The 9/11 Terrorist Attack and Canada 25 Years

It is hard to believe it is 25 years this year. The drone memorial with one drone representing each person who was murdered that day. For Canada, it was 23 who died on the planes and the towers including a Winnipegger and a former Winnipegger's husband. In the very short time after it was obvious it was a terrorist attack, a single official in the U.S. closed down American airspace and any flight in progress who couldn't get down in the allotted time was going to get shot down down. Nearly 250 flights were diverted to Canada with a large amount landing in small but mighty Gander, Newfoundland. Most people forget that Winnipeg took in 17 flights that day too. Many of us watched flight after flight land until there were none.

I think anyone who lived through that day remembers the horror. And the anger. The CBC took forever to switch their breezy morning programming to something that mattered. One hour of waiting for something other that a pre-recorded political interview. It was frustrating as they all must have been watching coverage at their offices. 

CJOB, to their credit, switched over very quickly. For myself, I heard a brief radio news report at the top of the hour and switched on ABC's Good Morning America. My mom stepped into the living room just as the second plane hit. It was only after the second plane hit that CBC TV News switched to 44 hours of continuous reporting. My mom had abandoned the CBC's lack of a report on the radio in the kitchen. Eventually, my dad and I had to go to work and listened to CJOB from a feed they were broadcasting straight from New York to Winnipeg.

No one at work was in the dark by this point. There were no music stations now. Every station had coverage. Employees in the offices were switching on TVs. A short time later the towers began to collapse. It was the same time as all the flights started coming in one by one to Winnipeg as refuge. Tall buildings in Winnipeg like the Richardson building were evacuated. Reports of the Pentagon being hit by a plane and another plane crashing in Pennsylvania falling to the ground had everyone scared.

By the time work was over, not much was normal on TV and radio. The CBC eventually came out of its snoozy start to the day. However, even now they trip all over themselves about attribution to terrorism. This dick tripping was leaked out because some in the CBC leaked it. Likely, in fear that the network would downplay the events. Thankfully, actual journalists blasted them for stupidity and slowness in the past and now about a terrible act.

Winnipeg news groups will have some reporting for the 25th. It is important even now as we have seen so much covered up, or just not reported as people went through awful trauma and just buried themselves in grief and recovery. But as the mayor of New York's release of 17,000 pages reveals, there is much left unknown. And many more lives affected and lost because we just didn't know.

It will be a somber day but it is important to remember how we showed the best of ourselves that day. And it ultimately led to Canada going to war in Afghanistan as a NATO member defending another from that attack. It cost Canada years of commitment in money and lives. In the war, 159 soldiers died. Many more were wounded.

We can't forget and we won't but even now there is reporting to be done. We need to know and certainly Americans need to know our loss, out help and our friendship in this. It would seem some of them have forgotten too.

Sandman Hotel Addition

It seems like more than a year has gone for the Sandman Hotel addition on Sargent has been under construction. I'm not sure if there were delays but it is starting to look like something now. The site used to be a works yard as well as CDC Computers and for a while a a heating a cooling place.

It attests to the fact that so much of the airport area was industrial. Warehouses, manufacturing and other industry. It used to be that there really was only one hotel by the airport: The International Inn (Victoria Inn now).

Hotels started being built down Wellington. On the corner by Route 90 a Hilton Hotel went. At Sargent and Route 90 a Journey's End (Comfort Inn). Eventually other hotels were built in quick succession the last 20 years. Greenwood Inn (Best Western Plus) and a rapid success of hotels at airport and up and down Route 90: Hampton Inn by Hilton Winnipeg, Days Inn and Suites by Wyndam Winnipeg and Mainstay Suites. Almost all these hotels were built on former industrial land.

Three hotels were also built right on airport grounds. The Courtyard by Marriot, The Lakeview Signature Collection and The Grand Hotel.

For years Winnipeg was out of step with a lot of cities with so few hotels by the airport. Now there are many including the only 5 star hotel in The Grand at the airport.

The Sandman Hotel was built in 2007 and brought with it the return of Denny's which has been in the city but had failed in the past. The Chop Steakhouse and Bar was also added to the hotel. 

