Return of the Revolving Restaurant

Prairie 360 was the last tenant of the three story revolving restaurant at the top of the Fort Garry Place apartments behind the Fort Garry Hotel. In 2020, Covid pretty much killed any business that was buffet style. There was other aspects of the business but any restaurant requiring an elevator to get it during a pandemic likely would have struggled. And so the revolving stopped.

A few other things happened as well. The owner of Edison properties Miriam Bergen died in 2022. And while the nearly 30 properties and 200 workers continued, ownership was gifted to Winnipeg Foundation in the largest charitable gift of its kind in Canadian history. Fort Garry Place and the restaurant above it are still owned by Winnipeg Foundation.

Edison manages itself but having a stable ownership has been helpful. Investing in the properties rather than living off the $500 million ownership is important. The restaurant needs mechanical and other work to get the wheel rolling. What it didn't have was an operator that was experienced with the logistics and experience for a very large restaurant. That changed when the former executive chef of Prairie 360 came to look at some of the kitchen items to support his restaurants that he owns presently. 

Alfonso Maury, the former chef, now owns the Argentine specialty food La Pampa Empanadas Gourmet stores that makes a variety of empanadas. He was the longtime owner of Corrientes Argentine Pizzeria in the Exchange till he sold last year. The last thing he and his wife were looking for was a new restaurant. He was only looking for equipment for his gourmet shops.

The meeting of the Edison people and Maury was fortuitous. Edison was willing to invest in facility upgrades and Maury was willing to manage and new enterprise. And Dos Pampas Skyline took root. The revolving restaurant that was first built in 1988 ran operations till 2008 but a further lease could not be agreed to. It sat idle till 2013 when Prairie 360 took over and ran till 2020 when Covid hammered it.

Maury envisages a steakhouse and an Argentina influence elsewhere in the menu. Winnipeggers are familiar with that cuisine as Corrientes has been a fixture since 2012.

The excitement from some radio stations, TV and print media to the story is a much needed shot in the arm for the downtown after a number of restaurants have closed. No time was set for a re-opening. Edison probably has some work to prep the site but given the public enthusiasm, it is unlikely they will keep the public waiting forever.

Yuks Yuks Closed at Fort Garry Hotel

It was mentioned in and speculated on in social media about Yuk Yuk's. The question was: Are they taking a summer break or actually closed. The answer was that it was closed. This is the second time Yuk Yuk's has opened and closed in Winnipeg. In my mind, the innovative Fort Garry Hotel was a good choice and the hall and the building was an incredible place to make it happen.

Alas, even as it closed, some people said they were surprised it was even here. Some said they didn't know it was open in the first place. The audience for comedy is huge in Winnipeg. There are two major comedy festivals and one of the longest running comedy clubs in Rumors that call the city home. There are secondary comedy clubs as well such as the Basement Speakeasy in St. James.

In the 1980s and early 1990s Winnipeg had three comedy clubs including Yuk Yuks in the Osborne Village. It was a hey day for sure but many comedy clubs did not survive here and across North America. In many respects, places like Winnipeg, Montreal and Halifax have been lucky because of comedy festivals and the television and radio specials they generate. The fan base is primed and ready for comedians who tour thereafter.

In terms of the Outdoor Comedy Festival, Winnipeg is one of only six locations in Canada that are host cities. It routinely attracts the best. But big comedians don't become big until they tour smaller venues as the wall of fame at Rumors. And before Rumors, comedians need to hone their skills in other venues such as the Basement or Yuk Yuks. 

The Fort Garry is up for sale once again after a failed attempt 10 years ago. By all accounts, owners are still investing and doing it right for operations but it is a locally owned business. If no one is taking it over, it is best to sell. Trying to make sure the newest operation of a comedy club would work might not have been in the cards. Using social media can be hit and miss. And hoping people come to your website is not always a recipe for success.

Yuk Yuk's Toronto management has said they will look for other opportunities in Winnipeg. It is possible another hotel might look at taking a shot at being the venue. Might be that downtown can make a go of it but then take a look at Rumors. They have called Tuxedo home for a very long time. Perhaps a Yuk Yuks might succeed in a place like St. James or Seasons. 

We should take comfort in knowing there are still business people opening restaurants, bookstores and convenience stores in Winnipeg. Yuk Yuk's could be here again but I expect a lot of thought will go into a possible venue. Maybe the old Tavern across from the arena?

GRETA Pub Coming to Former Garry Street Keg

If anyone had been interested, GRETA had announced they were coming to Winnipeg at the end of June. They didn't say where though. The retro arcade pub with locations in Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver is run by a former Manitoban who says he has had Winnipeg on his list for a while.

The Keg closed the Garry Street Keg in June to make way for their very large location at Donald and St. Mary. The old Keg built into a converted Hudson's Bay auto garage from 1911 was the first location of the national chain in Manitoba. Originally The Keg n' Cleaver, the restaurant kept the brick interior and in 1975 became famous for the lounge became an attraction for the young and poor crowd. This reputation continued for much of its early years.

As the menu changed and prices went up, The Keg attracted lawyers from up and down Broadway and Portage and Main. It was also a place where gay community people felt they could go for lunch and dinner near venues close by. Fort Garry Hotel patrons who skip across the street as well to enjoy steak dinners. For Jets fans though, the restaurant was just a bit too small and a just a bit too far from the arena. 

The new gigantic Keg will open close to Jets season start. At St. Mary and Donald, it is kitty corner to the arena and success. The permanent boarding up the old location that is iconic, attractive and has a patio seemed impossible. However, the terrible demise of the former Earl's, now former Boujee on Main, with three arsons and imminent demolition shows that problem with downtown properties. They need security and active use to keep them safe.

GRETA will have the patio active by Labour Day and the pub active by November of 2026. The vibe is retro but should appeal from Generation Z to Baby Boomers. However, it is the Gen Z crowd that is bringing back interactive retro. This could be their place. The street food menu of smash burgers and the like could attract a wider crowd. Young lawyers don't just love big steaks. Attracting a younger crowd than the partners of law firms might be the tonic the downtown needs.

With all the bad news we have seen downtown, items like this indicate that businesses are still seeing opportunity to invest and attract customers.

