal was built in 1913.

Ports by the sea or with access to the sea have always been attractive places for commerce as well as places to live. Steamboats travelled all the way from Winnipeg to St. Paul Minnesota and back again. However, the rivers were shallow, winding and frozen part of the year. After 50 years, railways changed all that. And all rails led to and ran from Winnipeg.

The dynamic of trade changed as well from north to south. The Canadian Pacific meant east to west travel exploded and those railways lines continued to help the city prosper although cargo, rather than passengers were the big economic driver. Air and road service became the other important developments. The first international flight in North America was from Minneapolis to Winnipeg.

Early boosterism in Winnipeg and Manitoba in general was about land. The flat plains of the Red River Valley and the rivers that met at The Forks were ideal for commerce and travel. It is what made the city great. The trails that grew from settlements that expanded from the forts became the next great thing for the city's growth. While the first fort was built near the Red and Assiniboine, the first business independent of the Hudson Bay Company decided to open at the corner of the Portage and Main oxcart paths in 1862. The province had not even been formed yet.

Nothing really except for the land and the resources gave indication of how great Winnipeg would be. It was a harsh climate at any time of the year. Literally everything had to be brought in by boat or trail because the land was was not providing in abundance for a rapidly increasing population. And even the indigenous population was one that followed game north to sound across the seasons.

The permanent settlements were one of hardship due to extreme temperatures, flooding, insects and disease. The fifty years of transport by water or trail was slow going in terms of development. Funnily enough, the first locomotive arrived in Winnipeg via steamboat. It began the longest era of greatness with explosive growth from 1879 through to 1913. Thereafter, growth was still propelled by railway but not as the boom levels once seen. The building of the Panama Canal meant that traffic could bypass the railway and arrive by ship in Vancouver. Everything didn't have to pass through Winnipeg anymore.

Given the traffic back and forth to Pembina, North Dakota and beyond via steamboat and then rail, it is only the the coming of the Canadian Pacific Rail that re-arranged the dynamic of east to west than south to north. This took place in 1881 when the railway and bridge over the Red River brought huge amounts of people to the city. At least Winnipeg was incorporated by 1874 and had street planning and a nascent business community ready to go. Still, the growth was beyond crazy. Literally thousands of people poured into the city and then out to the country and to the new territories to the west.

All this made Winnipeg great because the economy and fortunes were on an upward trajectory. Still, the Panama Canal in 1913 and World War I a year later in 1914 cut Winnipeg off from capital and immigration as the war ground on year after year. Add to this the Spanish Influenza and the Great Depression and you had a few generations dead to disease and war. And to cap it off World War II took another generation of young people in terms of death and injury.

One effect of the war was a level of industrialization and new population growth that lasted from 1945 to 1970. Many of the largest present-day companies like Manitoba Hydro, Canada Life (Great-West Life) and New Flyer and others grew out of this post-war industrialization. Many family run businesses grew and prospered. Even through the 1970s, Winnipeg was larger than Calgary and Edmonton but oil would soon change that.

Oil crashes in 1973 and 1979 along with inflation and a stagnant economy slowed growth, By 1980, Winnipeg was going through massive layoffs.  Even during this painful time economically, Winnipeg benefitted from a diverse workforce, tree-lined streets, good schools and a cultural vitality. Even during tough times new festivals were created, new school programs were introduced, new professional leagues of sports started and so on. This is an important thing to point out to those who might think that nothing was going on in the city. 

The diversity of the Winnipeg economy and stability of  it made it a fairly good place to raise a family. It was too easy to take for granted our universities and colleges that churned out graduates that became leading Canadian citizens in a multitude of fields. And many of the family businesses grew each decade to become national and international players. 

Winnipeg is still a leading destination for immigration. The province with its provincial nominee program has gone out and found people to come here and has jobs for them. Each decade has added to the depth of the population as well as the rich tapestry of shops, restaurants and businesses.

Winnipeg has had a long time reputation has been a tough city. Crime has long been listed as a problem. Still, anyone who knows the city is aware it isn't the entire city rife with violence. Crime has been coming down the last two years according to reports but it probably doesn't feel like it for those watching crimes take place in stores, buses and the like.

What makes the city great has been the citizen driven initiatives to help on addictions, housing and poverty. There have been shelters built, rehab centres, lower income housing and foundational support for programming and education. It has pushed governments to act as well. United Way Winnipeg punches above its weight in fundraising. The Winnipeg Foundation and other endowments donate as much as the United Way. But it has been a hard year for many charities that still have not recovered from the pandemic just as demand as increased so much.

Still, the thing that makes Winnipeg great is that the city continues to adapt and grow. It has had good times and bad times but not end times. There communities all over Canada with declining populations as people move elsewhere. Winnipeg is not one of them although the fastest growing areas in the suburbs and metropolitan area. This spreading of population is not sustainable economically. It is why attempts to do infill such as Seasons of Tuxedo are transforming former industrial land.

It is great to see parts of Winnipeg have a second coming. The East Yards, Fort Rouge Yards and Tuxedo Yards have all been converted to commercial and residential uses. The density in the city as well as most of the country has dropped as suburban and exurban residential growth has exploded. The fact industrial and parking space is being repurposed is very good. True North Square was built atop a parking lot. Portage Place is being converted to Pan Am Clinic and residential units.

The year 2026 is to be determined but a lot of projects started earlier will be completed or near completion in the new year. A lot of initiatives on addiction, housing and poverty will also be well underway. The trick this time is not to take breaks as we have in the past because things like homelessness and rising rent is in part a capacity and programming failure. Winnipeg went years without adding any rental units or put roadblocks so long that it took years to get anything built. 

