The Best TV Canadian Series - Drama Edition

We are pretty hard on Canadian entertainment whether it is music, theatre, television or movies. Being next to an entertainment goliath like the U.S. which has ten times the population and churns out English production in every field of entertainment far beyond it's borders sometimes means Canadian material is lost in the avalanche. And even today Canada acts as a service provider creating material for the U.S. pretending to be American. This is very much true for Hallmark Christmas movies where everything might be Canadian from cast to crew to writer to director but the setting will be Colorado.

When CBC created The Beachcombers in 1972, it was for the home market with no real thought but entertainment for Canadians, particularly family viewers. Given the budget CBC had, it didn't have a piles of money so a lot was riding on it. Previous drama series like Wojek and Quentin Durgens m.p, in the 1960s were very much for an older audience so CBC was looking for something for the family to watch. The Beachcombers became a staple of the family audience along with the Wonderful World of Disney on Sundays. It showed there was a market for Canadian production in TV but the only way to grow it was to fund it and put rules in place to ensure it would get made and shown in Canada.

Private networks repeatedly said there was no market for anything Canadian whether it was news, sports, drama, music or comedy. Certainly there was nothing they wanted to pay for when broadcasting ready made material from the U.S. was so lucrative.

So was the Beachcombers one of the best shows in Canadian history? By the standards of the time, it ranked as one of the most watchable programs of the 1970s and 1980s. Bruno Gerussi became a star of Canadian TV and even had a celebrity cooking show that lasted years. Our family watched it regularly. I would have to categorize it as one of Canada's best and I still think fondly of it. Still, I see a list of Canadian drama production from the 1960s and 1970s and realize that so much of it was shown once and never repeated. And never syndicated. Why don't we have Wojek on any platform? I'd love to see older stuff somewhere. I know they tried for a few years on YouTube and then gave up. That is sad.

CBC learned from making family productions and building the teams of people to perform and make them. Danger Bay (1984-1990), a 30 minute drama series also filmed in Vancouver and partnered up with Disney followed that same format and lasted years in the process. I watched less of that series but then family shows have a time and place. CBC more or less perfected the family show with Heartland which is the longest running drama it has ever produced from 2007-2024. Heartland is also a show that has U.S. partners but there hasn't seemed to be a compromise on the Canadian aspect of the story.

CTV often tried to create programming that could be sold elsewhere after to recover their costs. It was that type thinking when Starlost was created in 1973. The show was sold in syndication to American markets. It was a fascinating experiment in sci-fi but ultimately, the budget and lack of drama, kept it to a one year outing. It was repeatedly for decades afterwards. In almost all cases of CTV created drama, the network has looked how it can leverage U.S. partnerships.

A year later, CTV created Swiss Family Robinson along with ABC which ran for one season with 26 episodes. It repeated for decades after that on Canadian television. It was okay entertainment but CTV often treated their shows like an obligation rather than an opportunity. It wasn't until the 1980s that CTV began to put some Canadian effort into production as well as storylines. Still, you ended up a lot of times with shows like Sue Thomas, FB Eye (2002-2005) which was about American law enforcement but otherwise a completely Canadian show,

English Canadian production even when unique culturally is a small percentage of what is generated in North America. It is easy to get overwhelmed and often the production in Canada is criticized as inferior or low budget. Quite a bit of what is made, even when high quality, can be generic to sell to American and world markets. As noted above, some are American shows but completely Canadian in cast and crew. In recent years, a few very Canadian productions have broken through in ratings both in the U.S. and Canada. In some cases, an American production becomes more Canadian in terms of the production team and actors while receiving funding that is largely American. Such a series might be Stargate SG-1 which saw Canadians take over more and more of the writing, directing and acting in the series. It can be confusing because a show about Americans largely is a Canadian show in every other way.

TV continues to evolve into streaming but the majority still watch broadcast and cable TV for now. In a world with so many choices, it is difficult to say where Canadian drama might end up. It seems odd that as a country the population continues to grow as does production but it is so hard to break through as singularly Canadian. In 2024, it sometimes means being part of a U.S. franchise like Law & Order as in the the case of Law & Order Toronto Criminal Intent. Drama is not the only area where we use imports. Variety and game show formats from around the world are adopted into Canadian programming such as Canadian Idol and Family Feud Canada. 

Drama series were a fairly rare thing ever since Canadian TV began in the 1950s. The CBC was generally one of the only sources of drama on English TV. In early the 1970s, a young Canadian could only really get two Canadian channels. Cable only really started to take off in the 1970s. Cities close to American markets could pick up border channels and the selection from the main U.S. networks of CBS, NBC and ABC were overwhelming. However, in Manitoba, only KCND from Pembina, North Dakota could be really be picked up and only with antennas. I remember watching fuzzy broadcasts as we didn't have a rooftop antenna. 

CBC tried to be everything to everyone with educational, variety, news, comedy and drama and in some areas they were outstanding. For a drama series, as mentioned, one of the breakthrough series was The Beachcombers. When it came out in 1972 there was nothing quite like it on TV anywhere. It is for this reason that it lasted as long as it did. It took till 1979 before Littlest Hobo would be debut on CTV. It too had lasting power probably because no one had done a dog series since Lassie.

The picture at the top was a series I thought hit all the marks and that was Due South and it was on CTV and CBS. However, CBS cancelled it after one season but the huge success in Canada and the UK kept the show on the air from 1994 to 1999.

Anyways, I will attempt to make a list of best of Canadian dramas that I've enjoyed. It isn't definitive. Some amazing series have been on the air and I might not have watched because I wasn't drawn to a supernatural story, or a family series or was just too busy. I will attempt to list chronologically.

The Beachcombers (1972-1990)

One of the shows our family watched together on Sunday when everything was truly closed and families were together on that evening. One hour episodes.

I can't list any others for the 1970s as many just came and went so fast and never got repeats as so often happens now on CBC. An honourable mention to The Littlest Hobo for CTV (the second version of it on CTV) from 1979 to 1985. I didn't watch it but CTV stuck with it as their family entertainment and to that end, it served their audience. 

The Kids of Degrassi Street (1980-1985)

I was just entering high school at the time so it wasn't really my age group and that was true for the entire Degrassi franchise. However, it was hard not to see Degrassi as it was CBC Canada's version of Sesame and remains a powerhouse today. Half hour episodes.

Seeing Things (1981-1987)

A fantasy twist to the crime drama story. At the time nothing quite like it on TV when CBC gave this a shot. Was popular in its time and and helped create momentum in later year for more series with a slight twist into supernatural. Louis Del Grande won acting awards for his performance.

The Hitchhiker (1983-1991)

Perhaps one of the better horror anthology shows of the 1980s but not seen by as many Canadians because it was on First Choice/HBO pay channels. Had a secondary life in syndication.

Night Heat (1985-1989)

A generic police show that ran on CTV and late night CBS that was better than average. It was a Canadian show but like Hill Street Blues, did not reference the city it was in. Just a large North American gritty metro. And it won awards for being authentic.