The Sandman is a Canadian chain starting to also build in the states. Their expansion will see the hotel occupy a full city block.

Across it is Don Vito who did a massive expansion on the collision center on Route 90 in recent years.

Winnipeggers often don't think of our city as a tourist place but people all over Manitoba and northwest Ontario come to the city for shopping and services. In recent years pre-pandemic, the city had a pretty good occupancy rate for hotels.

The Sandman looks like it is months away from completion. The timing might be perfect for a return to more normal in the fall and a Christmas rush.

Look for completion sometime late in the year.

Winnipeg Airport versus Polo Park Housing Proposal

Takeaways from @CFPoloPark/ Shindico/Towers Realty proposal for housing at Polo Park and along St. James Street versus airport opposition: First, no one wants to lose the 24 hour status of Winnipeg's International Airport. They have a generous zoning clearance around it. Look at the gorgeous view of the city from Richardson Winnipeg International Airport.

The airport has indicated they are going to build a third runway for cargo. That seems unlikely for a while and when it does happen, expect planes to be even quieter and 727s not flying into Winnipeg. As for the military, the only jet that really tears paint off are fighters. Below: Look at all the parking space at Polo Park over the holidays last year. Above: Two hotels right beside the tarmac. Too noisy? Unlikely.

Overall, the airport has improved sound problems and looks to keep doing that. Keep in mind if it was that bad, would they be putting as many hotels as they do on airport grounds? No. The hotels are built accordingly for airport noise. If this is the flight path of aircraft coming in, does this not seem far enough for something greater than two storey housing?

And the city isn't about to allow a new Kiltarton Towers to be built right along a flight path. But what about off to one side? And with sound protections built in on construction and mandated by the city? It seems it should work. A developer doesn't want people turned off. Above is the Grand Hotel, a top tier stay in the city and right at the airport tarmac. Think they should know something about how build a place to limit noise, right? Below Kilitarton Towers. From the balconies you can see the whites of pilots eyes.

It is sometimes easy to pile on developers as bad guys. Certainly some truly are the worst. In the case of Polo Park, some blame it for the demise of downtown Winnipeg. In reality, things were a lot more complicated than that. Polo Park was never a suburb. It has always been with the city of Winnipeg proper.

In 1959, the mall replaced the Polo Park racetrack inside Winnipeg boundaries along Winnipeg's high street of Portage Avenue. Given that downtown remained successful for 30 years after, it seems blame on Polo Park is misdirected. The above map is from 1961 and shows that Polo Park was closer to downtown that it was to the suburbs.

Polo Park was not just a retail spot but a recreation spot with the arena, stadium, velodrome and the Ex all taking place there. And surrounding all that to the north was industrial land and the airport. To the west was St. James. The above picture in 1959 shows the completion of the mall and how it stood at the end of the six kilometers of Winnipeg's greatest retail strip. This didn't kill downtown. It is re-enforced the prominence of Portage Avenue!

In 1949 he land where Polo Park stands was a horse racetrack of the same name and golf course. In retrospect the combination of a sport and shopping district inside Winnipeg boundaries in the same location was brilliant. See if you can find other cities like that back then who did it. You can't. All across the continent cities have tried to achieve what Winnipeg did back as the swinging 60s just began.

In 1968, Polo Park was the second largest mall in the country after Eaton's was added and Loblaw's and Dominion went toe to toe and face to face across a mall corridor. The picture above is 1971 and Winnipeg Arena and Winnipeg Stadium were growing along with Polo Park. The Winnipeg Blue Bomber game being played in the picture would be the last before and upper deck would be added in 1972 on the west side (right) and in 1978, it would be joined by a up[per deck on the east side (left). The Winnipeg Arena behind would be hosting the WHA Winnipeg Jets a year after this picture and in 1979 a major arena expansion would bring the Jets into the NHL. Meanwhile Polo Park far in the back of this picture would continue to prosper.

