Western Expresso

[1ajs]

pd is a small town. i should know i grew up there and is building from inside.

[alittle1]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

pd is a small town. i should know i grew up there and is building from inside.

There are very few originals left in Point Douglas. The area does warrant a second look because of its closeness to downtown. Can anyone name anything that has been built new there in the last ten years?

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by alittle1

There are very few originals left in Point Douglas. The area does warrant a second look because of its closeness to downtown. Can anyone name anything that has been built new there in the last ten years?

new daycare center seniors center part of barber house rehab
bunch of infill houses
lots of reno's
and build rehabs
the disralie bridge

[thebasketballgeek]

In Point Douglas my opinion is to at least make it another urban inner city area like Osborne or west Broadway. I mean they already have Selkirk but if they can make a few streets like Higgins to be more like Selkirk and also add more high rises and maybe it will seem more urban and maybe have the same impact as Osborne downtown with a nice boom transition. But they basically have to reduce the crime by 50% or even more to make that area seem only kind of safe. I'm sorry for having to say that, but it could also happen in 10 years if the police are more attentive in that area.

[bomberjet]

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...253149781.html

Trapped by windrows, woman says
Hard ice covers route to street, exit from garage


Wtf is wrong with people. You own a house. If you can't handle the upkeep, which includes shovelling snow, you shouldn't be owning a home. Unfortunately that's just the facts of life.

The city has been clearing the snow the same way for forever. Back lane windrows don't get cleared. Neither do private sidewalks (which are on the cities boulevard most of the time anyways). The city clears front driveways; and should be doing so on ALL streets, as per policy. So if the windrow isn't getting cleared from your front drive, you should be notifying the City.

Sometimes people forget this is the real world, and you shouldn't expect everything to be given to you. You could be left out in the cold to die if that's any consolation. Be glad you have a home, and live in a time when people don't struggle to survive the winter's.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...253149781.html

Trapped by windrows, woman says

Wtf is wrong with people. You own a house. If you can't handle the upkeep, which includes shovelling snow, you shouldn't be owning a home. Unfortunately that's just the facts of life.

I agree completely.

It shouldn't be that hard to hire a guy with a skidsteer to clear away a portion big enough to get your car out of the garage.

[1ajs]

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Trapped by windrows, woman says
Hard ice covers route to street, exit from garage

That pic is actually not on the street, it is in the lane.

I store my summer car in this lane and it was impassable prior to it being cleared. I called 311 to have it cleared and it was done Thursday afternoon. They removed most of the windrows but the city supervisor came around and told them to stop.

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by Riverman

They removed most of the windrows but the city supervisor came around and told them to stop.

As the supervisor should've done. If the lane is not passable, then clear the lane.


People complain about how much money the city spends, taxes are too high, etc, etc. Then complain when the services aren't what they "should" be. So who is supposed to pay for all the windrows to be cleared from back lanes? The taxpayer? Ohhh, welll, taxes are high enough as it is. So these contractors should just do it for free?

All the windrows would have to be hauled away. Does anyone realize how expensive that would be? There's no way crews could clear the windrows and pile them in the back lane somewhere. Most people shovel them and are placed shovel by shovel. Imagine trying to pile them somewhere using a loader or some kind of equipment? The next thing would be complaints about people garages and fencing being demolished by the crews...

[Riverman]

They were hauling the ice and windows down the lane and piling it along Roch Street. I shoveled the windrow from my rental garage as did the neighbour. I was glad I brought a steel shovel along.

[drew]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

People complain about how much money the city spends, taxes are too high, etc, etc. Then complain when the services aren't what they "should" be. So who is supposed to pay for all the windrows to be cleared from back lanes? The taxpayer? Ohhh, welll, taxes are high enough as it is. So these contractors should just do it for free?

The problem is that they clear away the windrows in front of peoples houses when they have driveways, but don't do the same in back lane areas.

I get the snow removal logistics argument about back lanes versus front driveways.

But...if we are going to start into the taxpayer argument - the City should just stop clearing windrows from private access driveways everywhere, front or back. If I as a backlane access home owner need to clear my own windrow - so should Joe Suburb.

[Cyro]

Originally Posted by drew

The problem is that they clear away the windrows in front of peoples houses when they have driveways, but don't do the same in back lane areas.

I get the snow removal logistics argument about back lanes versus front driveways.

But...if we are going to start into the taxpayer argument - the City should just stop clearing windrows from private access driveways everywhere, front or back. If I as a backlane access home owner need to clear my own windrow - so should Joe Suburb.

This is a very valid argument. it should be equal in both cases, although you already mentioned the logistics of removing them in back lanes, which is much more difficult, not impossible but more involved, time/equipment wise.

[drew]

Originally Posted by Cyro

This is a very valid argument. it should be equal in both cases, although you already mentioned the logistics of removing them in back lanes, which is much more difficult, not impossible but more involved, time/equipment wise.

True. However the difficulty in removing snow for the operators is the same that us homeowners experience too. Where to put snow in backlanes. Eventually you run out of room.

We clean our windrow, but I can definitely sympathize with people who can't. That shit is like concrete. And I think there is every reason to complain if the City operates a double standard snow clearing practice - which it does.

[Cyro]

Originally Posted by drew

True. However the difficulty in removing snow for the operators is the same that us homeowners experience too. Where to put snow in backlanes. Eventually you run out of room.

We clean our windrow, but I can definitely sympathize with people who can't. That shit is like concrete. And I think there is every reason to complain if the City operates a double standard snow clearing practice - which it does.

Actually we're in agreement on this topic Drew, hence my post below:.

"This is a very valid argument. it should be equal in both cases".

I clean them on a regular basis for those not able to do so themselves, as well as my own. The city should be responsible for both back/front driveways..

[bomberjet]

Totally agree on the double standard. Just following what the policy is right now. I don't see clearing windrows in back lanes as feasible. So maybe Joe suburbs should clear their driveways. Trust me, I have a back lane and know the struggle. I came home after Christmas holidays to a two foot high ice ridge at 10pm on a Sunday night. Not fun. At the same time I grew up with a front drive and knew the joys of the loader clearing it for me!

[drew]

^ same deal.

Grew up with the front loaders clearing our driveway and everyone else on the street.

Then moved to Wolseley and was not pleasantly surprised with the backlane snow clearing practices.

[Cyro]

It's been a difficult winter here in many respects, especially in the snow clearing area. We can also discuss ruts, more than the usual amount of pot holes, due to the freeze/thaw cycle, freezing water lines, record cold temps, high snow fall amounts....... and so on..

I here it's going to be a great summer.

[cllew]

At times I think its the way the city does it that causes the problems.

I have been in the same house for 50 years (inherited my parents house) and remember the city of East Kildonan doing the back lanes with a V-Plow on their Cat Loader.

The V-plow as I remember did not leave the pile as high as doing it the current way with a bucket.

It seemed to push a more distributed lower snow covering onto the back pad behind the garage making it easier to move.

I was lucky this year that my neighbor brought his bobcat home from the shop a few times and cleaned up our section of the lane after the city came down. I have an 8 foot pile of snow in my back yard fence at the lane from that. Other people that hired a loader and don't have yard space had them put it down on Roch by Miles Mac.

[Riverman]

It seems to me that the City is doing a pretty good job in keeping up with the potholes this year.

[cllew]

Does anybody know if the city has brought in snow dragon snowmelters (or equivalent brand) in recent memory to test out?

I am aware that larger cities like Toronto, Minneapolis, Chicago and New York city use portable melters instead of trucking to snow dumps