Roblin Boulevard 6

The new company in the former Charleswood Technical Center is Sirius Benefits Plans



The Food Studio is now joined by Ethos Realty on the second floor



The former Charleswood Technical Center

The former Charleswood Technical Center underwent a makeover in the winter and spring of 2010 and the building appears to have one tenant called Sirus Benefits Plans.

It would appear that Sirius had previously occupied second floor offices in the Tuxedo Park Shopping Mall.

Ethos Realty now occupies the second floor of the Food Studio building that was previously occupied by a market research company.



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Main Street Part 1

Two pictures of the completed Winnipeg Regional Health Authority building on Main Street.






Two artists drawings of the United Way building being built downtown

Main Street has seen some large institutional organizations build storefront operation on the street. The first to go up was the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority headquarters. While the 219 workers to the area were certainly welcome, the final design of the $30 million building left many disappointed.

The initial design seemed to offer some hope that storefront commercial space would be available. However, when the building was constructed, the commercial space in the WRHA was gone and parkade entrances took their place. The project upon completion is a near city block of nothing for the average pedestrian. One wonders what the workers inside think about their prospects of sitting outside for their lunch. There are a few good restaurants about but none in a storefront on the building itself. The entire area of Main north of Logan is now a long stretch of walking to find a shop or a bite to eat.

It is no wonder that people often feel duped when they see the building now. For stories, 80,000 square feet of space and 219 workers feels like a squandered opportunity.

Still, I am convinced of the arguments some made for turning the old Epic and Starland theatres into artist or cultural centers. Winnipeg already had far too many theatre buildings starved for funds, attractions and artists to make that work. The buildings were slowly falling apart and to pedestrians and commuters alike, it seemed to emphasize the blight. I appreciate that artists were turning some parts of the area around but I don't think it was going to happen fast enough to keep those buildings from falling into the street.

The WRHA is an example of "woulda, coulda, shoulda." It could have been so much more.

Still, we are left with the hand dealt and the fact is that there are opportunities now for attracting the 200 workers in the building. Let's see if we can see a few business people capitalize on that.

The United Way building is now under construction. I'll reserve comment until the final construction but it looks good in initial design. Ir replaces a surface parking lot, Chinese restaurant and pawn shop. The location between Pacific and Alexander on Main Street. Only 20 parking spaces are going to be available for the site and the total cost of the move will be about $10 million. I'm not sure how many employees or volunteers will be using the building at the moment.

Tentative opening of the new location is July 26. I will post more information as it comes available.

One thing I can say is that the United Way building makes sense and seems to have been done with more sympathy and in concert with the surrounding area.



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Fun Questions for the candidates for Charleswood-Tuxedo Ward

Fun Questions for the candidates for Charleswood-Tuxedo Ward

Question 1: What is your favourite form of recreation?
Question 2: Do you have any hobbies?
Question 3: Do you support any charities?
Question 4: What is your favourite book(s)?
Question 5: What is your favourite movie(s)?
Question 6: What is your favourite TV show(s)?
Question 7: What is your favourite sport(s)?
Question 8: Who is the most important person(s) in your life?
Question 9: What is the last sporting event in Winnipeg that you attended?
Question 10: What is the last artistic event that you have attended in Winnipeg? (i.e.: Manitoba Theatre Centre, Rainbow Stage, Plug-in Gallery)
Question 11: What is your favourite type of music?
Question 12: Who is your favourite musician(s)?
Question 13: Who is your favourite author(s)?
Question 14: What is the mode of transportation you use daily?
Question 15: Who is the person you admire most outside of your family?
Question 16: What school did you graduate from?
Question 17: What was the first job you ever had?
Question 18: What was your dream job growing up?
Question 19: What countries have you visited?
Question 20: Do you have a cottage?
Question 21: Do you have a second winter home?
Question 22: Where was your last holiday and how long were you away for?
Question 23: What would be your dream holiday destination?
Question 24: What languages do you speak?
Question 25: What is your favourite desert?
Question 26: What is your favourite food?
Question 27: What is your favourite restaurant?
Question 28: What radio stations do you listen to?
Question 29: What local or national newscasts do you watch on TV?
Question 30: What provincial politician do you admire the most?
Question 31: What federal politician do you admire the most?
Question 32: Who in history would you want to have dinner with if you were to get the chance?
Question 33: Who is your secret celebrity crush?
Question 34: Which are better dogs or cats?
Question 35: What is your favourite season of the year?