With Sears closed in 2017, the stadium and arena moved in years before that and retail landscape changed, CF Polo Park and Shindico can no longer look at a big department store or box stores to bail them out. Interestingly, it is their parking lot real estate that is valuable. The picture above in 2006 shows arena still standing along with the stadium (mistakenly labelled 2015 in my Tweet). Shortly after this, the arena was demolished. The Winnipeg Velodrome was demolished in 1998. It gives an idea of what a powerhouse of shopping and recreation the area commanded.

Polo Park added the second floor in 1986. In 2007 it added more space again at the front facing to Portage Avenue and to replace Safeway which built in Madison Square nearby. And again in 2014 with Zellers gone, the mall added twenty plus stores on the second floor. Meanwhile, the mall owners expanded retailing, movie theatres and restaurants and took ownership of lands once occupied with with hockey and football facilities.

Things began to look bad when shortly after Target built a store in 2015 on the old stadium site, the entire group in Canada shutdown. While there has been some recovery since then, the string of retail casualties grows. And the massive Sears sitting empty for two years is evidence of that.

It is why in 2020, Polo Park is thinking of residential properties on their massive parking lots.

The picture above in 2019 shows just how profound the loss of Sears is. A huge building, empty parking lots. And where the old arena is: not much.

The parking lots/property are on either side east and west of St. James Street and are held by CF Polo Park, Shindico and Towers Realty. The Winnipeg airport would like to say no to all of them. Probably don't like the residential already in place.

In yellow represents Towers property holding that would also like to construct new residential buildings in 2020. The Winnipeg airport would like to say no to all of them. Probably don't like the residential already in place. Where will the airport gets its thousands of new workers? From the suburbs driving along choked Route 90?

I think when you get right down to it both the airport and Polo Park are saying they face an existential threat to surviving. They are both right. The airport needs to be 24 hours for success and Polo Park has to be more that surface parking lots. The map above shows what the Polo Park and surrounding lands are being talked about for residential building.

It seems plain bloody mindedness that a compromise can't be made. No tower proposed seems to be over 20 floors and the actual distance away from airport proper seems far away. Nearly everyone in Winnipeg is near a flight path.

The city should not be manipulated by either party. Density is needed in the city. This won't be the only mall to think about this. Older style malls like St. Vital will be likely also want it. It is an opportunity to use parking lots to create more homes.

The Seasons of Tuxedo already has a few thousand resident in an infill industrial land area. It isn't perfect as it could use more public transit but the last few key pieces are moving in such as pharmacy and a grocery.

Apartments of 10 to 20 floors should not represent obstacle in flightpaths and if built to sound standards, should not be a source of endless complaints to restrict, close and move the airport. We have only seem brief glimpses of what is to come. Council should be mindful.

What we see in the concept pictures is very likely not what we see when zoning comes up. Too tall, poor design, noise mitigation, road access, parking, bus and pedestrian access, security and policing, flight pathway obstacles should be considered.

With very good planning, Polo Park might draw hundreds of millions of spending, create hundreds if not thousands of living spaces and could figure strongly in a renewed bus strategy. Without doubt, it would increase tax revenues on existing infrastructure and help form the density needed to make public transit pay for itself through user pay as in the old days.

It deserves better than a "no" response.

New Leaf Airlines Announces Discount Flights

New Leaf Airlines has announced their new flight schedules and prices starting on February 12. Winnipeg is the headquarters and main hub for the airlines and travel will be between seven cities. For Winnipeggers the travel will be between Abbotsford, Kelowna and Hamilton. Introductory rates are as low as $99 for Winnipeggers with all fees and taxes included.

The website says: “Your fare gets you the two essentials: a seat and a seatbelt. The rest is up to you.”

Ultra low cost means you pay extra for printing a boarding pass, carry-on luggage or drinks.

The company will fly two 156 seat Boeing 737-400 aircrafy leased from Kelowna's Flair Airlines. As more employees and destinations to places in Canada, United States, Mexico and the Carribbean increase, the goal is to expand to 15 aircraft.

The burst of excitement after the announcement caused the system to crash but it back up and running.

WestJet which started in 1996 with three aircraft and low rates says they will vigourously defend their market.

The market is tough for Canadian airline start-ups.  CanJet failed last year in Halifax. Jetsgo stopped right in the middle of March break stranding passengers in 2005. Canada 3000 failed after September 11 in 2001.