Winnipeg in a fit of urban pride once had a campaign called One Great City which its own citizens mocked in song and commentary. However, on a all too frequent basis we do things that are great and make the city great. We can't rest on our laurels though but it is important to see the greatness from time to time. 

Travel to North Dakota/Minnesota

The absence of Canadians is being noticed in North Dakota. A column this past weekend in the Fargo Forum lamented the loss. However, there was a war of words between liberal and conservative commenters after. Some indicated Canada was getting what they deserved and that it didn't matter what we did and it had no impact. There were others though that talked about the longstanding relationship being trashed.

To our friends in the U.S., it should be said that, most Canadians have responded with hurt and anger. Most of the trade that passes between the two countries has no tariffs. However, some items in both countries are protected by quotas. In the U.S. it is sugar and in Canada, it is milk. There is room for negotiation but accusations that Canada is a main source for fentanyl headed to the U.S. is a fiction shown clearly from America's own numbers. 

Ever since the election of Trump, Canadians have re-thought their travel and investment in the U.S. for winter housing, business and the like. Smooth travel across the border is always a concern. No one wants to be stopped at the border when they cross. Being asked questions about whether you support Trump and the answer dependent on if you cross is not exactly what anyone wants to hear. Also, knowing that any and all your electronic devices can be searched is enough to discourage people. What if you have business materials that you don't want your competitors to know on pricing, specifications and so on? Does this get passed along to U.S. business? You don't have any rights when you cross as a Canadian. You can be denied for whatever reason. In the past, this was not nearly as aggressive as it is now. Being denied entry because you brought a pre-paid phone instead of your regular phone has happened as well.

Crossing at Winnipeg International Airport or through North Dakota and Minnesota crossings seems to be less of an issue than at other crossings in Canada. Perhaps, those entry points are different than others but who can say? Regardless, traffic is down by a significant margin at those crossings. It isn't just the value of Canadian dollar either. People continued travelling to the States when the dollar was much lower. No, the problem now runs much deeper. Many are choosing not to go because of deeply felt convictions that it is wrong when Canadian sovereignty is threatened.

State and federal officials from the U.S. have appealed to Canada to return as tourists and encourage trade. Many have come to Canada to make their pitch. The thing is that a discount or appreciative banners on streets saying: we love Canadians is not going to remove the fear of border crossings or feelings in regards to 51st state talk. It is a question of respect. It may be that we are in for an even rougher road ahead. The full free trade act comes up for renewal next year.

Every long weekend since the beginning of the year, the car traffic to North Dakota and Minnesota has dropped. It will likely not completely die off. Too many Canadians have family in the U.S., or kids in school, work, conferences, winter homes that they have owned for years or holidays planned for a very long time. All of that will continue. Not to mention it will be hard to keep Canadians from wanting to see Team Canada in the Los Angeles Olympics, of soccer's World Cup in 2026. This applies to Blue Jays game and playoffs and NHL teams over the next months.

It is likely though that many Canadians will limit their travel or spending plans in the U.S. for some time to come unless there is a dramatic de-escalation of tariffs, tensions and other irritants. So states like North Dakota and Minnesota will likely still see reductions in Canadian travel and that could be more pronounced in the weeks and months ahead.

For the U.S., it is probably not just Canadian travellers who are absent this year but so far the overall decline is listed as 30% below last year's levels. From all tourism that is a $30 billion hit. There is no evidence that this is changing. Canadian tourism is up 30% as more in Canada have travelled elsewhere in the country.

America First is looking more like America alone. And Trump says this is only the beginning.

CBC Manitoba Adds Steinbach Bureau

 

Between CBC Manitoba Radio One and CBC Manitoba Television, CBC has a fairly large presence in the news department. Aside from Brandon, CBC Manitoba has a fairly light presence in covering anything outside the perimeter. The radio unit does make regular attempts to send the team to various parts of the province. And the TV unit does cover stories outside Winnipeg but the capital remains the biggest source of news material.

Brandon has had a news reporter based in the city for many years. They have needed one since their affiliation with CKX television in Brandon ended. That brought the station to an end in 2009 and CBC now had no real coverage for the second largest city in the province. A number of correspondents have worked the Brandon bureau. Their assignment is the city of Brandon and rural issues.

For decades some of the biggest advertisers on CBC Manitoba's evening news was ag related commercials. It is less so now. While CBC Radio One's Winnipeg broadcast is number 1 in the ratings, that is not true of the CBC local TV news in recent decades. It was once the top newscast but changes at the anchor desk and consistency at the other stations saw CBC slip to second and then third.

In today's market of cord cutting, as people sign on for streaming services and the like, the audience for local news goes down or appears to be on the decline. Certainly, how media reaches their audiences has changed greatly. When Bell dropped sports radio, it opened up several podcasts for former broadcasters and new entries in this niche. It is fairly shocking how pretty much all the local stations have dropped their sports reporting.

It certainly isn't written in stone that this is the best approach. Looking south to Fargo, North Dakota, we see WDAY use digital options to create a sports channel offshoot of their ABC slot dedicated to high school and university sports in the state. No media comes close to this coverage in Manitoba and North Dakota has a smaller population.

The overall CBC English and French service receives a lot of federal money. However, compared to other industrialized countries, it is below almost everyone except the U.S. The American have even cut their support more but have left the tax credits in place for people who donate to PBS and NPR.

