Winnipeg Construction XI - Page 56

trueviking · #**1101** Posted **Dec 10, 2025, 4:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Bond Agent 007

What a dumb argument. These screens and coatings are not terribly expensive.

I could just as easily say why do we let builders add expensive marble kitchen countertops, luxury bathroom fixtures and 3-car-garages? Those reduce affordability as well.

And expensive marble kitchen countertops, luxury bathroom fixtures and 3-car-garages don't save the lives of wildlife either.

Bird glass absolutely is expensive and difficult to source. It has long lead times which can delay projects. It’s very different from adding a film to your kitchen window. For multi-family buildings it’s a baked on ceramic.

Most multi-family developers don’t use luxury anything. Everything is as economical as possible. Houses for sure have expensive fixtures and finishes, but we for some reason don’t think houses should have bird glass, eventhough houses are the culprit of most bird deaths.

EdwardTH · #**1102** Posted **Dec 10, 2025, 3:00 PM**

It's a weird, weird person who doesn't think wealthy developers should ever have to suffer the slightest inconvenience, but some office worker making $50k should have to trudge across town in a blizzard to stare at excel and do a job they could easily do from home. Weird.

WinCitySparky · #**1103** Posted **Dec 10, 2025, 3:33 PM**

Yyyyyup

Sheepish · #**1104** Posted **Dec 10, 2025, 4:00 PM**

Wow Edward TH...I'm not one to confront other posters but keep it on topic.
First, I don't think the position offered is about 'inconveniencing' developers. It sounds like it is about the economics of construction of office and multifamily hi-rise buildings (neither of which I claim to expert on). But it seems that at least one contributor here does have good knowledge to offer.
Second, what does this have to do with work from home? Honestly, how many 'blizzards' have you had to 'trudge through' to get to work...and how many birds have crashed into you and died in the process?
The hyperbole is just annoying. There can be legitimate open discussion about mitigating bird deaths, which is an important subject, without lowering the discourse to silly side arguments. (Now I'll get back to my spreadsheets)
BTW...does anyone actually have stats on bird deaths in Winnipeg due to building strikes?

neutroniks · #**1105** Posted **Dec 10, 2025, 4:05 PM**

I'm sure there's a spreadsheet for that.

KnickKnack · #**1106** Posted **Dec 10, 2025, 4:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hecate

One of the big reasons birds die in so many house window collisions is because of shitty design. My neighbours just built a house and you can see through it. Probably two thirds of the houses down my road have elements where you can see through the front out to the back. Shitty design like this shouldn’t be allowed.

Glass towers that are see through have been known to take out entire flocks of birds.

Be better designers. It’s literally your job.

From what I’ve read the issue is more so the fact that they see the reflection of the outside world on the window and so don’t realize there’s a barrier there. Which is why hanging things on the inside of the window does not make a lot of difference. You need to install something on the outside.

I have the feather friendly dots on my first floor windows. Cost about $100 to do the first floor, installed in one day. They’re very unobtrusive and seem to work well. I do understand that won’t necessarily be an option on large towers but I would recommend everyone use them on their houses.

pspeid · #**1107** Posted **Dec 10, 2025, 4:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

Bird glass absolutely is expensive and difficult to source. It has long lead times which can delay projects. It’s very different from adding a film to your kitchen window. For multi-family buildings it’s a baked on ceramic.

Most multi-family developers don’t use luxury anything. Everything is as economical as possible. Houses for sure have expensive fixtures and finishes, but we for some reason don’t think houses should have bird glass, eventhough houses are the culprit of most bird deaths.

Isn't there a compromise that would balance price with effectiveness in reducing bird deaths? Stickers? Tie a ribbon across the window? Make every building a sterile concrete windowless cube covered with rusty scrap metal?

What the heck am I saying?????

peg · #**1108** Posted **Dec 10, 2025, 7:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by peg

So I recently got news that the apartment building I live in sold.

The listing is still up, but it includes two buildings and two parking lots.

I am not sure the new owners intentions or plans, but the listing does mention that the parking lots are noted as having redevelopment potential.