Greyhound Airlines was the last discount passenger start-up in Winnipeg in 1996 but failed a year later in 1997.

New Leaf airlines looks to be located on property at the Richardson International Airport.  They appear to have a plan and they are sticking to it. They also appear to have the people to really make a go of it.

Canada's problems with air travel is that the country has a lot of east-west geography which means higher costs to run the aircraft. It will be a real test to build traffic between some cities. However, if the idea of ultra low cost takes off, the airline could be well positioned for this niche in the market.

It is hard not to peg ultimate success for this airline not for flights within Canada but to holiday destinations such as Las Vegas, Orlando, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Mexico, Cuba.

Corydon and Stafford Swiss Chalet/Harvey's Drive Thru

Larger Harvey's/Swiss Chalet Drive Thru Toronto

Missed it when it was mentioned in the Free Press in October. At that time, it was indicated that the only thing that was holding up the development of the old Chicken Delight location at Stafford and Corydon was the wait for an additional franchisee to share the corner

It was well known that Harvey's had won the right to build a drive thru at the corner that had held a Chicken Delight since 1981. In a controversial decision, a drive thru was allowed to continue. It was felt that some attempt had been made to hide the fact to the owners and developers that a drive thru was grandfathered in to the neighbourhood plan.

A majority of city councillors felt this created unfair circumstances and awarded the Harvey's a winning bid for the decaying Chicken Delight property. Some additional zoning improvements were added and the developer was given the go to proceed to construction stage.

Months and months have gone by and aside from a mid fall update that appeared in the Free Press, nothing seemed to be happening.

Well now, according to the CBC, the additional franchisee has come aboard and we should soon see at the corner a Swiss Chalet/Harvey's Drive Thru.

This is not the first time we have had the combo in Winnipeg. Swiss Chalet/Harvey's operated out of the old Winnipeg International Airport for many years. The move to the new terminal left the city with neither restaurant until Swiss Chalet opened on Kenaston and Harvey's opened on Portage Avenue.

Given this city's love of Swiss Chalet as evidenced by the packed parking lot on Kenaston, it is interesting that it took this long to get another one.

Corydon is at that uncomfortable time where residential and commercial development is increasing how busy the area is. There are legitimate concerns about traffic, noise and the like. They should be addressed but not to the point of driving people and business away from the area.

Osborne Village has gone through challenges throughout its development. While some have reacted with disdain for Second Cup, Starbucks and American Apparel coming, the truth is those businesses have helped anchor certain blocks and enticing people to local fare all throughout the Village.

The upset over Safeway and Shopper's expansion was legitimate but overwrought. The Safeway that emerged from the planning process is a lynchpin of success for the Village. Likewise, the Shopper's may have displaced a DVD rental store and restaurant but it also improved the corner's face out to Osborne as well as offer expanded services. And yes, a 24 hour pharmacy is needed in a  city Winnipeg's size.

And what of the Corydon Village?

It looks like development resistance has reached a prickly time.

There may be anger over a Harvey's/Swiss Chalet at the corner of Stafford and Corydon by some but it was a drive thru for 30 years and the neighbourhood didn't fall apart. It is likely the restaurants will be welcomed by many who live in the area.

I think pushing for improvements to the area planning are worthwhile and with luck and care, Corydon can continue to be one of the more desirable areas of the city.

What is the Best Hotel in Winnipeg?

Fairmont Winnipeg

What is the best hotel in Winnipeg?

This is not an easy question. Every person has different needs based on price, location, amenities and personal preferences.

For example, visiting NHL teams stay at The Fairmont Hotel at Portage and Main. Why? Because it is close to the MTS Centre, offers secure floors for the teams so they have no chance of someone seeking them out and pounding on the door, is luxurious with rooms big enough for guys who might have legs sticking out the end of the bed and where a variety of food options exist.

The Fairmont does indeed do it up nicely inside and meets the classification as business hotel for the downtown. It has hosted royalty and travelling executives for years and has been one of the top hotels in the city for decades.