Streel Legal (1987-1994)

Perhaps one of the first guilty pleasure shows for Canadian drama and the longest running series until Heartland came along. A short six episode run in 2015 tried to kickstart the series but didn't work. Truly CBC's best and glossiest drama for many years.

Degrassi Junior High (1987-1989)

Hugely influential continuation of the CBC series and became part of the top rated nights on Canadian TV. Shown on PBS as well. Led to ever more Degrassi later on.

E.N.G (1989-1994)

One of CTV's honest attempts at doing something Canadian and having it be successful. A fictional TV newsroom. At the time, very different from police, medial and lawyer shows. The show did not fair well in the U.S. where in syndication it probably was too Toronto for Lifetime. However, in Canada, it was neck and neck with Street Legal for popularity.

Degrassi High (1989-1991)

More of the popular CBC show. It proved to hot for BBC but the Australians loved it and American audiences were captured by it as well.

Road to Avonlea (1990-1996)

Another CBC breakthrough hit on their family night of television. A sweet and strong Canadian story based on the famous work. Anne of Green Gables was a true hit for the network.

Due South (1994-1998)

A CTV guilty pleasure. A drama comedy with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Paul Gross was delightful and the series won fabs overseas but only lasted a season on CBS. It took an international coalition to finance the beloved series till the end. It is hard to believe we have not done more RCMP series in Canada.

The Newsroom (1996-1997...2003-2005)

CBC Newsroom was bang on although it was inspired by British and Australian series of the same vein. The Newsroom aired on PBS which was a turn from their usual British fare. Some said it might have been the greatest series produced in Canada.

Traders (1996-2000)

One of Global's best series that held its own against ER on Thursdays. Appeared on CBC for two years as well because the series was expensive to shoot. I thought it was some of the finest work, acting and direction for anything Global had ever done.

John Woo's Once A Thief (1997-1998)

I loved the show. It started off with high ratings but sank by the end. I found it funny, action packed and loved the episodes. Really thought the show would be super successful but I think some people were not sure what to make of it.

Lexx (1997-2002)

I am adding Lexx from Global because it was truly sci-fi, truly bizarre and right out of left field for Global. I don't think anyone really knows what was going on in this crazy series but they embraced the insanity and ran with it.

La Femme Nikita (1997-2001)

The show oozed cool in a way the movie could never match. This might have been a generic intelligence and action force but the strong Canadian writing, acting and settings made for the coolest thing on TV.

Da Vinci's Inquest (1998-2005)

CBC does another coroner show. If Wojek was a success, why not Da Vinci? And it was. Second mention for Nicolas Campbell who also appears on the list with The Hitchhiker. Vancouver never looked so good and so bad at the same time with activist Da Vinci on the case.

Los Girl (2005-2010)

A supernatural series that found an audience with the queer community and women. The first of a number of Canadian sci-fi series to actively write for an audience that had not been considered before.

Continuum (2012-2016)

An exceptional series on cable Showcase. Canadian sci-fi often focuses on how corporate future is a threat and this series was no exception. It looked good, the action was exciting and the storyline was clever.

 Vikings (2013-2020)

A Canada/Ireland co-production. A ratings blockbuster and although about Vikings, has Canadian writing, acting and locations along with the Irish work. Almost single handedly put some heft in historical storytelling and showing it could be popular.

Orphan Black (2013-2017)

Certainly has to be one of the better sci-fi series out there and acting triumph for Tatiana Maslany. Huge online fan base and a show begging for a comeback which it looks like is this year. This series got a lot of attention in the States and around the world for excellence.

Killjoys (2015-2019)

One of a series of space opera series that appeared on the Space Channel in Canada. This one had the bigger sense of humour. It also had the same anti-corporate message that permeates Canadian sci-fi. A wonderfully fun series.

Dark Matter (2015-2017)

Same year as Killjoys and a little more dramatic but an amazing series nonetheless. Canada was home to sci-fi this much was clear. So much action and fun.

Wynnona Earp (2016-2021)

A supernatural western horror that had a large queer audience. A co-production with the U.S. but with a large Canadian talent team. More indication of just how much sci-fi Canada now does for the world.

Honourbable mentions to Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe that had largely become Canadian over the course of the series in the 2000s. It is that skillset in sci-fi that has attracted so many sci-fi series to Canada. It isn't just about cheaper production but the quality of the acting, directing, production design and so many producers and writers to make a series look good.

Canada has come a long way but the advent of streaming has disrupted so much production that it is hard to tell where things are going. One thing is clear is that the free market doesn't have a clue either.

How Can Winnipeg Lower Apartment/Condo Prices?

Canada and the U.S. are unique in local zoning around the world in that they require in their bylaws that buildings have two stairwells for apartments and condos above two floors. This has been talked about before in Winnipeg media but seems to have had no effect on the planning departments of cities or the city councils and mayors who are desperate to get housing built but seem helpless to do anything.

The above chart shows that many countries around the world have no restrictions or few restrictions on the two stairwell issue and subsequently used buildings more efficiently and get them made more affordably with better options on design. Fire rules are tighter in places like Sweden that have these designs. Any planner who talks about fire codes need only look at all the countries who have single stairwells and what their fire codes are. Our fire codes don't even serve the present two stairwell apartments given how many fires we have seen in recent months.

Canada is the most restrictive and it is hard to say what purpose it serves if we don't have valid reasons for doing this. Minneapolis is about to make the change from two stairwells to one with new builds. They have also changed parking mandates as well for new residential units. Winnipeg seems paralyzed when it comes to change. 

It wasn't always this way. Winnipeg was the head of the curve on police phone boxes back in the day, 911 services and a whole host of other areas. For the province, we had Sunday shopping and votes for women ahead of others. Why can't it be this way with zoning? Shouldn't the goal be to be the most affordable city in Canada? Why is it we always hear we can't do it?

Winnipeg is one of the few chartered cities in Canada that can make up building codes as they see fit independent of provincial and federal rules. For new builds, this could be a difference maker and keep costs down for builders and those who rent and buy after. There are other things than can help bring down costs but this one area is totally with city council's ability to do. There is no need to sacrifice of fire codes. Bring them to a standard that exists in places that have one staircase and see the results.

Cities rarely take aim at how they create lack of affordability with zoning rules that are not about safety or are based on thinking that might be decades old. The rules on how many parking spaces must be made available might make sense for many apartments and condos, especially if they are on a transit corridor. The aging population is likely going to see people downsize how many cars if any they have. It might not make sense to have thousands of parking spaces for assisted living or personal care homes. The zoning law though enforces strict rules on parking spaces even when developers say it adds to the costs.

Winnipeg has to look at how red tape and old rules are making costs higher. There doesn't have to be a sacrifice on safety if the designs we see in Asian and Europe reveal. Likewise, could we see ever greater empty parking lots as people opt for one car over two or three? The city can do it's part in ensuring that they are being innovative as they once were. Winnipeg can lead again as they did on 911 and Sunday shopping.

Arby's to Return To Winnipeg

The last Arby's in Winnipeg was at Kildonan Place in 2020 and the pandemic killed it off. It has its share of fans in Winnipeg who missed their locations at Polo Park as well. Some people in Toronto have been very vocal about no Arby's. Still, Canada does have 56 of them in the country and by fall, there will be one more located along Sterling Lyon in the Outlet Collection Mall parking lot where Bank of Montreal and Red River Co-op Store are located.