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Election 2010

I have collected the email addresses of the Charleswood-Tuxedo candidates and will be sending it to each of them in due course. I will also compile a lost of fun questions as well to see who they are as people rather than just as candidates.

I don't know who I will vote for in the election in the Charleswood ward. They are all new and deserve a chance to be heard. I will make my decision once I hear something about the candidates.

I don't know who to vote for in terms of the mayor either. I have not voted for Sam Katz in any of his campaigns for mayor. My reasons for this is that I didn't really hear a platform that gave me a sense of vision for the city. I am not rushing to Judy Wasylycia-Leis since I'm not hearing a platform from her either and I am concerned that she will be beholden to her NDP counterparts at the provincial level.

I am left bereft when it comes to mayor. I will wait to see what I see but it might be that I am left with no one to vote for.

In interest of disclosure, I ran as a Liberal provincially in 1988 and worked for the Liberals as an assistant until 1989. I have left my Liberal memberships lapse both provincially and federally but still donate monthly to the federal Liberals. My lapse is not necessarily a reflection of my lack of support but the fact that I am trying to establish myself in a new profession and don't have as much time. That, and a desire to have a family in the next while has limited a more involved political commitment.

I am centrist. I lean to a more fiscal conservative policy that asks if the taxpayer is being best served. I am a social Liberal in that I believe in a live and let live policy. I have an interest in labour and management working well together. I want to make sure that self interest doesn't derail initiatives that are good for the general public. However, I don't believe that a initiatives should be bulldozed through without consulting.

There is going to be some substantial changes in council this election. For many years we have had the same fights with the same people time and time again. It will be interesting to see what is in store for the city in the future.

I hope the questions I have posted and the answers that come give insight into the people we might choose to represent us.



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Questions for the candidates for Charleswood-Tuxedo Ward

Questions for the candidates for Charleswood-Tuxedo Ward

Question 1: What is your name?

Question 2: What is your profession?

Question 3: How old are you?

Question 4: Can you tell us about your family?

Question 5: Why are you running in Charleswood-Tuxedo?

Question 6: How long have you lived in the ward?

Question 7: Have you had any past political affiliations in provincial or federal politics?

Question 8: Who did you vote for in the last civic election both for mayor and councillor and why? How would you rate the last council and mayor?

Question 9: Do you feel your political views are left, center or right? How would you describe your political views?

Question 10: What do you think are the major issues for the city of Winnipeg?

Question 11: What do you think are the major issues for the ward of Charleswood-Tuxedo?

Question 12: Do you support a continued tax freeze or do you believe that taxes should go up to re-build infrastructure and support programs?

Question 13: Do you support cuts in the city of Winnipeg budget? Where?

Question 14: Do you support increases in the city of Winnipeg budget? Where?

Question 15: Do you support an increase, decrease or a freeze in the city budget for police officers? Do you believe we need more police officers? If so, would you support a tax increase for it?

Question 16: What is your view on crime in the city of Winnipeg and what can you as councillor do about it?

Question 17: Do you support rapid bus transit or light rail transit? Do you have any other ideas for rapid transit? Do you believe Charleswood is well served for public transit?

Question 18: Do you believe a city should fund a zoo? If yes or no, please indicate why. Would you support closing or selling the zoo or ending funding of the zoo?

Question 19: Do you believe a city should fund arts and culture? If yes or no, indicate why.

Question 20: Do you believe the fire department should have an increase, decrease or a freeze in their budget? Would you support a tax increase for the fire department?

Question 21: Do you believe that roads, water and sewer should receive an increase, decrease or freeze in their budget? Would you support a tax increase for roads, water and sewer?

Question 22: Do you support the present hotel tax?

Question 23: Would you support the city of Winnipeg having a sales tax in addition to property tax?

Question 24: Do you think Winnipeg should have a tax cut? If yes or no, explain why?

Question 25: Do you believe that the present city of Winnipeg budget is adequate for the city of Winnipeg? If yes or no, explain why.

Question 25: Should education be funded through property tax or through general funds from the province?

Question 26: Do you support term limits? Will you be serving a term limit even if there are no rules in place? How long will you serve?

Question 26: Do you think housing should be allowed at The Forks? If yes or no, explain why.

Question 27: What changes (if any) should be done to upkeep our city parks and recreation programs?

Question 28: What do hope to see in the Kapyong Barracks along Kenaston?