However, what if we are not visiting royalty or a businesses executive? What if we are coming for a Bon Jovi concert, don't have the kids and are here for a one nighter and would like downtown with maybe free parking?

This is a reason why some people book a night at Humphrey Inn on Main Street in the downtown. The proximity to the the MTS Centre, free parking, good rooms and service, free breakfast and wi-fi have attracted notice for people who might come in a few times a year for events such as concerts and games.

Sometimes people are looking for a unique or iconic experience in their hotel visit. In this case, you often hear Winnipeggers have a staycation at the Marriagi Theme Suites Hotel, the Fort Garry or the Inn at the Forks. Not surprisingly, all three have local owners and operators.

Inn at the Forks

Likewise, when people want a local hotel for a wedding. spa, staff parties or business meetings certain places always rise to the top such as The Fort Garry, Clarion, Inn at the Forks and Viscount Court not to mention some hotels chosen for their geographic locations such as Holiday Inn - Winnipeg South or Norwood Hotel.

Families in Winnipeg or coming in from out of town with a desperate need of a pool for the kids often stay at any of the Canad Inns scattered throughout the city.

The success of the Canad Inns can be succinctly defined as "cover your bases". And what are those bases? They are: regional representation across the city and province. Pools and pools good for families. Entertainment and restaurants that include bars, VLT lounges and dinner theatre. And lastly beer vendors.

Canad Inns Fort Garry

Has it worked for Canad Inns? Well, they are the biggest hotel group in the province. Think that speaks for itself.

The airport has had a flurry of hotel construction. If there has been one area that has carved out the niche of hotel district, it is this area. And since Polo Park is so close, we are seeing hotels kind of straddle the two destinations.

In the last decade or so, we have seen the construction of many hotels in the airport Polo Park area. Some are geared more to Polo Park, some to the airport, some to both. Those hotels include Greenwood Inns and Suites, Sandman Hotel,  Mainstay Suites and very new arrivals the Holiday Inn - Airport Polo Park replacing the dreadful hotel that once existed there.

The airport itself has Four Points by Sheraton and will be joined shortly by two others. Very near Polo Park we have seen Fairfield Inn and Suites go up and it will be joined by another hotel soon.

Fairfield Inn and Suites Polo Park

So what is the best hotel in Winnipeg? I don't know it is easy to answer. Price and room amenities could be anything that is important to you. A family might have no interest in the Fairmont Hotel because it has no waterslides or major mall next door. A businessman might not be interested in Canad Inns Fort Garry as he has to be downtown for a week of business seminars.

As we have seen this burst of new construction of hotels, we have seen a few retiring such as York, the Hotel (Sheraton) and Place Louis Riel gearing down. Other have faced the wrecking ball downtown and elsewhere. There is a good bet we might see a few other hotels shut down for political or business reasons.

As mentioned, Winnipeg doesn't have a motel district per se such as Grand Forks with their selection of motels adjacent to Columbia Mall. We never seem to plan these things out in Winnipeg. There used to be a number of motels stretching down Pembina Highway but they were hemmed in by the rail line and neighbourhoods of Foot Garry and Fort Richmond. Today, the remaining hotels are stretched from the Perimeter Highway to Grant Avenue.

It seems unlikely we are ever to see an area where there are six or seven motels all together in Winnipeg.

By all accounts, the hotel business in Winnipeg has fared not too bad. No evidence yet that it overbuilt. They cater to wide variety of clients and have a few income streams to help them be more diverse than just letting rooms.

In the next year or so, we will see a few new addictions vying for best Winnipeg hotel. Perhaps we might be saying the new Grand Hotel at the airport is the best or the Alt Hotel downtown. It seems fairly certain though that the debate on what is the best will continue for some time,

Porter Airlines to Winnipeg?

CS100 Jets Porter Wants to Buy

Porter Airlines announced that they want to be Canada's third airline. To do this will require jets, an expanded Toronto Islands airport and approvals to break a camel's back.

For some time now, Porter has been a thorn in WestJet and Air Canada's side since 2006. The proximity of their Toronto Island base to the majority of Toronto and the prop planes they fly have become popular with those who take to the air.