U.S. Consulate in Winnipeg to Close

We've been here before. In 1986, a very hostile NDP government had cabinet ministers outside the U.S. consulate and burned an American flag down in opposition to Reagan and foreign policy, particularly Central America. The Howard Pawley NDP government was easily one of the most socialist governments  Manitoba had two years later crashed in the election that almost wiped them out. It took another NDP government under Gary Doer to mend the fences and have a consulate re-opened in 2001. It is under yet another NDP premier Wab Kinew that the consulate will close again.

Is it punishment for this province? Unclear. There are consulates closing including Nagoya, Japan which is easily bigger that Calgary and it is getting closed too. The position of an Agent General from Manitoba in Washington D.C that Kinew appointed just got a lot more important. It hurts the Americans more in terms of the loss than it does Canada, or more directly, Manitoba and Winnipeg. There are a variety of honourary and full consulates in Winnipeg. About 20 at this point. Who knows, in two years, there could be one again with a change of government.

Canada has 12 consulates in the U.S. with the closest to Winnipeg being Minneapolis. How important are these consulates? For Canadians, it represents access to services when they are travelling, working or in schools in the States. For businesses in those regions, it may be their entry way into Canada for sales or for purchases. When free trade was running smoother, it helped elevate many provinces and states to being each other's biggest partners.

The present consulate is at Portage and Main and while smaller than the large presence that was here in 1986, it had an impact at goodwill and helped in trading partnerships. There are elements within the U.S. who really want to pull all their foreign offices and forces and turtle within the their territory. Any time America has done that in the past, the war has come to them. Or the economic  harms if ones looks back to the 1930s.

While the departure in 1986 of the consulate from Winnipeg could be traced to hostile relations, the departure this time is not likely targeted. It's possible. If it was alcohol off Manitoba shelves, they might have closed Toronto's offices. Or Vancouver's. Winnipeg is only likely to grow in the future and the need for future services and investment will still be there. Expect that they return at some point.

July Weekend of Crime and More

It was a pretty awful weekend by any metric. A man in a wheelchair stabbed randomly in the afternoon in a courtyard on Powers Street Friday. In Crescentwood by Kelvin High School, a man smashed windows at the school and various homes at 6:30 AM. He threatened people and stole items. Some time on Friday, someone cut all 15 tipi poles in half for an indigenous celebration on Kenaston. And the list goes on of drug arrest, high speed chases and other assorted stabbings and violence. 

This isn't cherry picking. And heaven's knows what the police and fire reports will be Monday. Multiple neighbourhoods and businesses are begging for a surge of police resources. At the same time activists are begging them to back off. They really can't went people are being stabbed, threatened or businesses and schools attacked. 

It doesn't help when Reddit anonymous posters complain about the patriarchy and corporate ownership when stores are being ransacked. They even complained when unionized government liquor stores used security screening even after violent assaults. To be fair, even posters at Reddit are getting a little exasperated at the threats to safety with comments on the rampant arson, store chaos and literal open use of drugs and people dying in the streets every day. 

Once again, this is happening everywhere with toxic drugs everywhere in Canada and beyond. No one wants to blame to victims but who exactly are the victims here? And how are you helping if they are released so quickly after offending. Clearly, some resume immediately what they are doing. The lawlessness is exhausting even the most sympathetic to addictions and poverty. 

Some transitional housing groups are now refusing housing to those who have not even begun some process of weaning off drugs. The worry is that it will end in arson, violence and hurt those being taken care of. At some point, for many, a violent encounter probably means being remanded and awaiting trial. That is too late after damage is done but it might be the only time to get people off the lethal drugs they are on. The problem is the endless supply of people into this cycle.

Add in racist instant of attacks on indigenous people and high speed street racing and you have a weekend of chaos. The police have their hands full. Still, neighbourhoods are begging for a police presence to enforce some form of lawful behaviour. Those living in areas seem to think that all that is being done is reviving people and giving them clean needles and save places to get high. Many of the people are too high and unsafe for shelters and the constant need to find money to feed the addiction means businesses and individuals are targets. It is a vicious cycle.

With an election this fall imminent, it seems we will likely have police called in more. However, Gillingham is looking for a non police and fire-paramedic response to this. How this is done remains unknown. It probably involves existing services but how they become involved in a mental health or drug crisis that doesn't require any police or fire is the big question. It might be some sort of triage in the 911 calls. At the moment, we are short 107 paramedics so maybe he can address that first. If there are police shortages, I have not heard the latest number.  Shortages in front line workers before and election is a recipe for questions on re-election for mayor and council alike.

Something has to be done before it gets even worse.

Downtown Tavern United Closes 2026

The sudden closure of Tavern United ahead of the weekend caught a few people by surprise. To others, it might be that the lease has expired and there have been a number of restaurant groups looking to come back to the area. First is Moxies who have wanted back downtown ever since True North used their space to expand other areas of their business. There has been talk over the last while that The Pint might be open to a return downtown with the expansion of the entertainment district?

One thing is certain. The space with its rooftop lounge will have something located in it before the start of the next season of hockey. With the The Keg well under construction and The Chop coming along with a luxury hotel in Sutton Place, the former Tavern site is too valuable to sit empty.

Some of the gaps in restaurants which some Jets fans have been complaining about in recent years are about to be filled up. Creating an entertainment district is never easy. It can happen organically or be manufactured. In Winnipeg, True North Square is manufactured in cooperation with the city and the province. Tavern was originally part of that beginning and, by and large, been a successful part of the entertainment in the area.

It hasn't been announced but some have suggested the Tavern could simply be relocating to a Ledohowski owned property on Donald Street. Some have said the Metropolitan or the Woolworth building that the family owns are possible locations. Either would be fine. It will be curious to see if there is any announcement on this.

Still, bottom line is that once a place has a commercial kitchen, water, sewer and proper electrical, it almost always comes back as a restaurant. This is true of the Garry Street Keg as well. When they open the new location and close the old one, it is undoubtedly going to be a new restaurant. The old Tavern site is too good good to see empty for long.

Portage and Main Open One Year 2026

Hard to believe it has been one year that Portage and Main has been open but here we are. I think we can agree that it hasn't backed up traffic to Portage la Prairie as some critics once thought. Was it wrong of them to think traffic chaos would happen? Who can tell? So many infrastructure projects have been messed up so that this could have indeed been the result.