Manitobans have been know to drive to Saskatoon for Arby's although one recently closed there. As mentioned here many times, a lot of restaurants have struggled through Covid and post Covid has been tough to establish finding customers where they live and work. 

The construction at Seasons of Tuxedo and around Seasons has never stopped in a decade but it is coming down to just a few places left to build. Krispy Kreame is almost complete and now Arby's is under construction. Neither should have difficulty in finding people. Many people actually live footsteps away. And the traffic along Kenaston and Sterling Lyon is strong.

It is odd what inspires confidence in a city, an economy, ourselves. Sometimes it is park, a team, a restaurant or a school. I do know what happens when you lose that team, that park or restaurant. Winnipeg has taken its knocks but it easy to forget that in 2019 things were going fairly well in the city and the province.

The final pieces of the Seasons construction are very close to completion. Arby's being ready in the fall will generate a lot of traffic which will be good for every other business and resident in the area. It will bring a lot of tax money in compared to the Tuxedo Yards rail container depot that once existed there. This is a thought when considering the social impact of what has happened at the East Yards (The Forks), the Tuxedo Yards (Seasons) and the Fort Rouge Yards (The Southwest Transit Corridor). One can imagine if the Weston Yards ever became available.

Arby's is welcome back. I suspect we will continue to see announcements of this kind over the next months. Inflation though has hit the building trades and it is a lot slower getting things built. However, we should see some more projects as demand warrants.

Jets Season Tickets Are Down - Will They Leave?

Gary Bettman has always had a contentious relationship with Winnipeg. It broke our hearts when the original Jets team moved south. The city survived it but the 1990s are were a hard time and it took several years for the people to feel we were making progress on a fairly hard 1990s,

It seemed not enough was done to save the Winnipeg Jets when they moved to Arizona. Some of the changes the league made with better supports for expansion teams and salary caps came after the team left. The fan base here gave the Jets years and years of sellouts but it came inside the smallest arena in the league. And all the while, the team got the smallest corporate support. For a long time, that was enough. But now, there is no waiting list.

The value of the franchise has risen dramatically since the days of the Atlanta Thrashers. And for the True North real estate division, the Jets and the arena have been part a building strategy that revolves around True North Square. Were it not for the slow build of Sutton Place Hotel and Suites, the Chipmans might have been said to have brought that project to completion. As it is, they will probably be making their announcement on Portage Place soon which should have some goodies in there if the Pan Am Clinic tower, a grocery store and University of Winnipeg residential tower is included.

Those are all things that indicate a NHL owner is determined to stay. Moving the team would de-value all the other assets that have been built up around the arena and the team. The arrival of Bettman was more a promotional visit than one full of threat and menace. He is well aware that moving teams means less chance of expansion money that the whole league shares. It isn't good for the league at all.

The fact that the NHL seemed relatively calm about the whole thing feels more reassuring. It is also good that Chipman seems to know that the Jets have to market themselves better. Finding out why season ticket holders have left and addressing their concerns is important. Most say they want more flexibility on their tickets and less added costs and hassles. Other are asking for better food, more tiered priced and value prices.

Some fans have said they wish there was more food options outside the arena. Some restaurants have closed such as Pony Coral and Moxies that were faves. A new Keg that was going up is now stalled and likely won't be built. Chop is a year or two away. A lot of things seem to be a year or two away. The Chipmans can only control what happens in their buildings. To that end, the Hargrave Food Market has been a big plus. If the Chipmans control Portage Place, we could see a return of Moxies and new restaurants as the mall will cease to exist as we now know. This is true for the food court as well.

As far as the product goes on the ice, the Jets have made the player changes and performed amazingly well. Will it gain the excitement that occurred in 2018? It is possible but there were a lot more people working downtown back then compared to now. However, there are a lot more people living downtown too with apartments along Assiniboine, Main and other conversions that have happened since then. It is a slow process but more housing has gone up along west Broadway as well as the art gallery area.

The Bay will start seeing some work on the outside in weeks. Raising the level of activity in this end of downtown and adding some food options can only help the Jets and any other business in the area. A darkened building is toxic to an area. Large areas of downtown parking spaces may be good for parking for arena events but it also means no street life of restaurants, shops or downtown residential units. 

The Jets record is probably the biggest ingredient for filling seats for the rest of this year. The next year and after will be about the Jets trying to create more excitement, more fan and season ticket support, more corporate partnerships and less hassle about making changes to tickets. Will the Jets leave? If they respond positively to what fans want and are innovative, they will manage to overcome what happens to almost every team in the league at some point. The result will be a team that will be continue long into the future and then the question might be: Do they need to expand the building?

CTV Cuts 4,800 Across Canada

CTV blames the federal government for the 4,800 cuts and the loss of noon hour and weekend news shows. They received $40 million from the federal government just last year. They cited uncertainty in the regulatory system. What they wanted was to get out of the news business for the network except for Toronto while holding onto their licenses across the country. To be clear, the company is reporting hundreds of millions of profit in the last quarter and an increase in dividend for the 20th straight year.

Last year, CTV gutted their evening news broadcast and cut reporters in London, Washington, Los Angeles and in Ottawa. In Winnipeg they shuttered AM radio station 1290 which was presenting comedy and titled Funny. It was ranked last in the ratings. No radio stations lost this time in Manitoba but 45 sold across the country. More on that later on.

Now, CTV isn't the only one making cuts. CBC and Global have also cut. Newspapers as well like Toronto Star. Postmedia too which includes Winnipeg's Sun newspaper. The cuts in Winnipeg are such that they don't send a reporter to cover the Jets or Bombers when they are out of town. Is it is no wonder teams hire their own reporters now?

Some critics are saying that Bill C-11 and Bill C-18 which try to get online companies like Facebook and Google to pay into a system that supports journalism are to blame. Google will pay $100 million and Facebook has opted out and blocked Canadian media. Assuming a new Conservative government ends these bills and dissolves the the CBC and allows CTV, Global and others to drop all news in favour of U.S. programming, what will we actually have in Canada? In all likelihood, no Canadian programming at all in news, sports, music, drama, comedy or weather. 

It is highly probable that the Canadian companies would ask to be sold to U.S. or international players since their argument is their is no economic basis for anything Canadian to exist. Is Canada economically not viable? In our quest to have products from all over the world in Canada including cultural, does this mean Canada really produce anything that Canadians and the rest of the world wouldn't like?

It should be pointed out that all over the world, digital giants are changing every cultural industry. Companies are merging over and over again, often to the detriment of workers, other industries and countries themselves. Monopolies have been broken up over the decades because by their very nature they are not competitive. In some cases they are anti-democratic. There likely would not have been an Internet as we know if AT&T had not been broken up.

CTV wants out of the news business. In two years they have cut nearly 10,000 workers. If capitalism can't be part of the grand bargain of providing a public service then government has no choice but to intervene. It goes back to the point above about whether there is a business case for Canada's very existence. And if there is, what is the consensus on that?

