New Drive-Thru Concept McDonald's Coming to Kenaston

It is not the first drive-thru only from McDonald's in the city. That honour goes to Pembina Highway which also became the first 24 hour location in Canada. This however will be the first drive-thru that is heavily automated as well as have storage lockers for delivery people. There are presently two other location in North America like the one proposed for Winnipeg. One is in Fort Worth and one is in Los Angeles.

The location at Kenaston at Grant in the Real Canadian Superstore parking lot right at the corner that turns east down Grant. It will require some zoning changes to operate longer hours but Councillors don't seem alarmed by the proposal. The spot being looked at is where the garden centre has usually gone. I have no idea if it will be relocate to another area for seasonal sales.

Social media has been mixed on the possible traffic to the area, an American restaurant expanding, quality of the food and a few other things. Some thought it would be helpful for pick-ups in River Heights and Tuxedo. Others thought it would be good for deliveries. Those people who hated McDonald's are not about to change their minds. Those that hate traffic will continue to hate it.  There is nothing wrong with having an opinion about it.

River Heights is a food and grocery desert as is a Tuxedo. So much is beyond walking distance for as little as coffee. And certainly there are hardly any options for 24 hour locations for the thousands working shift work in parts of the city. Aside from 7/Eleven which are not drive-thru, where do the people go for those super early morning family hockey travels, late night flights and the like?

I am not entirely sure how traffic flow will be inside the Superstore parking lot. As some people pointed out, it is up to the grocery store to figure out. As long as the traffic doesn't line up on the public road, city zoning people seem satisfied. And the McDonald's itself is on the farthest corner away from apartments. 

The delivery system has multiple competitors such as Skip and Uber among others. People in Winnipeg are avid fans but some companies like McDonald's might find it more convenient to have a place such as the new Kenaston location where drivers pick up orders at lockers where items are slid through to the kitchen to the lockers that open to the parking lot. It is very popular in the United States. This can make other McDonald's less crowded with drivers waiting at the counter.

The local franchise owner in Winnipeg says the new drive-thru will be about 1,800+ square feet. He also mentioned 80 new workers but it is unclear if that was across all his locations or just Kenaston. With Kapyong under development the next few years, this is probably not the last restaurant or drive-thru to go up. It may not even be the last McDonald's.

Tuxedo Park Starbucks Suddenly Closes

Any Starbucks Coffee without a drive-thru or on a list of possible unionized locations is a location under threat of closure. And so it goes for the long standing Starbucks location at Tuxedo Park Shopping Centre. A note in the door announced their closure.

As one of the only places you could sit outside, it will be missed. Some have said it was because the location was about to unionize. There is no indication that was about to happen. This was a mall with vitality but has had more than a year of building a condo that just opened. The parking lot has been chaos. But now that it has opened, it seems an even better reason to stay open.

No, the likely reason is that Starbucks wants drive-thrus wherever possible. This doesn't bode well for Charleswood down the road. It has been overwhelmed with Tuxedo refugees. It doesn't have a drive-thru either.

The Return of Arby's 2025

When Arby's closed their Winnipeg locations it was heartbreaking for some of their fans. Covid closures took out the last location at Kildonan Mall. We weren't alone in closures. Arby's closed everything in Toronto. Mexico lost all their Arby's years ago and is only now getting them back. Suffice to say that there are huge fans of Arby's in Canada and beyond. 

The restaurant has been open three months now at Season Tuxedo and show no sign of slowing down. Spokesmen for Arby's suggested there were more locations coming. There are still holes to fill along major commercial streets in Winnipeg and around malls. Polo Park comes to mind. Around Kildonan as well.

We'll never see a Hardee's in Canada because the courts have ruled it is too close to Harvey's in name. Hardee's is a competitor in the roast beef sandwiches for Arby's but will never come to the country so long as Harvey's exists. There are a few roast beef places such as Carl Jr's across the land, the nearest being in Regina, but for the time being Arby's it is.

It is hard to find any oxygen when McDonald's has 41 locations alone in Winnipeg. By comparison, there are 14 Burger King's in Winnipeg. If it is any consolation Toronto only has 13. Either way you slice it, it makes for a lot of burger joint. It could be one of the most common foods at restaurants. And yes, that is over chicken and pizza places as well.

