New Water Utility

Winnipeg Free Press picture of the council meeting to decide the fate of Winnipeg's water utility

So it has been decided. Winnipeg will have a P3 partnership for the water utility. Officially, Council voted 10-6 Wednesday to create municipal corporate entity that will manage water and sewer services. This entity will also oversee garbage and recycling.

The council meeting lasted 12 hours and covered several things including the transfer of land at Parker (which I will discuss in another post).

I can honestly say I have no idea if this new utility will be better than what we have now.

Will it cost less? Will it be more accountable? Will it be more efficient?

Who can say? At most this is an experiment.



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CKX Part 3

CKX finally feels the love. After Shaw left them on the altar, an investment group has stepped forward.

It is hard to believe previous bidder Shaw was ever serious about buying the station. They seemed to have bid only in an attempt to embarrass CTV.

Bluepoint investment is the new buyer lined up for CKX. They outlined their strategy to the Globe and Mail.

On CJOB, Bluepoint said that they will continue with their affiliation with the CBC but pick programs they like rather than taking the whole thing.

Local news and programs will be funded by the new federal program for small market stations.

It remains to be seen if Bluepoint will be successful with this formula. It does seem the big media players have orphaned some of the smaller players and more focused ownership may be better.

I suspect local TV can be profitable but it can't pursue foreign programming that is overly expensive and gives narrow returns. I expect local news and programs might be a good way to get the ad dollars in western Manitoba. A suitable relationship with CBC and some affordable daytime and primetime programming might be the ticket for CKX.



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Doer now, Doer tomorrow, Doer forever

The latest Probe Research poll is out and the news is that Gary Doer and the NDP will be in office... forever.

Doer is a populist. He probably helps win five or six seats just based on that popularity.

As long as the economy doesn't completely tanks in Manitoba and as long as he refuses to hold inquiries into his government, Doer can probably win majority after majority.

I don't think there is any evidence of voter fatigue with Doer.

The question is: Will Doer look to step down after the next election? If he does, the NDP has no one who comes close to him in charisma. Blaikie is popular among his own party and in his riding but I think he would be the first to admit, he won't be voted for based on being a superstar like Doer is.

Doer's good looks for a number of voters has probably turned the tide in a number of elections.

If some people think is not important, think about how many people would rally to Chomiak provincially. Being rumpled and looking like you've missed sleep might not affect you in your local riding but it certainly will affect your provincial appeal.

There are some who think Oswald might have appeal and she certainly might. There are others too who might be a fresh face but there is no superstar in the way Doer is now.

At the moment, it looks like Doer now and Doer tomorrow.

I think the problem for the province is that the NDP is highly risk adverse after a number of years in office. They wait for others to introduce private member's legislation before adopting the idea. It is a slow moving process.

Meanwhile, issues like the lack of rental housing and social housing fester. The ribbon cutting on some social housing this summer still doesn't address a terrible rental market for available living space. Rent control is too tight and no one wants to build in sufficient numbers.

It is much like the university freeze. Doer kept it until the universities started to teeter under the rising costs that were not being met.

Housing is just another one of those neglected issues.

In any event, this is the way Doer does things. He has been lucky that the economy hasn't stuck it to the province like it has in other regions. It still may affect him in the fall but he has a long way to ever be in danger because of it.



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Miss Lonelyhearts

Since 1980, Maureen Scurfield has written Miss Lonelyhearts for the Winnipeg Sun.

On April 15, Maclean's wrote about she has written for the paper all these years and how her attempt to syndicate were unsuccessful. She has been, however, a mainstay of the Sun since it started. Now the paper has lost yet another local reporter.

The Winnipeg Free Press made the announcement by saying that Miss Lonelyhearts would be taking over for Rhona Raskin.

It is somewhat of a coup for the Free Press. There are some people who read her column in the Sun whenever they had a copy of the paper. I don't know if it is enough to make people switch to the Free Press but she is local in a way that Free Press advice columns have not been before.



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Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport Part 3

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

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

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

The Free Press listed the 13 retailers and restaurants:

Local operators:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are some national and international operations as well.

National and international operators:

Starbucks Coffee, an international specialty coffee/restaurant chain.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Still, some interesting business announcement for the airport.