In the last election the Conservatives said they would end CBC funding while the Liberals said they would increase spending. Since the election, Prime Minister Carney has ordered CBC to look for savings but kept the increase promised in election. All government departments have been asked to make cuts so the CBC is among those departments and Crowns. At the billion mark, there is a lot of money in the system. CBC Radio and Radio Canada, the French service punch above their weight class. They are both popular services and in the case of radio, have no advertising taken away from private broadcasters. CBC North can be regarded as an essential service given the lack of any alternatives.

The CBC English TV, with the goal of trying to serve a wider audience, the network decided to hire 30 more journalists in 22 communities. The Prairies would see the most of any region with nine communities having reporters. For Manitoba, the Steinbach/Hanover community the allocation is to be two reporters. The first one has already been hired. The second one will be soon. This will increase the coverage from 48 to 66 stations and bureaus across the country. It is long overdue.

CBC Manitoba is often accused of perimeter-itis. While it has reporters who know the outside of the city, it is not as often reflected in news. It isn't in their remit if they are reporting on city hall or the legislature. It remains to be seen how the new reporters will be utilized from Brandon to Steinbach. The Brandon reporter in recent years seems to have one digital story a week and regular contributions to the broadcast through the week. 

The CBC Manitoba evening news has a new set. The one old overlooked Portage at Spence. 

Brittany Greenslade took over as full time anchor after a period of rotating anchors when Janet Stewart left to take over the noon radio call in show for a year. While there isn't anything wrong with the new set per se, it really doesn't allow for much interaction between anchor and guest. Compared to APTN down the street, it isn't a very active set. National CBC programs have far more interesting sets for discussions which largely seem absent on CBC Manitoba.

I mention the news desk set because with two bureaus outside Winnipeg, it would be interesting at times if the Brandon or Steinbach correspondent could have a segment where they interact with the anchor. There have been occasions when correspondents have interacted in analysis segments. The Kives/Kavanaugh explainers were always interesting. Most of the interactions are now between weather anchor and new anchor. No stations carry sports reporters anymore. It is disappointing because nothing gets reported in Manitoba on high school and university sports. It isn't what happens south of the border. Nor does it happen in Britain. The BBC is full of sports coverage. That will be a discussion for another day.

The most important thing from the posting outside of Winnipeg will be new perspectives from those areas. And so it will go with all of the new bureaus. Will it magically make CBC television news number 1 in the markets it serves? No. There still needs to be a review of what CBC offers Canada. The future for CBC would appear to lie in streaming and they have moved local broadcasts to that format but so far it doesn't seem to coordinated enough to extend this service world-wide like BritBox or Acorn does with British programming.

I expect we will see more reporting from the bureaus across Canada in the fall as they are fully staffed. Given how many parts of the country have lost newspapers and radio stations, it may be the first full time reporter for those communities.

John Wheeler WDAZ/WDAY Retires - Winnipeg Perspective 2025

I've written how powerful WDAZ/WDAY has been in terms of being watched and recognized by people in Winnipeg. The NBC/ABC affiliate has been seen north of the border since 1967 although in my house we didn't get cable until l970 and colour TV till 1971. WDAZ was the Grand Forks satellite of the larger WDAY of Fargo. The local newscast of WDAZ was seen in Winnipeg and for travellers from Manitoba who went to Grand Forks. 

We became familiar with Terry Dullum as anchor from 1975 and Pat Sweeney at sports from 1983. We also got to see weather personality Dewey Bergquist who gave the weather from Fargo but also the Grand Forks broadcast. Some people who travelled to the States were familiar with Bergquist because they heard or saw him in Fargo doing weather as early as the 1950s.

I remember when Bergquist retired in 1985, there were a few of those old timers who were sad on both sides of the border. Even for myself, he was the face of weather south of us for 15 years of my life. He was replaced in 1985 by the first full time meteorologist in the state John Wheeler. He was based at the WDAY location in Fargo but did the Grand Forks WDAZ broadcast as well.

It would be some time before Winnipeg would get a local meteorologist with John Sauder first with CKY/CTV and CBC Winnipeg. We have had to receive broadcasts from weather specialists most of the broadcast history on Manitoba. Even now, we have do with broadcast meteorologists outside Manitoba. 

Our regional relationship with different areas is fading with digital and satellite radio, cord cutting from cable and the like. Some young people only get information from smart phones so are not exposed to television in the same way. There were just fewer listening and viewing options. This meant many people were exposed to the same entertainment and news. 

For Winnipeg, the 1970s and the 1980s saw most in the city having cable television. There were three Canadian networks and four U.S. networks (including PBS). A weather channel, a French channel and public access pretty much rounded out the dial. While many programs were simulcast, often weather updates broke into the North Dakota signals. It is at those times a meteorologist like John Wheeler would appear with a bad weather report.

In the 1970s, I began to watch U.S. national news. My favourite network was ABC which was on KTHI from Fargo. I was aware of local news from that station but my interest was more in the national ABC World News Tonight broadcast. Still, I knew that the weather guy at least in the early 1980s at KTHI was Rob Thorson. The KTHI station had the tallest tower in the world. It was needed because reception was a problem for all the American station. During bad weather it was possible to lose signal for any and all the stations.

WDAZ was the closest North Dakota cable station to Winnipeg (along with Prairie Public Television and PBS). KCND Pembina, North Dakota was closed and moved to Winnipeg to become CKND in 1974. The WDAZ station was affiliated with NBC which in the 1970s was third place in the ratings in the U.S. whereas KTHI in Fargo carried ABC and that network had moved into number one in ratings.

