Winnipeg TV Stations Part 2

JoyTV starts operations this week. In its former incarnation as Omni 11, it made a commitment to just 2.5 hours per week of first run locally produced content. You read that right: 2.5 hours a week.

From Rogers news release in 2006:

Once OMNI TV Manitoba launches to over 900,000 viewers, audiences will be treated each week to 2.5 hours of first run locally created single faith productions. The schedule will also include faith based programming such as Israel Today, Muslim Chronicles, Sat Sri Akal, Islam Today and the Mahabharata series. All time favorites such as Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, Home Improvement, King of Queens and Touched by an Angel make up the primetime weeknight line-up. OMNI TV Manitoba combined with OMNI TV BC has promised just under $1million for the independent production of religious and faith based documentaries.

At the time of its sale in 2008, Omni still hadn't contributed much to local programming. There were a few faith-based programs but most of the Canadian programming, what little there was, came from elsewhere. Most worrying was no attempt at a local news program of any sort. The OMNI stations in both Vancouver and Toronto did a far better job in that regard.

The rebranding of Omni to Joytv in September of 2008 doesn't look to change the local commitment to production. An examination of the programming shows most of the faith-based productions originate elsewhere. I'd be hard pressed to say whether the station is going to do any better than 2.5 hours a week of local production.

To pad out its day, Joytv will be running syndicated programs such as Happy Days and The Waltons. Unlike Omni, they will have some first run programs such as 60 Minutes and 48 Hour Mystery which they are simulcasting.

From 1 AM to 6:00 AM, Joytv is airing paid infomercials.

Winnipeg deserves more from what is supposed to be a local station. More local programming should be done in Winnipeg, especially news programming.



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Tuxedo Park Shopping Centre Part 1

The picture is the Agricultural College in 1903. Now the Asper Jewish Community Campus of Winnipeg.

The Tuxedo Park Shopping Centre was built in 1962 to serve the town of Tuxedo. It initially had a Safeway, a Bank of Montreal branch, the headquarters of the Tuxedo Police and a hotel.

The land used to belong to the Hudson Bay Company but was granted to Lord Selkirk in 1811. By 1857, it had been surveyed into farmland from the Assiniboine River out to 2 and later 4 miles. The region was known as Assiniboia and by 1880 it became the Rural Municipality of Assiniboia.

One of the first buildings to be built in the area was the The Agricultural College in 1906 along Tuxedo Avenue. It was deemed to be too small and 1911-1913, the college moved to Fort Garry, home to the present University of Manitoba.

From 1914 until 1917 this site was used by the Manitoba School for the Deaf, the first such institution in Western Canada. In 1917, the facility became necessary for wounded men from World War I. The building served as a hospital until 1919. Thereafter, the Canadian Army took over the building and from 1919 to 1968, it was the Fort Osborne Barracks. The Asper Jewish Community Campus of Winnipeg bought the site in 1997 and it is used as an educational and cultural center.

In 1904, 283 acres of the land along the river was bought by the City of Winnipeg for the site of Assiniboine Park.

From 1905 to 1913, Frederick W. Heubach and various investor acquired land for their new Tuxedo Park development. In 1913, the Town of Tuxedo was incorporated and Heuback became its first mayor.

The American firm Olmsted Brothers designed the town and that plan was followed assiduously for many decades.

A British firm held a small piece of the new town. It was a small triangle of land bounded by Tuxedo Avenue, Roblin Boulevard (later Corydon Avenue) and Edgeland Boulevard which was zoned for three apartment blocks and a shopping center.

That shopping center became what is the present Tuxedo Park Shopping Centre.

(to be continued)

Charleswood Shopping Centre Plaza Update

One of the last open spots in Charleswood Shopping Plaza Centre is being filled now. It will be a 24 hour Snap Fitness. The company is a franchise operation that costs about a $1 a day. Locations are very small and don't seem to include personal training, massage therapy, dietitians or the popular group exercise classes.

There is already one Snap Fitness on Pembina Highway.

It will be interesting to see how this place works out.

I should mention that I work at Goodlife Fitness as the registered massage therapist there. The location I work at is also 24 hours at the Kenaston Co-Ed location.



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Winnipeg TV Stations Part 1

From a Winnipeg perspective, one TV station has been a virtual non-entity in terms of local content. That station is OMNI 11 which as of September 1 will be JOYTV.

