We asked...Rob Galston
Bartley Kives
Bartley Kives
Updated: July 6 at 12:05 AM CDT
WITHIN the space of a
year, the inner-city
enclave of Point Douglas
has gone from being an
obscure residential neighbourhood to
Winnipeg's most contentious piece of
real estate.
Last summer, residents of the leafy north side of the peninsula banded together to rid their community of crack houses, winning praise from police and politicians.
This summer, residents on the more industrial south side are quaking in fear of a stadium-driven waterfront development that threatens to alter the character of their quirky neighbourhood.
All the attention afforded to North and South Point Douglas has taken the residents of "the next Wolseley" by surprise SEmD and none of them more so than Rob Galston, community activist and author of the blog The Rise And Sprawl (riseandsprawl.blogspot.com).
As the stadium saga unfolded, the Free Press sat down with the 26-year-old urbanist to discuss inner-city revitalization, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the pleasures of air-conditioned suburban hotels.
Why do you have a blog?
I started visiting local message boards and investing a little too much time responding to posts, so I decided I might as well make a blog of it.
Why do so many political bloggers seem so angry?
Maybe they feel powerless. I come off angry, probably because I write as a reaction to something, and it's probably the worst story in the city at the time.
Why do you love Point Douglas?
I like the people. I like the history. I have a great little butcher shop and corner store around the corner. My taxes are rock-bottom, and I don't mind if they go up, if the neighbourhood continues to improve. We have the river there, and what was a viable commercial strip. We're just working on restoring those. I like being in on the ground floor of things.
Tell me something surprising about your home.
It was built in 1882, and a lot of the houses on my street were... it's probably the only house on my street that's never been a rooming house.
Tell me something nice about Portage Place.
I haven't been in there since McNally (Robinson) closed. I like Globe Cinema a lot. And the food court is always a good place to find human curiosities.
What do you think about Upper Fort Garry?
I'm sure it was a wonderful place in the 1860s.
What about MTS Centre?
I've never been inside for an event. I've walked through it. A lot of people don't like it, but it fits its context fairly well. I hope the stadium would take note, if they built downtown. I think it's a good example of how a very large venue can blend into a fairly dense, built-up downtown.
And a South Point Douglas football stadium?
It could be a good thing. It could be another disaster. It would take a lot of planning and political will and personal drive by (David) Asper to make it work. I'm not sure all three of those things are going to come into play.
What would you have rather seen at the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority site on Main Street?
If they wanted to build an office, they could have taken up two lots rather than a whole block. I would have rather seen small buildings, buildings that fit the scale of the street.
What Winnipeg building would you like to see torn down?
Trizec. It's a classic example of building a skyscraper for the sake of building a skyscraper, to show that "look, we're a big city, too." It didn't arise out of a demand for office space. It's one tower and then one blank, empty block (of) unused frontage on Main Street. It's just horrible architecture, and there was no reason to build it.
What constitutes a guilty pleasure for an urban renewal activist?
We don't have air-conditioning, so last summer in the middle of the heat wave, I loaded up the family into the Volkswagen, and we drove down to South Pembina to stay at the Days Inn. I get teased about that.
What are you saving money for?
We're saving up to go overseas. My wife and I haven't done that together.
How would describe your personal sense of style?
My neighbours say, "Rob, you look like James Dean. Do you plan that?" I say, "No, I planned to look like Luke Perry."
What was the best aspect of being a teenager in the 1990s?
I think it was a lot easier then to get into trouble, in a good way. It was easier to get smokes. Gas was cheaper.
What was the last book you read?
The last book I finished was Mordecai Richler's Joshua Then And Now, for the second time. I'm about halfway through Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand.
Who is your hero?
I like Richler a lot. He's my favourite non-fiction writer. I really look up to him. He's such an amazing writer and such a great cynical person. I also like the heroic efforts of Jane Jacobs, (who took) on that whole machine when it seemed unstoppable in the '60s, and continued to do that until her death. Also my father. I take him very seriously.
What's on the menu at all the restaurants in hell?
"Manitoba food." You know, all those trendy restaurants that have like, bison and asparagus.
What's the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?
Pick up the newspaper off the front step. Put on coffee. Turn on the computer.
What would be your recurring dream?
It's usually a scene from my childhood, but I'm there as an adult. I usually have some kind of mission. Sometimes there are guns involved.
What do you want from the future?
I want to have a safe society for my daughter and every other kid who comes along.
What do you fear for her?
Political instability. We've been very lucky to live through 60 years of relative peace, stability, wealth and growth on our continent. I fear that might be threatened.
What figure from Winnipeg's political past would you love to have met?
James Ashdown or any of the mayors from Winnipeg's golden age. It would be interesting to see what they think about things now.
Who were you the last time you dressed up for Halloween?
I dressed up like a hardcore punk scenester. I had The Smiths T-shirt with the sleeves cut off. I dyed my hair black and had mascara.
What would you do if Starbucks arrived at the corner of Main and Euclid?
I'd be very happy, because I'd have some place to get a decent cup of coffee. Otherwise, I have to come down (to The Fyxx, in Old Market Square). I wouldn't protest.
Could David Asper be a saviour for South Point Douglas?
He could be, if he was able to do the things that he claims he would do. It could work out.
Tell me something about the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
I like going to their games. I'm a fourth-generation Bomber fan. I sit in the upper east side stands, among a lot of season-ticket holders. It's a pretty good place to be, because they're usually pretty civil people. The director of the Winnipeg Folk Festival was like the rowdiest guy I sat beside all year.
What do you do when you have nothing to do?
I sit on my steps. I watch the street. I try to write. I may go for a run.
Tell me something about your neighbourhood.
People know we exist now. Monty Hall grew up down the street from where I am.
Are you going to form The Friends of Monty Hall?
No. His house is not in danger of redevelopment.
bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca
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