A number of people were upset because a referendum rejected opening it and many believed that a new one had to be called to change that. The same people who that believed this also believed that no referendums needed to be called for other infrastructure projects such as Kenaston. It is easy to see why. Citizens might reject any project not in their immediate area.

Referendums that bind future governments can cripple governments. If it isn't in the Winnipeg Act set by the province, there is nothing in law that keeps it from being overturned. Or even ignored. It is the electorate who should vote for who they want and not govern by referendums over. At best, a referendum might be useful for finding a direction and seeing what support it has. But it is only as good as the facts before it. There was a lot of missing information such as the cost of maintaining the Concourse and water damage sustained and future damage. The other information missing was just how much the cost of opening the intersection would be and what sort of traffic problems it possibly could create if the barriers came down.

The information that was provided suggested that no action was required and there would be no cost for it. This was resolutely not true. However, even now we don't know the costs for fixing the Concourse. We did know that there was at least a cost of either fixing or removing the barriers as they were decaying along with the road at the intersection. Ultimately, it cost $21 million to remove the barriers and restore the corner. The $73 million estimate for the Concourse repair could be less or more. Hard to say. No one running for Council wants to loo under that rock.

So what has been like after one year? The truth is the flow of traffic is not terrible and the sightlines are are so much improved. It is worth noting that assaults and sexual assaults were able to happen at the corner because no one could see from the buildings or the road. Now the intersection is so wide and open. The lanes and the pedestrian crossings are clearly marked and there appear to be enough turning lanes. There is still a lot of construction beyond the intersection but the corner itself seems to flow nicely.

And there seems to be some life in the corner. The Richardson Building has been getting upgrades and a new tenant in the form of a law firm is moving into three floors. The Fairmont will close this week for near a year for $120 million in redevelopment. The Manitoba Metis Federation is busy working on the former BMO location to turn it into a cultural center. Easier pedestrian access will go a long way for tourism. 

 All in all, the opening has not resulted in the chaos at Portage and Main. Some of this can be attributed to better turning lanes, fewer buses shunted through, well lined car and pedestrian lines on the road and probably fewer people working at the corner than in 1976. Also in the mix is the fact that the Concourse remains open through the hours of 6.30 AM to 10:30 PM daily. The cost of filling it in could be around $11 million so the city is weighing the options which won't come till 2027. Still, in 2026, the corner feel fresh and works well and the critics are melting away/

How Bad A Summer Will It Be?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fairmont Hotel and Fort Garry Hotel Undergo Multimillion Dollar Upgrades

The Richardson Family repurchase the Fairmont Hotel in 2024 after selling it in 2010. Since then they have been upgrading mechanical, plumbing and heating and cooling systems. The 1970 built hotel was part of the overall Richardson work that included their headquarters, a hotel, parkade and another office building. In 1979 it also included the Richardson Concourse connected to the main Concourse and Winnipeg Square. 

The hotel was originally called the Winnipeg Inn and was the foremost luxury hotel in the city and has remained such for decades. Even now, it is the main hotel for Hollywood stars and NHL players because of the king-sized beds and two secure floors. It hasn't been without its critics. Some NHL players have been critical of Wi-Fi, the isolated location away from things and that isn't as posh as some of the hotels they stay at. The accelerated pace of the long delayed Sutton Place Hotel and the very low vacancy rate of hotels has hastened the Fairmont to upgrade now.

They are not the only downtown hotel to upgrade. The Delta has also upgraded so that it has captured some of the NHL, AHL and officials bookings. The Fort Garry Hotel has had $5 million dollars of work since 2020. Yuk Yuk's was one addition in the old Club Room. The Oval Room was completely upgraded. The Sunset Terrace outdoor patio was built as well as the Vida Cucina Italia formal dining room. The latest work is nearing completion for April and involves first floor rooms being turned into suites and luxury Regal rooms for about $1 million. These 15 rooms are possibly the poshest and largest in the downtown.

Mid-range hotels have also been upgraded and in some cases expanded in the downtown and beyond. The Best Western Plus was re-branded as Hampton Inn and had floors added. The Holiday Inn and Suites Downtown was also renovated. The Holiday Inn Airport West was re-branded to Birchwood Inn. The Hilton Garden Inn by Seasons is expanded a few floors and unknown amount of room. The Holiday Inn on Pembina Highway is getting a full renovation.

All 340 rooms at the Fairmont will be upgraded. Every restaurant and ballroom will get the same treatment. At $120 million, it could be one of the biggest investments in a hotel in Winnipeg ever. It is unclear what the price of the Sutton Place Hotel near the arena will be. The overall cost is listed for True North towers and the like was $400 million but there has not been a breakdown of what cost what.

Many downtown organizations and businesses are nervous about the Fairmont being closed for nearly a year. Some of the media comments make it clear that some small restaurants get a lot of customers referred by the hotel. The hotel also serves a lot of guests for concerts and entertainment in the area. I'm sure the Richardsons considered just doing floor by floor but it sounds like this will be far bigger in scope for piecemeal work like that. 

Between 2026 and 2027 so many big projects for hotels are planned that the city will look very different when they are complete. Another noteworthy project is a Hyatt Centric Hotel on Broadway. It is being built where the former CRA federal building was. It is surprising that it took this long for another hotel to join the Fort Garry Hotel on Broadway considering the government and business offices on the street.

As for the Fairmont, it will be ready for a real revival of Portage and Main when the Metis museum and apartments just down the street open in the next years.

Manitoba Hydro Building Unsafe

I recently wrote that restaurants inside the recently converted Marcello's at Manitoba Hydro should feel more secure than some of their old locations in downtown Winnipeg. I said the issue for Manitoba Hydro might be security outdoors. I was wrong. A knife attack inside the building overwhelmed security who are not equipped to deal with violence. I had thought the mere presence of security and a lot of people, 2000 when full staff are present, would be sufficient for safety. I was wrong. 

Businesses and residents of various places in the city, downtown in this case, are suffering from violence and theft. It isn't useful to downplay it since even very progressive voices, those who live downtown and support businesses there are finding it exasperating that their cars and personal safety are constantly under pressure. The Ashdown Market cited crime as a big issue of why they are shutting down this week. 