It was licenced to Trinity Television in 2002 as a religious broadcaster. Just as it was about to go on the air, Rogers bought the station and folded it into its Omni group of stations. While Onni Toronto was a cultural station that delivered news made in Toronto in a variety of the languages of the city, Winnipeg's Omni was religious broadcasting that was mostly produced elsewhere. Both stations padded the rest of their hours with American syndicated programs and an outrageous amount of paid programming.

In 2007, Rogers Communications bought Citytv which included its Winnipeg affiliate, the former MTN. CTVglobemedia had acquired the station in 2006, thereby giving them two stations in Winnipeg. At the time of the takeover, the station was called A Channel.

The Craig family, owners of A Channel had run into trouble in 2003-2004 with labour issues at their Edmonton A-Channel affiliate. Combined with the ongoing trouble keeping its Toronto 1 station afloat, the family looked for an exit. Toronto 1, awarded by the CRTC in 2001 had first looked to be a perfect fit for the growing network of station owned by the Craigs. Instead, it was money loser that dragged the company down.

It was CHUM that came knocking in 2004 with a $265 million buy-out. The Craigs gave up their attempt at another national network and handed the baton to CTV.

The first thing that happened upon the takeover was the axing of the local Citytv news. It seems astounding that it was allowed to happen by the CRTC.

The CRTC had bigger fish to fry. They effectively told CTV they couldn't own Citytv and CTV stations in the same city and forced them to sell off the division. CTV kept the other parts of the CHUM empire and Rogers Communications stepped in to buy the Citytv network.

And all this lead back to Winnipeg's Onni, Channel 11 station. Rogers Communications ended up running into the same problem CTV did: owning two stations in the same market.

The CRTC once again weighed in and forced Rogers to sell one of the two stations they owned in Winnipeg. That station was Omni.

(to be continued)



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Health Sciences Centre Part 1

Photo by the University of Manitoba taken in 1983. The former Manitoba Medical College. It is now the St. Regis Apartment.

The Winnipeg General Hospital was founded in 1872 on the estate of Andrew McDermot, the Red River Settlement's richest man. He was a former Hudson Bay Company (HBC) employee who eventually opened his own store and rode Winnipeg's growth to great fortune. His son-in-law Andrew Bannatyne became the driving force in establishing the hospital and donating the land for the present day hospital.

Today, the streets McDermot and Bannatyne take their names from these two prominent citizens.

As Winnipeg grew, other hospitals were built close to Winnipeg General. The Children's Hospital of Winnipeg was founded in 1909. The Winnipeg General Hospital, Maternity Pavilion was built in 1951. It later became known as Women's Pavilion. In 1962, the Manitoba Rehabilitation Hospital was built.

The medical school was built adjacent to Winnipeg General in 1883. The college, called the Manitoba Medical College, was the precursor to the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Manitoba. Today, the building is the St. Regis apartment block.

(to be continued)

Grand Forks and Fargo

Grand Forks has been the main choice for Winnipeg travel for many years. It solidified its position over Fargo with the construction of Columbia Mall in 1978. Prior to that, shopping was done downtown or at the already aging South Forks Plaza built in 1964.

West Acres Mall built in 1972 had been challenging Grand Forks for Winnipeg's affection ever since it was built with Sears and deLendrecies anchoring 50 stores.

Throughout the 1980s, Grand Forks was the hands down choice of cross border shoppers from Manitoba. In the 1990s, as the dollar started to drop, cross border shopping also started drop off.

Another reasons for people to stay in Winnipeg was the opening of Walmart in Winnipeg. In the early 1990s, it had been one of the reasons families travelled to Grand Forks. In addition to Walmart, some other U.S. based chains also started to open in Winnipeg. Some of the exclusiveness of Grand Forks disappeared in the 1990s.

In 1997, Grand Forks was deeply damaged by the Red River flood. While Columbia was untouched, some hotels were devastated. I stayed in Grand Forks a few months after the flood in what was supposed to be a cleaned up hotel and had to ask to be moved to a second floor that did not have have the smell of mildew. The heydays of the 1980s were pretty much over though and the flood only capitalized a major change in Winnipeg shopping getaways.

In 2001, Grand Forks capped off an amazing re-building program and gave Winnipeg a new reason to visit with with addition of the Alerus Center. For the next few years, Winnipeggers headed down on a regular basis to concerts that bypassed Winnipeg.

