Profile of Crime

Watching the news lately is an endless role-call of crime stories in print, radio and television. Alas, the news has always focused more on the bad than good but it would appear that violent crime is up in Winnipeg and Manitoba and the statistics bear it out.

If we are to believe Stockwell Day, the crime stats are even worse because of unreported crime. It was his excuse for building even more prisons purportedly to hold these unreported criminals.

There has always been debate about what is the root of crime. Such discussions takes place in great depth at universities. The government itself has studied the issue and polled Canadians on the subject.

Overall, Canadians view social problems as being the primary cause of crime (Table 2). The 1998 Environics survey indicates that 64% of respondents attribute crime to poor parenting and broken homes, and 63% attribute it to illegal drug availability. Another 53% cite a soft justice system as being responsible, 52% cite poverty, 51% cite low moral standards, 50% cite unemployment, 49% cite violence on television, and 48% cite lack of discipline in schools. Interestingly, although they identify social problems as a cause of crime, a small percentage of respondents also mention lack of childcare and family services (28%). Twenty-six percent of respondents cite insufficient police as a primary cause of crime.

There have also been attempts to looks at those who commit crimes, especially young people. Not surprisingly, only a very small percentage of youth are involved in crime.

So who are the criminals in Winnipeg? The top 10 wanted in the city of Winnipeg vary in age and crime. Most have arrest records. Most have breached the conditions of their release or have eluded police. To make it to the top 10 usually indicates some violence in past crimes was committed.

There is no public top 10 list for youth crime except for something the police might work with. This is a listing of the top crimes for youth as of 1998-1999.


Total number of cases Percent
Theft under $5,000 15,801 15%
Possession of stolen property 5,208 5%
Failure to appear 11,597 11%
Failure to comply with a disposition 13,072 12%
Subtotal 45,678 43%
Other thefts 4,975 5%
Mischief/damage 5,336 5%
Break and enter 12,251 11%
Minor assault 10,545 10%
Total: Sum of eight offences 78,785 74%
All cases 106,665 100%

The biggest percentages are in failures to comply with other court ordered dates or promises to appear.

Manitoba has the worst youth crime in Canada.

Manitoba has the distinction of bucking the national trends on crime reduction.

So why Manitoba? Well, the answers are varied but some of it can be tracked to fetal alcohol syndrome being very high in the province, high incidents of poor parenting, single parenting, poverty, peer pressures and gang organization, lack of programming and monitoring of youth at risk, issues in terms of policing and enforcing breaches in parole and court orders, failure to track and keep proper records of criminals that can be used in court or by police, lack of sharing by social services, police and the courts on crime activity and prevention and lastly, rehabilitation in prisons and when offenders return to the community.

The Manitoba and Canadian governments have put new money and changed laws regarding crime and enforcement. More police, new prisons and a whole host of new laws are in place.

The fact of that matter is that Canada already puts more youth in detention than the U.S. does.

The youth incarceration rate is higher in Canada than other Western countries, including the United States.

Winnipeg has more officers per capita than many jurisdictions already.

And yet crime is on the rise.

Part of what is happening is that there is a vacuum created by the Hell's Angel's all being arrested and their organization broken. A violent fight in taking place for the drug trade. It is safe to say that demand has not been subdued.

The National Post has an interesting re-cap of crime related stories this week.

“Just because alcohol is legal doesn’t mean Canada would benefit from decriminalizing marijuana,” the Sun Media editorialists pronounce. Which is true. However, they use this observation to back up their commitment to the status quo. Which is baffling. What about all the other arguments for decriminalizing marijuana, for heaven’s sake? They point gravely at drug-impaired driving deaths. OK, but what about alcohol-impaired driving deaths? Just because marijuana is illegal doesn’t mean Canada wouldn’t benefit from criminalizing alcohol. Right?

An honest discussion of the drug trade especially marijuana needs to take place in Canada. What is happening now is comparable to the worst violence of Prohibition.

The Canadian government has failed to address this and other issues such as prostitution and gambling.

Here is what the government wants to do:

The list of crimes now considered serious is worth a close look, especially in the context of Mr. Day’s concern about unreported crimes. They include:

- Keeping a common gaming or betting house;

- Betting, pool-selling and bookmaking;

- Keeping a common bawdy house;

- Trafficking in barbiturates and other chemical drugs;

- Trafficking in any quantity of cannabis;

- Importing, exporting, producing barbiturates.

Under the new get-tough regulations, keeping a common bawdy-house or selling a couple of ounces of marijuana will now bring maximum prison sentences of “at least” five years in prison. A low-level operator of a bawdy-house could also face five-year prison terms.

To be sure the jails might be filled to capacities not even seen in the U.S.

The Conservative bent now seems to be to criminalize and maximize penalties on a whole host of issues. They do this while arguing that Liberals and others are soft on crime.

It generally comes down to a divide that tries to make things black and white. It isn't.

The NDP in Manitoba has decided to follow the Conservative path federally with throwing the book at offenders. This is only part of the solution and it is why it will likely struggle to meet its goals. If the NDP had been working even harder over the last 10 years to reduce Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, we could have seen some major differences in crime. Looking at today's prison numbers and seeing how many FAS prisoners there are can certainly be an eye opener.