The police are responding to arson and bus assaults and they have made some progress. However, some of this has come after a number of convenience stores and restaurants have been burned to the ground. Former hotels have been burned to the ground so that there is no possibility they could be turned into transitional housing. The empty spaces left could be there decades.

The fact that higher levels of security are needed inside buildings with camera and security people in them is scary. It isn't an obstacle for those who don't fear consequences at any time. Calling the police is already too late for those who attack first and have the knife out. The Hydro case is all too common where a subject has a knife and a response can't nearly be fast enough. Or the security that is present is ill equipped for an actual attacker.

People can't feel they will be randomly assaulted any time they are out in the city. Make no mistake people are well aware of where assaults take place and are talking about it.  Manitoba Hydro has no choice to respond or employees and customer will not want to come downtown. In fact, some are questioning the move from Taylor. Others have said they should move the HQ right out of Winnipeg, some joking it should be right out of the province. 

Given the efforts to make the arena area even more a recreation hotspot and supporting existing and incoming business developments, it is in very much a priority to improve safety and security. This isn't just superficial appearances. If businesses and people can't feel they won't be burned down, assaulted or suffer constant threats, you might as well demolish everything downtown. Would be that be the solution. It simply would move the problems even more so across the city.

It would appear that new security will be present this week who can restrain and detain those set out to do harm. And it can't seem like a revolving door. It is staggering that the person arrested for burning down places was re-arrested for more crimes a day later. It just makes people feel there is no hope because there are no consequences for hurting people. It was a huge deal arresting a suspect in the arsons case and just as huge a failure when he was released to do it again. 

Looking at the Manitoba Hydro building by itself though is a distraction. Even if the inside is made safe, it doesn't necessarily mean a worker doesn't get attacked outside the doors. And it isn't limited to the Hydro building. The new Pan Am Clinic is coming to Portage Place and if people are attacked with knives in and around the building, they will hold all level of governments accountable.

Canada is going through a pretty profound addictions, homelessness and violence spike. Truly, overall crime might be down in the country but people won't feel like safe and secure when they hear of random attacks in schools and workplaces. It isn't alarmist if nurses grey list their workplaces. It is a cry for help for real problems. A detachment of police at Health Sciences Centre is probably only the beginning of a full safety audit. Health professionals are going to court to get Shared Health to comply with security measures in the workplace.

It certainly feels like an escalation where we worry about security inside the workplaces and schools. As the awful shooting in B.C. demonstrates, our sense of security hangs by a thread. The trauma of assault and violence doesn't just go away. Communities across Canada are hurting from fear of repeating offences against them. We can't feel unsafe in our homes, our schools and work as well.

It is now up to both public and private sectors to restore not just actual security but a sense of security as well. That could mean continuous assessment of safety which might mean keycode passes to various areas of schools and workplaces. It might mean security that involves more security capable of intervening and not seemingly observing your assault. Cameras are mostly responsive after something has happened. Certainly we need a surge of resources. This is not a time of a committee doing a report that will be available a few years from now. Nurse are already making decisions about where to work now. They won't wait years to protect them from being assaulted. They will leave en masse.

This has to be high priority and will likely be a multi-pronged approach. It is clear though that people are not being overwrought and decisions about where people will live and work are being made about experiences they are having. There really is no more time to waste.

Trees in Winnipeg

Along any of the three rivers through Winnipeg, the trees are thick and the temperature cooler than the open areas beyond. It is probably no wonder why the city grew up around the rivers. It was sanctuary. However, in the founding of the city. it seemed like every tree was felled to build the one or, at most, two floor structures that stood across massively wide unpaved streets. It looked muddy and hot or snowy and hot. Even at the The Forks, is became an industrial section of railway station and yard.

Portage and Main was devoid of trees. It was just mud and unpaved roads. Even for the commenters who see old pictures of Winnipeg, few say how nice it was back then. It isn't an image that inspires nostalgia. It looked like hard living times and it was. 

It should come as no surprise that the inhabitants of the city didn't want to be mud covered and devoid of any shade or wind cover. Streets were paved, sidewalks put in and trees planted. The trees were not an option. Every residential street in the city had trees planted and cared for. This may have been the influence of the Arbour Day movement that originated in North America in Nebraska in 1872. The timing is important because so much commerce was people going back and forth along the rivers and trails north and south. By 1883, Canadian politicians led the charge in Canada to ensure children were given seedlings to plant and beautify school grounds.

If there was once flaw in the planting, it was the lack of diversity in the trees. Many elm, green ash and maple were planted. And while they turned into one of the best canopy forests on the continent, they were vulnerable to diseases such as Dutch elm disease and ash borer beetles. Even chokecherry trees have been blighted in Linden Woods. Toronto planted far more diversity over the decades and it has helped them avoid what Winnipeg has gone through. Still, even in Toronto, it is a battle to keep the large trees going even as age, disease or terrible weather takes their toll. Experts in Toronto are harvesting seeds from the large trees to re-fill the canopy in the city.

Winnipeg now has a non-profit dedicated to trees and schools and communities have embraced the program of planting trees. Our family has donated 150 trees to the Winnipeg School Division. It is good to see schools each plant trees. Many schools have lost trees to disease and some really have never had that much in the way of greenery to begin with.

It might be of interest that the city keeps a record of every tree in Winnipeg on property they maintain. Each tree is identified by location and type. This type of record keeping helps keep a number of trees removed with trees added and the city in the last year has fared much better on replacing trees. There are still years to catch up.

A federal program is being utilized to plant around 600 trees in Assiniboine Park. Some died there from disease, others from building infrastructure. Regardless, the park needs to replace trees. This isn't the only city park that needs love. All the parks have had tree loss with no replacement in most years.

The loss of trees extends to private property as well. Disease, storm damage and age have killed off a lot of trees. Some people have been encouraged by the trees programming that they have bought trees for their yards. However, there are just as many who have cleared their entire yards in favour of vast lawns. Some of the new neighbourhoods can be absolutely oppressive for heat. Trees along city sections of the land, parks and schools are often the few areas where shade can be found.