Here is the brochure: Brochure

Update on this: It was bought by Bosk construction... (Same ones from that CBC news article in October)

They are planning to do major renos to each unit (bathrooms, kitchens, blocking up a window). Wish this beautiful building and its tenets luck...

Mr Tall Forehead · #**1109** Posted **Dec 10, 2025, 7:11 PM**

Thank you for the update (mostly because it didn't have anything to do with birds crashing into windows)

Authentic_City · #**1110** Posted **Dec 11, 2025, 5:32 AM**

Spotted a drill rig on the old Club Morocco site, Portage and Langside. The whole block between Young and Langside has been assembled by a developer, apparently. Could be something brewing here? Any rumours or inside scoop?

Biff · #**1111** Posted **Dec 11, 2025, 2:40 PM**

That would have to be for soil testing I would think. Still a good sign.

trueviking · #**1112** Posted **Dec 11, 2025, 9:32 PM**

i loved that block...would be a shame to see it all replaced by one building but better than a hole forever i guess.

Authentic_City · #**1113** Posted **Dec 11, 2025, 10:55 PM**

The old Club Morocco building was pretty cool. Was sad to see it decline and burn. That block feels like the last stretch of the old Portage Ave. But it’s gotten pretty rough. Duly Records sunk a bunch of money into renovating the old Sound Exchange, but he’s on a month-to-month lease. I expect that block to be demoed and redeveloped before too long. UW wanted to build there, but was too expensive, so they built on the old roller rink instead. Maybe UWCRC will be involved?

James Bond Agent 007 · #**1114** Posted **Dec 12, 2025, 4:45 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

Bird glass ....

Nobody is talking about "bird glass." I'm not even sure there's such a thing.

We're talking about little decals or peel-on coatings you can put over the windows.

My mind is boggled there are people complaining about this at all. It is a very simple and inexpensive solution that actually works.

The link I posted before now sells a Canadian product:
https://shop.collidescape.org/product/canada/

A whopping $18 or $19 covers 3-5 windows. Surely that's going to bust an apartment building's budget!

Then it looks like this:

https://shop.collidescape.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG_6177-scaled.jpg

bomberjet · #**1115** Posted **Dec 12, 2025, 4:20 PM**

There's another big, empty site just across the street that would be a perfect fit for a developer..

trueviking · #**1116** Posted **Dec 12, 2025, 4:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Bond Agent 007

Nobody is talking about "bird glass." I'm not even sure there's such a thing.

We're talking about little decals or peel-on coatings you can put over the windows.

My mind is boggled there are people complaining about this at all. It is a very simple and inexpensive solution that actually works.

The link I posted before now sells a Canadian product:
https://shop.collidescape.org/product/canada/

A whopping $18 or $19 covers 3-5 windows. Surely that's going to bust an apartment building's budget!

Then it looks like this:

https://shop.collidescape.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG_6177-scaled.jpg

Commercial and multi-family buildings do not use peel and stick amazon products on their windows.....it voids the warranty on the window.....they are required to use a special glass specifically designed to repel birds. It is expensive.

https://www.vitrum.ca/glass-products/insulating-glass/bird-friendly/

drew · #**1117** Posted **Dec 12, 2025, 4:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomberjet

There's another big, empty site just across the street that would be a perfect fit for a developer..

Complete with a big purchase price.

James Bond Agent 007 · #**1118** Posted **Dec 12, 2025, 5:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

Commercial and multi-family buildings do not use peel and stick amazon products on their windows.....it voids the warranty on the window.....they are required to use a special glass specifically designed to repel birds. It is expensive.

https://www.vitrum.ca/glass-products/insulating-glass/bird-friendly/

Well then they should change the law to allow the cheaper solutions.

bon_vivant · #**1119** Posted **Dec 12, 2025, 10:54 PM**

Enough bird glass talk lol...

pspeid · #**1120** Posted **Dec 13, 2025, 1:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bon_vivant

Enough bird glass talk lol...

Okay, here's some good news. The city is reaching it's goals for new housing permits, and it's on-track to approve over 14,000 new housing unit builds by the end of 2026:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-housing-accelerator-fund-phase-1-9.7013879