NBC programming had a few bright spots in 1970s such as Saturday Night Live but had programming that older Americans liked such as Marcus Welby, Ironside, Columbo, McLeod and McMillan and Wife. Other programming later in the decade such as Little House on the Prairie, Diff'rent Strokes and Facts of Life appealed to families and younger kids but network struggled. Regardless, in North Dakota, WDAZ/WDAY had high ratings which may have had to do with local news which they did very well. And once someone tuned into a network, they were likely to stick with it. No remore controls back then.

In 1983, everything changed in August when ABC went to WDAY/WDAZ and asked them to change affiliations to their number one network. For ABC, it was an attempt to lock in Fargo and Grand Forks but also Bismarck which even in the 1980s did not have much in network affiliates. KTHI was completely taken by surprise with many staff only learning about it after the deal was done. It caught people in Manitoba by surprise too although we had no say in what U.S networks did.

Suddenly, WDAZ with ABC affiliation had the number one station. KTHI with NBC now had the third rated network. The good news for KTHI was that ratings steadily climbed as they focused on comedies and acclaimed dramas and reclaimed the long lost position at the top. It was in 1985 when John Wheeler came aboard the WDAZ broadcast as meteorologist.

While Grand Forks was smaller than Fargo, they offered a very good news broadcast than won awards for their coverage of the 1997 flood. Wheeler became a recognizable face for his cut-ins during bad weather south of the border. By 1986, the only two North Dakota stations left on cable were WDAZ and Prairie Public when KTHI and KXJB were dropped because of signal quality. This meant that John Wheeler was the only weather guy we saw from North Dakota in our homes in Winnipeg.

In the years following we received our NBC, CBC and later Fox signals from Detroit, Toldeo, Rochester, New York and lastly Minneapolis. Or connection to WDAZ remained strong even as the Grand Forks station closed their news department in 2018. Winnipeg still got their signal from Grand Forks but the news came from WDAY in Fargo. All through this John Wheeler was the meteorologist. That is, until this week when he retired. 

His weather department grew to six people. It is an example of what local news can be. WDAY has a large weather, sports and news department and lots of local broadcasting. It is worth comparing to our own local news which is pathetically tiny when covering local sports or have meteorologists employed. John Wheeler's retirement is the end of another era of broadcasters and he'll be missed even from those in Canada.

All over, there have been retirements. In the last two years, we have seen Janet Stewart and John Sauder leave local TV broadcasts. Some have been let go in cost cutting. Given how local TV has seen audiences drift away to so many other platforms, perhaps we never get to know someone as well as a John Wheeler. The audience has grown so fragmented. Here's to John Wheeler in retirement!

Von Maur Department Store Now Open in Fargo

Manitobans travelling to North Dakota had to brave two lanes of traffic and no passing lanes on Highway 75 from Winnipeg to the border until twinning took place from 1985 to 1994. The U.S. in North Dakota completed twinning in 1977 from Pembina all the way to Fargo. The old border stations were easy to cross. Even in the 1970s they were tiny things. Families easily crossed with no IDs. Just a few basic questions. It was the return back to Canada and the low amount of duty free that was a concern. Only in the last decade or so has it risen to higher amounts.

Before Grand Forks and Fargo had malls built, Winnipeggers shopped in their department stores downtown. They also stayed in motels near the downtown. North Dakota was years behind Winnipeg when it came to malls. Fargo would be the first with a mall called West Acres in 1972. It would take two more years for 13th Avenue to be built in front of it. Looking west was wheat fields. Fargo itself was more than a mile a way.

While Winnipeggers continued to stay in Grand Forks and shop in the downtown there, it was not uncommon for families to make a quick day trip to West Acres once the mall was built in 1972.  The lack of hotels nearby and two years of road construction thereafter put those off who wanted to actually stay in Fargo to shop at the new mall. For our family, we stayed for years at the Townhouse in Grand Forks near the downtown because it had an indoor swimming pool. Others stayed in the Holiday Inn from the Holidome that was built in 1966. The Ramada went up in 1973 next door. The pools and event centers inside were more important to people from Winnipeg than staying in Fargo where hotels near West Acres were not popping up till at least 1974.

Although Winnipeg had malls like Polo Park and Grant Park Mall, people were still quite used to going downtown for shopping and restaurants. So shopping downtown Grand Forks was not considered unusual. Still, the construction of West Acres Mall was a gamechanger in border shopping for Canadians.

But as the above picture shows, it was in the middle on nowhere and motels took a bit longer to materialize. It was a good day trip from Grand Forks but not enough to attract those headed down for a two day weekend. And remember, the Canadian part of the journey was on a two lane highway and the Interstate was only finished off in 1977. It could be a harrowing journey with a semi trailer behind you.

The trip to West Acres though was a different experience than what Canadians had experienced in North Dakota though and many curious travellers went to shop. What they found was local Fargo department store Delendrecies, Minnesota-based retailer Dayton's and national retailer Sears. It was the smaller stores and their variety that attracted Winnipeggers as well such Hickory Farms and Musicland. By 1979, in an expansion, West Acres added J.C. Penny. 

Many changes in retail over the decades meant Delendrecies eventually becoming Herbergers in 1998. Dayton's became Marshall Fields in 2001 and Macy's in 2006. In recent years Herberger's and Sears have closed leaving malls all over the U.S. scrambling. It was only in 2000-01 that West Acres put in a food court. In one of the empty spaces left from department store closing, the mall has created The District which features restaurants inside and outside the mall. Crave, a sushi restaurant from Minnesota was the first tenant.

Best Best eventually moved into the mall in 2017 in 50,000 square feet of Sear which shuttered in 2017 after 45 years in the mall. Best Best had been next door since 1994 in a 45,000 square foot location. West Acres has shown considerable resiliency when compared to Columbia Mall in Grand Forks. However, when Herberger's closed, the question of what to do with the space was a big one. A few retailers looked at the space and nothing resulted. That is until a mid-west department store that somehow does well when national retailers are dropping.