It is very likely we will be seeing more diverse restaurants and drive-thrus coming. Certainly there will more Arby's coming to Winnipeg.

 

More Housing for Seasons in Tuxedo Site

The Seasons of Tuxedo and Seasons in Tuxedo area has been non-stop construction for more than a decade. IKEA has been up since 2011 years and the area on both sides of Sterling Lyon have been transformed. From zero population back then as industrial land, it now has thousands living and working there every day.

Krispy Kreme and Arby's are but the latest additions as the last spots fill up in and around the Outlets of Seasons mall. In a spot  across the street from Frankie's are zoning approvals going forward at 457 Sterling Lyon for two 7 storey apartment buildings with 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units. Three bedrooms in Canada is the unicorn of multi-family dwellings. 

The Seasons district 13 years ago was the former CN Intermodal site but now it is an example of infill mixed development. The site at 457 Sterling Lyon is one of the last sections large enough for apartments to go. The other apartments in the development have filled fast. It is a testament to the idea that mixed developments are the right direction as they were in the past. The Courts of St. James and the Holiday Towers are among a few long term examples of mixed developments succeeding for decades. However, they fell out of fashion for many year and some places, especially downtown have no balance between residential, office and retail.

The new apartments will be walking distance to any of the amenities one might expect in any neighbourhood. The Red River Co-Op grocery store and a few pharmacies have the basics covered. However, there also doctor, dentist and vet offices within walking distance and a bus terminus is located right by the mall. A sidewalk on the south side of Sterling Lyon is sadly lacking though.

Winnipeg is still need of many apartments for its growing population, rising rents and low vacancies. As has been said many times now, the affordable housing of 20 years from now is being built now. And the only way to lower rents today is to build capacity in the system. The Seasons site is fortunate to not have to face opposition from residents like so many other areas do. Since it was industrial before, the developer has been able to get quicker approvals. Polo Park and the surrounding area have been trying to get approvals for housing for more than a decade and the wait continues. There is no doubt that people would move to and live in the area if the option was there. Undoubtedly, many other shopping areas of the city will see apartments go up as the surface parking lots take up a lot of space.

These apartments being built at Seasons will have some underground parking as well. Many apartments have storage for bikes as well since the Harte Trail is so close and people are using for quick commutes and recreation. Still, the attraction of such apartments is how walkable everything is. It likely takes longer to get your car than it does to walk to the store.

Look for these apartment to go up some time around 2025.

Arby's to Return To Winnipeg

The last Arby's in Winnipeg was at Kildonan Place in 2020 and the pandemic killed it off. It has its share of fans in Winnipeg who missed their locations at Polo Park as well. Some people in Toronto have been very vocal about no Arby's. Still, Canada does have 56 of them in the country and by fall, there will be one more located along Sterling Lyon in the Outlet Collection Mall parking lot where Bank of Montreal and Red River Co-op Store are located.

Manitobans have been know to drive to Saskatoon for Arby's although one recently closed there. As mentioned here many times, a lot of restaurants have struggled through Covid and post Covid has been tough to establish finding customers where they live and work. 

The construction at Seasons of Tuxedo and around Seasons has never stopped in a decade but it is coming down to just a few places left to build. Krispy Kreame is almost complete and now Arby's is under construction. Neither should have difficulty in finding people. Many people actually live footsteps away. And the traffic along Kenaston and Sterling Lyon is strong.

It is odd what inspires confidence in a city, an economy, ourselves. Sometimes it is park, a team, a restaurant or a school. I do know what happens when you lose that team, that park or restaurant. Winnipeg has taken its knocks but it easy to forget that in 2019 things were going fairly well in the city and the province.

The final pieces of the Seasons construction are very close to completion. Arby's being ready in the fall will generate a lot of traffic which will be good for every other business and resident in the area. It will bring a lot of tax money in compared to the Tuxedo Yards rail container depot that once existed there. This is a thought when considering the social impact of what has happened at the East Yards (The Forks), the Tuxedo Yards (Seasons) and the Fort Rouge Yards (The Southwest Transit Corridor). One can imagine if the Weston Yards ever became available.

Arby's is welcome back. I suspect we will continue to see announcements of this kind over the next months. Inflation though has hit the building trades and it is a lot slower getting things built. However, we should see some more projects as demand warrants.