Question 29: Do you support a moratorium on development on old railway lines in favour of rapid transit and bike corridors?

Question 30: Do you support widening Kenaston to three lanes in each direction?

Question 31: Do you support the creation of service roads for any further shopping developments?

Question 32: What is your view on city taxes going to build a stadium for the Blue Bombers and Manitoba Bisons?

Question 33: What is your view of a possible call for taxpayer help to expand the MTS Centre? Would you support it?

Question 34: What do you believe the city should do to ensure a vital downtown? Do you believe it is important as a councillor to support it?

Question 35: Do you believe that some city service should be privatized? What services (if any) would be candidates for it?



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Corner Cars

Corner Cars in Hoboken, New Jersey.

The first private-public partnership for cars between a municipality and a car-sharing company has taken off in Hoboken, New Jersey.

The objective is to get people in that city to give up their cars and their parking pass in favour of shared cars.

This is a program to watch and we should know how successful it is in the next months.



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Toews Lake

Cpl. Michael James Alexander Seggie.

There has been some controversy regarding the quick naming of a lake to honour Jonathan Toews for his Stanley Cup win.

While the province seemed quick to have politicians give out the honour, they are no where to be found now. Chief of protocol Dwight MacAulay is out there taking the heat from the family of Cpl. Michael James Alexander Seggie who are questioning why they have to wait so long to receive a similar honour.

McCawley on CBC Radio's morning program explained there was no double standard in giving Toews the award and said that the fallen soldiers will be honoured. However, he admitted the families had not been contacted about it. There was some confusion as to how long families have to wait for a geographical landmark to be named with the Free Press saying three years and McCawley saying five years on the radio. However, McCawley says the province is not bound by that timeframe.

McCawley went on to say on radio that he wished the families had come to him about what was going on before this controversy started. He backtracked though and said the province should have gone to the families instead and told them when honours were planned.

One interesting note was that McCawley said he doesn't know exactly how Toews came to be chosen quickly for a lake naming. He said he was "in the room." Think that was his way of saying the decision was made at the political level.

My thoughts on this: I have no problems with naming a lake after a sports hero. The problem I have is that the families of soldiers were not told when their sons and daughters would receive their honours. It looks bad and looks even worse when the politicians steer a civil servant out to explain that there is no fast track when it is obvious there is.

Greg Selinger is where the buck stops with this one and he should have called the families. Bad form.



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Beer Snake Boogie

The Winnipeg Blue Bomber beer snake.



Beer Snake from a cricket game in Australia in 2008

No, Winnipeg Blue Bomber fans didn't invent it. However, it is fair to say that they really have made it take off in Canada.

Beer Snakes have been around since 2004. They say some of the longest beer cup stacking snakes was around 23 metres. From what I saw on TV at the last Bomber game, I think they had the length beat.

It looks like Blue Bomber management will put an end to the fun.

Given the cups flying around in that section, I guess we shouldn't be surprised.

Section S had always been rowdy. My guess is that they will find something else to do that will bring attention of management. Some things will never change.



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Assiniboine Avenue

The artist drawing of Heritage Landing.



Outline of the new Crystal Developments property.



Blueprints of Heritage Landing.

It is no easy task being a developer when it comes to downtown development. If you express and interest in building some place, you have to jump through numerous hoops. And so it went with Crystal Developments who at first wanted to build at Fort and Assiniboine in 2008 but backed off when prominent citizens lobbied to have the land set aside for a historical park.

I felt it was a real shame that the only time that a group got together to protect the site is when someone expressed interest in it.

I had no problem with the idea of a historical park to represent Winnipeg's history from its origins at Upper Fort Garry. What is did have a problem with is how slapdash and late to the party it was.

Thankfully, Crystal Developers wasn't completely chased away but two years to be able find a project to replace what was lost is a little much.

The announcement of the a new highrise between the Midtown Bridge and Bonnycastle Park and bordering the Assiniboine Avenue is the first 20 story plus building built in the downtown in two decades.

The new project called Heritage Landing will rise 22 stories above the Assiniboine River. It will have eventually have around 300 people calling its 209 residential units home.

The project probably won't see any major work done till late 2011 based on some of the challenges presented by hydro lines and river location.

Let's hope that the every other project to bring residents downtown doesn't take just as long.



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Xcelsior Bus

I saw the Xcelsior bus on the Corydon route this Friday evening. It is a smart looking vehicle and the colour is fairly cool.