For those near the lake shore of the city or out on Lake Ontario, the sight of Dash 8 Q400 prop aircraft taking off from the island at impossible angles is a something to behold.

Winnipeg's airport has been in the hunt for this impudent airline for some time but the the city has been beyond the range of the props. If Porter purchases the Bombardier C100, a "whisper" jet, it would open up the entire country to its reach.

This will be easier said than done. Toronto Islands is North America's largest car free environment. The people of the city run there in the tens of thousands each day to escape the city and enjoy the lake. In 2003, the primary election issue was a bridge to islands. This was crushed handily by the fear that jets would one day take off and land at the airport.

Toronto Island Airport as seen by CN Tower

In 2014, a pedestrian tunnel over 800 feet long with connect the airport to the mainland. It will be equipped with people movers similar to many airports around the world.

Toronto Islands

It is difficult to imagine how much controversy this will create in Toronto. Jets on the island will be an explosive debate. Some critics say it will be impossible to approve. Other critics say it will be a difficult market regardless and Porter could be relegated to the scrap heap of Canadian failed airlines.

We have seen many airlines come and go over the years. While Winnipeg flyers desire more competition, we generally see only two main players at any given time.

It will be interesting to see how this story unfolds but Winnipeg is likely only to be an observer in the matter. The decision on whether we get a Porter Airlines connection lies in Ontario not Manitoba.

Swiss Chalet Returns to Winnipeg

Update October 26. Swiss Chalet is now open Swiss Chalet is a large Canadian restaurant chain founded in Toronto in 1954. The store is ubiquitous in Ontario along with its sister restaurant Harvey's, a hamburger joint. Just over 12 years ago, Swiss Chalet and Harvey's retreated from the scene in Winnipeg save for an express location at the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport for both restaurants. That location is slated to close when airport functions shift to the new terminal. 

There doesn't seem to be a plan to open the concept when the move happens. I have pointed out in this blog that development agencies should be looking for shops and restaurants that draw people. I am not sure why Swiss Chalet withdrew from the Winnipeg market years ago. Their location on Pembina Highway seemed to be well used. I can't say the same about their Harvey's location on the same street or the Home Depot locations. The restaurant chain never seemed to catch on in Manitoba.

The Yes! Winnipeg agency is taking credit for the $1.6 million Swiss Chalet restaurant coming to the city at the Kenaston Common location near Costco. The restaurant will employ about 80 people. Further city locations are hinted at. The Yes agency has been around for three months and is taking credit for about there or four companies finding contacts, financing and the like to open in the city or expand operations. While some of the initial announcements are good, a really big fish is still to be caught.

After a year, it will be interesting to see if a $50 to $100 million initiative lands in the city. Too often we have lost some of these projects to other cities. I should point out that the worst meal I have had in the last several years was a Swiss Chalet dinner at the Toronto airport. Other family members says they weren't impressed by a mean at Swiss Chalet at Winnipeg's airport. I certainly hope that a full scale restaurant proves to be a more satisfactory food choice for people in the Kenaston area. It would appear the restaurant opening at Kenaston Common will fill the last available space in that area. All eyes now turn to the Ikea site.

Holiday Inn On Ellice

The new Holiday Inn on Ellice Avenue.

I wrote back sometime in this blog about how appalling it was that the Howard Johnson Hotel had become on Ellice Avenue in the Polo Park area.

It was a shameful presence in the city and an embarrassment.

Now, there is news that the Paletta family of hoteliers is going to transform the building into a Holiday Inn, the city's fourth for this brand.

The building which originally was the Airliner Inn before it became a Howard Johnson. It was always a little less that its other airport counterparts and hosted a strip club and vendor.

All that has been swept aside with the new design. The main features now will be a conference center and themed pool area. All 150 rooms have been gutted and re-done.

Airport hotels are a hot commodity. The 100 room MainStay Suites has just opened at King Edward/Rt. 90 alongside the Comfort Inn at Sargent Avenue.

Winnipeg's first Fairfield Inn is slated to open in Ellice Avenue near Polo Park.

This is a huge improvement for the city and a big bravo should go to the Palettas for removing the awfulness that inhabited that prominent corner for so long.