Thom Bargen Coffee Coming to Tuxedo

Tuxedo used to be a town before being absorbed into the city. It didn't have a very big commercial area but what it did have was on Corydon and had enough to support the residential area.

A Safeway and a Shopper's Drug Mart anchor a retail mall and the far end of it is Winnipeg's oldest and most resilient comedy club Rumors. 

A retail mall across the street has provided a host of services and restaurants over the years and for the most part has been fairly stable in what businesses are there. For example there has been a Perth's drycleaner there for decades. Till recently, the Tuxedo Family Restaurant was a staple but controversy over pandemic regulations likely contributed to it closing. A Winnipeg favourite George's Burgers & Subs has taken over and appears to be quite busy.

In 1992, the corner location which had been a hair salon for many years was taken over by a franchise of Grabbajabba. It was an opportunity for many in the area to buy coffee beans for their new machines at home but also a place to sit down, have a coffee, latte and the like with windows all around. Musical artists would play Fridays and Saturdays. The patio came a year later and was a popular spot for dog walkers and bikes.

Th coffee shop lasted several years before Timothy's World Coffee took over and until this year had served the community. The closure was likely disappointing to many who had gotten used to a coffee place on the corner. A Starbucks in the mall at least was still available but often fairly busy.

It must have come as a relief when Thom Bargen Coffee announced they would be taking over and adding to the three locations they already have on Kennedy, Sherbrook and further down Corydon in the Fort Rouge area. The ten year old company is truly a Winnipeg institution and the opportunity to be in a place with patio and parking as well as walkable was likely to go pass up.

It is always tough to run a restaurant business. Many have had tough times these last years. It doesn't matter if it is a franchise or someone's family place. However, we have seen a few close and a few go up in their place. Some areas such as downtown still struggle as they cope with lost customers who no longer live or work in the area. Foot traffic has dried up in many years. Some from endless construction, bike paths on their street that block easier access and crime.

The Tuxedo Mall across has had a makeover in the last few years for its facade as well as the Safeway. The Shell station is gone in favour of an apartment building going up. The parking lot is always filled. This is an important thing to note. The area has always been a mix of recreation, residential, commercial and retail. Vacancies come up from time to time but this particular area has been resilient. 

Thom Bargen should have good success in Tuxedo. And not just because of wealthy customers but because the area draws people every day for everything from groceries to dentists.

As 2024 progresses, we are likely to see more vacancies filled, especially within areas that have shown consistent abilities in drawing people. The more people, the more secure an area feels. And not just feels, actually is. Many stores and businesses in the Tuxedo area are open till 11 PM on most nights and early every day. 

Will this be the last expansion for Thom Bargen? Maybe yes, maybe no. With 10 employees at the new Tuxedo location and not being crazy large, this could be a template for other areas. The problem is that some of those ideal places might just have too high rent. It is a mystery why some landlords don't lower rent to get places filled.

Business announcement have been happening fairly regularly so perhaps we have started to emerge of those tough years,

George's Burger and Subs Coming to Tuxedo

 

Tuxedo Village Restaurant has had a few owners over the years. River Heights and Tuxedo suffer from a lack of restaurants. Lots of houses but not a lot of places to hang out, talk with folks and get a meal from breakfast to dinner. The closure of the Sal's where the present Liquor Mart is was particularly effective in removing a place that seniors to students used 24 hours. While I agreed a liquor store was well suited for the mall, Sal's disappeared. The nearest liquor store prior for River Heights and Tuxedo was some blocks away.

A Timothy's and a Starbucks are opposite each other on this stretch of Corydon and of course there is Rumor's which has been around since the very early 1980s. However, a family restaurant is something every neighbourhood needs. It is tasty, covers the whole day for offerings, isn't overly pricey and knows the whole family.  A lot of families drive out of the neighbourhood to find that because it isn't in their area.

Tuxedo Village Restaurant was that place for many years. With the big grocery across the street, recreational facilities next door and the intersection of Tuxedo and Corydon right there, it was and still is the perfect location. Passing from owner to owner, it ought to have been an institution to last decades but alas, it wasn't.