As the dollar started to rise, Winnipeggers started to head back down for weekend shopping attracted by the new Target across from Columbia as well as some new stores such as Best Buy. However, more discerning shoppers were going further afield to Fargo for Barnes and Noble and some stores in West Acres not found in Grand Forks such as Hollister.

Other shoppers were heading down all the way to Mall of America in Minneapolis and Factory outlet stores in Albertville, MN. Those that headed that far down usually did so on a long weekend rather than the two day splurges.

Grand Forks will always be more attractive for some Winnipeg travellers for the plain reason that it is just 2 hours away. Columbia Mall and the surrounding hotels offer supreme convenience for travellers.

Fargo is a little harder to commute to and West Acres doesn't have the hotel conglomeration that Grand Forks does. Still, for someone who wants a little bit of difference in their weekend travel, here are some of Fargo's highlights.

West Acres

It has double the amount of department stores. Macy's, JCPenney, Herberger's and Sears. Some stores not in Grand Forks are Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch. The mall is newly renovated and attractive.

Downtown Fargo

Rebuilt and appealing for the person looking for a new eatery, hotel or shopping experience.

Other Stores

Scheels super sport store is worth going to just for the Ferris wheel. Barnes and Noble is bigger and better in Fargo.

Recreation

Bonanzaville is a historic village in West Fargo open from spring to fall.

Restaurants

Space Aliens
TGIFridays
Timberlodge

For people with nostalgia for old Winnipeg namesakes there is:

Mr. Steak
Country Kitchen



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Roblin Boulevard Part 2

Between Cathcart and Lynbrook Drive are a number of businesses in the old Charleswood area. On the north side of Roblin heading west are homes until curiously named the Charleswood Technology Centre.

In the window are signs offering yoga classes. A search of businesses offering yoga doesn't indicate that such a business exists in the building.

edit: I just got a flyer today to say that Kripalu Yoga classes are taught at the Charleswood Technical Centre by Cindy Wuerch.

The business that are listed in 2008 are:

Dawson McLennan Certified General Accountants, a general accountants practice
Avalon Institute Of Applied Science, a research and consultancy firm in environmental science
Assure Lab Works, a drug testing lab
Osorno, an environmental consultancy
Centre For Education And Work Incorporated, a private education consultancy

I'll have to drop in one day to see if these listing are accurate. The building does seem geared to very small offices for businesses.

On the north side of Roblin is a commercial building that looks like a house. Since 2006, The Food Studio has been a teaching young and old how to cook. They occupy the main floor.

On the second floor is a company called Farm Link Marketing Solutions which is a grain marketing company.

At one point, some years ago, the building was the home of a massage therapist.

Next door to the Food Studio and extending to Lynbrook Drive is a strip mall that contains Primerica, an insurance brokerage, Gallery Boutique and Salon, a nails shop and Surroundings, a draperies, blinds, linen and bathroom accessories store.

All in all, many small businesses and stores inhabit this section of Charleswood's old downtown.



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Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport Part 2

There was some hope that the old terminal would find a tenant after the move to the newly built terminal. Rumour was that the Western Canada Aviation Museum might be interested. Alas, that didn't come to pass and the old terminal will be torn down once the new one is built.

In 2007, the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport was Canada's seventh busiest airport by passenger traffic. That amounted to 3.5 million passengers. By aircraft movements, it is Canada's 11th busiest.

While the airport was constructed in 1964, it did go through major renovations in 1984. Improvements were made in how passenger traffic was handled and in the retail area on the second floor. Compared to some of the shopping emporiums in other airports, Winnipeg is a little light in attractions.

In 2008, the stores in the pre-security area were:

* Canadian Scene & Relay

This store is a basic newspaper and magazine shop with snacks and some Canadiana tossed in.

* DeLaga

In 2005, this clothing store opened in the terminal that carries designer clothing. It is owned by local business people.

* Front Page Sports

After the success of the temporary store set up in 2006 for the Grey Cup, the company that manages Relay and Virgin Records decided to set up a permanent store selling Manitoba and Canadian sport merchandise. The store opened in 2007.

* Journey's Travel & Leisure Supercentre

An offshoot of Journey's main store, this retailer sells various travel items such as luggage and clothing.

* Showcase Manitoba

A store specializing in Manitoba arts and crafts.

* The UPS Store

Standard UPS package store.

* Virgin Books & Music

Owned by the same group that owns Relay and Front Page Sports. The only Virgin Records in town. A little on the pricey side but if you are looking for a book or CD on the plane, this is for you.

