Winnipeg Construction VIII

[esquire]

Originally Posted by CoryB

I still strongly feel Winnipeg truly missed a huge opportunity. The Bay building and parkade were one of the shortlisted sites for the Hydro building. While the block it ended up on was needing attention of its own the smaller, multi-building nature of that block would have seen things happen there. Hydro tacking over the Bay site would have addressed the eye-sore of a parkade and helped save an important building to the history of country.

Hard to argue. That parkade is such an eyesore. A nice new building on that site would have helped to make Memorial Blvd a more impressive looking mall, as it was intended to be.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

Nah, they use it all over Canada. I've parked in 'parkades' in both Toronto and Vancouver at the very least.

We had a lengthy discussion of this somewhere a couple of years ago. "Parkade" was a term that the Bay came up with when it was developing its first parking structures after the War. It has spread a bit outside the places that had authentic Bay parkades, but even though you see it in Toronto (e.g. my own apartment building, owned by a Vancouver company, uses it), it's not a word that is widely used in a general sense in place of "parking garage" the way it is in Winnipeg.

[esquire]

Parkade... it sounds so civilized...a parking arcade!

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by Andy6

We had a lengthy discussion of this somewhere a couple of years ago. "Parkade" was a term that the Bay came up with when it was developing its first parking structures after the War. It has spread a bit outside the places that had authentic Bay parkades, but even though you see it in Toronto (e.g. my own apartment building, owned by a Vancouver company, uses it), it's not a word that is widely used in a general sense in place of "parking garage" the way it is in Winnipeg.

Interesting stuff. Didn't know about the Bay connection, but it makes sense.

[cllew]

funnelator on Donald @ Graham is being reinstalled. Will it catch fire again once it it running for a few days?

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by cllew

funnelator on Donald @ Graham is being reinstalled. Will it catch fire again once it it running for a few days?

I'll bring weenies and marshmallows.

[bomberjet]

I can't remember which thread the dog park talk was in. But some info in the Free Press today about the existence of said dog park.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/C...te-288432701.html?cx_navSource=d-tiles-3

City looking at buying CNR land near the proposed BRT corridor route
By: Aldo Santin
Posted: 12:45 PM

City of Winnipeg staff were given the go ahead Tuesday morning to explore the purchase of 12 acres of CNR land near the proposed bus rapid transit corridor route.

The property and development committee approved the initiative, despite caution from unsuccessful mayoral candidate David Sanders who questioned the city’s motives in the deal.

The CNR parcel is located in the dog-leg portion of the BRT route, in the Parker neighbourhood.

...........


Orlikow said he hoped the city could acquire Marquess’ forest property in the Parker neighbourhood for a permanent off-leash dog park.

Buying the CNR land is an alternative option for a dog park, Orlikow said, if discussions with Marquess don’t work out.

[BubberMiley]

I thought you said you worked on the project and there was definitely a dog park planned. Now they have to buy land from CN to make one because the stolen Parker Lands are all going to be pretty much all single-family housing?

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by BubberMiley

I thought you said you worked on the project and there was definitely a dog park planned. Now they have to buy land from CN to make one because the stolen Parker Lands are all going to be pretty much all single-family housing?

The fact that something is planned - especially at the master planning level - does not always indicate that everything is already in place to carry out that plan. It's not uncommon at all for developers or the city to have to purchase or expropriate land in order to realize the plan to its fullest. It's also not uncommon for things to go by the wayside in a plan because it's not always possible to buy what's needed.

But seriously. Enough with the dog park stuff already. It's obnoxious and is the definition of entitlement. If you want to run your dog, gather a group, raise some money, and buy a tract of land. An off-leash dog park isn't something cities should be setting aside land for.

[Surrealplaces]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

From what I understand, 'Parkade' is almost exclusively a Canadian thing, but started here. This must be the genesis...

It's definitely a Canadian thing. the word 'Parkade' always gets hit with a spell check also the 'ade' ending would suggest some sort of Franco roots, and with Winnipeg's French community it wouldn't be surprising that it would come from Winnipeg.

[BubberMiley]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

But seriously. Enough with the dog park stuff already. It's obnoxious and is the definition of entitlement. If you want to run your dog, gather a group, raise some money, and buy a tract of land. An off-leash dog park isn't something cities should be setting aside land for.

I don't own a dog and was even bitten by a pitbull at Garbage Hill last year because of a negligent owner who still walks her dog there (and works at Paradise Restaurant).
But there should be parks for everyone, including dog owners. The only thing that is obnoxious are people who think that what they want in a city is what everybody should want.