It has to be mentioned that Manitoba Hydro lines, salt from road, collisions with the vehicles, beavers and vandalism also contribute to tree loss. Hydro lines down Portage Avenue West means it is devoid of trees. The rest of Portage produces so much salt that it kills trees. It is a long depressing tree-free ride along Portage Avenue. The only saving grace is the beautiful flower boxes along the street.

In the past, cities and provinces found that in budgetary cuts it was easiest to cut the forestry budget. Diseased trees overtook that complacent attitude. As for forests, the multiple years of fires shows forest management, fire prevention and fire suppression can't be kicked down the road. The results can be far more costly. Manitoba right now is purchasing water bombers. However, they are now far back on the list of when new planes will be ready. Many countries are now buying them and Canadian provinces like Manitoba have to wait till fill their order.

The one piece of good news is that there seem to be a significant movement to plant trees to replace what has been lost and to actually plant in new areas such as private land, schools and parks. The beauty, shade and carbon storage of today's urban trees started because people with far less than what we have made it a priority to plant trees and plan parks. It is comforting to know that more effort has been made to create a new healthy greenery in the city of Winnipeg.

Modern Ambition/Mondetta Coming to True North Square

 

Mondetta has been a fashion brand based out of Winnipeg Winnipeg since the 1980s. Their flag-based shirts and jackets have been a staple for years although they a number of different brands that they sell. The 2014 Winter Olympics featured their clothing on the athletes. In 1995, Mondetta World Cafe opened in The Fork partnered with Danali which was founded the same years as Mondetta in 1986, That store and restaurant closed in 1995. Danali continues to be a clothing store at Kenaston and Grant and is opening a consignment store on Corydon in the fall. After Danali will be located in the former October Boutique after the former owner retired after nearly 25 years.

Over the decades Mondetta has managed to stay relevant and get their lines of fashion in various stores in Canada. The head office is in Winnipeg and the core ownership group has remained intact. It therefore seemed appropriate that their new venture would be launched in the city.

The new venture is a 1,200 square foot men's business and casual dressy aimed at Gen Z and Millennials. There are suits in the $200 to $400 range and there are some suits out there in the $5,000 to $6,0000 or higher range. Tip Top, RW&CO and Moores are the most well know places in Canada to find suits as well as rental formal wear. Aldo Formal Wear and Mallabar's are also important because men will always need some places for events like weddings, funerals and grads. For more in the pricier business suits there is Harry Rosen which has been in Winnipeg since 1986. And for local flavour and often bespoke you have Danali, Eph Apparel, Hanford Drewit and Vittorio Rossi. 

Mondetta wants something in the middle and are looking at suits in the $900 range. But they also want to create an atmosphere as seen in their supplied pictures posted here. The location chosen for this venture is True North Square at the corner of Carlton and Graham. Opening will be in the fall and it remains to be seen whether Graham's closure might affect traffic. Businesses along the former bus route have complained that customers have dropped 80 per cent. The city has said for them to be patient for when workers return after the summer break.

The choice of location for Modern Ambition at True North is an interesting one. There are a number of head offices located in the nearby towers. The Canada Life Centre is just steps away. Restaurants and retail are nearby. The Liquor Mart is on the other side of the wall along with the square itself. Mottola Grocery all features prominently.

Aside from the diverted bus traffic on Graham, the long time obstruction of construction (or lack thereof) of Sutton Place Hotel and Suites. It is now headed into 8 years of squat. The owners have said it will be this year that it is complete but that seems wishful thinking. They also said maybe 2026. Perhaps that is possible since the company's other project The Sandman Signature Hotel is complete. That one took about 5+ plus years to get done.

If indeed the hotel and apartments are completed in the next 12 months along with Chop restaurant, then Carlton would be a far more active place with people making their way down it for the hotel, restaurant and Convention Centre generating traffic. As it stands down, it is a permanent construction site. As far as security goes, try and linger in True North Square too long and watch security exit 

Mondetta has generally been ahead of the curve and finding a retail location and a format that they take across Canada. There are a lot of projects all coming on stream in the next 12 to 18 months downtown. Portage Place, The Bay and Sutton Place should be reaching completion all around the same time. Men do need suits and a place they feel comfortable buying them at. Perhaps, with even more people returning to the workplace, the downtown area will be easier and the desire to explore the area greater. And more people in the office might mean more people need suits or dressy casual. At any rate, Mondetta's Modern Ambition will be there to make it possible.

Video Arcades in Winnipeg in the 1970s and 1980s

In 1972, Atari and Magnavox came out with video games to use at home. For Atari, they came up with versions for bars and arcades. The first Pong I encountered was the Spaghetti Factory location on Princess. There was a sit down Pong in the restaurant waiting area. It was the first time I played it. It was a simple coin operated single or two player game. I recall it about 1975. By 1977, Atari systems were being bought all over the work but competition was afoot. There were now several console player companies out there , including Nintendo, and the games were becoming more sophisticated.

Game systems were flying off the shelves. My family didn't buy an Atari bought but others did but many found they were obsolete. Meanwhile, the pinball industry was updating their machines and bringing arcade machines into shops as well.  Bowling alleys were adding arcades and pinball to reach younger crowds. It was an exciting time. 

South Portage Avenue remained a vibrant shopping experiences through the 1970s and 1980s. Eaton's and the Bay were full and the various movie theatres brought people downtown on evenings and weekends. It wasn't all good though. Retail on the northside of Portage increasingly was closing or burning. A few sections burned down and then...nothing. Just another broken tooth on Portage. There were some bright spots to be sure. The Free Press offices on Carlton. Retail and bars including Stage West Dinner Theatre on Kennedy. For a time in Winnipeg Hydro and Winnipeg Library had branched right on Portage. However, the Mall Hotel and bus station routinely brought some of the roughest characters in town to the area.

By the early 1980s, south Portage was strong on retail while the north side suffered. An adult movie theatre in the middle of it seemed to be the exclamation point on the difference between one side of the street.

However, this brought opportunities for businesses like arcades to get what once was prime spots for affordable rent. There were a number of arcades that opened as a result. It probably came as no surprise when a pinball and video arcade opened in the 1980s at Portage and Carlton featuring a pirate and called Long John's Silvers. Other places with Las Vegas-like names opened as well inside some of the news stores like Solar News and Dominion News. Circus Circus was inside Solar News.