Von Maur is a fourth generation family run department store founded in 1872 out in Davenport, Iowa. It has slowly grown to 39 stores across the U.S. The 39th store of 90,000 square feet will be in Fargo, North Dakota. It is Von Maur's first store in the state. Perhaps as a family store that doesn't have to fight takeovers of their shares, they have been able to make decisions on their business that has allowed them to survive and expand over the years. 

So what is Von Maur? It is a department store catering to upscale fashion for men and women. They carry a number of fashion lines and have not tried to do so many general merchandise things like Sears or other department stores have. In other words, they have stayed focused on what they are good at. Perhaps the one department store comparable in Canada is Simon's. That is another example of slow, steady and focused while staying privately owned.

Von Maur's also runs a newer, larger mall store group called Dry Goods USA which has over 80 stores across the U.S. including West Acres. All in all Von Maur's and West Acres are a good match. The mall owners there never gave up on finding tenants. And Von Maur has looked for placed where their unique offerings might work. Unlike Columbia Mall which is largely empty, West Acres is set to remain relevant into the future.

The only thing that might hurt the retail success of West Acres is the tariffs. If higher prices lead to a recession and prices spiking from products that have tariffs, there could be problems. How much does Von Maur have from China on the shelf? How many farmer face tariffs selling into China. As far as Canadian tourists go, the numbers are dropping each month. Fargo is no longer part of a lot of people's travel plans. Canada might be in recession already and people will pull back on spending. And no, Canada will not beg to become the 51st state nor welcome an invasion. It just means we will seek other markets until things change in the U.S.

Some businesses won't notice the drop but they will notice the price changes. The tariffs are still fresh and they will be hard to ignore. At the moment, until the pain reaches into every aspect of the economy, most people will ignore it. The question will be what will be the response?

Fargo is a fine city and West Acres a fine mall. They seem to be doing everything they can to continue prosperity and hospitality. Attracting Von Maur is an indication they are doing everything right. At some point, I hope Canadians will be able to enjoy it in the future.

Magazines

 

I love magazines. Still do. 

When I was young we did not usually subscribe to too many magazines. Things like Consumer Reports, Women's Day and other were in the house. Others were received them from grandparents when they were done with them. For years that was usually Reader's Digest from my dad's side of the family. We had the the Winnipeg Tribune delivered to our River Heights home and I was a carrier from about 7 years old. Both the Free Press and the Trib were evening papers and the newspaper bundles were dropped off late afternoon and papers were to be delivered after school. Below from the Hulton Archive. See Free Press peaking out.

The 1970s were a busy a time and somewhat of a golden era for print media. A number of new magazines began and  check out stands and book stores were filled with all manner of offerings. People Magazine started in 1974,  Maclean's went weekly in 1975, Starlog in 1976, TV Guide Canada came onto newsstands in 1977, US Magazine in 1977 and Omni in 1978. There were quite a few others.

Our family didn't get cable from Videon till 1971. It was the same year we got a colour TV from my mom's parents. It was a huge cabinet TV and the picture tube was 21 inches. The TV cost about $500 which is $3000+ in today's dollars. The aspect was 4:3 but the quality of the Zenith TV was great. And Videon was about $5 a month. All of this was a lot of money for many families. Even in 1971, many people did not have cable or colour TVs. Cable only came to Winnipeg in 1968. Prior to Grade 1, we had CBWT and CJAY (which became CKY in 1973). The French channel came in fuzzy on rabbit ears as did KCND in Pembina, North Dakota. If they came in at all. To say it was a revolution in 1971 getting colour TV and cable would be to put it bluntly.

As mentioned, we didn't get TV Guide except for fall preview. It really didn't do anything for Canada that wasn't in the newspaper TV listings. By 1969, the Tribune and the Free Press were offering their own TV magazines. The Trib's TV Times was 32 pages. As cable grew across North America, many people looked to the newspapers and magazines to see what what was on TV.

If people got newspapers on Saturdays in the 1970s, they generally got a magazine a week. As it was part of the Southam newspaper chain, the Trib also distributed the Canadian magazine on Saturdays. The Free Press version was the Weekend. The Tribune also put their Saturday comics in magazine form in 1977 and it lasted till 1978. A visit to any friends houses who got newspapers meant seeing a pile of them. I became interested in the nexus between movies, TV and magazines. 

Star Wars came out in 1977 in my last year of elementary school, I had seen a preview in Starlog and had begun reading the Star Wars Marvel comic just before the movie came out. Thus, I was able to be there on opening night and 12 times more that summer for the movie that George Lucas said was aimed at 13 year olds. Like me. Or what age I was less than a year after it came out when I entered junior high.

I did not have the type of budget to get People magazine unless there was something compelling like Star Wars on the cover. The cover below was not even published till nearly three months after the movie became a sensation. I bought this one but alas didn't keep it. I did end up buying many other Star Wars things in 1977 including art, books and the like. I still have them today. But I never kept any of the magazines such as People or Starlog which I regret today.

I was always pretty up to date on current affairs. A kindergarten teacher told my mom that I shouldn't listen to CBC Radio anymore because I was too young to worry about Israel being attacked by surrounding Arab countries. While we had a TV in 1968, it did not factor as much as the radio did and we listened to As it Happens when it first broadcast that year. When we moved to Kingsway, it became a habit to prepare meals with CBC on in the background and through dinner. In 1970, my first year of school, my questions to the teacher on the conflict was no news is good news. My mom took the advice under advisement but the radio stayed on.