The last owners took over in 2018. Even before the pandemic started something appeared off. Rumours of employee and owner friction abounded. Some of these comments found their way to social media just as when Stella's went through its dark period. It isn't easy to run a restaurant at the best of times but how workers are treated eventually gets out. The pandemic brought a new response from owners when they made it clear they were going to ignore restrictions. However, commentary on Jews, blacks and indigenous also crept up in media as well as social media commentary by employees. The fines piled up and while it seemed support from those chafing at rules was filling seats, the aftermath was that locals stayed away. And kept staying away.

The past owners put the business up for sale and in the windows now are signs in the windows for George's Burger and Subs. The windows are papered over and a makeover inside is taking place that will probably last into the fall. George's has been around since 1975 and has five other locations in the city and two outside of it.

The menu varies between George's. Many serve affordable breakfasts, have hours that go into the the evenings and have a few items for those not wanting to eat a Fat Boy every meal. Since a Greek family is behind it, imagine a few Greek dishes as well as everything in between. Seating is likely to be around the same at 40 seats, 15 to 20 staff and new signage. Many local businesses and residents are greatly looking forward to the return of a restaurant on the spot.

The neighbourhood restaurant is always going to be a community centre of family talks, gossip and opinion. People should feel safe there in terms of hygiene and food, building safety, pest control and yes, a pandemic. They should also feel they are not subject to bigotry in all its forms. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but rules on safety and the treatment of people have been put in place because of past experience. For example, we know that pests can can cause foodborne and airborne illness and death. It is why restaurants are required to submit to inspections and can be closed till the problem is corrected. It isn't the woke crowd trying to persecute. 

Many restaurants did their best in compliance these past years. Some did not survive while others deserve your patronage and respect as they try to re-build in these next several months. We all deserve neighbourhood restaurants who nourish our bodies and souls. It is very likely George's will receive a warm welcome from Tuxedo, River Heights and Charleswood in the days ahead.

Arby's Returning, St.Louis Bar and Grill New To Winnipeg

In 2020 the last of the Arby's closed in Winnipeg. It seems every few years some franchises not named McDonald's fade and in some cases die. Case in point is Swiss Chalet which has twice expanded here and twice died. Harvey's is another that has risen and fallen and now has only one location.

Having a good location for your franchise certainly helps and being located in the Seasons at Tuxedo mall will help. As mentioned in other posts, the mall along Sterling Lyon has not had a break in building in a decade. This new Arby's in the city should have a fighting chance between the mall and so many new residents onsite in the last three years.

Also in the same section of the Red River Co-Op Grocery part of the mall is a large Canadian restaurant chain called St. Louis Bar and Grill opening. It is their first location in Winnipeg and will be one of only a few locations they have in the west.

As per an earlier post D Spot Desserts in the same section along with a Dollarama. Curiously, there is a Dollarama across the street. Will that one stay open?

Above will be the Dollarama, D-Spot Desserts and St. Louis Bar and Grill. To the right will be the new Arby's.

The orange tarp is the new Bank of Montreal. 

There has been some musing about the Americanization of Winnipeg through Seasons but it should be pointed out just how much housing is a component from the very start. I can't think of too many malls on American that have around 3000 or more residents that can literally walk a few hundred feet to the mall. While malls can have suburban residential areas around them, to actually have multi-unit homes right inside the footprint is just not the American experience. 

And despite having favourite American stores, it also has banks, insurance, medical clinic, liquor stores, fitness spots, pharmacies, grocery, specialty local stores, local restaurants and the like. A bus loop runs right inside the area. This a different animal compared to past malls. 

For Arby's, the decision to locate here is how many people including tourists who will come. And to that end, it looks like the right place.

D Spot Desserts Coming to Season at Tuxedo

One of the fastest growing Canadian franchises D Spot Desserts is coming to Seasons at Tuxedo. Founded in 2014, it will be Manitoba's first location and another example how the Seasons development is still finding unique offerings over Polo Park. It has been non-stop construction around the area.

As the name suggests, the specialty his desserts. Milkshakes galore, hot chocolate and every dessert in between. However, there are burgers, pizzas and poutines as well on the menu.

It is almost directly across from the Rec Room and the Hilton. And with hundreds of apartments, condos and assisted living homes in the area, D Spot Desserts is just a walk away. The Red River Co-Op Grocery anchors the far end of the parking lot. A Bank of Montreal is going up as well which will give residents even more reason to stay in the area to do their banking, insurance, their vet, their medical clinic and shopping.

