When you see the intersection up close, which most people don't because there is no reason to go there except the 1% of the population that works there, its hard not to imagine it being out of place in Syria it's in such disrepair it's embarrassing as a city and it needs to be fixed.
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Ian McCausland
https://www.facebook.com/ian.mccausland
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Yesterday I did what I wish many would do, I spent an hour at Portage & Main. Not racing through it in my car, on the ground, on foot. I saw many things in that one hour:
-I saw a traffic flow that was a mixture of all modes of transportation, including a ton of cyclists
-I saw two people defiantly cross the intersection, barriers be damned!
-I saw a young dad struggle with his toddler's stroller up one of the staircases to street level.
-I saw plenty of dark corners, blind spots and sketchy staircases that would only get more ominous at night.
-I saw a senior with mobility issues looking confused navigating the concourse. I wondered how long it took for him to across the street.
- I saw a family set up a tripod and take a family portrait at this ionic intersection to show that they were in Winnipeg.
-I saw a trolley full of tourists take pics of the corner with their phones while being explained of the historical significance of the corner.
-I saw abandoned flower beds that were basically just raised dirt.
-I saw crumbling infrastructure , open rebar, weeds growing between crumbling concrete, steps that were unsafe due to crumbling. (money will be spent here regardless of the outcome of the plebiscite)
I invite all of you to do the same, go downtown, park the car, get out and walk around the intersection. Equate that experience with other more vibrant sections of the downtown.