As far as the city of Winnipeg goes, the city has roughly the same amount of police that it had 10 years ago. It breaks up units to handle one crisis after another. Organized crime to car theft to arson strike force all seem to be built up only to falter because of lack of resources. The city would benefit strongly from continued support for units to do their jobs. Moreover, a safety audit of the city section by section could indicate more solutions than just more officers on the ground. For example, what if crime could be prevented with just better lighting and sight-lines in a park area?

It is funny that in the last days how many people are starting to question how we deal with crime and not all of it has been from the punishment aspect of things. It has to come from a variety of sources and produce and a variety of ideas. We have not seen that yet and that is why we have not seen a successful strategy to date.

It is interesting to note that some traditional conservative supporters are starting to question the hard line of the federal Tories into this massive expansion of crime enforcement and sentencing. The scare tactics alone of raising doubt about crime statistics means that government policy can be set based on perception rather than facts.

We need good information and intelligence on the subject of crime and the people involved in crime. Manitoba is suffering from a lack of this information and we move from crisis to crisis as a result.

It is going to be a long hot summer. One wonders if we are ever going to get it right.



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Osborne Village

New condo development for Osborne Village.



Dennistoun House.

Sam Katz says Dennistoun House is not a significant historical landmark. The house which is slated to be demolished for a condo development was once owned by Robert Maxwell Dennistoun, a judge in the Court of Appeals until 1946. His family once lived at 166 Roslyn Road before moving the 216 Cockburn. The original homestead is now 102 years old.

Dennistoun House along with three other houses were to be demolished to make way a 73 unit condo. The Free Press reports that some area residents have gone to court to stop the demolition.

I think the residents have a case when it comes to process and whether the city followed it. However, I don't know that the house rates a concerted effort in terms of recognition today. That is to say that while the judge was prominent in his day, the historical preservation of his name or the house is probably a bit of a reach.

Sam Katz is correct, if rather crudely blunt that the house is not exactly a major historical place in the city. To the residents though, he might seem to side with the pro-development crowd over the well being of the neighbourhood.

To that argument, I have to say this: Large apartments and condos are as much part of the Osborne Village experience as the graceful houses along Roslyn Road. Ultimately, Dennistoun House and the houses around it probably don't not have the pepper to survive their demise and re-birth as condos. The fact that the back wall of Safeway is what one sees from the backyard of these homes and that Roslyn Road is a far busier street than even 10 or 15 years ago more or less sealed the fate of the homes.

The Osborne Village certainly has to take care about possible reckless destruction in favour of parking lots or rapacious condo development but keeping a historical designation for a house that might not find someone willing to buy it, live in it and keep it up would serve no one's interests. Nor does it serve anyone to play up the history of the house or the person, especially when that owner eventually moved to another house in the city.

I think the neighbours who are concerned about the housing in the area would have a better argument of assessing the traffic patterns to ensure that that neighbourhood is not used as a shortcut to other destinations.



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Eaton Place, cityplace

There was a time when Eaton Place in downtown Winnipeg had 100 stores and actually advertised on TV. Today, as a cityplace, it has about a quarter of that.

Manitoba Pubic Insurance Corporation (Autopac) bought the mall and the offices above in 2009 for $80 million. This reflected confidence in the building but not necessarily the mall. The mall itself has shrunk to serve the local office population for the most part.

The construction of the walkway from the Convention Centre and Delta Hotel will certainly give some help to the remaining businesses in terms of walk-through traffic but the days of being a destination in itself are long gone. Even before Eaton's closed, the mall was having greater difficulty in attracting people. At one time a Cineplex theatre was in the mall and although the postage-sized stamp screens were small, it attracted people interested in smaller niche films. Likewise, several movie theatres in the surrounding area including the North Star, Capitol, Odeon, Garrick and Metropolitan meant that many people were downtown and around the shop or eat before or after attending a movie. Mr. Greenjeans was popular among the school-age set for many years.

The success of Silver City first at St. Vital Mall and and then Polo Park accelerated the closures of the downtown theatres until only Portage Place and the Towne remained.

With the closure of Eaton's, the future looked pretty dim for Eaton Place. After its renaming, the only strong point it had was that it was a well leased building for offices and had lots of parking.

The building of the MTS Centre has not been a huge boon for the mall save for Boston Pizza which has benefited from the amount of events been hosted and people seeking out eating establishments.

The fate of Eaton Place in Winnipeg in its smaller cityplace form is in contrast to Eaton Centre in Toronto. Eaton Centre was built in 1977, two years before Eaton Place. Whereas Eaton Place in Winnipeg was renamed cityplace and fell from its peak, Eaton's Centre kept its name and its place as a top level retailing location. In 2010, Eaton Centre will be renovated. It has been expanded and upgraded twice before in 1990 and 1999.