For the government, the question is how to support journalism without it becoming state journalism? If it is radio or TV, listen to or watch it. The advertisers will support it without you having to pay for it. If you can afford it, subscribe to a newspaper or magazine. The government can support directly or indirectly. Directly, by money to media or indirectly by tax supports to advertisers to buy ads locally.

Winnipeg is lucky in that it has one of the last large independent newspapers in the country in the Free Press. They have at least one reporter travel with the Jets and the Bombers which is now unusual in Canada. Sadly, they don't have an Ottawa-based journalist now. The Winnipeg Sun makes it a two newspaper town. The city has a digital news service with ChrisD.ca. There are a number of ethnic newspapers. CJOB remains largely a news, sports and information station. CBC Radio and Television have fair sized newsrooms. CTV has quite a few reporters in Winnipeg although they no longer cover sports or have a national correspondent. Global and City have smaller units but do their part on covering the city. And let's not forget the APTN News team based in Winnipeg. The Athletic has a Winnipeg-based NHL reporter.

The podcasts from sports to news such as Illegal Curve, Hustler's Winnipeg Sportscast, The Great Canadian Talk Show are covering Winnipeg in detail. All of those reporters once worked in radio in Winnipeg. There are a few music podcasts as well. And Tik Tok has a few influencers out there who cover things in the city.

However, where do young people get their news? When it comes to local stuff, it seems probably Tik Tok. Or other social media such as Discord, Telegram, Instagram or many others. Those social media sites can be hit and miss and for those that do have news in them, they probably source it from other news gatherers and only do a little research themselves on it or express an opinion on it. While this is useful and interesting, it may put you in algorithm that reinforces that point of view.  It is hard to know what is true since deep fakes in music, politics seem to be first tested out on social media. And now AI has got everyone scared since it can cause outright harm equivalent to shouting fire in a crowded movie theatre.

CTV's cuts hurt when the level of talent, loss of regional and international correspondents and variety of areas journalists cover is taken into consideration. I like a number of choices for news and information. But how do we ensure Canadian voices get heard and how do you monetize it? Most of the industrialized nations have some form of public broadcasting support. Even NPR and PBS in the U.S. receive over a billion in direct federal support through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The support rises if the 100% tax-free savings donors get from their donations by the U.S. government is counted. Even Manitobans donating to Prairie Public (Manitoba) receive a tax deduction although many other jurisdictions of Canada have lost that ability. About 1/4 of Prairie Public's budget comes from Manitoba. 

The Conservatives under Pierre Poilievre have said they want to end the CBC. They haven't indicated if they support a PBS Canada model either. If they end all public support for CBC, for news of any kind, it is possible we see most if not all radio and TV collapse in Canada? In comparison to 20 other industrial countries, Canada ranks near the bottom for public broadcasting as well as cultural spending. Ending public broadcasting would put Canada below the U.S. is spending.

This could politically backfire for the Conservatives if Canadian media groups become absorbed by U.S. or international interests who might not want to spend money on hockey broadcasts or Canadian Olympic coverage. This isn't a wildly speculative thought. If Bell Media is angling to be sold outside of Canada decisions will be made outside of Canada. ABC/ESPN and Turner  do not cover as much of hockey as Canadian channels do. What happens when there are no Canadian channels? I can't imagine that would be too popular in Canada. 

Bell Media and CTV have to figure out how to turn things around. Becoming a pure play streaming company to escape Canadian regulation seems doubtful if even big companies like Paramount can't make money at it. Seems radio and TV and cable are more profitable by far. And Bell Media knows this because they keep increasing the dividend each year.

Sherbrook Inn and Vendor Closed

The announcement that Sherbook Inn had closed their vendor and lounge in the last weeks has been met by stony silence from the owners. The pawnshop and other businesses located in the building have as much information as the public does. The Tallest Poppy closed sometime ago.

The hotel sits in an area that has seen some spark of business but for decades, it has been the proximity to violence and perhaps even the source of problems in the area. It remains a question of whether parts of the neighbourhood are the problem or the hotel is the problem. Perhaps they feed off each other.

In the 1990s the area was suffering over a good part of the west end. Arson was a major problem as was rooming house murders. The hotel itself was scene of a murder back then and the reputation was a rough one. Since then we have seen part of Sherbrook and Maryland have new housing built, assisted living by the hospital and some new restaurants and shops.

The last few years have seen a return of arsons and nearby there were four people killed in a shooting. In another recent murder, the victim's truck was found in the hotel parking lot. The possible killer died after a police interaction. Drugs and alcohol have always played havoc in Manitoba. The harder drugs are hurting the entire continent. 

The province has been very slow on supporting rehab programs and supportive housing. Mental health supports have been just as challenging. The one thing that people in the West End all seem to agree on is that the Sherbrook Hotel has been scary and despite the efforts of some in the community to put wrestling in and Tallest Poppy, it has gotten worse, not better. 

The Free Press article ripping Sherbrook was one of utter contempt and disgust. The big question is: Will this compel the owners to sell? And if they sold, would it be another hotel operator to own it? At this point, the building may not be worth anything whereas the land might be. There is potential to turn this site into something that might enhance retail on Sherbook as well as provide housing. There have already been a few hosing projects along Sherbrook as well as Maryland that show developers are interesting in investing.

One thing for certain is that each block of an area has to be part of the solution to a vital neighbourhood. If the hotel is a no go zone then whatever success you have near the hotel or across from it is blunted by the feeling of danger.  A hotel by itself doesn't have to be a bad thing. The Osborne Village had at times been a vital part of the business and culture of the area. It remains to be seen whether its demolition and what is coming will contribute to a real street life presence on Osborne. Perhaps with some of the developments down the street, we might see Osborne be reborn again. But the rent for commercial and residential people has to be more sensible.

The backlash against high costs has hit even McDonald's which has taken hits for $3 hash browns in the U.S. The company has declared they will be looking at the affordability issue. This was major news worldwide as the CEO said the complaints have the company looking at this issue. This can be said of so many industries where they have kept increasing prices.

It is always somewhat amazing sometimes that commercial space goes unrented for so long. One of those reasons often is that some owners refuse to sell or bring down the price or subdivide. It will be interesting to see if the owners of the hotel will sell it as a hotel or for the land. Or maybe the wait goes on forever as we sometimes see. 

As with the 1990s, Wolsely is on the edge on either a slide downward or a turn for the better. In the past, a revival of property values, people investing in property and security, a downturn in crime helped west of Maryland become a favoured community to own a house and some businesses thrived. The hotel closure and something new happening on the land might help change things extending down Sherbrook and spread to surrounding streets.

At the moment no one knows what's happening. It can be a slow burn of empty properties just siting and doing nothing. Even on major roads like Portage Avenue it is surprising how many places remain idle year after year. Former hotels have been converted at the Clarion and now the Balmoral for medical visits from the north. By all appearances they seem to be a practical solution for a need that is growing with an aging population. In Minneapolis, some older hotels have been converted for local income housing for those who have been homeless.

The mayor and the premier have both said they want faster solutions to the housing crisis in our region. An old hotel on Sherbrook might be what is needed.

