Winnipeg | Upper Fort Garry Provincial Park | 130 Main St.

[waffler]

now all we have to look forward to is the redevelopement of the york

[Only The Lonely..]

[rant]

On a side note, this is why you NEVER, EVER, EVER, VOTE FOR THE NDP!!! EVER. PERIOD.

Leave it to a unionist, a couple of retired preachers, social workers and teachers to rule this province and city.

Nobody in that party has ever risked it all to run their own business or ever left the ivory castle to accomplish anything great.

And now our city is paying for it by foregoing private investment in much needed downtown residential rental units for socialist guff.

[/rant]

[furiousmcd]

Originally Posted by nordique

This is absolutely pathetic. I guarantee I, too, will never ever set foot on that stupid interpretive centre. Well, at least until I am about 85 years old, as that is the age bracket that generally likes these kind of useless things.

Hahah, that's hilarious...

[furiousmcd]

Even though I could definitely see this coming, it hasn't really helped to ease my disappointment. My sense of cynicism towards the City of Winnipeg is as healthy as ever. "Professional" is certainly not a word that is in the vocabulary of the NDP.

If there is an agreement with a developer, I don't understand why the government would go so far out of its way to completely derail it. That Provincial Park thing at the last second was a total load. Why do people continue to vote for these sheep?

Also, kudos to the Free Press and the rest of local media who managed to report on this issue without ever presenting real facts or opinions. You are an inspiration to the people who seem to enjoy pretending they will visit an unimpressive heritage site wedged between a curling club and a gas station.

For the rest of us who enjoy the real world, let's just bask in another major frustration...

[Greco Roman]

Originally Posted by Andy6

It would happen just about anywhere. If you want to see an incredibly dysfunctional city government, come visit Toronto sometime. Obviously the process was a bit wonky, but any developer knows that there are risks in dealing with governments. It seems strange to be calling people "selfish bastards" when they are raising money to build a public park on a historic site. I don't think there's much evidence that very many Winnipeggers feel passionately about having an apartment block on that site. It's too bad, and I think that the apartment building would have been okay, but it's not the end of the world.

Again, let me restate:

"if this site is so "historic" and "meaningful", why didn't these loser friends step up to the plate years ago to create this park? Why was it left all of these years to rot, only until someone else showed interest in developing the site? That alone should raise red flags in your head; I know it did in mine."

[viperred88]

Because its job of the province to retain the history of the Province birthplace, its just that simple. I agree with all of you the way the city and Friends have came abiout this lately is very disapointing. I would of liked to have a plan in place many years ago but atleast its finally getting strted. But to say an apartement block needed to be there is not true, an apartement can still be built on the many surface parking lots that exist downtown.

Originally Posted by furiousmcd

Even though I could definitely see this coming, it hasn't really helped to ease my disappointment. My sense of cynicism towards the City of Winnipeg is as healthy as ever. "Professional" is certainly not a word that is in the vocabulary of the NDP.

If there is an agreement with a developer, I don't understand why the government would go so far out of its way to completely derail it. That Provincial Park thing at the last second was a total load. Why do people continue to vote for these sheep?

Also, kudos to the Free Press and the rest of local media who managed to report on this issue without ever presenting real facts or opinions. You are an inspiration to the people who seem to enjoy pretending they will visit an unimpressive heritage site wedged between a curling club and a gas station.

For the rest of us who enjoy the real world, let's just bask in another major frustration...

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by Greco Roman

Again, let me restate:

"if this site is so "historic" and "meaningful", why didn't these loser friends step up to the plate years ago to create this park? Why was it left all of these years to rot, only until someone else showed interest in developing the site? That alone should raise red flags in your head; I know it did in mine."

Because it had a large building on it?

[1ajs]

people keep voting the ndp in cause they are the better option the other idiots don't have a clue either....

untill someone with some gets there act together and a vision we stuck with the ndp

[Svenn]

Originally Posted by Andy6

Because it had a large building on it?

Hey man, these "friends" are a pretty persistent and powerful bunch...I'm sure they could have done something a long time ago if they really wanted to.

[flatlander]

Originally Posted by Only The Lonely..

[rant]

On a side note, this is why you NEVER, EVER, EVER, VOTE FOR THE NDP!!! EVER. PERIOD.

Leave it to a unionist, a couple of retired preachers, social workers and teachers to rule this province and city.

Nobody in that party has ever risked it all to run their own business or ever left the ivory castle to accomplish anything great.

And now our city is paying for it by foregoing private investment in much needed downtown residential rental units for socialist guff.

[/rant]

Nice rant, but factually incorrect. How many NDPers do you find in the following list? I see two, one of which is honourary.

Friends of Upper Fort Garry (from their website).

Honorary Patrons
Rt. Hon. Edward Schreyer,
P.C., C.C., O.M.
Hon. Gary Filmon, P.C., O.M.
Richard A.N. Bonnycastle

Steering Committee

Founding Chair
Hon. Peter M. Liba, C.M., O.M.