For young people, the arcades were connected to coming downtown to see movies and go to music stores. While some neighbourhoods had nearby movie theatres, the biggest screens and choices were downtown. In the 1970s through till the 1990s there was a good number of music stores because they too found it affordable to rent space downtown. Long John Silvers, Dynamite, Circus Circus, KK Amusements, ATS, Magic Land at Langside, Circus on Donald, Saratoga Lanes at Donald, Dr. Q's, Mother's Records - Games on the Avenue sprang up so that by 1985, it was an entertainment mecca.

So much was happening everywhere all at once. Video rental stores were opening everywhere as well so that the city by the 1980s had 250 stores. The gaming systems for homes were updating all the time but they were not as exciting as what was in the arcades. No cell phones at the time and no Internet meant that young people had to meet to see each other. And while malls exploded in the 1980s, movies, music and arcades and a still resilient retail trade all existed in downtown Winnipeg and the streets were busy.

In Winnipeg, some suburbs only got their malls by 1977-1979 or so such as Forest Park Mall, St. Vital, Kildonan and Unicity. Arcades started to come to even to the smallest malls such as Forest Park Mall in Charleswood where Magic Mike's was. It must have gone up after the 1977 construction. As mentioned, Eaton Centre 

Grant Park Mall had Pirate's Den till 1989 when it closed due to renovations. KK Amusements was in Eaton Place after 1979. ATS was in Winnipeg Square after 1979 as well. Kildonan Mall had a few arcades with Phantom Amusements being one of them. Across from Kildonan was Syd's Carousel. Garden City Mall had Excalibur. Laser Solutions was at Polo Park. There was a Playland (Grand Marais) in the mall where Best Buy was. Also on Pembina was 

It is likely I have forgotten one of the places in the city. I left out Rucker's and Chuck-E-Cheese. There has been a recent resurgence of retro game places which is great but young people are more likely to go to places that are interactive gaming or tournaments. The heyday of multiple arcades downtown is not likely to come back but we are seeing some retro places go up. And that is okay by me.

Changes to the Bus Routes 2025

Winnipeg is not doing anything by half measures in 2025. Today Portage and Main opens up to pedestrian traffic and on Sunday the entire Winnipeg Transit system changes. It is probably fortunate that school ends today and traffic will be cut over the summer during this time because it is likely we are to see adjustments to say the least.

Some bus routes that have been around for decades end on Sunday. Some in River Heights are mourning the loss of one of on Grosvenor and some in Charleswood are grieving some of theirs. There are few neighbourhoods without some big changes coming. The only one with no real changes is Bridgwater as they underwent the change in 2020. Many people will have to get use to transfers in other parts of the city as well as longer walks.

Winnipeg Transit will have guides out Monday but it will still come as a shock for some that the bus doesn't come down their street anymore. Or that the bus stop on their streets are far away. Literally a thousand bus stops have closed.  Some people moved to certain areas because of bus routes so to have one disappear must be depressing.

One major change is that Graham Avenue will no longer be a bus corridor. The goal is to change the street to pedestrian and bike path but how fast this occurs will be important. If on Monday, the buses just stop coming down that way and people leave, it could end up being degraded and a security threat. Worst case scenario is seeing businesses close if they don't get something in place right away. Or for arsons to take any empty buildings there as we have seen on Main Street.

There is a lot of building that will be coming on stream downtown in 2026 so how Winnipeg Transit works with this will be important. It shouldn't for forgotten how the industrial parks, residential areas and hospitals are served as well. Expect their to be some confusion and possibly complaints. And if security for those waiting at transfers isn't addressed, it could downright ugly.

Portage and Main Re-Opening

In 1979 the most famous corner in Canada was blocked off and went underground. At the time there was about 3000 to 4000 people who worked within a block of the intersection. At every light cycle there were hundreds of people crossing and buses galore discharging riders. Some called it the windiest corner in Canada and they weren't wrong. In the dead of winter, you went out sans your coat at your peril.

The Trizec project of the city demolishing and putting up a massive parkade in support of a private 32 story tower changed everything. The city, cognizant of other cities like Montreal, Toronto and Minneapolis believed that skywalks and underground pathways were the favoured choice for cold weather cities. Some resented being forced downstairs to get across but there was wide acceptance of the development as it also came with a mall in Winnipeg Square.

The plebiscite on re-opening Portage and Main was defeated 2-1 in 2018. However, the issues of what to do about the crumbling infrastructure was never really addressed. For many it seemed like there was no need to do anything despite the fact that water had been leaking for sometime. Eventually, a report came out that fixing the Concourse was likely to be in the $70 Plus millions and involve road closures that could be lengthy.

Some disputed the price or the length of time it would take. The argument from many was that opening the corner would be dangerous and traffic would be a nightmare for the entire downtown as a result. It could get pretty busy back in 1975 at the corner. There were several grain handling companies along Main that seemed to have 500 employees each in their head offices. Truly. The Manitoba Wheat Pool, United Grain Growers, the Canadian Wheat Board and so on.

In the 1970s every major Canadian bank had a regional vice-president based in the city and Portage and Main was filled with banking, insurance and trust companies. The Richardson Building was the only tower on the corner and this had the new Unicity city council looking at proposals for projects all the over the place. One of them came from the Trizec corporation for a development on the southwest corner of Portage and Main.

The city demolished the five buildings already there, built a massive three deck parkade and it still took Trizec till 1978 to built the 32 floor office tower above. Just in time for the worst recession Manitoba had faced since the Great Depression. The year 1980 was as brutal a crash Winnipeg had seen in decades. The Trizec building had dark floors for years after it was built.

As for the Concourse, it largely served its purpose of moving people from corner to corner. Newcomers were often confused but those that worked in the area became familiar with it found it useful, especially to get to Winnipeg Square for restaurants and food court as well as shopping and services. As the Trizec building slowly filled in in the 1980s, Portage and Main adapted to the Concourse that connected it all. Thankfully, the security was such that it was never out of control there insofar as attacks, retail thefts and panhandling. It was the above ground entrances that could be problems. The concrete barricades prevented anyone from seeing someone being assaulted. The stairs to the underground also were places people used to go to the washroom or sleep. This didn't happen right away but over time.