Richardson Family Re-acquires Fairmont Hotel Winnipeg

The Fairmont Hotel Winnipeg was originally the Winnipeg Inn and part of the Richardson family led development of Portage and Main. It was a long delayed grand presence on the corner that the family had held off on till better times. It was striking that the corner had long had a gas station on the site for many years. A testament to just how much a car city we were even at the historic corner.

Between 1968 and 1970 the Richardson building and the then Winnipeg Inn were constructed. One became the tallest office building and headquarters to Richardson operations across the world and the other became one of the grandest hotels in the city.

The buildings are closer together than people realize. And the Richardson family has spent the last number of years improving the outside with public artworks and doing their part to ensure safety on their corner by moving the much feared entrance to the concourse into the secure are of their building.

From 1970 to 2000 the Richardsons owned the hotel but sold it that year. As a private company, it was probably just asset management. In 1996 they had sold Richardson Greenshields to Royal Bank for cash and shares and owning a singular hotel that needed upgrades probably seemed a poor use of resources. Certainly, in 2003, Richardson was back in the brokerage business and it was likely cash heavy as an investment initially. Today, Richardson Financial is a heavyweight again in the industry.

While the hotel might have been sold, the Richardsons invested $10 million back in their concourse connecting to the former Bank of Canada building at 161 Portage. Upgrades went into the building as well.

In 2020, the Richardson Innovation Centre was completed in the middle of the pandemic and really didn't get the big splash it ought to have gotten. The 62,000 square foot building is sleek and modern and the heart of the research and development side of what the company does in agriculture.

The Richardsons have a campus thinking for their area of Portage and Main and having a hotel in the middle of the property that they no longer own did not fit well with that thinking. They have major upgrades planned according to the exec in charge. In fact, they have stated they believe the business case for owning and upgrading makes sense in the post pandemic era.

Given the Free Press story in the last day stating that office workers are going to continue to work hybrid schedules. Local restaurants are saying that Mondays and Fridays are low points. Some of the workers coming in just two days a week are resentful thinking there is no need for coming in any days.

This is likely up to the companies and workers to sort out. If productivity remains good, they might be right. At its high point, the Richardson Building had 3000 people working in it and 150 support staff. It is possible it might have that many people again but it will be a process. One thing is up though and that it is the hotel and convention business and the Fairmont figures to be part of that.

In 2024 the Richardsons seem to want to make a splash in Manitoba. Their foundation has just helped donate 193 acres of peatland in the province this week. This and supporting the arts over the years has ensured vital aspects in Winnipeg and surrounding areas.

In terms of supporting downtown, it is better the Richardsons own the Fairmont than not owning it. The investment talked about is not idle chatter either. This year will have some substantial building and renovations going. It will be difficult to see how it all meshes together. The gaps between projects in terms of space is always problematic. It will be interesting though to see a number of downtown hotels get built or spruced up in the next year.

Babylon 5 TV Series Turns 30 Years Old

The pilot for the Babylon 5 series was aired in 1993 and the first season of 22 episodes aired January 26, 1993, thirty years ago. I remember in frustration that I could not see locally in Winnipeg. It was a syndicated series on channels that were not shown on cable as far I could tell. And I looked. I used to try and watch any time we headed to Grand Forks or Fargo for shopping trips. 

I could get all the Star Trek series but some of the syndicated shows that were emerging from the 1990s world of independent owned TV stations just didn't make it on to the Winnipeg dial. Wasn't the first time the struggle of having to find shows I had heard about and not being able to find them occurred.

Doctor Who was something I didn't get to see until PBS aired it and it was only one doctor! Not anything before and not anything after. I didn't get to see Blake's 7 from Britain until the 1990s until a friend who had recorded in Los Angeles sent them to me. She died this year along with her husband. Quite sad as she was such a fan of Servalan. 

The explosion of independent stations or small groupings of stations sharing content in the last 1980s and early 1990s made it possible for a syndicated Star Trek and for Babylon 5 to emerge on the sci-fi front. Baywatch was one of the other popular series of the syndicated drama period. Alas, today the advent of streaming has pretty much been eliminated original drama syndication.

Syndication was a good format for guaranteeing a full season order of 22 episodes. And with the story based at one location and with visual effects using CGI, it had a budget less that Star Trek Next Generation's which was tens of thousands higher. Next Generation was episodic with a general narrative whereas Babylon 5 was seeded with developing storylines that could take the entire series of five years to pay off.

The creator of the series J. Michael Straczynski had gotten his start on animated series that appeared on Saturday morning cartoons but by the 1980s was writing on Murder, She Wrote. As an experienced writer and producer, he was able to convince Warner Bros about the merit of a sci-fi series and the studio was looking to follow in the successful path of Paramount with their Star Trek revival in film and TV.

Straczynski had shopped the idea to Paramount before Warner and shockingly, Paramount created Deep Space 9 which they pushed quickly to get on air before Babylon 5. I personally liked both series but there was no doubt that they both followed long story arcs, had politics, religion and space battles galore. I was not much for the Internet sniping between the two series. There was even a bit of that among the performers on both series. I guess there is no such thing as bad publicity only no publicity.

The considerable changes in actors from first season to second season in Babylon 5 might have tripped up many series but the writing was adjusted and seemed seamless in the "novel" that was the intent of the show. In fact, the loss of some of those characters for a time allowed for an even more layered series.

In 2023, an animated re-visit to Babylon 5 was made and it was nice to see after all these years. Warner Brothers hasn't said whether they intend to make more. They were late to the streaming party with Max (formerly HBO Max) but original content that the company owns has been part of their objective. Babylon 5 is a property that could be Warner's Star Trek in terms of the future. Set aside the rumour that Paramount and Warner might merge because then the combined companies would own Star Trek and might not see a need for a Babylon 5.

The rumour has cooled recently. Warner is still adjusting to its merger with Discovery so Paramount might just not be on. In fact all the studios are trying to figure out the future of their assets. The thing about Star Trek is that they began a movie re-boot only a dozen years after the original TV series. And that TV series had been a consistent performer in syndication. Many (and I do mean many) of the original actors on Babylon 5 have passed away.

As for the 30 year old series, it still holds up well when you can find it. It never seems to last long on any TV station or on sale on DVD. It seems to sit in a library and doesn't even get put on a streamer anywhere. The talk of a renewed series on CW went no where. 

In terms of seeing where the future of mankind is going, the series seemed more point on with the politics of earth than Star Trek. The slide to authoritarianism, the continued role of religion, the military aspect of space exploration were more accurate than anyone might have guessed. However, the communications device attached to the hand is likely not going to supplant Star Trek's communicator. But I feel the pockets on the uniforms of Babylon 5 are more likely to be in the future than Star Treks's onesies.

Looking at 2024, there are very few series that would qualify as space opera. It seems to go in cycles. Star Trek continues to produce series. Foundation has a bit of that element. Dune would likely make a good series but will continue on the film route a while longer. Star Wars has done some really good stuff for TV series and there are more to come. I hope one day that Warner will dust off the series for one more round across the galaxy.

Time for a New Manitoba Flag?