Some questions remain: What happens to the old terminal?



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Highrises in Winnipeg

It has been reported that the highrise that was supposed to be built on the site of old Upper Fort Garry may now rise a short distance away on Assiniboine Avenue.

It seems every time there is an apartment proposal lately that a protest emerges of not in my backyard.

The apartment complex proposed by Heritage Landing and its owner Rubin Spelzer is set to rise 25 stories. Spelzer was the man who gave way to the Friends of Upper Fort Garry. The city seems to be offering the surplus land to Spelzer while denying no quid quo pro. I don't know if we'll ever know.

There have been no high rises built for residents in the downtown since the 1980s. The area behind the Fort Garry Hotel and Fort Garry Place were the last to be built. The focus in recent years has been the Exchange District and the condos along Waterfront Drive.

Winnipeg's downtown is very spread out. The density level is low and there has many surface and other parking lots spread out all over. Even so, the complaints of not enough parking keep cropping up and heritage buildings keep going down to put up another parkade.

We'll see if Spelzer's project will get the go ahead. It is obvious there is a crying need for apartment space in the city. The NDP is trying to fund social housing but it is a drop in the bucket. Not in my backyard thinking and rent control have strangled the market.

The Tories are terrified of losing another election because of rent control but only the removal of it will help on supply. To mitigate quick rises in rent, the program should be phased out. Just as the freeze on tuition had to end lest the universities start cancelling even more programs, the government will have to phase out rent control.

I suspect as soon as that happens, a lot of the empty spaces occupied by parking lots downtown can be turned into apartments.



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More Jets

The Winnipeg Jets are featured in Canadian Business magazine this month.

As Canadian Business magazine outlines it, there are three major things that Winnipeg would need to iron out before an NHL team would be viable.

MTS Centre: Box Seats $43,500 to $67,500
Rexall Place Box Seats $49,200 to $410,000
Air Canada Centre Box Seats $500,000.

The article quotes Robert Warren as saying that he has spoken to many business people and he could find none that would pony up that kind of cash each year.

He might be right. However, he was totally wrong in saying IKEA would not come to Winnipeg.

The website called Manitoba Mythbusters goes on to offer countering arguments to every point Canadian Business magazine.

On the issue of corporate box seats, they say that there is a waiting list of 50 ownership groups looking to buy in. It is possible that there is enough corporate support for a team, especially if it is the only major league international sports team in the city.

The question of attendance comes up. The average attendance between 1989 and 1995 was 13,138. The MTS Centre has a capacity of 15,003 seats. It would be the smallest arena in the NHL, roughly 542 seats smaller than Nassau Coliseum where the New York Islanders play.

Now, the issue of how many seats the NHL actually sells has been questioned in recent years. Lots of seats seem to be unloaded. Many games seem to have fewer fans than a Moose game. Corporate seats probably push up game day attendance but it is clearly not visible when the cameras flash by the stands. Where are the people?

Mythbusters details how a large group of teams give away anywhere from 1000 to 2000 seats a game.

One thing that people don't talk about in terms of the old Winnipeg Jets attendance was that there were always rumours about free seats given out by Winnipeg Enterprises. I have no idea if that number was small or large but I can recall grumbling from the Jets management about they weren't always certain if Enterprises was letting in a lot of people.

There have been a few people who say the MTS Centre is cramped. At 15,003 seats, it probably is in the upper decks. I can't imagine a NHL team coming without some sort of planned upgrade to add 1000-2000 seats and more bathrooms and concessions.

On the issue of salaries, it is obvious the NHL still has an unrealistic approach given how many teams are in trouble. The website Mythbusters says Winnipeg can handle it along with revenue sharing but I think it would be a tough slog to keep up and stay competitive.

The 2009-2010 season might bring a little more reality to the league. It will be interesting to see if there are indeed some teams that are in the same situation as Phoenix. In fact, it will be interesting to see if Phoenix is able to get through the next season. That remains an open question.

In the meantime, Winnipeg should be patient. It has an arena, an ownership group and a reputation for hockey. At some point the league might be coming to it because of problems with a franchise.