In 2008, the post security clearance stores are"

* Aer Rianta Duty Free [open two hours before International flights]

A duty free store that sells merchandise including tobacco and alcohol tax free.

* Canadian Scene and Relay

A smaller version of what is pre-security.

* $15 Boutique

A retailer that Boutique sells high fashion accessories, small leather goods, belts, ties, earrings, pins, cubic zirconia, bracelets, jewelry, scarves, sunglasses, watches and other items all under $15. Operated by the owners of Relay and Virgin Records.



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Winnipeg too cold for Human Rights Museum

Focus groups across Canada have said that Winnipeg is too cold to host the Human Rights Museum.

From the Winnipeg Press:

These participants suggested that the city suffers from negative stereotypes such as: cold, nothing to do, far away, and not interesting to visit," says the summary. "Very few of these participants would put the museum on their list of things to see given the distance."

Focus groups in Vancouver and Calgary also raised the location of Winnipeg as an issue but were less concerned about it. The location wasn't raised as an issue in Halifax, Toronto, Kitchener, Thunder Bay, Red Deer and Whitehorse.

In total, 208 people participated in 26 different focus groups between Jan. 22 and Feb. 1.

It is tough to find fault with some of the thinking. Winnipeg is some distance from most other major centers in Canada. The Human Rights Museum is the first attempt as a national attraction.

Yes, you heard that right. The Human Rights Museum is the first project with national ambitions as its main reason for being. Sure we have Folklorama, the Winnipeg Folk Festival and the Manitoba Museum among other attractions. The problem is all these things were thought with a Manitoba audience in mind.

As for natural attractions, we don't have the mountains, the sea, a waterfall or any of the other sought after features people travel a distance to.

In most people's minds Winnipeg is not a tourist attraction and never will be. At least it won't be at the level of Vancouver or Toronto.

We shouldn't feel bad. Canada ranks low as an international travel destination around the world even with things like the Niagara Falls and the Rocky Mountains. Some countries like Britain go so far as to call us dull.

I think that the organizers of the Human Rights Museum should recognize right from the start that the facility is not going to be a traditional tourist attraction. People in Montreal and Vancouver are not going to book a trip to Winnipeg just to see the museum.

In some respect, perhaps Izzy Asper and Gail Asper, must have known that when they started this process since they spoke of the educational aspect and bringing youth from all over the country to participate in seminars and other teaching events. This is the right idea to be sure.

I'd go farther and say that the organizers might consider an annual Human Rights prize that might rival the Nobel and bring annual attention to Winnipeg as well as honoured guests.

The Human Rights Museum is not going to be the end all for tourism nor should it be. It isn't a Disney attraction. It will, however, be an important cultural and educational institution. With a concerted effort of outreach, it can become part of the national consciousness.

Winnipeg will have to continue to mainly promote itself as a regional tourism centre. This is where the city is going to get the bulk of its visitors.

Conference Board of Canada report

Manitoba has had fairly steady growth over the last number of years. The Conference Board of Canada in its 2008 economic report says that Manitoba will be second in growth behind Saskatchewan this year.

Saskatchewan is expected to have a blistering growth rate of 4.2%. Manitoba is expected to have 3.6% growth this year. Other provinces are expected to moderate this year.

A number of things have fueled the growth in Manitoba and not all of it has been government spending as some critics have suggested. Commodity prices in mining, oil and agriculture have risen sharply and have turned around fortunes in northern and rural Manitoba. Manufacturing which has been suffering in Ontario has done better in Manitoba. New Flyer, Standard Aero and Buhler have all got major orders or expansions going on.

An economist the Conference Board says Manitoba has "sideswiped" the U.S. economy.

The Canadian dollar has eased down in the next days and that should help the province as well with exports.

It remains to be seen how big a hit the U.S. economy takes and whether it will affect Manitoba in a big way as well.



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Wellington Crescent Part 1

Wellington Crescent began as an Indian trail along the Assiniboine River. It was names Wellington Street in 1893 after Arthur Wellington Ross, a landowner originally from Cornwall, Ontario who purchased land in Fort Rouge. He went on to become a Liberal MLA in Manitoba and later a Liberal-Conservative in Ottawa.

As Winnipeg steadily grew, land along both sides of the Assinibone River became attractive to the richest citizens. Between 1893 and 1914, large stately homes were constructed along Wellington. As it moved steadily west, it became Wellington Crescent.