The Manitoba Vexillogical Society has asked Manitobans if we should have a new provincial flag. The group, which is dedicated to flag, has ranked Manitoba's flag very low.  It was approved in 1965 and officially approved in 1966. It was based on the old Canadian flag and looks remarkably like Ontario's flag.

Changing flags is not usually a vote winner for political parties. The debate over the Canadian flag change had many hurt feelings but went through. It is widely regarded now as being the right choice and recognized around the world instantly.

The flag in 1966 reflected the strong British feelings that still remained within the province. It didn't take much account of the French presence that was as much a part of the province's development and still was at the time. Nor did it show anything about the indigenous presence.

The British flag evolved over time so if our example is Britain, we can use that as a basis for change. I think there are areas of the present flag we can agree on. A bison is a great symbol for a flag. The colour isn't bad. But a crest on a flag is too busy and the Union Jack is too prominent give the founding of the province and those involved in making it happen. 

Will a new flag ever come? It seems unlikely the new NDP government would wade into that one. However, if political pressures come groups of people left off the present flag, they might have second thoughts that they didn't have an international competition to determine a design that wins acclaim. 

One thing worth considering is that if organizations like the Jets can have a new uniform and a heritage uniform, why can't a province? It isn't like the flag need disappear for ever.  The Canadian Red Ensign flies at war memorials. Perhaps, there could be protocols of when the old Manitoba flag is flown such as Manitoba Day.

Flags do change. Manitoba is over 150 years old. The present flag does not accurately reflect the past and it certainly look like it represents the future either. A confident government might let the process play through and not put their thumb on the scale. Let's see what Manitoba thinks.

Will Dinner Theatre Ever Return?

 For the first time in decades, Winnipeg has no dinner theatre. It has been some time since Celebrations has closed. A combination of years of Covid, rising inflation and a union strike made theatre owners throw in the towel. It remains to be seen whether a private theatre serving dinner will ever be able to get off the ground again in Winnipeg.

Over the decades we have had Holly Mug and Stagewest Dinner Theatre in Winnipeg. The only one listed as still active in Winnipeg is the Tara Players Irish Theatre and Dinner. It is unlikely that Winnipeg has tired of dinner theatre but the margins much be tight and renting a spot in a hotel has to be difficult. Owning your site is probably helpful but that rarely seems to be the case.

Still, Celebrations was around since 1990 and probably able to keep its costs downs by having the same theatre production show in Calgary as well as Edmonton. The days of Canad Inns having their nightclubs and other attractions filled has obviously been more challenging the last few years.

You never want to say never say never when it comes to things making a comeback. Yuk Yuk's is back with a comedy club in Winnipeg at the Hotel Fort Garry after many years of not being here. 

Some dinner theatres like Medieval Times around North America rely on tourism. While tourists likely came to Celebrations, it relied on Winnipeggers and surrounding areas for the bulk of their audiences. The shortage of restaurant staff and the uncertain dynamic post pandemic probably means no business will be in a rush to open. Sill, it will be curious what Canad Inns does with the property. Additional meetings rooms? Performance space?

Stagewest success, which started in Edmonton, was that that they were operators of hotels and wrote literally thousands of plays to perform in their dinner theatre. The Winnipeg operation only closed on Kennedy Street because of the construction of Portage Place. 

I think dinner theatre remains something that Winnipeggers want but it will likely not get unless it has a major partner from a hotel, restaurant or theatre company.  In Calgary and Edmonton, Jubilations (Celebrations sister locations) are based at shopping malls including the West Edmonton Mall. 

The two most likely spots for a dinner theatre would seem to be Polo Park or St. Vital Shopping Centre. However, both are nearly full or completely leased and would likely have to be fully committed to the concept. I am more surprised that neither mall has added a hotel attached to the mall as an amenity. Give the approvals CF Cadillac Fairview has for development around Polo Park that isn't a bad bet. Still, we haven't seen the type of hotel development around malls in this province that U.S. malls have. Even Columbia Mall in Grand Forks which could be called a failed mall still has several hotels surrounding it.

I don't think anything will happen soon but after decades of dinner theatre, it is hard to imagine that it will never return.

Thom Bargen Coffee Coming to Tuxedo

Tuxedo used to be a town before being absorbed into the city. It didn't have a very big commercial area but what it did have was on Corydon and had enough to support the residential area.

A Safeway and a Shopper's Drug Mart anchor a retail mall and the far end of it is Winnipeg's oldest and most resilient comedy club Rumors. 

A retail mall across the street has provided a host of services and restaurants over the years and for the most part has been fairly stable in what businesses are there. For example there has been a Perth's drycleaner there for decades. Till recently, the Tuxedo Family Restaurant was a staple but controversy over pandemic regulations likely contributed to it closing. A Winnipeg favourite George's Burgers & Subs has taken over and appears to be quite busy.

In 1992, the corner location which had been a hair salon for many years was taken over by a franchise of Grabbajabba. It was an opportunity for many in the area to buy coffee beans for their new machines at home but also a place to sit down, have a coffee, latte and the like with windows all around. Musical artists would play Fridays and Saturdays. The patio came a year later and was a popular spot for dog walkers and bikes.

Th coffee shop lasted several years before Timothy's World Coffee took over and until this year had served the community. The closure was likely disappointing to many who had gotten used to a coffee place on the corner. A Starbucks in the mall at least was still available but often fairly busy.

It must have come as a relief when Thom Bargen Coffee announced they would be taking over and adding to the three locations they already have on Kennedy, Sherbrook and further down Corydon in the Fort Rouge area. The ten year old company is truly a Winnipeg institution and the opportunity to be in a place with patio and parking as well as walkable was likely to go pass up.

It is always tough to run a restaurant business. Many have had tough times these last years. It doesn't matter if it is a franchise or someone's family place. However, we have seen a few close and a few go up in their place. Some areas such as downtown still struggle as they cope with lost customers who no longer live or work in the area. Foot traffic has dried up in many years. Some from endless construction, bike paths on their street that block easier access and crime.

The Tuxedo Mall across has had a makeover in the last few years for its facade as well as the Safeway. The Shell station is gone in favour of an apartment building going up. The parking lot is always filled. This is an important thing to note. The area has always been a mix of recreation, residential, commercial and retail. Vacancies come up from time to time but this particular area has been resilient. 

Thom Bargen should have good success in Tuxedo. And not just because of wealthy customers but because the area draws people every day for everything from groceries to dentists.

As 2024 progresses, we are likely to see more vacancies filled, especially within areas that have shown consistent abilities in drawing people. The more people, the more secure an area feels. And not just feels, actually is. Many stores and businesses in the Tuxedo area are open till 11 PM on most nights and early every day. 

Will this be the last expansion for Thom Bargen? Maybe yes, maybe no. With 10 employees at the new Tuxedo location and not being crazy large, this could be a template for other areas. The problem is that some of those ideal places might just have too high rent. It is a mystery why some landlords don't lower rent to get places filled.

Business announcement have been happening fairly regularly so perhaps we have started to emerge of those tough years,

Long and McQuade to Move to Polo Park Area

 

Long and McQuade, a Canadian national music store, started off pretty small for its Winnipeg location. They were the third location in Canada to open in 1971 and took over Winnipeg Piano, a city institution on Portage. Business boomed at Long and McQuade moved to Osborne the following year. By 1978, they had moved to Corydon.