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Winnipeg's Growth Spurt

Picture of Downtown Winnipeg from Wikipedia

Statistics Canada revised its estimates of Winnipeg's population growth in their last report.

The size of the Winnipeg Census Metropolitan Area -- essentially, the city and most of its bedroom communities -- has also been adjusted and is now pegged at 739,000, up 18,500 from a previous 2009 estimate of 720,500.

The revised population estimates, which are based on 2006 census data, are being treated as a sign that Winnipeg has finally overcome the malaise that plagued the city in the mid-1990s, when population growth was stagnant. But projections of further growth have city administrators worried about a worsening housing crisis.

That is quite the jump and there is a number of things that the experts say have helped propel growth. Immigration and the provincial nominee program has been a huge factor. Inter-provincial migration is another factor. The economy's strength has ensured that people have come to the province or stayed in the province.

The Free Press article asked the question of whether the provincial nominee program which has been so successful in attracting immigrants will put a stop to the growth. It is a good question. Already there are some expressing deep fears. While everyone agrees the system should not be open to abuse, it should also not shut the door to nominees.

Manitoba has done exceptionally well and it can be seen in the hustle and bustle within the province despite the continuing recession.

There are clouds though and a lot of it has to do with how immigration is dealt with in the future through the nominee program. It is still Manitoba's best bet for a vital and diverse population. At the moment, it doesn't look like the NDP government is aware of how negative the outlook is on their legislation.



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Mooseplex

I'm surprised that there hasn't been more written in the blogosphere about this project to build this arena complex.

With all the federal funds being thrown out there, the Chipman family stepped up with a project that is supposed to be shovel ready. The arena multiplex is costed out at $25 million and will be 172,000 square feet. It will consist of four NHL surface size rinks with 20 dressing rooms. An additonal 30,000 square feet will house Hockey Manitoba, Hockey Canada and True North offices as well as a high performance training center. One of the rinks will have seating for 1,500 fans. A restaurant, pro shop and concession area is listed in the specs.

The project will cost $25 million. The Chipmans will contribute $13.2 million and the feds and the province will contribute $5.9 million each for a total of $11.8 million.

According to the Chipmans, the building with become on of only three high performance centers for hockey training in Canada, the other two being Toronto and Calgary.

The opening of the Mooseplex is set for 2010 and the Chipmans have indicated they will bid World Under-17 Hockey Championship for two consecutive years to coincide with competition. This Canadian tournament also has international teams participation and many future stars of the NHL show their stuff.

My suggestion is that the Chipmans should also bid on the IIHF World Under-18 Championships since they have never been played in Canada. In 2009, they were played in Fargo, North Dakota.

The Fargo U18 games were played out of two buildings: Moorhead Arena and Urban Plains Center. The Urban Plains Center is a 5000 seat arena where the Fargo Force pro team plays and the Moorhead Arena is a two rink facility that is where high school and college teams play.

It is obvious that if Fargo could carry off the U18 games, Winnipeg could as well.

There were hints that there may be additional announcements of arenas in the city. I'd be interested to know if the University of Winnipeg might be one of those announcements.

The University of Manitoba has the Max Bell Center for hockey. It would be good for the University of Winnipeg had its own version.

The merits of a university arena are seen in Grand Forks, North Dakota where the Ralph Engelstad Arena has become the centerpiece of a large development around the University of North Dakota. It is unlikely that we'd see a $100 million private donation the likes of UND got to start their arena but it is possible that the University of Winnipeg could get a quarter of that if they teamed up with the school divisions and private donors. Who knows.

The Mooseplex will be an interesting and welcome addition to the city. The one problem I see is that it pushes the boundaries of the city right to western limit. The arena location by Point West Autopark, Red River Ex and Assiniboia Downs might trigger more development just outside of the city. The province should be wary of letting exurbia growth going wild. The Trans-Canada through Headingley is already dangerously busy with businesses alongside the road.



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Kayong Barracks Part 1

Pictures from the Free Press and other sources of the Kapyong Barracks.

The Kapyong Barracks look to be tied up for some time to come. The judge was not about to transfer the land to First Nations for free. Quite rightly, he said there was a price to be paid for it.