From its starting point at the end of River Avenue, the Crescent eventually wound its way to present day Assiniboine Park.

Of all the houses built on the river side between River Avenue and Academy Road, only two remain: The Fortune House at 393 Wellington and the Ashdown House at 529 Wellington.

The Fortune House was spared demolition following a fire in the 1980s. The house was built in 1910 by Mark Fortune, a real estate investor. The family did not enjoy the house for long. Following a European vacation with his family, Mark Fortune and his son died aboard the Titanic in 1912. Fortune's wife and two daughters survived and returned to the city. The house was later sold to William P. Riley, President of Western Grocers in 1920.

In 1950, the house was converted into apartments following the Rileys departure for other Wellington Crescent digs. After a devastating fire in the 1980s, the house was faithfully preserved on the outside while converted into condos on the inside.

The other surviving house on the river side between Academy and River is the former Ashdown House at 529 Wellington Crescent. It was the fourth house built for James Ashdown. Ashdown was one of Winnipeg's most important businessmen and city movers. His hardware business operated out of the same downtown location for many years. In 1907, Ashdown served as the city mayor for two years.

In 1912, Ashdown built his newest house on Wellington Crescent. It was built in the Tudor style and Manitoba limestone walls. Immediately across the street was St. Mary's Academy, the oldest continually operating school in Manitoba. The school, started in 1869, moved to its present location in 1903.

Coincidentally, the Ashdown house came on the market in 1950, the same year that the Fortune House did. While the Fortune House was converted to apartments, the Ashdown House was converted to the headquarters of the Shriner's in 1956. Khartum Temple occupied the house until it moved to their new location on Wilke's Avenue in 2000. A meeting room addition was made to the house on the east side but the remainder of the house was unchanged aside from a parking lot built in the front yard.

There was a debate about what would happen to the house and eventually a restaurateur stepped up and the house has operated as 529 Wellington Steakhouse for the last several years.

Every other house fell to the wreckers aside from those two. The Isaac Pitblado and The William Mulock homes on either side of the Ashdown house were demolished.

Two houses adjacent to Ashdown house fell to the wreckers for the construction of Shaarey Zedek Synagogue in 1949. The house closest to Academy Road originally belonged to David Dyson whose family owned Dyson and Gibson Spice Mills. The company made Seven-Day Pickles. The other home was owned by John Gage, president of Consolidated Elevator which later became Federal Grain.

(to be continued)



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Portage Avenue Part 1

Picture taken by niceheart. Note: Holt Renfrew closed in 2007.

Portage Place was built in 1987 after a long debate as to how to best rehabilitate North Portage Avenue.

Lloyd Axworthy, the driving force behind the Core Area Initiative in 1981, was the minister charged with the federal response to Portage Avenue's decline. In 1980, Winnipeg was hit with a series of devastating economic hits. The Winnipeg Tribune had shut down as well as the Swift's and Canada Packers plants. It threw thousands out of work and that was just a few of the prominent businesses that closed during the recession at that time.

Axworthy spearheaded a tri-government agreement called the North Portage Development Corporation and although Axworthy advocated for an arena, the city rejected it in favour of an enclosed mall. A deal was signed but Axworthy was not there to follow it up. His government was ousted by Mulroney and while the Tories axed many of the Liberal projects in Winnipeg including the underpass at Waverley and the National Research Council lab on Ellice, they let the mall proceed.

It appears that the Portage Place land acquisition was too far along for Mulroney to cancel (although many thought the same thing about the NRC lab since the building was complete). Before Axworthy lost his job, he was able to get the funding and construction started on the Air Canada building at 355 Portage Avenue. It was completed in 1985, two years before Portage Place was constructed.

At the same time Portage Place was being constructed, Investors Group was looking to consolidate its people spread out over several offices in Winnipeg. For many years, they occupied elegant headquarters in a Broadway office tower built in 1962. Even now the building and design reminds one of the series Mad Men.

The new building, attached by skywalk to the mall, has peaked roof and a brick design. It was completed in the same year at Portage Place.

The concept behind the mall was to somehow bring retail success to the north side of Portage to mimic what was still happening on the south side. It was believed that connecting the north side by skywalks to The Bay and Eaton's would be key to that success.

(to be continued)



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Winnipeg Free Press Part 1

Picture taken by aqua_swing. This was the old headquarters on Carleton.