My impression of Corydon was that it wasn't a big store but I was not sure how deep the store went or if it included a basement. One thing is clear is that the move to Stafford was one of constant expansion as they took over large swaths of the old Videon building in 1997 until there was little left that they didn't operate from. The move to Pembina Highway was a purpose-built store of 25,000 square feet in 2016. 

There are three locations in the city now at Wall Street, Henderson Highway and Pembina Highway. It is the Wall Street location that is moving to Polo Park because there is very little room to expand at their present location. At one point there was a very music shops all along Portage and Wall Street but pretty much the only one left is St. John's Music. The Pembina location boasted it had the largest curved wall of guitars in the world. At 400 guitars, they might be right.

The old Wall Street location used to be Gorden Price/Mother's Music and became a Long and McQuade in 1993 and full renovation in 2014. Mother's Music used to be right across from University of Winnipeg in the 1980s.

The Henderson Highway location is fairly new at 2019. It was a former location of River City Sports. Henderson Highway is filled with music stores.

The location for the relocated Wall Street/Polo Park location is on Ellice just east of Empress Street. It is a multi-million purchase of the whole 9 acres and 120,000 square foot building where Long and McQuade will occupy 50,000 square feet of what is presently Bianca Amor's Liquidation Supercentre.

In 2007, the whole complex was purchased by Cabela from Sidney I. Robinson who used to operate S.I.R. Warehouse, a business not dissimilar to Cabela's. Prior to that, the building was used by MTS for their fleet vehicles. 

Much of the area around Polo Park was industrial right up to the 1980s.

For those wondering what happens to Bianca Amor's, it has found a smaller spot on St. James.

The new Long and McQuade's is modelled after Halifax and Calgary which feature a store and distribution centre. The company has quite a bit of product going from place to place and at 50,000 square feet of space, the new Polo Park location can handle that.

This is a massive investment in the city and evidence that music lessons and musical instruments are big business. There isn't a company that I know of quite as coast to coast in their field as Long and McQuade.  An employee increase for the people hired for the distribution centre and for music lessons is guaranteed. Total numbers are not known. And of course, the construction and millions spent will help the economy here in 2024.

John Sauder Retires from CBC Broadcasting

For nearly 40 years John Sauder has been a broadcasting legend in Winnipeg. For many, his introduction came as Captain John in the KY 58 traffic reports from 1984 to 1994 from his Cessna. Pretty much every other radio station would listen in and use his information in their own traffic reports. As Sauder tells it, he didn't know he would be the one making the radio reports. He had thought he'd be just flying.

It is worth noting that when budget cuts ended the air traffic reports, there were no air reports for many years. Most cities in Canada, if they do have air traffic reports, use a company that that flies helicopters and supplies the report. I don't believe we have had that in place for a number of years now.

Sauder's personality came out in his reports and they were by far the most accurate and up to date reports on car traffic in the city. Think it made people think we were now big enough to have these type of reports. We'd all seen the chopper reports from the U.S. and although we didn't really have highways in the city, any tips to avoid the trains was more than welcome.

The end of air traffic reports must have left Sauder not knowing what to do next but he ended up at CKY doing weather reports for a number of years and that became permanent full time in 2000. He also got his meteorology credentials which cemented his reputation for forecasts.

It was in 2007, after so many years of radio and TV broadcasting at CKY/CTV, he went to CBC and it is there after 39 years he announced his retirement in 2024. Not entirely sure who is replacement is or if there will be one. Newscasts in Canada are almost all going to one anchor only. They have dropped their second anchors, sportcaster and in many cases weather reporter.

Say what you will about U.S. local broadcasts but they generally have two anchors, a dedicated sports reporter and often a meteorologist. U.S. stations take weather forecasting seriously. We don't seem to have nearly the trained broadcasters in this area as would seem warranted. One would hope that we have not seen the last meteorologist to work in broadcasting in Winnipeg.

John Sauder was dedicated local broadcaster who took his specialty roles seriously whether it was traffic or weather and he attained the credentials to do the work  while being personable and community minded. He will be missed on the air.

Fit 4 Less St. James Opens Soon

Fit 4 Less is indeed part of Goodlife Fitness but it is the discount arm for the company and membership is not interchangeable. Unlike Goodlife, Fit 4 Less offers more limited staff hours, no classes and trainers and only a few amenities like tanning, massage chairs and hydro beds. It is open 24 hours with a card pass but showers are closed when no staff are around.

The pandemic was not kind to the fitness industry. Many Snap and Anytime Fitness Clubs were closed permanently. Many Goodlife Fitness locations were slow to re-open or complete their building. Some of their locations closed as well or were changes to Fit 4 Less.

The St. James location will bring the the number of Fit 4 Less in Winnipeg to three locations. One of the more prominent locations of the company is at St. Vital Mall.

Since the pandemic many new apartment buildings have been adding amenities such a fitness centres but plenty of places still don't have them nor maintain them if they do. And few offer 24 hour service. In other words: There is a need for them across Canada. 

The grocery locations for Goodlife have served them well over the decades. But the big premium locations often stand alone. The old Goodlife on Kenaston is about to become a gym again. No word on the new name but will report when more is known.

The gyms re-opening and new ones coming is a sign the pandemic is being put behind many people. However, make no mistake it changed the industry. Reserving a group exercise spot and not crowding space remains in place. It changed some people's workouts to home units as well. But for the most part, gyms are coming back. It it still an open question if we see a bunch of Snap and Anytime Fitness places to pop up all over again.

As for St. James: Have we see the last of the Goodlifes in the region? I'd say no. Expect something bigger coming.

Downtown Recovery in 2024?

It takes forever to get development projects going in Winnipeg.  Zoning seems to be only one thing that holds it all up. In the case of the demolished Civic Parkade and Public Safety Building, it has been a long while. The primary reason is that most of the land had a public mandate when it was originally donated. This was likely missed by those who thought they could make a quick sale to private owners in one of those proposal walked onto council floor.

The pandemic crushed foot traffic downtown and despite a return by some businesses back to the office, some workers have remained at home or do a work hybrid. A number of apartment buildings have gone up including the tallest building in Winnipeg. This is a good development and has led to a rejuvenation of Winnipeg Square with Earl's, Goodlife and OEM opening. A few other apartments have opened in the last year but the slow return of workers downtown has meant street life is still not where it was in 2019.

Several announcements of projects for 2024 should help kick off a new wave of investment. Portage Place, The Bay and the Market Lands project all look to have start times in the new year. The Market Lands work looks to start the soonest beside City Hall. Every project has a housing component to it. This is good because the days of retail, commercial and residential of the last decades is disappearing. 

The Seasons of Tuxedo lands are almost complete as a mixed development. Polo Park has gotten approval to go in the same direction so there should be a number of proposals coming soon. One apartment is already working its way though the zoning maze at City Hall. Using the existing infrastructure of roads and utilities is one effective way of cost management for a city. Sadly, the history of Winnipeg has been sprawl which has increasingly led to unsustainable costs.