For those critical of this development, it is useful to remember that this was the Tuxedo Yards, the rail and depot for containers and trucks. Once the yards reconciled to Symington, they could have remained industrial or sat fallow not earning taxes. This entire area was never going to be just a vast parking lot with IKEA in it. There are hundreds and hundreds of multi-unit houses going up and a bus loop is located in the area. This is what Polo Park wishes to become with the residential component located next to retail and restaurants.

It is for this reason that D Spot Desserts is likely to meet more success at Seasons than Polo Park to begin with. More and more people actually live steps away. As for IKEA, it attracts people from three provinces and they are looking for foods in the immediate area.

Expect to see a splash for D Spot when it officially opens.

 

Civic Election Debate 2022 - Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood/St. James Debate

 

Kudos to Assiniboia Chamber of Commerce and to the Holiday Inn Airport West for sponsoring and hosting the candidate debates for for two city council wards at the same time.

Video of the whole event is here:

https://www.facebook.com/AssiniboiaChamberMB/

Each ward had 5 candidates for the open seats left by Scott Gillingham in St. James and Kevin Klein in Charleswood. However, only four candidates each came. Word was Covid kept someone away although that was not conveyed in any announcement

A big hall was needed for those in attendance. Thanks to Holiday Inn Airport West. People were truly needing a final look at before deciding who to vote for. Certainly, I was in that category.

I voted the last next day after the debate based on what I heard and saw. Election day is Wednesday, October 26, 2022.

The format let each candidate have a few minutes before and after to make statements about who they were and why they were running. After a moderator, covered a host of topics from crime, to taxes. I will let people judge from their own viewing of the event if they are undecided.

Brad Gross was absent from the Charleswood side. Shawn Dobson was absent from the St. James side. It has not been easy finding details on candidates and I have tried. I have received flyers, I have checked out the community papers and I have searched online. I have not seen a lot on policy and this is what the debate tried to inform the public on.

Candidates who have been slow to release policy, donor info or were late getting to people at the door will find that thousands of people have already voted. And it might not be for them. Those running come from varied backgrounds but there have been several community activists and volunteers, a number of those who followed the Freedom slate of ideas, former candidates, business people. And as far as council, sadly, no women.

Like a lot of people at the debate, I wanted to hear policy. Moreover, there was a hunger to hear workable policies. Beyond the introduction, some candidates did get into policies and stated where they stood on tax. Some had innovative ideas but there were some focused on narrow areas. Experience campaigner were able to get their points across more clearly. Those that stood got more attention than those that sat.

There was a criticism in the St. James side about a candidate who works for IKEA. The association of of the person to the corporation's store location and sprawl was an unexpected spark of criticism. Candidates did interject on policy statements but that was an attack based on where a person works. 

On the point of IKEA, their land development was a brownfield redevelopment, The land was industrial. They paid for the intersection changes at Sterling Lyon and Kenaston. They built sidewalks when the city built none. The Outlet Collections Mall included a bus loop and residential development was included in the overall plan and non-stop housing has been built the last 10 years. IKEA itself has the most advanced geo-thermal plant. More housing has gone up at a former railyard and value added to the tax base inside city limits than almost any place else in the city. They are a $100 million business here and prior to arriving, people from the province ordered from the catalogue and had it shipped. There are 400 full and part-time workers employed.

 

IKEA doesn't owe any apologies to anyone in Winnipeg. And no one working there does either. If only every mall built the last 50 years included that much housing. The mall could easily be in Headingley.

There was some talk on infill which has been an issue in the city. IKEA above could be considered retail and residential infill. Certainly Kapyong will be infill of a military base. One candidate said there should be a three floor limit on Charleswood multi-unit development. Sadly, that likely won't be enough for those aging in the community to remain there. Is it is wonder they are moving to Seasons of Tuxedo?

On the issue of crime, there was a lot of talk of prevention, addiction and poverty. With two candidates from Justice and police, there was some interesting talk on reform and budget in that area.

Audience questions were written in and we were told that an email would come back with candidate responses. In my case, it will be too late. Based on the information I did have, I voted already.