Following the pandemic, the report on how much it would cost to rehabilitate the Concourse shook the Council. While there was some dispute about how much repairs might cost, it was evident that it was not going to be something like the Civic Parkade that you could keep putting up with until an engineer put up a permanent ban of vehicles lest the whole thing collapse. This is standard procedure with the city to let facilities and infrastructure deteriorate until they close. 

In recent weeks Winnipeg has seen indoor swimming pools close all over because they have been neglected to the point of failure. New road construction is the top of every agenda while road repairs sink lower. Begging happens every week with the city asking for more more money for things like the sewage plant while directing millions to new roads. The density has dropped in much of the city while the sprawl has expanded. Speed on the roads to get people out of the city has been a priority and various neighbourhoods suffer as people stream down residential areas above posted limits.

With the barricades now removed, Portage and Main looked nearly naked now. Work continues to pave roads and put up traffic lights.  The opening date still seems to be June 27, 2025. The total costs is just under $22 million to open the road up. It is unclear if the Concourse will require any work to protect it from collapsing.

The four privately owned four corners of Portage and Main have invested a fair amount over the last five years. The Richardson family have done quite a bit to improve the square around their buildings. They have some of the most impressive public art in the province. The who square has received and upgrade and the Fairmont Hotel has been re-purchased by the family and is going through a multimillion renovation.

All of this will coincide with changes to bus routes, the Graham transit corridor and constructions season. Fortunately, the summer break for students will underway so we won't have to bear the full force of rush hour for two months. The bus route changes will cause a lot of confusion. Some stops will be further away. Others are being moved so that merchants lose their street parking. Expect a lot of confusion and criticism during this process.

To that end, how many buses going through Portage and Main will be a challenge. In the 1970s, it was a major bus intersection and the source of complaints. It was also filled with pedestrians at every light cycle. There have always been complaints about people on the roads. Many would like to be able to drive at high speed until they arrive in their own neighbourhood which should be reduced to 30 kms.

It should be noted that Winnipeg now has wider and busier intersections. Kenaston and Sterling Lyon is very busy with up to three lanes turning one way and two lanes turning the other way. They manage this without forcing people under or over the road. Now, some might argue that the bikes and cars are a lot fewer and this might be true but that crossroads appears to be fairly easy to navigate for everyone.

The last item is panhandling. It is unlikely that it will be safe under any circumstances people in the middle of the intersection here. Police and social services will also have to make sure that the site doesn't become an encampment. Around Higgins it just continues to grow. Encampment comes down and is cleaned up and a new one goes up the next day. Transitional housing is coming but it is slow in getting funding, slow in getting built and with demand growing all the time. Compound that with mental health issues and chronic drug use.

It is too early to say good or bad things about the opening. Private business has done a lot to make the corner more inviting and likely will continue to. The new Metis Museum at the Bank of Montreal building could come to be a tourist attraction bringing people to the corner. The two steakhouses on the corner may get more foot traffic. In fact foot traffic might be a thing again.

No one is expecting this to revive retail. Some business like news stands have just stopped being a thing. There are some empty storefronts and it will be curious if landlords are interested in making deals or just leaving spots empty. There could real opportunities for pop-up stores, tiny restaurants and on the corner itself food carts. If Broadway is able to do that year round, why not Portage and Main?

We'll have to see how things go but the truth is Portage and Main is wide enough for people and cars. It remains to be seen how it all flows together. I think perhaps the group that will most have concerns are people on bikes who likely wanted dedicated lanes on Main, Portage and navigating the intersection. It is possible that Graham Avenue might be a more attractive option since with have four blocks on only bike and pedestrians.

WSO to Move into Restored Pantages Playhouse Theatre

For most of my life, it was called the Playhouse Theatre but it was one of the early Pantages theatres built in 1913/1914 as part of a vaudeville circuit. It is now a national heritage site and aside from addition built in 1992, it looks pretty much the same as it is did when it went up. Over the last few years, it has not been on anyone's radar. It appeared to be part of a non-profit and private company's attempt to redevelop the corner for arts use but also for housing. Then nothing. Until now.

The Performing Arts Consortium (PAC) and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) have engaged designers and have come up with a $60 million dollar plan to upgrade the building. They have raised $15 million of that money and expect the three levels of government to contribute as well as private donors. The theatres has not seen any activity since 2018. Once $30 million has been raised, a capital campaign will begin and a construction timetable will be announced.

The city has administered Pantages since the 1940s. The WSO has been a managing tenant for a few years before the present closure. Many arts and music groups have made use of the facility through its history. It has had some legendary performers from vaudeville to rock. But it has also host high school musicals over the years.

Pantages would give the WSO a primary home when not performing at the Centennial Concert Hall. With a 1100 seats, it is an ideal size for some of the type of works the symphony would like to do. For full concerts, the 2300 concert hall remains the best venue. However, there is an objective to attract more commercial shows and musicals there as well. Presently, the WSO, Manitoba Opera and Royal Winnipeg Ballet share the hall there and will continue to do so. But a smaller hall might be appropriate for many groups to use more frequently. 

The Manitoba Museum and the Concert Hall have all been going through multimillion renovations. This is not surprising since most of the buildings are near 60 or 70 years of age. Thankfully, the commitment to the arts has been strong throughout our history from subscribers, patrons and government. 

The various arts groups in the area around Pantages make it a very busy area when they are all have events going on. The theatre will be one of three venues from Winnipeg's early day that have had a re-birth. The Burton Cummings and the Metropolitan have all come back from previous incarnations and have owners that care about their wellbeing and keeping them as venues for the arts.

While people in Manitoba have always supported the arts, having endowments is still fairly new. The Winnipeg Symphony has a $11 million endowment. The Manitoba Opera has a $10 million endowment. The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre has a $17 million endowment. Contrast that with the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis with a $65 million endowment and the Minnesota Orchestra has $186 million. Minnesota Opera has $23 million.

Granted Minnesota has more population than Canada and few government supports but no endowments means it is harder for arts groups to achieve what they want in a short time. The WSO has admitted that even if work starts soon, it will be about 2029 before they can move in. Till then they will have to do all performances in the concert hall as well as rent office space and do rehearsals there.