The Winnipeg Free Press was founded in 1872 and has been one of the main newspapers in the city ever since. It has had a series of Winnipeg-based owners except for a time where it was owned by the Thomson family from 1979 to 1991.

In 1991, the company was acquired from Thomson by Ronald N. Stern, a former Winnipegger who now lives in Vancouver and Robert Silver, a Winnipeg who is owner of Western Glove. Stern came from a printing and newsprint background. Silver is rooted in the garment sector.

Stern is the chairman of the company and seems to have his investments in Silver's companies in Winnipeg such as Warehouse One and Western Glove Works. Between the two men, they own 51% of the Free Press and associated companies. I suspect Stern might be the larger shareholder of the two but have no confirmation of that. The other 49% of the company is owned by an income trust comprised of a wide variety of investors.



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Black Rod

It is always fun to read the Black Rod. Where else do you get to read with such flare the amazing victories and progress about the Canadian military in Afghanistan and complain about the media not covering it? This is done while using media reports to back up your point of view, of course.

The other amusing read is the railing against inquiries into convictions. It seems in his view, the convicted remains guilty despite the police themselves identifying a more likely guilty party.

The latest laugh riot is the railing against the Taman inquiry.

I'm surprised he hasn't blamed Taman for the accident.

The East Saint Paul Police and the municipality have been struggling for years to operate professionally. On the night in question, they treated Zenk differently than another suspect. The Black Rod breezes past how Bakema told another officer that Zenk was pissed. Bakema had such faulty memory that he couldn't even remember calls he made to a auto dealership at the scene. The lack of notes sure looks bad. The rules of the East Saint Paul Police clearly state that notes are needed at any crime scene.

The Winnipeg Police Service should have been more vigilant in retrieving the bill from the restaurant. The steady stream of officers who could not remember a single drink or anyone else drinking that night defies credibility.

The Black Rod suggests that Zenk might not have been drunk at all. Nice. He breezes past the refusal on the breathalyzer with the "advice of lawyer" argument. An officer convinced of his sobriety doesn't need a reason not to take the test.

The whole scene raised questions and it wasn't just because the media was covering the story. The way Zenk was investigated by police and how he was dealt with in the court was different than other people might have been treated. At the very least, it looked like more could have been done to prosecute the case.

Even without media coverage, people would have sound reason to wonder if everything was done to seek justice for Crystal Taman.



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Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport Part 1

Picture taken by transformerryan of Eli Bornstein's Structurist Relief in Fifteen Parts.



Whew. When you say it aloud, it's a mouthful. I suppose after a while people will just say Richardson International if they're not already.

I think what is surprising to many people is that Winnipeg's airport is Canada's first international airport. Northwest Airlines began their first international flights to Winnipeg in that same year, two years after its start-up. It will be sad to see the Northwest name vanish this year pending their merger with Delta Airlines.

The airport was founded in 1928 and was named Stevenson field. The name came from noted bush pilot Captain Fred J. Stevenson, who flew cargo to remote areas of the province. In 1958, the name was dropped at the behest of the federal government and became Winnipeg International Airport.

The building that everyone is familiar with today is the main terminal which was built in 1964. It was designed by local architects GBR in the International Style and took four years to build.

Of note in the building are two immense pieces of artwork on either end of the terminal. One of the pieces was done artist John Graham. It is an aluminum and Plexiglas mosaic that goes by the name of Northern Lights and is located on the north wall.

(picture from Winnipeg Free Press of John Graham's Northern Lights)



The second piece of art is on the south wall. It is Eli Bornstein's Structurist Relief in Fifteen Parts. It covers 60 sqaure metres and consists of 15 white panels covered in enameled metal cubes.

Neither of these pieces is small enough or for that matter wanted in the new terminal. A few previous pieces of art were moved to the Western Canadian Aviation Museum after the last major renovation of the terminal in the 1980s.

Those pieces consisted of a sculpture originally made for the airport as well as a painting The sculpture was an Anne Kahane's carved wood panel of Frederick Stevenson walking across the field to his plan. The painting was an Alfred Pellan's pieces called The Prairie.

(to be continued)


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First Taser Incident in Winnipeg

Well, it was bound to happen soon than later. Winnipeg has had its first Taser related death.

The Manitoba Metis Federation wants an inquiry. The father of the boy wants an inquiry too but he seems more apt to believe that the boy might have been threatening police.