Here is how I came to my decision on my vote:

What was the driving force that led them to running?

What connection did the candidate have to the ward?

What was their grasp of the issues?

Did they seem to be able to articulate a vision?

Did they seem to have the temperament to be in office?

Every election there are candidates for mayor, council and trustee who fall into categories unfit for office. One of those is the candidate that is there to get publicity for their brand. Prime example of that is Donald Trump who even his admirers know was there as much for his business brand and to make money. We had a mayor like that in Winnipeg.

Without guardrails, such a person in office will always run afoul of where their interests lay and where the public's lay.

Another type of candidate is the one that doesn't start in the mail room but believes they are are suited for the CEO's office.  Now, not everyone needs to work their way up from trustee to premier. But there ought to be an indication of life and work experience that might suggest a higher position. For example, Brian Bowman had no Council experience when he ran. But the feeling was that his job as a lawyer and life experience along with his platform was suitable for mayor. Even still, his lack of experience led him into political traps that any Council experience would have informed him on. Case in point: Portage and Main.

Another type of candidate is the one where Council seat is her first step to being Prime Minister. We have seen short term people move right on up including former mayor Glenn Murray.

Lastly, there is the firebrand candidate. We have a few Freedom Convoy types running, we have a few pro-Labour or pro-Commerce types, we have some special interest types running. We seem to have a few people running who would like to get into culture warfare. Invariably, this seems to be a recipe for fighting all the time. 

If one thing was clear, the Charleswood and St. James wards seem to want someone to commit to longer than 4 years, who knows the ward well, who is engaged in policy, can work well with others and is approachable.

I can't really vote for candidates I haven't seen or heard much from. In St. James, former Councillor Shawn Dobson seems to have the lead in signs. But I don't know his policies except he has talked about potholes a lot. For those in Charleswood, Brad Gross probably needed to do more to make people aware of him and what made him the best candidate.

I voted in St. James ward. There were four trustee candidates. One of them was caught on a Ring camera and was going through the mailbox. Not good and not easily explained. The other three were either incumbents or new and seemed intent to do the job of trustee. I voted for them. 

For council, I saw a few people running in St. James who were earnest, educated and community minded. Given that I think that crime is a leading issue, I considered police and changes in policing to be critical. For that reason and because of much experience in the Winnipeg Police, I voted for Tim Diack. He talked police reform and I think his knowledge there is unmatched.

For mayor, I looked at a number issues. Three of the present candidates, I have voted for in a number of elections in the past. However, I look at a host of things that had me evaluate this election if I could vote for them again. With inflation as big an issue this year as it is, with a number of collective bargaining agreements about to be decided and with infrastructure such as water and sewer and roads needing to be fixed, I looked at any tax freeze as possibly a double digit cut in city spending. Even committing to a 2% rise with inflation means an 8% cut.

Some candidates for mayor were not being candid about what cuts they were about to make. Or realistic they could cut wages or benefits and run afoul of the law. Again. And making proposals that depend of the province making your dreams come true is unrealistic. And while there will be federal money every year, it won't pay for all city functions.

I like Shaun Loney quite a bit but feel he is going to run smack right into fights because of other Councillors. Being able to work with Council is not overrated. It is an imperative. I am not completely happy with my pick and not even sure if he will win but I voted for Scott Gillingham. But I did think his proposal on taxes was most realistic even if I think there is no predicting on tri-level government support of his idea of Peguis and Kenaston expansion. Let's just say that is a while lot of negotiation still to happen.

Lastly, I can't vote in Charleswood but lived there many years and after attending the debate, I can say Evan Duncan is exactly the person that you like to see in office. His Justice experience, his long time community involvement and disposition overall should make him a valued member of City Council.

So to review, I voted for:

Mayor: Scott Gillingham

Councillor: Tim Diack

Trustees: Rachelle Wood, Craig Glennie, Michael Cabral

I'm just one voter. If you are more progressive, more conservative or want radical change or no change, you might choose someone different.

Whoever wins, I wish them well. And those not successful this time, remember that many candidates who did not succeed in being elected at some point often were elected some other time.