The question of whether the First Nations have a right to the land is in question. It seems there is a debate over "surplus land" versus "strategic land". I don't know how that will be distinguished but it is what the federal court will be hearing in September.

It is a long wait from 2004 to now to decide the fate of this large piece of land.

My suspicions is that Real Canadian Superstore on east side of Kenaston at Grant has had its eyes on moving across the street. It is probably why they have delayed renovations as long as they have. This year, with no prospect of moving soon, the store manager says millions will be spent to improve the dowdy store. The Tuxedo Safeway has also recently gone through a renovation. My guess is that they too were thinking Kapyong might be a desirable location.

Kapyong Barracks has developers all over town and First Nations drooling about the possibilities.

Some have lobbied for the First Nations to take the land such a Don Marks. Ironically, he said the people should not give in to bleeding hearts and let the houses be used for social housing since it would not be temporary.

The irony is that his own bleeding heart doesn't take into consideration whether First Nations even have a right to the land. He just assumes they do.

Setting aside the dispute for the moment, there are a number of things that need to be addressed before developing the land.

The first pressing need is on transportation. There have been plans put forward in regards to Route 90/Kensaton. There is already opposition to what was introduced. No one wants their house expropriated. Some people claim there isn't a problem to begin with. That is a little hard to reconcile with traffic backed up from the St. James Bridge to the McGillivray at all times of the day. The special timers that Sam Katz trumpeted failed working shortly after installation.

The Ikea development and Waverley West will continue to put pressure on the narrow Route 90 roadway. It seems obvious that three lanes in each direction with far better left and right turning lanes is necessary. Having timers on lights would also be an improvement.

Getting traffic to move more smoothly is just one aspect of what to do with Kapyong and the associated military housing. The next steps are how to ensure that bike paths and side-walks are part of the plan.

It is unfortunate that the city did not take a harder line on making the abandoned rail line that runs parallel to Kenaston a bike path. Too many neighbors protested it. What has ended up happening is that commercial businesses on Grant, Academy and elsewhere have expanded into the rail's abandoned property. A condo development has taken form in the empty space at Corydon.

No chance for a bike path, bus route or anything else now. I suppose many of the neighbors figured with the rail gone, they would have a green space for free behind their house. They generally have opposed any development proposed for the narrow strip.

There seems little chance that opposition to widening Kenaston will stop it from happening. Still it would be good to know if a strip of land off Kapyong could be used to get the project going now rather than ten years from now.

Next...what sort of development should go up?



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Winnipeg Jets

The Globe and Mail has reported that Gary Bettman would consider a move of the Phoenix Coyotes to Winnipeg but not to Hamilton.

The Arizona Republic has reported how desperate Glendale city officials are to keep the Coyotes in the community. The city went into debt the pay for the $220 million arena. Moving the team would cost $2.4 million and hurt area businesses.

The problem is that the Coyotes are a money losing operation and Glendale can't force the operation to operate unless they want to underwrite the whole team. The NHL appears to be trying to assert that they own the team now and that they can sell it to who they want. Apparently, the person they want to see to is Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

Balsillie has now indicated that he is willing to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix if it is too late to move them for this upcoming season due to scheduling.

The whole thing is a mess and until the bankruptcy proceedings are complete, it is difficult to see who can make decisions on Phoenix's future.

Winnipeg is a pawn that rates a mention because it may end up the landing zone of the team if all the other machinations fail.

The National Post is reporting that the snag in the Hamilton bid is the $120 million renovation that Copps Coliseum will need to get HHL ready.

I was a fan of the Jets. I still have an original Jets jacket. I don't think Winnipeg Jets fans should get too excited. At the moment all the discussions of bringing a team back to Winnipeg are at a level that doesn't included any Winnipeggers. Until that happens, it is doubtful we are going to see a team in the city.

In all likelihood, there is some other sucker who will foot the costs of Phoenix Coyotes in their present arena.



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CKX Part Deux

It looks like CKX has a new owner in this high stakes game of chicken that cable is playing with regular broadcasters.

Shaw has bought CKX.

Shaw already owns Kenora's TV station which it runs at a small profit. Let's see if they can do the same for Brandon.