Winnipeg is not Toronto but one wonders what might have happened if Eaton Place in Winnipeg had been expanded and Portage Place never built. Eaton Centre only has 235 stores now. The combined Portage Place and Eaton Place stores would have been comparable to Eaton Centre Toronto.

All along the initial push for north Portage was for an arena. It is hard not to think how it might have been different. Nothing would have stopped Eaton's department store from failing but the push for a second mall with 100 stores to compete with Eaton Place (cityplace) was probably misguided.

Things will probably go better for cityplace with a walkway but a future of further success might be better directed at complementing the MTS Centre. And by that I mean that given the location of the mall, it might be well suited for additional restaurants and entertainment geared to events next door.

By the way, I am trying to remember all the shops that were in Eaton Place. Any help in that regard would be great.

First-Class

What exactly is "first-class" and what exactly does it cost? Moreover, who pays for it?

Sam Katz promises the stadium will be first-class but it remains a mystery who will pay for any cost overruns to keep it first-class.

I believe in a new stadium but I am not convinced that the budget for it is what we will see in the end.



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Sam and Judy LRT/BRT Debate

The video is here.

I am still looking to put it on some other media as well.

Took me a while to make.



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Bipole III

Jon Gerrard raised the topic of the route of Bipole III. Given the municipalities, First Nations and private land owners threatening lawsuits over the west side route, the provincial government ought to go over exactly what the costs of running through the lake are.

Rosann Wowchuk is being a little disingenuous when she asks where the numbers came from on the cost savings.

Perhaps she should refer to the extremely detailed reports from John Ryan that are here. His breakdown of cost savings for hydro came in closer to $450 million.

Some in the NDP say the west is cheaper in comparison. Let's see those comparisons, please. If they are correct, then we can dismiss the very detailed analysis of John Ryan. But I am sorry if many are not prepared to take the NDP government at their word. Release the analysis.

What is with the secrecy?

Also, some claim that in addition to being cheaper that the line down the west is better suited to connecting with wind farms. I have not seen that. Could I see that report?

The only issue that really needs to be looked at is logistics and that can only be done by getting a full report on transport of submarine cable by CN Rail from the east to Gimli. CN said it could be done but it should have been a detailed analysis of the logistics involved.

Gerrard has correctly asked if the west side is the best route given the analysis of John Ryan.

I think if the NDP wishes to go on a smear and lash out angrily at those who suggest alternatives and have some research to back it up, they will find that the public reacts with the same belligerence towards them.

Release every detail that is available on why the other routes are no good and let's compare the three.

And for Pete's sake, stop boastful promises of crushing the Opposition and winning elections. It reminds me of what Gary Filmon Tories were doing just before they were defeated.



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The Senate

The Senate of Canada.

Conservatives are changing their view on what should happen with The Senate.

Senator Richard Neufeld now favours an appointed Senate instead of an elected one. Another Harper Senate appointee, Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, says he now favours a mix of appointees and elected senators.

Will Stephen Harper ask them to resign since they promised they'd support his changes for The Senate?

If they refuse to vote his way, will he kick them out of caucus?

I suspect that we will see more contrary views from Harper appointed senators. My feeling is that it is only a matter of time before some of them reject term limits.




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Main Street Part 2

200 Main Street.



Google Map location of 200 Main Street (formerly the Manitoba Sports Federation Building)


The Manitoba Sports Federation Building was constructed in 1990 (the Free Press says 1989) and until this year housed the various entities representing several sports organizations.

The first floor has been the location of Ivory Restaurant and Assiniboine Credit the last several years. There is also a Handy Mart on the first floor.

The building is seven stories tall with a 310 stall underground garage. In 2003, Wawanesa bought the building and in recent years they have eyed their possession with interest as they are literally bursting at the seems in their nine story office building at 191 Broadway across from VIA Rail station on Main Street.

And so it went with Assiniboine Credit Union as well. They have been growing after merging with Vantis and Astra in 2007. With the departure of Sport Manitoba to Pacific Avenue (more on that in another post), the opportunity came for Assinibone to move from various suburban locations to the downtown.

This is a good news story for two businesses in Winnipeg who continue to grow and prosper and who have made downtown their main base for office staff.



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Blockbuster and Netflix

Follow-up on the DVD rental racket:

Blockbuster has announced that they will have a new unlimited plan for $9.99.

Someone else wrote about the caveats.

1. No new releases. This is the biggest drawback. I think a lot of people would have been willing to pay as much as $20 or $25 for a plan that included new releases. But, since Netflix streaming likely won't have new releases either, this may not be a dealbreaker.

2. No Blu-ray discs. Since we got a Blu-ray player, it bugs me that Blockbuster charges a buck extra for Blu-ray rentals, since buying Blu-ray discs is only marginally more expensive. Not including even older movies on Blu-ray in the monthly pass seems kind of cheap. Annoying, but not a dealbreaker.

3. You can only have one disc out a time. This is the least onerous restriction, I think. Number of discs is a big deal for DVD-by-mail services like Zip.ca, because you often have to wait a long time for each disc to arrive in the mail. That's not an issue with Blockbuster. Once you're done watching one movie, you can go get a new one that same day.