There will be changes to the inside of Pantages to give it a deeper stage with improvements throughout to audio, video systems and general acoustics. The last big changes took place 30 years ago so the next changes should take the venue 30 to 40 years into the future. However, once complete the work should held the WSO earn extra income that they could never earn in the concert hall such as the lounge.

There are other spaces nearby that could see development of the next several years. Despite the setback of homelessness and crime, there continues to be building of housing and a return of some businesses. A critical mass has brought additional security as has been reported this week. The truth is that people need to see security or they simply won't come to the area or any area. The fear that you are heading to or leaving from a performance and running into a violent altercation is all too real.

The Winnipeg Jets have been downtown many years and tens of thousands of people heading to games creates a certain safety in numbers. If an incident does happen, it is very likely there are dozens of people dialing 911. There is also the presence of police and security everywhere. Generally the presence of many people at The Forks prevents episodes of crime happening. However, a recent random attack at The Forks reminds people that even with a large security presence, things can happen and a suspect can get away. In this case though, not before a high definition picture was taken of the suspect.

Pantages will be a real step to continued success for the Winnipeg Symphony. There are very few Pantages theatres across North America left. Los Angeles and Toronto have theirs but most of the 75 theatres have fallen to the wrecking balls. The East Exchange for many years was a mix of culture, warehouse, offices and in recent decades housing. It is these type of investments that will keep the area vital. Let's hope the project can begin soon. The most disappointing thing is when projects take longer than a decade to get underway.

A New Arena for Winnipeg Planned Soon?

The present Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg is not very old. However, it was originally built for an AHL hockey team and not a NHL one. It is the smallest arena in the NHL and even at that, in recent years it has not always sold out. The Winnipeg Jets are trying to increase the corporate seats which has not been a priority when there were so many individuals in the past buying tickets. At just over 15,000 seats, Winnipeg's arena is smallest in the NHL. Most arenas are around 17,000 to 20,000 across North America.

The AHL Moose and the Winnipeg Sea Bears basketball team also share the facility which makes for a pretty full selection of teams calling the arena home. On top of that are concerts and entertainment events. The True North organization has also been building out with real estate. Since 2004, ownership has built out north, west and south of the arena. Across the street, they partnered with others to build restaurants, offices, hotel and parking lots.

The Burton Cummings Theatre is now part of the True North organization. In part, this is to have entry level entertainment in a venue more well suited for some groups and individuals. This builds relationships and street life in the entertainment district. Street parties are held regularly in proximity to the Burton Cummings. This is important as the creation of an entertainment district cannot revolve around one sport and building. This is why True North also does concert/event work as promoter. Not all of it is at the Canada Life Center. In the past, True North has done Cirque du Soleil shows under the big tent on Kenaston. This year they are doing a two day music event at the Princess Auto Stadium. 

The Canada Life Centre has room for more concert/show events on its schedule but clearly there are limits based either on small or larger sizes and whether it can be fit in between the three sports teams that call the arena home. There are also other sports leagues that would like to come to Winnipeg but find there is no facility to host them. In particular, professional women's hockey and basketball. Therein lies the conundrum. It is the downtown arena or nothing. Even a WHL team could not survive in Winnipeg without a facility larger than the Sanford Fleming Arena at the University of Manitoba. 

It is clear Winnipeg needs another arena. But what size? Some say it should be smaller as in the 7,000 seat range. Is that thinking too small? I don't know too many people who thought the Sea Bears would regularly pack in 15,000 people for basketball games. Imagine building a 7,000 seat arena and finding professional women's hockey selling it out and then some. Could they have used a 15,000 seat arena instead?

A scanning of NHL arenas will show Winnipeg's facility is not the oldest. It is nearer to the newer ones as it closes on 25 years having being built in 2004. Many present facilities in the league are from the late 1990s. The average lifespan of an arena is considered to be 25 to 25 years. This would apply to Winnipeg's present facility. 

The next question is the location of a new arena. Some people would love to see it down by the University of Manitoba so that it could benefit Bisons sports programming. There is a good case for that. And there is likely space for it although anyone who knows how much of a crowd Blue Bombers games have and the traffic involved is probably hesitant. The 41 games that say Jets or Moose play and 4the 0,000 university population from fall to spring are considerable numbers in one place. It can be managed but it is worth considering.

The Chipman and Thomson family have put in considerable investments downtown and continue to do so. Their concern just doesn't extend to the bottom line but to the welfare of those living and working downtown. This has been aptly demonstrated in the donations and leadership of the pair over many years. To that end, I'd expect the location on a new arena would be downtown.

There isn't an obvious spot for the new arena to be located. There are quite a lot of surface lots where the beginnings of arena could be. However, it might be like how the Canada Life Center came to be and that was from the demolition of existing buildings such as Eaton's and part of Cityplace.

A big question is on whether the Canada Life Center will be expanded to 17,000+ seats or remain the size it is and another arena built of 17,000 seats. My opinion is the Jets would move to a bigger location as there are changes to what corporations want in terms of season tickets than just box seats. Many businesses are looking for meeting spaces as well attached to entertainment so some new arena designs are reflecting this. Many new arenas are also doing more to become concert friendly and that comes from initial design.

In the picture above, Hamilton's Copp Coliseum is being designed to fulfill a concert mandate in the greater Toronto area. While a single use facility might work in that part of Ontario, in Winnipeg the need is for multi-purpose facilities. There really just isn't a venue of size indoors after the Canada Life Center. An attempt to get a 6000 to 7000 facility for the Winnipeg Ice failed. One of the reasons the Chipmans might go for a new arena is to forestall a competitor such as the University of Manitoba building one.

Another important reason the True North will push for a new arena is that they have an agreement with the province to not fund any new covered facility in Winnipeg for the length of time of the mortgage, This blocked the Bombers from having a covered stadium. When the agreement expires, there is nothing preventing Bombers from going forward with a covered stadium and also getting an agreement preventing anyone from new facilities built with 25 to 30 year terms. This is definitely something the Chipman's won't want.

I don't expect anything in the next two years as True North finishes the work on new asset Portage Place as well as see Sutton Place Hotel built but expect something soon enough. The end of prohibition on government facilities and the desire for more professional teams will drive the timetable.