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Bar Streets

Picture of Sixth Street bar scene in Austin, Texas

It started off with a contribution to the Free Press. It garnered many responses including one from Gail Asper.

The gist of the article is why weren't there any "bar streets" in Winnipeg. Several streets around North America are mentioned.

One thing we can try to combat on this perception is that there is not much to do. If Winnipeg had a cool bar street there would always be something to do: "Let's go for a cruise down Kindersley Street" or Riel Avenue or Coast Street or whatever. This is our chance to create something that could draw people (say to the best party city in Canada) for a vacation; people may actually choose to come here. Young adults of rural Manitoba I'm sure would come to the city more often. We could have something great like Sixth Street in Austin, Texas, or Electric Avenue in Calgary, or like many of the great college towns in the U.S .and Europe.

Bar streets don't happen in a vacuum. They come as a result of a desire of certain businesses wanting to cluster together and zoning allowing that to happen.

But where can that happen in Winnipeg? Well, in a city dominated by cars, it has to be a place with a lot of parking. It also has to be in a place where each of the bars is in close proximity to one another and feed off the excitement that crowds generate. Lastly, it has to be in a place that has a central attraction that create a lot of foot traffic.

The only place I can think of is downtown Winnipeg, specifically Portage Avenue Here's why:

Lots of parking.
Lots of space for restaurants and bars.
The MTS Centre.

Despite the fact that the MTS Centre has been around for a few years, it really only has Moxies and Tavern United in close proximity. This despite the fact that on some weekends, it can attract 60,000 people if three large shows happen. Father down each end of Portage are a few more restaurants and bars but there is very little cohesiveness to it all. Blush Ultra Club has been a bar location for a year. At 19,000 square feet and capacity of 1000 people, it never has been able to attract a counterpart where real club competition might happen.

On the southside of Portage in 2008, the Rinkside Restaurant and Bar opened up. It is a fairly small location but does add something for the eatery and sports mad fans in the area.

The need for a few more sports bars would go a long way too attracting even more people to the area prior to hockey and curling events.

So what can be done to attract more businesses to the area to create a true bar street?

I think the answer lies with Centre Venture. It should target a few empty buildings along Portage Avenue and call for tenders for restaurants and bars. At the moment, they are trying to do an office/condo combo for some Portage Avenue buildings but it just hasn't taken off.

The store front aspect should be focused on first and then the upper floors are likely to attract businesses who would welcome the hustle and bustle.



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Berkshares

I was going to mention this back a while ago but this seems to be the first opportunity to do so. USA Today no longer comes to the city. Shortly after the paper started, USA Today boxes could be found throughout the city. Don't know how long they lasted but it was years. After they were removed, the paper was available at some 7/elevens as well as the major book stores. No more. Since March of 2009, you cannot find a USA Today in any of the traditional stores. I have not tried Dominion News but you can't get it at McNally or Chapters.

USA Today content on the web includes all their print material but it is not the same as sitting reading the paper with its bright photos and great illustrations. I still think their mapping of the Inaugural in Washington showed how superior a newspaper is for some things.

USA Today often writes stories others don't cover which makes it an interesting paper. Back in early April, they wrote a story on Berkshares, a plan were local communities print their own paper currency during hard times.

The principle of the idea is that businesses and individuals form a group whereby they pay for a local currency at a discounted level. Usually that is around 5%. In other words, a person pay .95 cents for a currency worth $1.00 in local stores.

Under the BerkShares system, a buyer goes to one of 12 banks and pays $95 for $100 worth of BerkShares, which can be spent in 370 local businesses. Since its start in 2006, the system, the largest of its kind in the country, has circulated $2.3 million worth of BerkShares. In Detroit, three business owners are printing $4,500 worth of Detroit Cheers, which they are handing out to customers to spend in one of 12 shops.

This has been advertised as a good thing for small towns but why not a city like Winnipeg?

The Downtown Biz already has the Blue Loony program but you only get a $1 coin after spending $20 worth of services. It is good for parking, transit or a number of businesses. I don't know if someone buys a dinner of over $100 whether they receive $10 coins. My understanding of it is no.

Interesting program for what it is worth. Would love to see it in Winnipeg.