New Condos to Replace Shell Station in Tuxedo Park

 The Tuxedo Park shopping mall was built in 1962 and has been anchored by Safeway for decades. It has has makeovers several times including this past year when Safeway was re-designed in the new configuration that removed their peaked entrance along major exterior changes.  Interior design changes also took place through 2021.

The mall itself had major overhaul of its look and a small expansion in 2016. Some stores like Salisbury House and Mac's didn't make the cut. A Liquor Mart and a Starbucks are among the newer tenants these last years.

One thing that has not changed ever is the Shell station at the corner of 2025 Corydon at Tuxedo. It has been in place for decades...unchanged.

That changed this year.

While the building is still there, the signs have been removed and fencing has gone up around the carwash, convenience store and gas pumps. 

It has always looked like a fairly busy station but increasingly, we have seen more supersites like Red River Co-Op Gas in Charleswood where they have 20 or pumps and larger convenience store in place along with a carwash.

A demolition is pending and then removal of tanks and remediation. Once the site is cleared in 2022, a 13 floor condo with three commercial units on the first floor will be built. The residential floors will have 84 units although size has not been indicated.

No parking spaces seems to be lost as the condo falls within the footprint of the Tuxedo Shopping Mall. Still, anyone going to Tuxedo Shopping Centre will tell you that the parking lot can be very filled with cars because of the grocery, pharmacy and especially, during the day, the multiple dentist offices on the second floor.

A number of high rises went up around the mall in the 1970s and 1980s and a low rise condo just went up on Tuxedo. The 13 floor addition on a gas station lot should not be out of the question. And keep in mind? Where will Tuxedo residents live when they downsize? Many neighbourhoods people love to live in make residents move out if they have no multi-unit places to rent or buy.

Tuxedo

 Frederick Heuback Park was donated land from the first mayor of the Town of Tuxedo in 1964. It was dedicated in 1970 and part of Metro Winnipeg. In 1972, with the advent of Unicity, it was incorporated into the overall Parks and Recreation of the City of Winnipeg.

For a number of years the area of the park north of Grant Avenue had a soccer pitch on it. It was one of the fields used by Sir John Franklin Community club among others. The spot that became the soccer pitch at Renfrew and Grosvenor had a steam plant that was demolished as houses connected to natural gas in the 1960s in River Heights. 

The field had turf put over it but oil leaked up to the surface and probably was toxic. Kids were ordered not to play soccer on the pitch and played in early 1970s on soccer fields at Lipsett Hall and Frederick Heuback Park and Joe Malone Park. 

Park Boulevard residents were up in arms about the soccer pitch and it was removed in the 1970s. Any attempt to do anything with the land along Park Boulevard has been rejected over the years. Eventually pressure grew from Tuxedo residents about soccer pitches behind Lipsett Hall and they too were removed.

As apartments went up at Kenaston, there was growing pressure to remove Joe Malone Park as well. This faced  pushback on as Sir John's Franklin established the park and it was a regulation field as opposed to SJF. Eventually only access from Taylor was possible and the field continues to exist today.

Today Frederich Heuback Park is literally a green belt that is devoid of even basic park amenities for people.

You have to go a few blocks south to Assinboine Park or north to Edward Shindleman Park. There is a lake bordering West Taylor, Dumbarton and Kerslake. The lake space is not recreation space and lacks sidewalks or anything that would invite people to what is more or less a private kale. 

Large houses surrounding lakes are not neighbourhood recreation.

There are lakeside houses...or rather retention pond housing in various nice neighbourhoods.

The Edward Shindleman Park is one of the few places with an actual playground on it south of Grant. In the background you can see the fence where the CN line runs and the condos and apartments on the other side are Seasons and Seasons of Tuxedo.

Shindleman Park is a pleasant park at the southern most point of Tuxedo. It has some trails and a play structure and was fairly quiet on the day of this visit.

One of the things that is important in the future of cities is connectivity of places. For example, Shindleman Park is so close to thousands of people south of the rail tracks. You can see it from the pictures. But you have to go all the way around to get to it.

There are many parts of the city that don't even have sidewalks which defies logic on major roads where you can't exit the street to take safety from traffic if your car is in a collision or breaks down. 

Vital neighbourhoods are including more and more of what you need to be able to walk out the door and find recreation, groceries and services.

It would appear though that for people of Seasons, they will only be able to view a nice park from a distance with no easy access to it.