The various levels of government can't support ultra low density areas with road infrastructure that involves long commutes from where people live to where they work. Already in Winnipeg, we see those who live outside the city come in only to be choked in traffic along some of the main corridors. Adding lanes to Kenaston probably won't help given the building of residential outside the city as well as future Kapyong work coming in 2024.

The bus service is supposed to get a security team because staff and transit users don't feel safe. This is absolutely essential. Even those who sympathize for those who are homelessness and have addictions, it is awful to navigate personal safety red flags. The fears are not unjustified. You only have to have something happen once and it can change your behaviour forever. Presuming, you can walk away from whatever happened.

There are so many aspects of rehabilitation for a city and as many ways for it to all turn bad. Winnipeg's problems are not unique. We were modestly successful in 2019 with a list of economic and social achievements that gave many confidence. The pandemic, drug issues and loss of so much housing has us and much of the continent on its back foot.

The federal government walked away from having a housing minister in the 1970s. They funded provincial governments as it was mainly their responsibility to determine their housing needs. Cutbacks from both federal and provincial governments and restrictive zoning from municipalities have seen multi-unit housing disappear when the need has never been greater.

Single detached housing or one or two bedroom luxury apartments are not the only type of housing that should be approved and built. And yet, that is what has happened. Even downtown much of the new apartment housing has been high priced rentals and condos. While this has helped raised the population in certain areas such as Assiniboine Avenue as well as Waterfront Drive, there has been a loss of some affordable housing that has been torn down or burnt down.

The lack of connectivity makes downtown development difficult. And no, a skywalk isn't the answer if the street level is devoid of life. The construction of the arena has been only one part of bringing activity to Portage Avenue. The True North people through the Chipmans and Thomsons have been good at adding components supporting an entertainment district. As with most things, such as The Forks, it takes quite a while to put the parts together. And there can be setbacks as well.

For The Forks it has been piece by piece and largely successful although the next years of reaching financial self sufficiently will be critical. It has to be commercially as well as socially successful. Security has to be a priority. And it has to connect various areas of the city with things like the walkways, ice paths, Forks to downtown, to St. Boniface and elsewhere. It does quite a bit of that now but once the last section across from Human Rights Museum is filled, it will be interesting if a focus will be reclaim the spaces along Main Street.

Wab Kinew has said that Portage and Main is not a priority for him and his new government into 2024. It remains to be seen what the Manitoba Metis Friendship Centre might think of that as they spend $33 million renovating the Bank of Montreal building they acquired in 2020. Access to it was one of their key goals. The Richardsons are already closing the dangerous Concourse access outside their building. What will be done with the one outside the MMF building?

Their purchase of the Wawanesa headquarters on Broadway and the $14 million boutique hotel project at 280 Fort Street in the former Carleton Club/yoga studio location all point to a downtown strategy by the MMF. The high profile MMF presence in the old Manitoba Sports Federation building and their Christmas lights display showcase is part of the $86.5 million spent in downtown Winnipeg over the years. 

As mentioned earlier, connecting one area to another is as important as the bridges throughout Winnipeg have been historically. The bridges from Winnipeg to St. Boniface were fundamental to commercial, residential and industrial development in the city. Rail, car and pedestrian/bike bridges have been a boon to the city. 

Likewise, when the East Yards relocated to Symington, The Forks created access to the Red and Assiniboine Rivers which connected the city to the water in a way that outlasted the big riverboats. The river walkways are used all year round and the skating trail has become a huge connector of citizens to neighborhoods all along the rivers.

The city has attempted to connect the city with bike paths but the lack of consultation has been ham-handed, disruptive and under utilized in a lot of cases. For every successful bike path such as long Sherbrook Street, the city puts up ones in the Exchange Area and Assiniboine Avenue that literally are dangerous to people crossing Main Street and have caused problems for many businesses along their routes. It doesn't have to be this way as demonstrated by Sherbrook.

Most people don't like the huge gaps in neighbourhoods. Downtown along certain streets has surface parking lots for blocks. While this might seem great when attending for work and attending a Jets game/concert, it isn't all that ideal when considering a restaurant, shop or even a safe place from the wind when walking three blocks. It certainly isn't welcome at night when being all alone walking to a car does not feel all that secure. 

Since 2010, the Winnipeg Jets have been a consistent draw of thousands of people several times a month. Add to that thousands from Moose games and concerts. The Jets owners add to the entertainment district every few years with things such as event centre for travelling shows, the development across the street that put the Alt Hotel, some restaurants, a condo and parkade in close proximity. And in recent years, the True North Square which continues with the hotel and condo component which has been painfully slow in building. Initially, the hotel was to be completed in 2021 but now it is 2025.

That is a lot of years of a street that is very difficult to walk down as construction has lasted years. Much of St. Mary's Avenue was miserable to travel down for all year. It is hard for other businesses to survive when construction is several years in the offing. Even worse when it is the city working on roads with no end in sight.

Portage and Main construction has been going on for some time too. Some time in 2024, it should be open for your choice of 529 or Hy's opposite each other. Earl's is a lot closer to the corner as well and with construction finally over this year, more foot traffic ought to find its way to their doors. The old Earls became Friskee's but has since closed. It still seems an obvious choice for a Moxies or Joeys.

There are a lot of empty storefronts all over the city but downtown has gotten pretty bad. The BIZ groups are trying to set up pop-ups which helps but it could be the landlords really need to move on price. It can't be very encouraging to have a place that remains empty stretching into years. However, sometimes one wonders if the goal is let it fall so much into disrepair that it can be turned into a parking lot.

As more businesses see a return of workers to offices and more housing gets built, retail and restaurants see opportunities close to where people are gathering. Innovative ideas such as a skateboard park at Portage Place or a festival/concert area can also generate traffic. The crux of things has been that foot traffic has been so low that it generates very little business and the less people, the less secure an area is.

Not surprisingly, the downtown areas that have schools, colleges and universities are areas that often have more vitality than spots where students are not present. Bus route locations used to prized but with security issues and homeless use of shelters it has been a challenge. It will be interesting to see if the new security service on board will mitigate the concerns that passengers and drivers have felt over the last years. The entire city depends on getting a handle on this because there will be rising numbers of people who will not have access to a car or who wish to use public transit.

As mentioned, Winnipeg is not the only place around the world trying to figure out how to navigate in a post-pandemic world in terms of cities. Every city seems to be having some angst about empty storefronts, closing music venues, troubled transit systems, crime, addictions and mental health. Housing is on the mind of every community whether it is downtown, suburbs or in the country. 

A recovery cannot really take off unless the business community is involved and we still have tentative investment as growth flags due to inflation worries. There is some evidence that it is coming down and we may have seen an end to aggressive interest rate increases. If this is the case, we should see more housing go up and this remains the most critical area of need in the country. We won't see huge office towers and more malls get built. It will generally have a housing component. For many developer this might be to enhance properties they already own and have a development on such as Polo Park or Winnipeg Square. This is the best bet for development of Portage Place.

We should see some work as early as January in the downtown but it will be some time before we some real progress in recovery.