An investigation is standard in such a case. Unfortunately, the ability of the police to investigate their own has taken a hit due to the Taman inquiry. Even if it is found that the police had no choice but to fire in self defence, the doubts might linger.

It is hard to hear cops say they can't recall if a colleague was drunk or had been drinking the night someone was killed. It is hard to hear about how no notes were taken by various police forces, how no one seemed to ask a cop if he had been drinking and the special treatment a cop received afterwards both by the police and the courts. These are the things that the Taman inquiry has shown in its many weeks of testimony.

Police should not investigate police. It hurts their credibility. And credibility is what police need to do their job.

The Taman incident has shaken faith in the police and the justice system in a big way.

In terms of Tasers, I think it is clear that Tasers can be lethal. The RCMP and manufacturer of the Taser have tried to say that the Taser doesn't kill but there seems to be a growing consensus that it can lead to heart failure in some people. A 17 year old died from a weapon that is supposed to be non-lethal. That should raise eyebrows right there.

The problem as I see it is that if police believe the weapon is non-lethal, they are more apt to use it than a gun. Tougher guidelines are needed on use.

An inquiry is needed in regards to this death. It should be open and forthcoming as it can be and make recommendations in regards to the Taser at the very least.

In terms of the police and investigating its own, I believe that for its own good, the police should advocate for an independent body.

As for the issue of race, a frank discussion needs to continue.



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Taman Inquiry

The entire Taman affair is a tragic one. It is all the more tragic when the East Saint Paul Police seem to have completely botched a case. Moreover, the Winnipeg Police Service officers who spent the evening with Derek Harvey-Zenk seem to have no memory of what Zenk drank, if he drank or if anyone else was drinking at the restaurant or afterwards. It defies credibility.

Some of the police have said they feel disappointed by the media in their coverage of the whole thing. I don't think they should be surprised. Their responses to inquiry questions have been evasive to say the least. Some officers are accusing others of lying or not remembering correctly. It doesn't muster a lot of faith in either the Winnipeg Police or the East Saint Paul Police.

The scary thing about this is that it could easily happen again. Zenk was treated differently than any other suspect in a driving related incident.

The Taman family is likely to be disappointed in the end result of the inquiry. It won't bring justice in their particular case.

The one hope is that inquiry makes recommendations so that this doesn't happen again.




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Roblin Boulevard Part 1

Corydon Avenue becomes Roblin Boulevard as it passes the Assinibone Park entrance at Shaftesbury Boulevard.

Charleswood begins immediately west of Assiniboine Park which includes the Winnipeg Park Zoo, the Assiniboine Forest and the Tuxedo Golf Course.

A sign marks the entrance to Charleswood.

The first street that westbound travellers cross as they head into Charleswood is Chalfont. Anyone interested in seeing deer should turn south at this point. Early evening is the best time to see deer come out of the forest. The houses on the west side of Chalfont often put up mesh over their flowerbeds to keep hungry deer from eating everything.

On the north side of Roblin is a home that borders Assiniboine Park. It is the residence of Bill Taylor who is famous for the Assiniboine Park Railway, a miniature rail line that runs over his property and that offers rides on days when the sign is out on the street. During the Christmas season, the Taylor's have lights lining the long path to their home and the rail. It has become a tradition in December for many to walk down that path and ride the train while looking at the lights.

On the north side of Roblin, the commercial buildings begin between Wexford and Cathcart. For many years, the Robin's Doughnuts, Subway Restaurants and KFC occupied a strip mall there.

The Robin's shutdown in 2005. There was no drivethru and with Tim Horton's in the Charleswood Mall along Grant, it probably was losing commuters progressively over the years.

In 2007/2008, the owners of the strip mall did a makeover of the building. The telltale signature brick of the Robin's was covered up in favour of the same bland design found on most strip malls in the city. KFC/Pizza Hut Express closed during this process. Like Robin's, it had no drivethru.

A number of the KFCs have closed in Winnipeg recently. The common denominator seems to be the lack of a drivethru. For Charleswood residents, it means the closest KFC is now at the former Unicity Mall location.

The only restaurant to remain following the reconstruction has been Subway. In the old Robin's location, a Starbucks Coffee has opened. At one time Starbucks had sniffed at opening in cities like Winnipeg. Now they are everywhere.

In the old KFC location, there is paper over the windows. The sign says Asahi restaurant coming soon. It would appear to be an offshoot of the Asahi on Broadway.

I indicated a short time ago what a welcome addition Sushi Park has been to the Charleswood area in their Charleswood mall location. This makes things doubly good.