Also, isn't interesting that all this airport hotel construction is being done with no government money.

Ferris Bueller Found

This story on a couple returning him from a trip and finding their car in long term parking has 724 kilometres on it amuses.

I think Ferris Bueller joyrided the car.

A couple returned to New York from a trip to California and discovered that their car—which had been parked in the long-term lot near JFK airport—had 724 extra miles on the odometer. Which raises the question—what exactly does your car do in long-term car parks?

Since the vehicle was also playing a CD at full volume when the couple, Mimi and Ulrich Gunthart, started it, the logical explanation is that someone borrowed the car for a joyride/road trip (724 miles is roughly the distance from New York City to Pittsburgh and back).

Longterm parking at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport is $75 weekly. Think I'd let Ferris have the car for the week so long as he topped it up and rolled back the odometer.



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Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport Part 5

The Grand Hotel to be built in 2012.



The future Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport



Arrivals area of Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport



Departures level of new terminal at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport

I've been to the airport a few times in the last months and each time there have seen the progress on the creating the new terminal. It won't be long before building opens to the general public.

The above pictures show what the layout and amenities will be for each floor.

I remember a time when I found the old terminal to be old fashioned with its modern art walls and limestone walls and floors. I still think the art takes getting used to but I've found the building is functional and efficient and the second floor retailing is fairly good. Overall though, given the needs of security and in the interests of comfort, the airport has been adequate although not particularly flashy or filled with some of the extras that some other airports have.

Over the last few years, a number of hotels have been constructed in the airport area to service as well as complement the Polo Park shopping district. The Sandman Hotel took an awful long time to build but came into service in 2007. It also came with Winnipeg's first CHOP restaurant and a return of Denny's to the city. The hotel sits along Sargent Avenue which to this day still have above ground hydro lines which mar the sight-lines of the street. One wonders why the city couldn't get developers like Rona, Superstore and others over the years to help pay to bury the lines.

I won't review hotels here. Everyone has different price points and looks for different amenities and service can be an issue so I will refrain from commenting. The only thing I will say is that newspapers stories and anecdotal evidence suggests that airports are often a target for car break-ins or thieves. The Sandman has been no different on this count.

The Greenwood Inn and Suites just north of the Sandman on Wellington has the benefit of being on the street that leads to the main entrance of the airport. It was built in 2000 and is part of a trend to place more suite hotels in the city for those who might be in the city for a longer stay and might require additional room services.

Also built in 2000 was the Four Points by Sheraton at the airport. It is presently the only hotel on airport grounds and is currently being expanded to service the new terminal.

All of the current construction at the airport has triggered construction of three more hotels in the area. The first is the MainStay Suites on Route 90 close to Sargent Avenue. It is scheduled to open in October. Construction has also begun on Marriot Fairfield Inn on Ellice Avenue. I haven't seen where this one is actually located but will check it out next time in the area.

The last hotel to be built is the Grand Hotel for 2012. This is supposed to be a boutique hotel of the highest level. The picture of what it is to look like appears above.

One hotel that still seems to be standing is the former Howard Johnson. It still has Howard Johnson signage on it. Hard to tell what is happening there.

The three hotels being built will join the 12 already in the airport/Polo Park area.



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Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport Part 4

A couple of new developments in the last weeks in regards to the airport. The forecast is still that it will open in 2010 but I have not heard a drop dead date yet on when.

The demise of McNally Robinson at Polo Park has also put a damper on their plan for an outlet at the airport. The Winnipeg Airport Authority has still not made the change on their map though.

Interesting to note that in the departures area, there are two T.G.I. Friday's listed.

Just before New Year, the go ahead for the new shuttle from the airport to city hotels got the go ahead. Understandably, taxi drivers are not happy but it isn't like the service is going to kill them. The initial purchase for the shuttle runs is only three vans capable of holding 9 people.

Taxi drivers have said the shuttle will hurt their business but it is hard to sympathize when the sale of taxi licenses have shot through the roof in price. There is obviously some big money there somewhere.