The bus is supposed to represent the future in bus travel as it is quieter and features lightweight materials and LED lights.

I don't know how quiet it is based on this video.

The bus apparently comes in a hybrid as well.

I don't know what to think on the LRT versus BRT debate other than the city approved a plan and now seems to have doubts. Welch's Gripe Juice details what some of those issues are.

I know one thing. Any public transit coming my way doesn't have a lot of density to work with to make it frequent enough. And then there is the issue that I travel from suburb to suburb in terms of work. The bus doesn't start early enough or run late enough for me to drop my car.

Now, I know that I could change jobs, move to a higher density area and live on a busier street but it is worth noting that people work in areas of city where there are jobs in their chosen field, live in neighbourhoods that they can afford and on the best routes possible to traverse the distances to school, work, shops and the like. It isn't always easy.

In short, planning makes it possible to consider diversity, density and distance in terms of how people live and work. The city needs to work on that.

A snazzy bus might be sexy but in practicality, I would benefit if the city went ahead and improved transit corridors so that they were attractive to employers and home and apartment builders. This would not end the use of a car in a city as spread out as Winnipeg but it would help create a new dynamic where it might be possible for me to catch public transit seven days a week.



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The Bay/Portage Avenue Part 9

We knew it was coming. There had been indications that The Bay was looking to downsize their downtown location for sometime.

It will be sad to see some elements of the store to be closed down. I once worked at the downtown Bay and had the pleasure of seeing a full store at Christmas and eating at the Paddlewheel restaurant.

The sixth floor has been vacant now for more than a year and some observers saw this past Christmas that the store was spreading merchandise over its huge floorspace. In other words, there was just too much space for the lines that The Bay presently caries.

The good news in all this is that groceteria in the basement will not be closing. At 25,000 square feet, it occupies a good chunk of space and serves a dedicated customer base that could grow with a continued commitment to see more people live downtown as we have seen in the Avenue Building. The other good news is that the Paddlewheel restaurant on the sixth floor will remain open.

The groceteria will share its space with the first downtown location of Zellers. This is a good combination as Zellers has its own merchandising and target market and it will fill the basement with product in a way that The Bay has not been able to do for some time.

In the end, The Bay and Zellers will retain the basement, first floor, second floor, the fourth floor and part of the sixth floor. I am mystified why The Bay will be keeping the fourth floor and giving up the third floor. The other floor to be vacated will be the fifth floor.

There is talk that The Bay may find new tenants for the large spaces it will be leaving. Manitoba Lotteries has been a longtime resident of the Polo Park area. I'm unaware of their office needs but they appear to occupy Empress and Arena Road locations presently and appear to look at consolidating or moving from what is largely a retail sector now.

I believe that the three levels of government should generally consider locating in central areas when making their decision on offices and by all accounts, we are seeing more evidence that they are. However, we have plenty of examples of large government offices in the suburbs from decades past. Many, such as the Manitoba Hydro location on Taylor, defied sense since they existed on poorly served transit routes that practically dictated owning a car to get there.

The other prospective tenant is the University of Winnipeg although it is hard to guess what they might have in store for the site with so much of their own new and frenetic infrastructure going up in multiple locations.

One thing is clear and that the province needs to consider the new open spaces first since they are so close to the present hub of provincial offices and agencies along Broadway.

As mentioned, planners for the city have to stop thinking about finding retail to fill large empty retail spaces. They need to think about mixed uses for some of the historic buildings. Fingers crossed that they don't wait forever to do it as in the case of the Eaton's building.



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Portage Avenue Part 8...

The Halpern Building



The Avenue Building

The Avenue Building has been vacant for the last ten years. At one time, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet called it home before moving to Graham Avenue.

CentreVenture has made the building a project for rehabilitation for a number of years. The six story building at 265 Portage is located between Smith and Garry streets was built in 1904. It isn't a particularly handsome building but neither was the Big Four Sales building before it was converted into the appealing Crocus Building on Main Street.

So how did this project come together? Well, it required two levels of government and a company with a proven record of turning around a downtown building. Thankfully, the development won't simply try and create more office space. It is keeping the street level retail but the upper floors will become apartments.

As most observers have already indicated, the downtown needs more people who are residents. Chasing after the office market has proven a major obstacle. Many developers were tripping over themselves to make a bid for the 42,000 feet that the Manitoba government was thinking about for Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation (MIT) department. In the end, the government made no decision.