The National on CBC started in 1969 but I don't believe I really saw it till 1970 when Lloyd Robertson was the anchor. and we lived on Kingsway. Since the broadcast was at 11 PM, I saw it infrequently as the kids were off to bed much earlier. However, things like church, community club and union meetings often ran till 10:30 PM according to my mom's date book. No lie. There was a reason why the national and local news was so late. It was because 11 PM was the first time parents might be free.

As mentioned, my interest in current affairs was strong. One of the first books I read at the school library that I read was the Battle of Britain. There were so many veterans back then as the war was not even 25 years in the past. The Korean War was a mere 15 or so years past. I was already aware of conflict in Israel and by 1968 was aware of the Vietnam War. In 1972, the series MASH started and lasted 11 seasons surpassing the Korean War by 8 years in duration. All of this meant was that there was a keen interest in the Canadian public in general about the world around them.

This was reflected in the magazine racks at grocery and convenient store checkouts first placing magazines at cash checkouts. In Winnipeg that was in the 1950s and by the late 50s, Canadian magazines like Chatelaine and Maclean's would compete with space with Harper's and Saturday Evening Post. Archie Comics would also be a mainstay at checkout counters.

At 7/Elevens the checkout featured Time, Newsweek and Maclean's along with Rolling Stone right at the counter. On one horrific week, four magazine covers reflected the same tragic event in the same picture.

In 1978 all the newsmagazines including Maclean's, Time, Newsweek and U.S. News and World Report all had the same picture on the cover. Not sure I've seen the same event use the exact same picture ever since. It was very eerie and there it was at every checkout counter at every store in the land.

While young people watched other programs on other stations, ABC was a favourite American channel for many of its programs such as Three's Company, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat and Happy Days. One show, the Partridge Family from 1970 to 1974 on ABC, was both a music show and family show and star David Cassidy was a staple of magazines like Tiger Beat. My sister would often get for Christmas or birthday a Tiger Beat which started in 1965 and would be end up in pasted pics on walls all over North America. The first teen publication was Seventeen and could be found at most newsstands in Winnipeg. Another Cassidy struck fame with an ABC show when in 1977, the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries series starred Shaun Cassidy. This resulted in a new wave of Tiger Beat covers in our home.

Towards the end of the 1970s our family would subscribe at different times to People, Time, Newsweek, Chatelaine, Women's Day and National Geographic. These were the result of subscription deals and the fact the pretty much every kind of the family was working while going to school and could afford both newspapers and magazines. Sundays were free days with work in most retail and businesses closed, a day of rest meant being able to read newspapers, magazines and books. And we did a lot of reading in our family.

In the 1980s, this tradition of various magazines being in the house along with newspapers continued. All through highschool in the first three years of the decade and up till graduation in 1988, we had various news magazines as well as the Beaver and several urban city publications befitting one of my majors in school. The 7/Eleven on Academy Road also carried USA Today and Toronto Star which I often got for a different perspective. USA Today boxes were all over the city. including Academy Road.

I left for Japan in 1989 and survived on Canadian news in greater detail from Maclean's and Free Press that my mom packed in about once every two months care packs. In Japan, I got the Japan Times, Tokyo Weekender and Tokyo Journal for my newspaper and magazine combos. The latter two let me know what things to do and see in Tokyo whether it was shows, sports, theatre and everything in between. I would get an Economist but it would take me a week to read of various train trips or at the office.

Upon return to Canada, I resumed some of magazine subscriptions such as Maclean's and by end of the 1990s our family often had four newspapers in the house. Today, I still love print magazines but digital has allowed me today to enjoy the occasional Atlantic or Vanity Fair issue among many others. And some magazines are entirely digital so I can enjoy them that way too.

Still, all things being equal, I do love a print magazine especially for the pictures which look great on paper. Some magazines have discontinued over recent years including beloved Starlog. Newsweek has moved totally online and by all accounts this has been successful financially for it. One thing I miss over the years are more Manitoba magazines.

Today, I still get a few print magazines a month at home and will likely do so for as long as it is possible. The long form journalism, the great photographs or graphics and the investment in reading something that is not standard news but a deeper look at a subject is always compelling. I have dropped much of social media but it lacks context, nuance and substance. It can be a useful business tool but only insofar as promotion. It can give immediate headlines or links to bigger stories but it isn't a debate most of the time, it is a bun fight. Give me a magazine with something to chew on every day.

Oil Through Churchill

Oil pipeline across Manitoba

Make no mistake...oil is going across Manitoba now. It is shipped by truck, rail and pipe. We are likely to see even more over the next few years.

The increases in rail and truck traffic has spiked enormously. Literally tens of thousands of tankers are moving across North America filled with oil where just even a few years ago almost nothing went that way.

As Lac Megantic can attest to, there are dangers involved that need to be addressed.

You don't have to be a wooly eyed environmentalist to be horrified by loss of life and destruction that happened in Quebec. Seems a pretty high cost of doing business.

And oil spills from pipelines seem to happen with regularity as do refinery disasters.

The long terms costs to the environment and to people's health are well known. Smog and particulate matter are undeniable. Water contamination is a fact. And scientists say our need for oil comes at the cost of global warming.

Most of the increase in rail oil traffc has happened without anyone knowing about it. It should not be surprising given that pipeline approvals are slow or not coming at all. The insatiable demand for oil had suppliers seek out other methods of transporation.