The shuttle will help create a regular schedule for city hotels to have access to the airport. Some may drop their own shuttle vans in favour of the new service but with only three vans to start in the airport fleet, I wonder if some of the hotels will keep their vans on the road to ensure direct access to their hotel only.

For the most part the shuttle is convenience for out of town visitors to use. For many of the rest of us in the city who do not wish to leave a car in long term parking not rely on family and friends for a drop off, a taxi remains the top choice.



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Howard Johnson Airport Shut Down

After a CBC investigation, the Howard Johnson hotel on Ellice was shut down after not meeting fire code rules.

The hotel reviews for this particular hotel have done Winnipeg no favours over the years. It appears social services have been using the hotel as a long term stay for people in need. It shows.

It is surprising that Howard Johnson allows their name to be associated with this ramshackle and now dangerous place.

All things considered, the hotels around the airport have improved over the years. The Sandman Hotel, Sheraton Four Points, Hilton Suites, Comfort Inn, Greenwood Inn and Victoria Inn have either just been built or have been renovated to improve their competitiveness.

The Howard Johnson has probably lured more than one unsuspecting airport patron. It is time the name was stripped from this substandard building.



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Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport Part 3

The Winnipeg Airport Authority has begun announcements of some of the businesses that will operate in the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.

There are some interesting retailers that will locate in the mall.

The most interesting announcement is that McNally Robinson and Toad Hall Toys are opening stores. I'm not sure what than means for the Virgin Books and Records store in the old terminal but it seems that they would be in conflict with McNally.

The Free Press listed the 13 retailers and restaurants:

Local operators:

Salisbury House of Canada, best known for its Sals nips (hamburgers), hot dogs, french fries and pastries.

Gondola Pizza, known for its pizzas, pasta dishes, ribs, chicken wings and salads.

Stella's Cafe & Bakery, which specializes in home-made breads, cinnamon buns, soups, sandwiches, salads and desserts.

McNally Robinson Booksellers, a full-service bookstore known for carrying a broad selection of titles from local authors.

Toad Hall Toys, an "old-world" toy shop whose products include exquisite dolls, miniature puppets, musical toys, science kits, and arts and crafts supplies.

Stella's or Gondola's Pizza will be favourites for locals and expats coming to the city.

I have never been a favourite of Sal's. I find they are expensive and the food pedestrian. The only thing I found appealing about them was their late hours. I admit I haven't dropped by recently so maybe I shouldn't judge so harshly.

There are some national and international operations as well.

National and international operators:

Starbucks Coffee, an international specialty coffee/restaurant chain.

Tim Hortons Inc., Canada's largest specialty coffee/restaurant chain.

T.G.I. Friday's, a U.S.-based, family-restaurant chain.

Rice Tales, a contemporary Asian, quick-serve, restaurant chain offering a variety of Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Filipino dishes.

Upper Crust Bakery, a U.K.-based chain best known for its freshly baked French baguettes. Also carries an extensive selection of gourmet salads and fresh pastries.

PGA Tour Shops, a U.S.-based retailer offering both men's and women's golf and leisure apparel and accessories.

Rosetta Stone, one of the world's leading language companies that sells specialty CDs and other computer-based language-learning products.

CNBC News, which offers in-store broadcasts of CNBC business news programs and carries a broad range of traditional newsstand products, including books, magazines and convenience items.

Rice Tails and Upper Crust Bakeries sound very interesting. I have heard of Rosetta Stone through their ads. I'd have to see what the store offers to make a full assessment.

TGI Fridays is huge in the States. I think they only offer a few locations in Canada. It will be curious to see what the size of some of these restaurants are.

There are more stores to announce yet. Let's hope they have a few more local companies.

My big issue is that 70% of what has been announced is in post security. That means for people waiting for friends and family to depart or arrive will not have access to many of the businesses in the airport.

Why is this a problem? Well, for airports like Winnipeg, I don't how long people wait to depart once they have cleared security but shopping and dining takes time. For hubs airports where the wait might be long, such things are fairly important. However, I am curious as to how much time people will spending in the security area prior to or immediately after their flights have landed. I guess this will be the main determining factor in how these place succeed.

Still, some interesting business announcement for the airport.

Some questions remain: What happens to the old terminal?



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