Downtown is only going to recover one building at a time. One can only hope that the Hofers who are renovating the Avenue, will be able to tackle other buildings along the way. Perhaps that might be the Halpern building next door.



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Black and White Police Cars

The super smart Brandon Police black and white cars. Thanks to Mike who pointed this out. I really like them.



The new look of Victoria Police black and white. I like this one.



The classic LAPD black and white.





The two choices for Winnipeg Police cars.

There was a time when Winnipeg Police cars were black and white. Many police forces in North America and around the world have used those colours because they have been very easy to identify. That changed in 1989 when both uniforms and police cars changed colour. At that time, the police in Winnipeg were looking to change their public persona and the look of the cars and officer uniforms were part and parcel of that change.

Now, it looks like Winnipeg is going back to that. A police email has asked officers to select their choice. My view is that the general public should also be asked since they are the ones who most need to identify police from a distance.

It looks again as if like we are following the Ontario Provincial Police who dropped black and white in 1989 only to change back in 2007.

I thought the old Winnipeg Police cars were distinctive and think that many Winnipeggers would support reverting back to that look with a few flourishes. I can't say that either of the two cars shown inspire so far.



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The Colour Orange

There has been debate recently about the new blog started by someone in opposition to the Black Rod.

By all accounts even NDP supporters are having a hard time with the blinkered support for the NDP and the targeting of the Black Rod. The new blog goes by the title Orange Rod.

Now, let me be the first to say that I have criticized the Black Rod for some of the articles that have been written. I wrote what I think in regards to his comments on the Taman Inquiry. The Black Rod also jumps to conclusions where there is no evidence to back up the claim. I specifically refer to a recent death in Shamattawa.

I have no idea why the NDP would want to draw any more attention to the blog. You always have to take it with a grain of salt since it is an anonymous writer who doesn't allow any countering commentary.

The Orange Blog has mimicked that approach and is also anonymous and doesn't allow commentary. If one didn't know better, some might think this is a game played by a person whose only intent is mischief. However, the earnestness of the Orange Rod seems to indicate it is truly an NDP partisan.

The NDP must be fairly alarmed at the string of polls that indicate their support is less than what it was. I expect them to lash out with increasing ferocity.



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Portage Avenue Part 7....

Mountain Equipment Co-Op's bike racks on Portage Avenue



Back of Mountain Equipment Co-op.



Front of Mountain Equipment Co-op.



4Play Sports Bar inside.

As mentioned in part Portage Part 6, the conversion of a part time nightclub across from the MTS Centre into 4Play Sports Bar is evidence that private businesses along North Portage are starting to capitalize on the many people that the arena attract.

However, building a restaurant or club near the MTS Centre is no guarantee of success. The Rinkside Restaurant & Bar went belly up just as 4Play was getting ready to open. Perhaps the long wait for the Manitoba Hydro building to open was the nail that eventually caused it to go under. The south side Portage location of the Rinkside restaurant seems a good location. It remains to be seen whether someone else will take up the mantle of operating there.

Closer to the MTS Centre, another restaurant Samurai has opened in the Newport building on the south side. We'll see if this particular restaurant and its style is of greater success.

However, back to North Portage...

The 4Play sports bar across the street from the MTS Centre is a good start to change Portage away from full on retail at the street level to entertainment and hospitality. Certainly, there will always be room for an exclusive retailer such as Mountain Equipment Co-op to set up shop but the days of expecting such businesses to do so is long gone.

There has been talk about an entertainment district for a few decades now. Many of the announcements regarding the old movie theater such as the Metropolitan have been merely teases. The Capitol theater is no longer around, the Garrick theater has been converted into facilities and venues in support of its new owner The Marlborough Hotel. The Garrick's conversion looks good but I have not stayed at the Marlborough or used the Garrick Centre. Some of the reviews of the hotel though are enough to give many people pause.

And let's not forget about the Metropolitan theatre. It remains an open question what will happen there.

Still, the idea of an entertainment district is a sound one if the private sector is the main backer. At present, it looks like the Chipman family through its Longboat Development Corporation is in talks to create that district from the properties on North Portage that were formerly the Mitchell-Copp building, the A & B Sound building and the Wild Planet building.

A hotel is one of the things that is being proposed for the site.

At the moment CentreVenture Development Corporation is gathering the properties together to make this happen.

The idea is intriguing and one hopes that is has traction where so many other projects have failed before.

More in Part 8...