There is some indication that the Starbucks has been a hit. With a little sidewalk face section, the parking lot seems to be filled far more often than in the Robin's days.

The New Stadium Part 1

I have been pondering the question about the new stadium plans for Winnipeg. The latest twist in all this is David Asper's plan.

I think the first thing is for there to be honesty in the debate about a stadium. In the past, we have seen a lot of dishonesty in regards to sports and entertainment facilities. The MTS battle comes to mind. I changed my vote with Glen Murray based on what I thought was dishonesty regarding funding for the new arena.

I supported a downtown arena as a worthwhile replacement for the Eaton's building. Unlike some of the dreamers out there, I saw no viable private tenant who would take it over. I also didn't think much of the condo and commercial plans that some people proposed that would have gutted the building and required even more tri-government support than an arena required.

Picture of the old Eaton's building. Picture taken by skinlovr



It seems that when it comes to public facilities, the first casualty is complete openness in the process.

David Asper is a rich man who has had a passion for Blue Bombers for many years. He has wanted to buy the community owned team for some time and has indicated he is willing to pay a lot of money to do it as well as build a stadium. Leo Ledohowski is also a rich man who wants to build a stadium. Both men want a lot of government money to achieve their stadium dreams.

Apparently, the Blue Bombers wished to stay in their present Polo Park location. However, if they want a new facility, they are at the mercy of politicians and business people who have their own agendas.

The stadium site at Polo Park has become a valuable piece of land in the ever expanding retail sector. In some ways, the stadium has become more of an inconvenience than a draw in terms of retail.

Vic Toews, the Harper minister in charge of Manitoba affairs indicated early on that he was not going to be able to sell a deal to help build a new stadium at the present location to the cabinet.

For political reasons, eyes started to cast about towards the downtown.

Almost as an afterthought, Asper's Creswin real estate company added a stadium to a waterpark proposal that it was thinking about selling the city on. Once that stadium was tossed into the mix, excitement at various levels of government jumped immediately.

One problem: No one had asked Point Douglas residents what they thought...





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University of Winnipeg Part 1

The University of Winnipeg has been on a bit of a roll as of late. It is a bit of a change since 2003 when Constance Rooke, the fifth president of the university was fired. The university was crippled by cutbacks, faculty unhappiness and administrative problems. The future didn't look bright.

Through three presidents from Robin Farquhar (1981 to 1989), Marsha Hanen (1989-1999) and Constance Cooke (1999-2003), the U of W has had its funding chipped away at and yet still somehow managed to stay fairly well rated in Maclean's annual survey.

There were few triumphs in regards to campus life aside from the Athletic Center ( later named the Duckworth Center).

Constance Rooke tried to be creative with financing but ended up alienating faculty and the powers that be above her. One of her creative adventures was to buy some of the houses in and around Spence Street for student housing. While this may have been good for some of the students, it was probably the last straw when it came to her job.

Lloyd Axworthy left politics in 2000 and took a job with the Liu Centre for the Study of Global Issues in British Columbia. In 2004, he accepted the job of president of the University of Winnipeg. It was the return of the prodigal son in many ways. Axworthy had taught at the university many years earlier before and it seemed a natural fit once he was out of office.

While there must have been great hopes that a man of Axworthy's stature would enhance the reputation of the University of Winnipeg, I don't think anyone realized that he would embark on some of the most exciting changes the university has seen in decades.

Since 2004, the university has not only initiated one of the largest brick and mortar repair and expansion projects but has created new faculties and enhanced others.

For some time, the front of the university facing on to Portage Avenue was a dangerous place to be. Not only did someone risk being assaulted by people seeking money or worse, there was also a danger of getting conked on the head by a piece of masonry from the Collegiate.

Axworthy was able to get increased funding for a three pronged attack that repaired the masonry, revamped the green space in the front of the university and increased security. For many years mesh held back falling rock atop the Collegiate. It was a constant reminder of the sad sack state of affairs in terms of infrastructure at the campus.

The frontage out to Portage Avenue has been rejuvenated completely and now with the addition of the closure of Spence Street, we are seeing a more pedestrian friendly campus.

It remains to be seen whether the green space at the front of the university is going to be a place for students to hang out and sit in the sun as they once did prior to the makeover. This fall should give a pretty clear indication of whether the improvements are being utilized as they were intended.

(continued in Part 2)




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