Western Expresso

[vid]

Originally Posted by Authentic_City

I don't understand how discontinuing door to door delivery service by Canada post is somehow 'getting with the times' or joining the 21st century. The US Postal Service maintains home delivery, and even maintains Saturday delivery. Anyone old enough to remember Saturday mail delivery in Canada? I'd be curious to know how may G8 countries maintain home delivery in urban areas. I bet most do. So is Canada keeping up with the times, or just doing things on the cheap as usual?

I can't find any that do, after a quick look at most first world postal services' Wikipedia pages. Most countries seem to privatize the mail service to cut costs, as opposed to reducing home delivery. In some countries delivery is five days a week, but Sunday and Monday are the days off instead of Saturday and Sunday.

[steveosnyder]

Originally Posted by vid

I can't find any that do, after a quick look at most first world postal services' Wikipedia pages. Most countries seem to privatize the mail service to cut costs, as opposed to reducing home delivery. In some countries delivery is five days a week, but Sunday and Monday are the days off instead of Saturday and Sunday.

Australia does to the door service and it's public... But not a G8. They drive around on little mopeds right down the sidewalk in most neighbourhoods. It's quite funny to see for an outsider.

[vid]

I looked at Australia and New Zealand, and a few African countries. It looks like in most African countries, they use PO Boxes instead of mail boxes. You can probably figure out why.

[1ajs]

• Video Link

[bomberjet]

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...260280151.html

Forks gets first public charging station for electric cars
By: Larry Kusch
Posted: 11:07 AM | Comments: 2 | Last Modified: 12:02 PM

The city’s first publicly accessible electric-vehicle charging station was unveiled this morning at The Forks.

The provincial government footed the $5,000 installation cost, while The Forks will cover the cost of electricity.

The charging station is located in a dedicated electric vehicle-only parking space near the Forks Market’s main entrance.

Stan Struthers, minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro, said public infrastructure for electric vehicles is needed for them to become more popular.

Two more government-sponsored stations will be located soon at Assiniboine Park.

"As a prime tourist attraction in Winnipeg, The Forks attracts millions of people arriving in thousands of vehicles each year," Struthers told a news conference. "So it was logical to install the first charging station right here. It is a handy central location where owners of electric cars can recharge their batteries."

The EV charging station installed at The Forks takes four hours to recharge an electric-vehicle battery.

Struthers said the new public charging outlet is part of the government’s strategy to promote the use of clean, electric-powered transportation. He said while the purchase price of an electric vehicle is currently higher than an equivalent gas-powered model, over time it is expected that fuel savings, reduced maintenance costs and increased availability of EVs will see the cost difference narrow.

There are an estimated 75 to 100 electric vehicles in the province right now.
Struthers also announced the launch of a new website that provides information on available services for electric vehicles. The website was prepared jointly by the province, the Canadian Auto Association (CAA) Manitoba, Manitoba Hydro, Manitoba Public Insurance and Red River College.


This is the kind of stuff we need more of! Why would any normal person by an electric car if you can't go anywhere. Drive around town a bit, but gotta make sure you have enough juice to make it home!

Of course the two comments, and you can see who posted them, so far are typical Winnipeg BS attitude.

Gack
11:42 AM on 5/22/2014
Why is it not a "pay" to charge station?

ve4mm
11:47 AM on 5/22/2014
Is there at least a Parking Meter there??

[Cyro]

It's a start and forward thinking at the least.

This would be an excellent location to install a charging station for the the New Transit Buses currently being tested here.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by Cyro

It's a start and forward thinking at the least.

This would be an excellent location to install a charging station for the the New Transit Buses currently being tested here.

Charging station right now is going at the airport for the route 20 buses (all 4 of the test ones). I think i heard there was also one going at the 820 Taylor hydro parking lot for the transit bus to the downtown tower.

Talking to somebody a while ago from hydro they are trying to figure out how to plan for electric cars. They have load implications to the substation designs and distribution transformer loads to each street address. A lot of the existing older substations are near or surpassing their design loads and need to be replaced.

With electric cars electric utilities (not just Manitoba Hydro) have to figure out the numbers that may be in the future and how much power will they need.

Substations usually have a service life of 50 -60 years before they get updated so they don't want to spend money for larger transformers etc if its a fad, and on the other hand they don't want to have to replace still good transformers that end up being undersized if they are wrong on demand.

The quick charge bus chargers apparently require enough power when in use to rival a small grocery store. Just can't plop them in at any location because the supply may not be available.

[roccerfeller]

That's really neat news regarding the charging station. I wonder what electric cars are in the province primarily?

I feel like I've seen a Tesla in Winnipeg before.

I've seen a few Teslas in Calgary. There are also two charging station on campus at the U of C

Not sure about any other western cities.

[Cyro]

Originally Posted by cllew

Charging station right now is going at the airport for the route 20 buses (all 4 of the test ones). I think i heard there was also one going at the 820 Taylor hydro parking lot for the transit bus to the downtown tower.

Talking to somebody a while ago from hydro they are trying to figure out how to plan for electric cars. They have load implications to the substation designs and distribution transformer loads to each street address. A lot of the existing older substations are near or surpassing their design loads and need to be replaced.

With electric cars electric utilities (not just Manitoba Hydro) have to figure out the numbers that may be in the future and how much power will they need.

Substations usually have a service life of 50 -60 years before they get updated so they don't want to spend money for larger transformers etc if its a fad, and on the other hand they don't want to have to replace still good transformers that end up being undersized if they are wrong on demand.

The quick charge bus chargers apparently require enough power when in use to rival a small grocery store. Just can't plop them in at any location because the supply may not be available.