Chair
Dr. Jerry L. Gray

Harold Buchwald, C.M., Q.C.
R.W. (Bob) Cunningham
Hon. Gary Filmon, P.C., O.M.
Garry Hilderman, FLSLA
Hon. Otto Lang, P.C., O.C., Q.C.
Penny McMillan
Dr. Bill Norrie, C.M., O.M., Q.C.
Cindy Tugwell

Advisory Council
Leonard Asper
Hon. Lloyd Axworthy, P.C., O.C., O.M.
John Buhler
James W. Burns, O.C., O.M.
Robert M. Chipman
Art DeFehr, O.C.
Gene Dunn
N. Ashleigh Everett
Richard Frost
Gregg Hanson
Dr. Arthur V. Mauro, O.C., O.M., Q.C.
Raymond L. McFeetors
Hon. Pearl McGonigal, C.M., O.M.
Randall Moffat, C.M.
L.O. (Lawrie) Pollard
Barry Rempel
George T. Richardson, C.M., O.M.
Hartley T. Richardson, C.M., LL.D.
Tannis Richardson, C.M.
H. Sanford Riley, C.M.
Bruce Robinson
Hon. Duff Roblin, P.C., C.C., O.M.
Janet Schubert
Bob Silver
Dr. Emoke J.E. Szathmary, C.M.

[nordique]

whoa. so the friends are basically winnipeg's richest people? how'd they have such a hard time raising $10 million then?

but i guess the reason they are rich is because they get other people (the public) to pay for their stuff, like a nice view for their exclusive manitoba club outdoor dining room.

[Only The Lonely..]

Originally Posted by flatlander

Nice rant, but factually incorrect. How many NDPers do you find in the following list? I see two, one of which is honourary.

I was mostly referring to the province willfully undermining the city. Afterall, it would have been the city who would have had to foot the bill over any court costs arising from this mess.

P.S. Did any of you see the 'classy' way in which Gordon Sinclair handled the news of his victory? Asshole.

It's too bad, the city can use more people like Ruben Spletzer.

[pegcityboy]

I sure hope that the city and the province will kiss crystals ass like they did with the friends and give them another piece of land to develop the much needed residential component for downtown . There is no reason for us not to have BOTH propasals going through!!! Kudos to crystall fo stepping out of the proposal but lets not be typical Winnipeg and lose it altogether.

[Spocket]

^Uh...that ship just sailed.

[The Jabroni]

Originally Posted by nordique

whoa. so the friends are basically winnipeg's richest people? how'd they have such a hard time raising $10 million then?

but i guess the reason they are rich is because they get other people (the public) to pay for their stuff, like a nice view for their exclusive manitoba club outdoor dining room.

Unfortunately...

I just hope that people like us would protest and slam this project together. Unfortunately, TPTB doesn't agree.

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by Spocket

^Uh...that ship just sailed.

and how long does it take till it gets back?

[vid]

Gets back?

Haha.

*The last thing Winnipeg needs is development. Especially downtown.*

[viperred88]

Something here I don't get, what does the Petro Can gas station got to do with the park. The gas station sits outside the forts walls. Is it for beautification purposes?

[flatlander]

Originally Posted by Only The Lonely..

I was mostly referring to the province willfully undermining the city. Afterall, it would have been the city who would have had to foot the bill over any court costs arising from this mess.

The feds put in money too. Steven Fletcher donated a lithograph that was auctioned for fundraising. This issue went beyond political boundaries so to start getting political is missing the point. You can be assured that most of the private money came from Tories and Liberals, not NDPers.

A more useful exercise would be to examine where this went off the rails. My impression (and correct me if I am forgetting the details) is that the RFP process coming out of City Hall was flawed. You can't issue an RFP that makes parks compete with buildings. Decide what is an appropriate use for the site, and then see who comes up with the best proposal.

Someone needs to give Spletzer and Zaifman a lesson in marketing. Spletzer saw the writing on the wall, and ultimately made the right decision. It's too bad he was put in the position he was in.

[viperred88]

I am hoping they don't use that glass walls idea I would rather have imprints in the stone walls.

It seems to me our present gate has wooden wooden why was altered from the stone that part I don't get. It the pic here all the walls look like to be made of stone.

I would like Upper Fort Garry model some its programs and etc like the fantastic programs going-on year long in Old Quebec city and other regions surrounding Quebec. http://www.quebec-travelguide.com/old-quebec/
This would add alot of life to this area thus.

I know they plan on having actors improvising the history but how about putting a dinner theatre in one of those buildings inside the fort with a boutique hotel, add some high end condos / apartements in the top floors of those other buildings inside the wall. I would like to add to say I think a pedestrian over main street would be essential as another connection to the forks.