The state of North Dakota has lept up to become the second largest oil producer in the U.S. in a very. very short time. Only Texas is bigger now. Unlike Texas though which has built pipelines and supply routes over a long time, North Dakota is experiencing boom growth that outpaces present infrastructure. The rail lines in the area were set up for agriculture not oil. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Rail has announced hundreds of millions of rail expansion for the area.

Pipelines just aren't getting approved or built fast enough.

The people who have successful blocked pipeline development probaby had no idea that rail traffic would leap to 500,000 tankers of oil this year from a few thousand maybe even five years go.

According to some environmentalists, there is no safe way to transport oil and that every drop burned is destruction of lives and eco-system. This might be true. However, there are no alternatives that are cheaper or as easily available. Even reducing enegy needs doesn't make the need go away.

In short, the economy and people's lives depend on energy and no collectivist anti-development pro-environment opposition will change that.

So here is the conundrum: we need oil and people will suffer and die without it. The result of our need for oil is that people will suffer and die because of it. Yeesh. What to do?

 It seems clear that since oil is not going away too soon that government and industry have to take a stand on safety. If people feel they are easily sacrificed, they will resist at every turn oil exploration, transport logistics and general use that may affect them negatively.

Port of Churchill

The announcement that Omnitrax Canada is going to experiment with a shipment of oil from Alberta through the northern port of Churchill has got some environmentalist up in arms. Omnitrax has tried to keep the rail, port and Churchill Fuel Terminal viable as private enterprises but the main trade passing through for decades has been grain. In October, they hope to send oil via the deep water northern port via a 330,000 gallon tanker ship.

Many people forget how the federal government stepped back from investing in Churchill and the north. First the military pulled back and then space-based rocket testing and then it looked like the very lifeline of the port, rail and grain trade was about to end. Lloyd Axworthy helped with the privatization that saw big U.S. operator Omnitrax take over.

Town of Churchill

The Town of Churchill depends completely on the rail link and the port for its long term success.

Presently, Omnitrax is completing a $2 million construction project to accommodate the new oil business. They also announced that former Brandon Member of Parliament Merv Tweed is becoming President of Omnitrax at the same time. Tweed announced his resignation as MP and hours later he was standing out front with his new job.

It is only two years ago that Brad Chase, formerly an exec at Kleyson took over the top Omnitrax job in Winnipeg with its 16 employees on Carlton Street.

Obviously, the heavy duty politics of having 10 ships a year pick up over 3 million barrels of oil a year using the rail, port and fuel terminal needed an inside guy to shepherd it through. Tweed, with his Conservative connections and loyal service to Stephen Harper, seems to fit the bill.

On the face of it, it would seem that federal Conservatives would embrace a new transport route for oil via the north. Stephen Harper travels to the area every year making announcements about how important the area is. It is true that tens of millions have been spent on the route to Churchill from the The Pas as well as port improvements. However, the prime minister has fallen short of re-establishing a permanent military presence in Churchill for both the navy and air force.

Instead Harper has announced three different military bases for Resolute, Nanisvik and Iqaluit. None are established and ships that were supposed to be ready this year have not even begun construction. Snowmobiles won't be purchased till 2021 and there are no plans to replace the rifle that ranger use which go back to World War I.

It is seven years of unfulfilled promises in the north but it meat for the partisan masses in the south in that it all sounds good.

The focus should have been for the military to make sure Churchill became the navy port of the north. It is already a deep water civilian port. It is where any icebreaker and tugs should be based and the launching point for economic development and the establishment of a security and rescue presence.

But back to oil...

Churchill's fuel depot already receives oil along the rail line. Over the last 15 years, it has received 2.5 million barrels of mostly gas and diesel over the rail line. Still, it is a big difference receiving those type of deliveries every year not to mention the shipping aspect through Hudson's Bay.

I'll repeat that: Omnitrax wants to transport 3 million barrels over softening permafrost for a shipping season that is growing but is still four months long.

The tracks will need greater monitoring, more safety checks and lots of consultation. It appears that many people in Churchill might support the movement of oil through the port. Others don't even want the fuels that comes through now and might even support closing the rail link to the port for environmental reasons.

It will be a battle for sure and it might be one that Omnitrax might not win. And if it doesn't, is the future of northern Manitoba in jeopardy? If the grain industry declines at the port, the very lifeblood of the rail and port could falter. I don't think the government will buy the rail and port back if private industry fails.

Things might move faster than anyone realizes as it seems rail traffic and oil is growing swiftly.

This could be a very good thing for Manitoba. It could also be terrible if a disaster happens as a result of transporting oil through vulnerable areas. But why should the north not have economic activity that happens every day in the south?

Lip service can't be given to safety and environmental concerns but nor should the impact on the economy.

The government needs to be strong and represent all the interests of the province both economic and environmental. It remains to be seen whether the provincial NDP or the federal Conservatives are prepared to do that.

Both seem very nervous about the prospect of a lot of oil heading through North America's only deep water port in the north.

North Dakota Election 2012 Part 2

Congressman Rick Berg (R) decided not to seek re-election to the House of Representatives only two years after winning the seat. The chance to sit in the open Senate seat was just too tempting and he is now in a tough race with former North Dakota Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp (D).

The result of Berg's decision is that is now an open Congressional seat in the state as well.

North Dakota has only one seat in the House of Representatives chosen at large by the voters of the state. For many years it was held by the Democrats until Rick Berg (R) wrested it away from Earl Pomeroy (D).

The choice for President in North Dakota seems a foregone conclusion  Since 1964, they have always voted Republican. Mitt Romney can probably call this one of the safer states he has.

This doesn't mean there isn't room for Democrats. For a time, the state had two Democrats in the Senate and one in the House of Representatives. In the past two years that dropped to only one: Senator Kent Conrad (D). He retired this year.