I still think rental kiosks outside their store may be more lucrative.

All of this is being done in anticipation of Netflix operating in Canada. While the U.S. company does not plan on renting videos via mail like Zip.ca, it intends to stream videos directly to homes.

This was Rogers reaction:

Shortly after the online movie rental company Netflix said it would begin offering service north of the border, one of Canada’s largest Internet providers sliced the amount of data its subscribers can download each month.

On July 21, two days after Netflix announced it would offer a Canadian version of its wildly popular and industry-disrupting service starting in the fall, Rogers Communications Inc. changed two of its Internet plans: While prices are not dropping, new users of Rogers “lite” and “extreme” Internet service now have a stricter download limit.

Consumer advocates have spoken out against Rogers’ move, saying it was an anti-competitive action designed to cripple the business model of a potential rival in the online video rental world by making users less able and willing to stream movies online, which take up a lot of bandwidth and could lead to “overage” charges for exceeding capped limits. On the “lite” package, users are charged $4 per gigabyte to a maximum of $50 in one month.

Yeesh, talk about trying to kill the competition while lining your own pockets.

Blockbuster still has opportunities if Netflix doesn`t go with mail and Rogers chops download limits. However, they have to start offering even more competitive service.



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DVDPlay at Safeways

DVDPlay started putting kiosks in Safeway in July of this year. It was a about a week later that the one in Charleswood went on the blink. Thinking that it might be just that location suffering technical difficulties, I went to Tuxedo. Ditto for not working there.

At $1.79 for a new movie, renting from DVDPlay is probably the best deal in town. However, no one will be able to take advantage of it if they are never working.

My understanding of the kiosks is that they carry limited titles of new movies and only new movies. I can see renting from the kiosk only being convenient if you happen to be in a Safeway, happen to see the new title you want available and most importantly, find that the machine is not broken. Another thought in terms of convenience is that you can't return the video 24 hours a day. It has to be during Safeway hours and you have to come inside the store.

My feeling is that if Blockbuster wishes to compete more effectively, they might want to put machines just outside their stores that are well stocked, don't require memberships, that are 24 hours a day and are cheaper. The inside of the store should be better devoted to new and used DVD sales as well as other entertainment products.



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Winnipegs needs a new PATH

Illustration from Number 10 Architectural Group on the latest section of the Winnipeg Walkway.



The completed Winnipeg Walkway via second floor of the Delta Hotel.



Map of the Toronto PATH underground walkway.

Winnipeg has recently filled in some of the last sections of its walkway system that traverses the downtown area via second floor overpasses. It has taken nearly 40 years of work to do and runs about 2 kilometers. Our system, modeled on the Minneapolis Skyway System developed in detail in 1959, began ten years after Minneapolis began their efforts to create a counter to the suburban movement of enclosed malls.

In 2010, Minneapolis (and St. Paul next door) have one of the largest skywalk systems in the world. The largest skywalk system could be Calgary's +15 system which runs 16 kilometers versus Minneapolis's 11 kilometer system.

The most recent expansion of the Winnipeg Walkway connected the existing walkway system through to the Winnipeg Convention Centre with an overhead passage from CityPlace Mall to 330 St. Mary, above Hargrave Street, and in front of the Delta Hotel connecting to the established links at the Convention Centre and 155 Carlton. It can be seen in this picture from earlier entry on the Walkway.

I have commented before about the ugliness of some of the second floor overpasses. The ones over Portage Avenue are particularly harsh. While I understand the intent of the skywalks, I often wonder how things might have been done differently.

While researching this article, I found this claim made about Winnipeg's skywalk system.

Wayne Bollman, supervisor of property management for the City of Winnipeg, said the first skywalk, which connects the Medical Arts Building, on the western edge of downtown, to its parkade, was built in 1973.

Clearly, the walkway from Eaton's to the Woolworth building was first as seen in this picture from 1969.

In any event, Winnipeg modeled its skywalk system on what Minneapolis was doing but one wonders if we mimicked Toronto with its PATH underground system.

The Toronto system has evolved into a "28-kilometre subterranean city, which connects more than 50 buildings and office towers, 20 parking garages, five subway stations, six major hotels and City Hall."

I included a picture above to show how extensive it is.

The Toronto PATH system wasn't planned but evolved from the tunnel Eaton's constructed in 1900 from its department store to The Annex, a 10 story office and discount store owned by the company. The next stage happened in 1927 and connected Union Station and the Royal York Hotel.

The linkages in Toronto resumed in the 1970s when some of the large banks were asked to consider underground shopping by planners to mitigate crowded streets above. Some people resisted the idea in favour of Jane Jacob's philosophy of maintaining a vital street level retailing presence.

It was the underground tunnel system that prevailed although the street level does not seem to have been devastated it as a result. Perhaps this has something to do with the densities in Toronto's downtown or the fact that it has multiple forms of well used public transit systems both underground and on the surface through subways and streetcars and trains. However it happened, the results are that the largest underground shopping mall consisting of 1200 stores.

Most of PATH in Toronto is privately owned with some key parts owned by the city. And the future looks bright for the system as even further expansion is planned.