[bomberjet]

Like I said before, a dog park is planned. I haven't been working on the project as of late because there really isn't any work going on right now. Functional design report was completed some time ago. The whole project is technically still out for RFP, as the City hasn't chosen the preferred proponent yet. Once they select whomever will be the P3 partner, things will get rolling again. I don't work for CoW, but may be selected as part of the P3 group to build this thing.

Sounds like they need to negotiate with slimy GEM Equities for some of the land they gave up. Or buy the CN lands to make it happen. So like I said, a dog park is planned. I'll stop with the dog park.

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by BubberMiley

I don't own a dog and was even bitten by a pitbull at Garbage Hill last year because of a negligent owner who still walks her dog there (and works at Paradise Restaurant).
But there should be parks for everyone, including dog owners. The only thing that is obnoxious are people who think that what they want in a city is what everybody should want.

This is exactly my point. Some things are more detrimental than they are beneficial. Dog parks and publicly funded golf courses fall into this category given the opportunity cost associated with foregoing potential infill development. I'm not calling parks bad. Parks are great. We have lots of them. We don't need specific ones for what might be considered a luxury for very few people. If that were so, there would be a case to be made for every single special-interest activity that required lots of wide open space within close proximity.

Dog parks have only ever arisen on sites that have been purchased or set aside for future development. Pretending something's being taken away that never should have existed is a poor argument.

[trueviking]

It has nothing to do with a dog park. Not sure what Orlikow is talking about. The City is really going to renegotiate with a developer they just sold land to so they can make a dog park? Especially land that has been nothing but surrounded by scandal for years? Seriously? Do you realize how big 12 acres is? That's almost the size of the Fort Rouge Yards site. The land owner is going to give up developable property at a price low enough to justify a dog park? You think the City is going to open up this can of worms for a dog park?

It isn't for a dog park.

[trueviking]

Originally Posted by Andy6

We had a lengthy discussion of this somewhere a couple of years ago. "Parkade" was a term that the Bay came up with when it was developing its first parking structures after the War. It has spread a bit outside the places that had authentic Bay parkades, but even though you see it in Toronto (e.g. my own apartment building, owned by a Vancouver company, uses it), it's not a word that is widely used in a general sense in place of "parking garage" the way it is in Winnipeg.

I thought parkade was a common prairie word. Manitoba Saskatchewan and Alberta. Less common in Ontario and BC but still occasionally used.

[trueviking]

Why the hell do we all of a sudden care what david sanders has to say about everything now? He got his immediate family to vote for him and has nothing better to do with his time. He's not the official opposition.

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by trueviking

Why the hell do we all of a sudden care what david sanders has to say about everything now? He got his immediate family to vote for him and has nothing better to do with his time. He's not the official opposition.

Thaaank you.

Every article coming out of council these days now uses David Sanders as some sort of voice of reason. "Council did or said this, David Sanders gave weighed in with his (unsolicited) opinion"

They're giving the impression that David Sanders was somehow sent by the public to clean up City Hall as a reaction to the mayor's installation by the politbureau. Not the case, Aldo Santin. David Sanders was most certainly given a mandate by the public and that mandate was to go home.

No offense, TV, because lately we seem to agree more than otherwise, but the political reporting/journalism of the Free Press leaves much to be desired. Like, we get that they really wanted JWL in there because of their common Unifor association, but my god, man. Let the man govern for two goddamn minutes before piling on like Bowman is somehow Katz in a fancy latex mask.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by trueviking

I thought parkade was a common prairie word. Manitoba Saskatchewan and Alberta. Less common in Ontario and BC but still occasionally used.

I think so. It's been over 60 years and it would have spread all over the west as people moved around. No doubt it's appealing to owners of parking garages because it fits on signs a lot more easily than the alternatives.

[wags_in_the_peg]

Originally Posted by cllew

funnelator on Donald @ Graham is being reinstalled. Will it catch fire again once it it running for a few days?

it was running for months before it caught fire the 1st time

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

No offense, TV, because lately we seem to agree more than otherwise, but the political reporting/journalism of the Free Press leaves much to be desired.

I think the level of political reporting at the civic level is hugely improved over years ago. Now most outlets, including the Free Press, have reporters assigned to that beat who live tweet the council and committee meetings. This gives people a level of access that was uncommon five years ago. That said, the bias and half reporting of stories is nothing new and not limited to any one outlet, even on a global scale.