Exciting times for North Dakota. The Republicans have chosen a candidate close to the Tea party movement. Kevin Cramer, Commissioner of the North Dakota Public Service Commission that regulates utilities,  is a two time loser in running for the Congressional. Most of his jobs since the 1990s have come from state posts tied to the Republican governor.

The Democrats have chosen Pam Gulleson, a fifth generation farmer and presently a staff officer of the North Dakota Farmers Union. She served in North Dakota House of Representative from 1993 to 2009 as well as chief of staff to former Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan for nine years.

There have been no recent polls out on this election race but some media are calling it an competitive race. There may be some ticket splitting as voters weigh a vote for Romney with how they vote for the Senate and House of Representatives.

In terms of Canada, it appears that both candidates are strong supporters of the oil and coal industry. How this plays out for Canada is anyone's guess but pipelines are a debate that will have happen after this election take place.

North Dakota Election 2012 Part 1

The North Dakota election is turning into a real dogfight with the decision of Senator Kent Conrad of the Democrats not to run. He is the last Democrat standing in the state at the federal level. Former Governor of the state, John Hoeven (R) is the junior senator for the Republicans elected in 2010 when an opportunity came for change when the former Senator Byron Dorgan (D) decided not to run. On the House of Representatives side, North Dakota's single seat is represented by Rick Berg (R) who defeated Earl Pomeroy (D) primarily over federal Obamacare in 2010. It was the first time that the Republicans would take the seat in 24 years.

North Dakota is not the state it was 20 years ago. It has taken major hits due to flooding both from the Red River and from Devil's Lake and struggled as an agricultural state with a small, spread out population. Events have turned and even in the face of a recession, North Dakota has arisen as the second largest oil producer in the United States. There is a new muscularity to the state as wealth flows in from deep wells in the once sleepy west side of the state.

From Manitoba's perspective, North Dakota has represented itself as a weekend destination for a vacation and shopping. It is a very long and friendly relationship albeit once sided. Not many North Dakota people head north for a holiday, fewer for shopping. Americans now require a passport to travel outside the country and many don't have one. It seems the one sided relationship will continue. One imagines if it suddenly became much cheaper and much more vibrant on the shopping side, North Dakotans would flock across. Alas, it has never been that way.

Manitoba pays little attention to North Dakota politics. It should. Over the years, with a cross the board federal presence of Democrats, we found that Pomeroy, Conrad and Dorgan were no friends to Canada on trade. In short, they hammered us.

Like many Canadians, Manitobans probably skew more Democrat save for a number of Harper Tories who attended the Republican National Convention. In terms of trade and movement of people, the Democrats have not exactly been friendly to us. Some say that Barack Obama appears to have little interest in furthering the relationship with Canada and some academic papers have been written on the subject. Still, we are used to this as we saw that George W. Bush had a single minded interest on Mexico.

In contrast to the Democrats, Senator John Hoeven is a leading advocate for the Keystone XL pipeline. Ultimately, Kent Conrad broke with his party to vote for the pipeline but was undecided right up to the end.

The focus this years for Election 2012 will be filling Kent Conrad's seat. The Democrats and Republicans are fighting hard. For the Democrats, the torch bearer is Heidi Heitkamp, the former state attorney general.  Her links to the energy industry is a far cry from past Democrats linked strongly to agriculture. She has no hesitation supporting Keystone XL.

The Republicans have turned to Representative Rick Berg, a former real estate developer and state legislator. Only two years before Tea Party supporters helped him defeat Earl Pomeroy in the House of Representatives.

It should have been a cakewalk to the Senate. It has been a dogfight instead. The issues have been healthcare, managing the economy and the size of government. While the State has supported every republican since 1964, it has had many years of Democrats on the state and federal level. It isn't a complete right of center state by any means. It is the only state requiring pharmacists to own 51% of the pharmacy, the only state with a state owned bank and a state owned flour mill. Down right communist, don't you think?

There has been a tendency to balance the odds a bit in the state. The Republicans are in control in many offices in the state and there is probably a re-evaluation in part based on that old agricultural axiom: eggs in one basket.

A tracking of various polls has the lead with Rick Berg but Heidi Heitkamp has narrowed the advantage to only four points, practically within the margin of error.

What would be better for Canada? Hard to say. One thing is appears clear and that is the Democrat won't be the thorn in the side on trade that some previous representatives were.

One of the races to watch in November of this year.

What happened to summer?

School is back after the Labour Day long weekend. I can well imagine that the streets are going to be choked with parents, students and teachers. This problem is likely to be compounded by delayed road construction this year. The wet months early in the summer saw quite a few days of cancelled infrastructure repair.

City councillor Scott Fielding has been championing longer hours for the workers involved in construction but has run into resistance at City Hall. It seems Calgary can do it but Winnipeg can't for whatever reason.

It seems there is a lack of imagination at city hall.

---

Winnipeg is to have the first 24 Wal-Mart in Canada. The big retailer has been experimenting with the concept over the last two years in Canada over Christmas holidays. I'm not surprised they picked Winnipeg as the first city to try it and it has always been something of a test market for new concepts.

There are only a few 24 places in the city. There are a couple of restaurants, a Shoppers Drug Mart or two but to date, no major retailer has taken the plunge. By contrast, travellers to North Dakota will find a number of 24 hour Wal-Marts.

Some will say this is a bad thing for people. I don't. Stores like Superstore and Wal-Mart already stock shelves all night. Now, they can simply open the doors and let people shop at the same time.

There are thousands of shift workers in Winnipeg. They are ones who will benefit most from this.




myspace hit counter