So what bearing does this have for the city of Winnipeg? Well, it seems that our city has both the underground component and the second story component, both of which have had their share of problems.

The difficulties for the Winnipeg system is that downtown is so spread out and we have never had a subway system that would help feed foot traffic below grade as what happened in Toronto. Winnipeg's main underground components are the Civic Centre tunnel system built between 1962 and 1967 and the Winnipeg Concourse and Winnipeg Square built at Portage and Main in 1979.

The Civic Centre tunnels connect City Hall, Public Safety Building, Concert Hall and Manitoba Museum complex. There is no retailing in any of the tunnels between the buildings.

The Portage and Main Concourse, Winnipeg Square and Richardson Concourse are all tunnels built with retailing in the makeover of the famous intersection in 1979 that saw the building of the Trizec complex (now 360 Main Street).

There has been much debate, most of it negative on the coercive move to force Winnipeggers below Portage and Main. And the result has been a retailing experience in Winnipeg Square that is almost exclusively geared to supplying the offices above with quick service restaurants and supplies such as paper, pens and ink cartrides. There are no retailers selling clothes in the 40 plus stores in the mall. Also included in the retailing at Portage and Main is the Richardson Concourse which is undergoing a $10 million renovation along with the surrounding Richardson buildings. There are only 11 stores in this offshoot to the Concourse and they too are mostly retailing and restaurants useful to towers above. A small food-court also sits under the Canwest Tower.

Neither the Winnipeg Concourse or the Civic Centre look to be linked in the foreseeable future due to the distances involved and the amount of heritage buildings that might require quite a lot of work to make their basements suitable for a connection. Still, the idea out to be encouraged. My suggestion is that the Union Bank Tower where Red River College is building their culinary school should be connected to the tunnel system once completed. Likewise, the Pantages Theatre and Manitoba Theatre Centre might makes for another idea linkage in the space between the two buildings.

Winnipeg needs a more uniform plan on connecting buildings. The idea is a sound one although it is quite apparent that skywalks are wholly inappropriate for some sections of the city. Efforts should be made to slowly connect Exchange buildings with underground connections. The skywalk system looks to be the chosen system south of Portage.

There will still be problems with the two approaches but if Winnipeg endeavours to make up a more comprehensive plan, it could attract people to live and shop in the area in a way that doesn't happen today.



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Rental and Housing

The numbers on Winnipeg rental apartments available is dismal and shows no sign of getting better.

The Spring Rental Market Survey Report from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. shows that not only does Manitoba have the lowest provincial apartment vacancy rate in the country at 1.0 per cent, but the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment jumped by 4.5 per cent to $816 per month between April of last year and April of this year.

And for Winnipeg:

It had the third lowest overall vacancy rate among the 35 major Canadian cities surveyed, also at 1.0 per cent, the CMHC data shows. And the 4.6 per cent increase in the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Winnipeg was the fifth biggest increase among the 35 cities.

Landlords are realizing the only was to improve the return on their investment is to renovate and be allowed to exceed the rent control limits or to convert to condos. Hardly anyone is building. There are now 673 fewer units this year than last. Only 383 units were built last year. This year looks as bad with only 155 units built so far.

Manitoba will be unable to sustain the immigration growth is to have space for the new people to live. Last year 11,029 people moved to province, many to Winnipeg.

The last 20 years of rent control is failing. If the goal is to keep rent under control, it is failing. If the goal is to ensure supply of rental units, it is failing.

The Manitoba government had to change their tune on a tuition freeze because the universities were about to collapse from it. And so it goes with rent control.

No one is going to build if they can't get a return on investment. And Manitoba won't grow if it doesn't have places for people to live.

We have reached a crisis on housing and the government cannot say it is acting when the numbers are so poor and where it is shown that there are fewer units available on the rental market.



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Charleswood-Tuxedo Candidate Dashi Zargani

Thanks to the Dashi Zargani for his answers to the questions about his candidacy in Charleswood-Tuxedo for the upcoming city election.

Questions for the candidates for Charleswood-Tuxedo Ward

Question 1: What is your name?

Dashi Zargani

Question 2: What is your profession?

I am a Tuxedo businessman, and chef

Question 3: How old are you?

40 years old.

Question 4: Can you tell us about your family?

I have a wife and 3 children all living in the area

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

Chareleswood-Tuxedo is my home. I know the people of Charleswood Tuxedo, and if elected, I would represent the people of Charleswood-Tuxedo. I would return every call myself, and hold regular hours in the ward.

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

I have lived in the charleswood area for nearly a decade

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

While I have most recently been active in Gary Doer’s new democrats, I have been politically active outside political parties most of my life. I would not consider myself to have a political affiliation, just a love for democracy.

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?

I voted for Bill Clement for council and Sam Katz for mayor.

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

I consider myself to be a populist. I believe representatives have a responsibility to bring their constituents views to city hall, and not the other way around.


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

Crime is not a statistic. We need to tackle crime in communities. Community safety is the focal point of my campaign. We can get police into schools, patrolling neighbourhoods and making us safer.