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Roblin Boulevard 5

There have been a couple of business closing on Roblin as it passes through old Charleswood.

McIntyre's Meats went out of business suddenly in March. It is a shame. The business replaced Norman's Meats which went bankrupt about two years ago. McIntyre's showed well, the price was great, they had some great cuts of meat and some very yummy salads including Greek and pasta salads which I often mixed together.

Sangster's closed this April. It was a healthfood business and had been there a while.

Kel's Crease, a sporting goods place in the building that holds the 7/11 shut down at the end of last year. Something is about to move in as there is paper over the windows.

The Charleswood Hotel is coming down piece by piece. Kind of sad really.

One of the large open spaces that opened to a new business was at old Charleswood Daycare Center. That business went down when it was revealed that a pedophile was connected to it around 2005. The space stayed empty for a long time but is now occupied by a Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery center. I will reveal more about this in another update.

The former Books and Crannies on North Roblin is now Globosapiens. Still mean to get in there at some time.



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Post Office to become Cop Shop?

In a Free Press article, it was revealed that the Winnipeg Police are in formal talks to take over the Canada Post building on Graham.

The Public Safety Building, a Modernist design built in 1965 as part of the campus complex of the city that included the parkade and City Hall is literally falling apart. The price to renovate has escalated to the point that the city has decided it may be cheaper to buy a new facility than go through the hassle and inconvenience of finding temporary quarters for officers.

The Post Office was built in 1958 but has come available due to the fact the sorting plant and many other functions are being transferred to the airport and another downtown location in the year coming.

At the onset, it seems this decision is both a fiscally correct one and offers other intriguing possibilities for bringing some other police functions under one roof. The present post office covers a full city block and while there is some sense in moving its new location, it leaves a big hole in the downtown. The police headquarters could be the tonic.

So the big question is the Public Safety Building. Can it be saved? My view is that it might not be possible. The costs of fixing the problems might far too much compared to tearing it down.

And the question is: Who would want the building? There was Red River College musings but I can't imagine it would easy without someone footing the bill for repairs.

I've always found the building to be very modern and a little intimidating. Don't know how I'll feel about to being torn down but it is unacceptable to repair it for tens of million of dollars nor can it be left standing with pieces falling off of it.



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Plan for Nunavut-Manitoba road

CBC is reporting that a plan to build all weather road from Manitoba to Nunavut is almost complete.

The road would run from Gillam through to Churchill and then up to the Nunavut communities of Arviat, Whale Cove and Rankin Inlet.

The construction would go a long way to developing the north, affirming our sovereignty and employing local people in the region where construction is taking place.

The question is whether the various governments will greenlight this project.



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Random Notes

As noted in Rise and Sprawl, Apple is opening a store in Polo Park in October.

Curious to see what is moving out.

Sephora moved into Tommy Hilfger's location since they have a big store already on Kenaston.

This will help Polo Park hold onto its position as a destination mall.

Too bad their food court is still the pits.

***

The election in River Heights is today. I think that John Orlikow would be the better councillor and last check, I heard he was elected. My feeling is Currier would have been too much in the vein of Katz who goes by the seat of his pants and doesn't really have a plan.

As far as trustee goes, there are a few there that might have been interesting. I don't know who would be the best. I think that is why former trustee Rita Hildahl was elected again. Name recognition and experience helped.

***



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Roblin Boulevard Part 4

Between Lynbrook Drive and Elmhurst Road are two auto repair stores. On the south side is the large George Rempel Auto Centre and almost directly opposite is smaller Dale and Ron's Roblin Auto Service. At one time, both stations may have had gas pumps but no longer.

Both businesses are quite busy with cars from George Rempel sometimes stretching down Lynbrook Drive.

At one time, Papas Restaurant had the fine dining niche to themselves on Roblin but they now have competition from Asahi down the street. Papas is located right up Elmhurst with parking in a fair sized lot behind it.

In between George Rempel and Papas is a series of home decorating shops. Vi's Interiors is one of the businesses. Braun Carpet is the other.

Whereas, the south side of Roblin is bounded by Lynbrook and Elmhurst, the north side is bounded by Royalgate Road and Hendon Avenue. The Charleswood Technical Centre is the on the western corner at Royalgate Road.