Thanks for the additional information.

The Hydro building office on Taylor Ave was the first en-route rapid charging station, 4 minutes I believe, for 1 hour of operation. The Airport sounds like a logical location for the next step in the expanded system.

The required load applications of these quick charge stations have a enormous impact on the entire system as they do use the power of a mid-size retail establishment.

Where we go from here and the cost effectiveness of the system for cars or transit is part of the viability process and the costs involved in the not to distant future. As costs for the technology decrease, so will the use of the technology being tested and implemented, right here in Winnipeg.

[cllew]

Have to slightly change my post. The route 20 from the airport is the tentative assignment of the 4 test electric buses.

This link from the Free Press includes a picture of the charging station at 820 Taylor.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...257773241.html

[cllew]

Originally Posted by roccerfeller

That's really neat news regarding the charging station. I wonder what electric cars are in the province primarily?

I feel like I've seen a Tesla in Winnipeg before.

I've seen a few Teslas in Calgary. There are also two charging station on campus at the U of C

Not sure about any other western cities.

A number of the electric cars in Winnipeg are in use by different Govt Departments to test their reliability out especially in the winter.

I know that MPI has two different ones in their fleet. If you go to an event at MTS Center and park inside @ City Place you see the 24 hour reserved stalls for them on the 3M level.

I would guess that Manitoba Hydro and the Energy/ Natural resources dept have them as well as they have a vested interest in promoting this type of vehicle.

I am not sure if the City of Winnipeg Fleet Services Agency is still evaluating one as well. I think they had one in 2012 or 2013 on loan from the Provence.

[roccerfeller]

Originally Posted by cllew

Have to slightly change my post. The route 20 from the airport is the tentative assignment of the 4 test electric buses.

This link from the Free Press includes a picture of the charging station at 820 Taylor.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...257773241.html

Really cool stuff. I dig these electric busses. That charging station looks like it's from the future. 1/4 the cost must be pretty endearing plus you get rid of collective noise pollution.

Another plus, electric vehicles can accelerate very fast. I could see these types of buses being beneficial to rapid transit down the road.

Originally Posted by cllew

A number of the electric cars in Winnipeg are in use by different Govt Departments to test their reliability out especially in the winter.

I know that MPI has two different ones in their fleet. If you go to an event at MTS Center and park inside @ City Place you see the 24 hour reserved stalls for them on the 3M level.

I would guess that Manitoba Hydro and the Energy/ Natural resources dept have them as well as they have a vested interest in promoting this type of vehicle.

I am not sure if the City of Winnipeg Fleet Services Agency is still evaluating one as well. I think they had one in 2012 or 2013 on loan from the Provence.

This I did not know. Really neat info thanks cliew

What about vehicles just out and about privately owned by citizens? Anyone seen em around the city?

[Riverman]

I wonder how the range will affected in the winter when the electrical resistance heaters are running?

[bomberjet]

One thing that drives me absolutely fucking crazy, is the perpetuation of the typical Winnipeg attitude. I know I say it some times, but it's more of a reaction to what I've seen somewhere.

In the papers, radio, TV, it's the constant bullshit "oh well that's Winnipeg! We're so fucking poor and stupid Winnipeg! Crime, crime, crime." It's just breeding another generation of people, who hear all the BS and but have no info going the other way. There's an extremely small minority of people who read this board, or others like it. All the other's I would hope have common sense. And the amount of misinformation out there is ridiculous. Just stop already. Everyone should be making an effort to further this City, not just wallow in despair about the past. Come fucking on already...

[Cyro]

^ I have this type of reaction when I read the Winnipeg Sun. Today was no exception.

[vid]

Thunder Bay does the same thing. It's the small town mentality. We give up everything before we start anything.

[blacktrojan3921]

My dad has always said the intersection on Dorothy St. and 1st Ave. N was badly designed, I can clearly see why.

[bomberjet]

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...261133381.html

Number of smokers declines
Posted: 1:42 PM

Way to go Winnipeg - there are 13 per cent fewer of you smoking now than 10 years ago.

That is one of the findings in data released by Peg, a local company that tallies studies on local community health and related issues, in conjunction with the United Way of Winnipeg, the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the Manitoba Tobacco Reduction Alliance.

The groups came together to draw attention to the declining numbers of smokers in recognition of World No Tobacco Day on Saturday.

It can be seen in the data that the smoking rate in Winnipeg was 19.4 percent in 2012, which is slightly below the national rate of 20.4 percent at that time. With some year-to-year-fluctuations, the percentage of people smoking in Winnipeg has decreased overall in the past decade.

The smoking rate measures the percentage of people aged 12 years and older who self-reported as either a daily smoker, occasional daily smoker who previously was a daily smoker or always an occasional smoker.

The source of the data was Statistics Canada and a 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey.

Go to these links for more detailed information:
Health indicator profile
Current smoking trends

I'm proud to say it was 2 years on May 7 for myself. Quit cold turkey one day, I had enough!

[steveosnyder]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I'm proud to say it was 2 years on May 7 for myself. Quit cold turkey one day, I had enough!

Anyone who has never been a smoker will have no idea how great the feeling of quitting is. Congrats.

It will be... wow... 9 years in September for me. (Ugh, I'm old).

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by steveosnyder

Anyone who has never been a smoker will have no idea how great the feeling of quitting is. Congrats.

It will be... wow... 9 years in September for me. (Ugh, I'm old).

Thanks Steve, and congrats to yourself!

It's a good feeling to know that once upon a time I was standing outside in -30 weather, rain, whatever, sucking on some chemicals; but not anymore!!