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

Community Safety, and community infrastructure. I will work with whoever is elected as mayor, and my colleagues in other wards to ensure that Charleswood will neither be taken for granted, or a roadblock to development. Charleswood will get a piece of the infrastructure pie, as well as our fair share of police and first responders to ensure the safety of the ward is second to none.

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?

The tax freeze has not hurt municipal coffers. Winnipeg’s property values have skyrocketed. I am opposed to any increase in the mill rate.

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

This city’s bureaucracy needs to start trimming waste. As any Charleswood-Tuxedo resident who has gone down to a permitting office will know, the place is a mess. We need to get our shop in order, and fast, so that money is spent on programs that benefit Winnipeg residents, and not the bloated bureaucracy.

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

Once we have cut down on waste, I would spend that money, as well as the increased budget from our growing population on fighting community crime and ensuring community safety. The city should ever spend in deficit, but I would fight to ensure that every new dollar is spent on ensuring the safety of my ward.

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?

We can increase the number of police officers, as well as the budget that is behind them by cutting out wasteful spending, and putting the money where it counts.

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

I trust our city’s police, they are doing the best they can with the resources we are giving them. The chronic underfunding of Winnipeg’s on the ground police is a wrong that must be righted.

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?

The debate should not be over what is a better form of transportation. What is needed is the federal dollars to get the project done. When it comes to an investment in the community or city, I wont play politics, ill get the job done.

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?

The Winnipeg Zoo is a treasure. The city of Winnipeg can work with the province and non profits to make the zoo a break even venture so that families will be able to
enjoy this asset

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

Our community centres, cultural clubs and festivals are part of what make Winnipeg such a great place to live. The thousands of Winnipeggers that flock to the fringe festival, folklorama, jazz festival and hundreds of other events in the city are a market-case for why some funding to start new festivals, centres and groups is a valid use of the public dollar. Seed money should be available for cultural and community events to help them become self sufficient, so that our city’s diversity continues to be celebrated.

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?

Fire fighters and first responders deserve every dollar that they need to keep our city safe. Fire fighters are heroes, and I would vote for every motion before council that provided them with the things they need to keep our city running smoothly, because if my house catches fire, I don’t want the fire department to be a choked off resource. Fire and rescue services are not a political football. Firefighters know where the best places for stations are, what human and capital resources they need. Fire fighters are the only experts when it comes to fighting fires.

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?

Winnipeg’s pothole problem is one that needs to be fixed. That being said, throwing money at a problem isn’t always the answer. I would support research and technology improvements to our roads. Russian infrastructure is under similar pressures and fares much better in the winters. It is time we look at why Winnipeg roads are being built on the cheap, and start building them to last.

Question 22: Do you support the present hotel tax?

The city’s tourism industry is incredibly important and if I was presented with a case that sold me that this tax was hurting our tourism industry, i would consider voting against it. However when I travel, Winnipeg hotels seem to be in line or more reasonable with other major cities, and currently I do not believe this tax is affecting our competiveness.

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

I would never vote for a new tax without removing or reducing an old one. I would support a sales tax only if an equal amount was being taken off of property taxes. I believe that property taxes unfairly target seniors and home owners, and believe that a sales tax would be more fair.

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

The provincial and federal government need to give tax relief. The city of Winnipeg provides many of the basic services that people count on. I believe that tax relief has to come from the other levels of government at this time.

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.

The city’s budget isn’t the problem, its the way the money is used. I would not cut the city budget, but I would cut the city’s waste, and use that money for essential services, such as police.

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

This is a question you should ask your school trustee and provincial MLA.

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?

We have term limits, they are called elections. I trust the residents of charleswood-tuxedo to decide who they want to serve them, and do not believe it is my place to limit their freedom to choose.

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

The forks is an incredible development, high-rise condo development at the forks will serve to bring more people downtown, a key component in our downtown revitalization.

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

A strong community policing program will help make out parks safer, and therefore more utilized asset.

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

This is a key development area for Winnipeg. This housing needs to be turned over to the provincial government for development.

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

This city needs a vibrant network of rapid transit and trails; the redevelopment of abandoned land is always a good thing.

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

I absolutely do. With the upcoming IKEA there is going to be more traffic. Hundreds of charleswood-tuxedo resident’s use this corridor, and I believe they will support this project.

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

Shopping development send up providing the city with a permanent source of revenue for future development. We get great bang for our buck with a service road.

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

The city got a great deal on the blue bombers stadium. We should thank the province on this one. I wouldn’t have supported a huge investment using city dollars, but the city’s investment in this project was reasonable.

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

I support downtown revitalization. More events at the MTS is going to drive more growth in our downtown.

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?

My first goal as councillor is to fight for investments in my ward. My second goal as council is to take my constituents concerns and bring them to city hall.

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


There is a medium ground. Corporate sponsorships, corporate partnerships and corporate opportunity all serve to get the city taxpayers more bang for their buck. That being said, if your water starts running brown would you rather be knocking on the door of your councillor, who needs you to elect him, or a corporate entity. Public corporations give the public the right to service that doesn’t exist in any other model.