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Portage Avenue Part 6

1950 picture of Mitchell Copp building and former A & B Sound building



Mitchell Copp Building




Avenue Building

Downtown Winnipeg covers such a large area compared to other cities. Subsequently, this has meant that development has taken place in a scatter-gun approach where one moment there is a focus on Main Street and then that focus shifts and then shifts again.

There were no geographic blocks such as the Red River and Assiniboine River that limited the downtown from spreading north and west. Retailing along Portage Avenue essentially stretched to the city limits. The Bay and Eaton's were separated by a couple of blocks walking. From very early on, Winnipeg lacked a Herald Square such as New York where Macy's and Gimbels faced off across the street from one another in New York.

South Portage Avenue managed to have a fairly vital retail sector even through the 1980s while alarm was being raised much earlier on about how the northside seemed to be struggling and in fact, had a few properties that were either vacant or had been demolished altogether. To be sure there were a few areas which were bright spots such as Kennedy Street where StageWest Dinner Theatre did well. The Free Press building was still very active and most people still went to downtown movie theatres such as the Capitol and the Garrick.

North Portage though remained a seedier and emptier counterpart to the southside and was one of the main factors in the tri-partite effort of the three levels of governments to change the dynamic.

Portage Place was deemed the answer and while it had some good aspects such an Imax Theatre, Prairie Theatre Exchange and some movie theatres, the retail component turned inwards rather than outwards to Portage. Aside from having more stores open to the street, it appears that there is little to do about mall now. It will remain a challenge barring any major renovation.

It is hoped that the Manitoba Hydro building will help the mall and surrounding area. It is hard to say just how much that will happen during working hours. It probably won't hurt. It is something that will have to be judged over the next year.

At the moment though, now that the Hydro building has been completed, the attention is now on private investors and what they might do along Portage. The announcement on the Boyd Building which came in very late 2008 and still not been fully realized. While the investors in the Boyd indicated that they had fully leased it, they have fallen short of their million dollar renovation that was to include a parking lot.

It is not the first time that private investors have announced plans for Portage and then backed off. For a time, a hotel was planned for atop Portage Place and some prep work begun before the whole process fell apart.

In recent months, a few announcements have been made a few tangible investments made on the northside of Portage. Probably the most welcome addition is a sports bar across the street in the old Blush Ultra Club location. Unlike the old nightclub, 4play Sports Bar and Entertainment Zone is open every day at of the week from lunch till late.

At 19,000 feet of space, 4play is well suited to attract a good number of people who might gather for MTS events. It is also well positioned to be an attractive destination for World Cup soccer or any other sports such as NHL games and play-offs.

More in Part 7....



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City Election

The upcoming election this fall looked like it was mostly going to be same old, same old.

Now, it looks like there will be change in terms of city councillors. Some of that has come has a result of retirements as in the case of Lillian Thomas who appears to be leaving after 21 years in council. Her ward, Elmwood-East Kildonan, which she has held since 1989 looks to be highly sough after.

In Old Kildonan ward Mike O'Shaughnessy is retiring as well. He was the longest serving councillor with nearly 30 years on and off as a representative at City Hall. It is not hard to imagine that his riding won't be fought for my multiple candidates.

One unexpected loss has been Bill Clement. His sudden death as a result of a long battle with cancer and a weakened immune system, throws open Tuxedo-Charleswood that has not had any real challengers since Clement was elected in 1983. The 27 year run that Clement looked to stretch to 30 years with the coming election. For many residents of the ward, they have never known another representative.

Another long time representative Harry Smith faced a challenge from the NDP who seemed to want to remove him from Daniel McIntyre after 18 years in city politics. He chose retirement rather than running as an independent.

It is hard to know the future of Harry Lazarenko. He remains hospitalized.

In terms of mayor, there is a credible challenger in Judy Wasylycia-Leis moving from federal politics to city politics. It remains to be seen whether there is any way a sitting mayor in Winnipeg can be defeated. As with city councillors, the mayor's incumbency has played a strong factor in past re-elections. Add the impediment of a city councillor actually having to decide to quit his ward to run as mayor and you remove possible challengers.

The rules don't allow for other politicians to run for office unless they quit 42 days before the civic election. To put that into perspective, John McCain and Barack Obama would not have been able to run in the last U.S. presidential election unless they quit their Senate seats first if Winnipeg rules applied.

You gotta figure that if the U.S. allows for such things that Winnipeg might be able to do it as well.



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