Dale and Ron Auto Service follows as you move west. A strip mall or sort start after the service station. After renovations in 2008, Charleswood Rental was replaced by a pet food company called Paws and Go. Immediately beside it is Globosapiens Bookstore Cafe‎ which was Books and Crannies until 2009.

Alongside the bookstore is FJO, a supplier of autoparts.

Continuing west and you find Ceramic Plus Dental Lab.

Palmer and Badger Accountants occupy the space next door.

West of the accountant's office is Robert Lee Martial Arts school is located. One of the pictures above is from their website.

The last place on the block before Hendon is the Charleswood Eye Center. It is both a retailer of glasses and an optician shop. I must say though that my wife went to get her eyes tested there and when she didn't get her glasses there because her health plan only covered glasses from Sears, the optician got a little huffy.

The businesses along this section of street are part of the old Charleswood with each offering unique services.



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Ikea Part 2

The road construction plans were revealed last week by the city of Winnipeg.

The road plan indicates that both Kenaston and Sterling Lyon Parkway will be expanded to nine lanes in each direction. The cost will be around $22 million and the $400 million project will take it around $6 million in taxes.

The full report is here including the lay-out of the retail outlets.

The Free Press reported that public hearing would reveal this:

On March 11, the city will hold an open house about the IKEA development, which will see the Swedish-founded furniture giant serve as the 350,000-square-foot anchor tenant for a development that will also include a separate 200,000-square-foot big-box store, two stores in the 140,000 to 200,000- square-foot range, numerous smaller stores, a 500-unit condo development, a 100-room hotel, a 16-screen movie theatre and a 150,000-square-foot office park.

Fairweather, the developer of the IKEA property has said that they will pay $26.5 million to expand roads at Kenaston, Sterling Lyon and Shaftesbury. In the end, after the city pay the developer back, they will only have paid $4.5 million. That's a lot of road but then we are talking about and a lot development.

It can't be seen in a vacuum. Waverley West and the Kapyong Barracks along with everything else that is connected to Kenaston has to be looked at in terms of traffic, livability and how it affects surrounding areas.

I personally think Ikea will be a good thing for the city. Much like how Old Navy and Sephora are desination stores, IKEA is the premiere destination retailer. People will come from all over the province, northwest Ontario all the way to Thunder Bay, and from eastern Saskatchewan. It is hard to say if it will attract people from North Dakota but it might for those who think two hours to come to IKEA is better than five or more to Minneapolis.

There will be Manitobans who have been making special trips to Edmonton and Minneapolis who will now stay in Winnipeg to shop.

All of this is good for jobs, taxes and to attract tourists.

On the negative side is the fact that Kenaston (Route 90) is ill equipped to handle the traffic that is booming up and down its length. In some ways it is becoming as important as Portage Avenue. It connects several important destinations in Winnipeg. The Richardson International Airport, Polo Park, Kenaston at McGillivray and Waverley West all depend on this road. It is far too narrow to handle traffic now.

The traffic signal timers that Sam Katz trumpeted more than a year ago for Kenaston don't work as we learned in December when traffic was backed up for as long as an hour or more heading out at the end of the day.

It is not enough to study just what is happened from Academy Road to McGillivray. The entire blueprint of Route 90 needs to be looked at how it will affect the task of simply going to the airport or home at the end of the day.

I support Ikea and at the onset don't have a major problem with the location. I prefer it to the possibility of an industrial park. The city does have to get its ducks in a row though.

Not everyone will be happy. Some along Kenaston will not be happy for sure but the writing has been on the wall for houses alongside the road for some time. The Not in My Backyard syndrome is strong all over the city. Some others are against the development in principle. They seem upset by the whole idea of malls and the like and advocate for the smaller local retailer as part of the community. I have sympathy for that thinking but it only goes so far. The nostalgia for tight knit communities runs smack dab into the reality of life now which is that we are mobile, work unusual hours, have a variety of interests and are looking for selection that reflects our personal tastes and style.

In other words, something like Ikea is the equivalent of the big box department stores of the past except that they are in suburbs rather than downtown.

Ikea is where the people much in the same way Eaton's was. Modern life.



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