Fun Questions for the candidates for Charleswood-Tuxedo Ward

Question 1: What is your favourite form of recreation?

I love to bike. This city has done great things expanding our bike trails, and biking has never been safer, but there is more to do.

Question 2: Do you have any hobbies?

As a professional chef, people assume I do a lot of cooking. I’m actually more of a builder.

Question 3: Do you support any charities?

I support united way and welcome place, a charity to assist new immigrants settle into Canada.

Question 4: What is your favourite book(s)?

The folklorama tour guide gets to be a pretty dog eared piece of paper right around this time of year.

Question 5: What is your favourite movie(s)?

All drama and family movies.

Question 6: What is your favourite TV show(s)?

I watch the news every night, but other than I keep the television on child friendly programming, and no one running for councillor is going to admit that their most frequented show is blues clues.

Question 7: What is your favourite sport(s)?

I support the bombers, and go to games whenever I can, I also love hockey.

Question 8: Who is the most important person(s) in your life?

My children

Question 9: What is the last sporting event in Winnipeg that you attended?

Baseball at the Goldeyes stadium.

Question 10: What is the last artistic event that you have attended in Winnipeg?

(i.e.: Manitoba Theatre Centre, Rainbow Stage, Plug-in Gallery)
folklorama

Question 11: What is your favourite type of music?

Country music

Question 12: Who is your favourite musician(s)?

Trisha Yearwood

Question 13: Who is your favourite author(s)?

Gordon Sinclair

Question 14: What is the mode of transportation you use daily?

Well being as Tuxedo residents will know, our options are limited. I drive to work every day.

Question 15: Who is the person you admire most outside of your family?

Silvano Platter

Question 16: What school did you graduate from?

Red river College

Question 17: What was the first job you ever had?

Operator of laser machine (cutting steel) at Buhler.

Question 18: What was your dream job growing up?

I always wanted to own my own business. I am so grateful to have been able to achieve that goal.

Question 19: What countries have you visited?

Germany, England, Netherlands, Italy, France

Question 20: Do you have a cottage?

I have tent for camping

Question 21: Do you have a second winter home?

As cold as Winnipeg gets, I’m here with the rest of you.

Question 22: Where was your last holiday and how long were you away for?

It was in England for two weeks.

Question 23: What would be your dream holiday destination?

Greek

Question 24: What languages do you speak?

I speak English

Question 25: What is your favourite dessert?

Ferreira Rocha

Question 26: What is your favourite food?

Seafood specially pickerel

Question 27: What is your favourite restaurant?

Cosmos restaurant at 5114 Roblin BLVD

Question 28: What radio stations do you listen to?

CJOB, Bob99 and Qx104.


Question 29: What local or national newscasts do you watch on TV?

CBC news and CNN

Question 30: What provincial politician do you admire the most?

MLA of Tuxedo Heather Stefanson for her great community work.

Question 31: What federal politician do you admire the most?

Justin Trudeau for bringing energy to federal politics again.

Question 32: Who in history would you want to have dinner with if you were to get the chance?

Sir John A Macdonald.

Question 33: Who is your secret celebrity crush?

Shania Twain

Question 34: Which are better dogs or cats?

Well dogs are loyal, which I appreciate. Loyalty is a two way street.

Question 35: What is your favourite season of the year?

Summer



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Manitoba Hydro

Manitoba Hydro's proposed line.

Manitoba Hydro has produced their choice for route for the proposed hydro line down the west side of the province.

A few NDP blogs have indicated that this is now the justification for going down the west side. It isn't. Manitoba Hydro indicated very early on their choice at the beginning was to build down the east side of the province.

The NDP government said that this wasn't going to happen so Hydro made its proposals for the west side. Much of this was motivated by the desire to get a UNESCO designation for the site. The problem is that the drive to produce a road through the area seems contrary to keeping the location pristine.

My guess is that the issue of the roads is going to be an issue as they ramp up in construction. If a road is permissible, why not the hydro line? Moreover, once the permanent road is built, it is easy to see eastern communities requesting hydro lines to connect to their now diesel fueled electric and heat buildings. What will the NDP government say to that? No?

The expense of the line will not go away. There will be some heated battles all along the private land to get right of ways.

The election will fought and won in Winnipeg. If people in Winnipeg think that the hydro line is on the west side for politics despite the cost, it will be hard for many to support it. And if people who are environmentalists think that the government is pushing a road that they believe is just as bad or worse, there will be a sense of betrayal for many who might have voted for them in the next election.



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Store and Restaurant Wish List

Victoria Secret.



Marshalls store coming to Canada soon.

The Free Press once did a wish list of stores and restaurants that Winnipeggers wanted to see in the city. Some of those wishes have been fulfilled, some have not. And in the last while, we have lost a few stores that people liked including the Disney store and Linens and Things.

In recent weeks, we have heard that several U.S. and international stores are looking to build in Canada or expand their locations in Canada. The latest is Marshalls, a fashion retailer.

They are not the only retailers indicating that they are considering coming to Canada. Also planning to build in Canada are Target, Juicy Couture and Victoria Secret.

In recent months, Winnipeggers were teased by the story that H&M was coming to Winnipeg. The story proved premature.

Lowe's has announced expansion into every western province except Manitoba.

TGI FRidays opens at the airport this year.

I have no idea what people in Winnipeg want today but I will list a number of stores and restaurants and will include any others people throw out there.

Restaurants:

Outback (already in Alberta and in Ontario although many closed in that province in 2009)
Hard Rock Cafe (in some Canadian provinces)
Chili's (already in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta)
Rainforest Cafe (already in Ontario)
Ruby Tuesday (already in Ontario)
Sweet Tomatoes

Stores:

Target
Lowe's (in Ontario and soon to be every western province but Manitoba)
Victoria Secret
Juicy Couture
Crate and Barrel
J Crew
Brooks Brothers

I will add more stores and restaurants over the next days.



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Tuxedo Park Shopping Centre Part 3

It will be a sad day for some when Salisbury House restaurant closes at the Tuxedo Park Shopping Centre.

I have eaten there many times in the past but so often in recent years. The restaurant has been at its Tuxedo location for 27 years. I can imagine that some people are upset and with the closure, there will be very little in the way of eating establishments aside from Starbucks.

By all accounts it is a busy place but it wasn't enough to appeal to the managers of the mall who probably thought that a better class of clientele with a faster turnover of parking spaces lay in choosing the the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission's Liquor Mart expansion into the restaurant's space.

The 2,613-square-foot space will now be renovated into a full size Liquor Mart.

I can remember the petition several years ago that the MLCC undertook to get approved for a location at Tuxedo. There were some initial reservations. It looks as if those concerns have been swept aside in the last few years.

NewWest Enterprise Property Group has been upgrading the mall for some time. The Mac's store was discarded some time ago and now it will be followed by the Sal's in December.

The mall is filled to the rafters so there isn't a spot elsewhere that Sal's could move to. There is probably a need for place like Sal's in the River Heights/Tuxedo/Charleswood area given the seniors in the area but there is no spaces available until Charleswood. Senior's in Charleswood have been using the McDonald's at the Charleswood Shopping Centre Plaza for some time as a gathering spot.

It is possible that a Sal's could succeed at the Charleswood mall if the owner's of Sal's were willing to make that investment. My suggestion would be a restaurant in the parking lot.

Edit: Forgot to add that Salisbury House is building a 150 seat store in the former location of Longhorn's Texas Steakhouse (the Branigan's before that) on Leila Street in Garden City. It will also serve as their new headquarters as they move from St. James.



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Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport Part 5

The Grand Hotel to be built in 2012.



The future Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport



Arrivals area of Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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Kraut King

Today was the last day for the Kraut King restaurant to operate downtown on Garry Street. Both owners complained about drunks and violence driving their business away.

From Global News

Co-owner Raven Thundersky tells Global News going to work can be terrifying.

“Having the phone to my ear, calling 911 and a machine kicking in, and seeing four guys from the hotel down the street coming towards us and thinking I’m dead, we’re dead.”

Even the Global News reporters had to call the police about threats when they were doing their reports.

One of the owners reported being assaulted and robbed. The other owner thought her own life was at risk.

It wasn't too long that Wild Planet was driven out of the downtown. It isn't acceptable that businesses are being driven out by danger.

This isn't the perception of danger either but actual danger that is not just anecdotal but shown in statistics.

All candidates in the coming federal, provincial and civil elections will have to address in specifics what they think should be done. Sam Katz has been mayor for a while. The problem is worse now. He can't simply pass the buck when Winnipeg stands out as trending in the opposite direction on crime. Greg Selinger can't ignore the situation either. No elected MLA or councillor in the city can say that they are doing all they can when things are said to be worse, not better.

Results are going to be the proof that people look for and we are not seeing that when hardworking business people and their clients flee and area of the downtown.



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Good Bye Lord Selkirk II

Lord Selkirk II rusting away.



River Rouge and it snazzy blue colours.



Paddlewheel Princess.



Paddlewheel Queen.



There was a time when you could watch the River Rouge, Paddlewheel Queen, Paddle Wheel Princess and Lord Selkirk II ply the Red and sometimes the Assiniboine Rivers.

The Lord Selkirk II has not sailed the rivers or Lake Winnipeg since 1986. The ship has sat rusting around Selkirk for ten years. Now, it has been announced that the ship that once carried the Queen will be scrapped and sold for its metal parts.

The ship, commissioned in 1970, cruised Lake Winnipeg for many years. It was a majestic ship but at some point, new owners decided to make a go of it in competition with the river boats that did short afternoon and evening tours around Winnipeg. It proved too hard a task to make money at and the ship was retired.

Now, the three remaining river boats in Winnipeg have had to contend with high waters that have made their seasons even shorter.

It has become a regular occurrence that the ships cannot even cruise through most of the city.

Let's hope that the fate of the Lord Selkirk II doesn't befall any of the others ships.

There is a site dedicated to the Lord Selkirk II here.



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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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