Western Expresso

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

What ever happened to Rgalston?

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/robert-galston-8a031373

Planner at CoW since 2016.

Sometimes still writes op-eds for the Free Press.

Occasionally writes for online Spectator-Tribune online pub.

Has a family, so I guess they take up lots of his time now, compared to 10 yrs. ago.

[rrskylar]

On my recent trip to BC it was nice to walk into a grocery store and stick a bottle of wine in my shopping basket and pay for it with the groceries. So far only BC wines are sold at BC grocers. Also private liquor stores seem to be everywhere there now and I didn't notice any increase in the number of alcoholics wandering the streets as the NDP and MGEU here would lead you to believe.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

On my recent trip to BC it was nice to walk into a grocery store and stick a bottle of wine in my shopping basket and pay for it with the groceries. So far only BC wines are sold at BC grocers. Also private liquor stores seem to be everywhere there now and I didn't notice any increase in the number of alcoholics wandering the streets as the NDP and MGEU here would lead you to believe.

Both AB and SK have this ridiculous notion that grocery store-owned liquor stores (in SK it is Sobeys-Safeway and Co-op) have to be in stand-alone buildings or separate CRU's. This is to protect the independent stores from "unfair" competition as the grocery stores are perceived to have a cost and convenience advantage. So ridiculous.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by Stormer

Both AB and SK have this ridiculous notion that grocery store-owned liquor stores (in SK it is Sobeys-Safeway and Co-op) have to be in stand-alone buildings or separate CRU's. This is to protect the independent stores from "unfair" competition as the grocery stores are perceived to have a cost and convenience advantage. So ridiculous.

About as dumb as putting govt. run liquor kiosks in grocery stores in Manitoba, wouldn't want someone putting legal liquor products in their shopping cart off the shelves and paying for them with their groceries and having a non-MGEU a sales clerk ringing up the bottle and collecing the taxes.

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

What ever happened to Rgalston?

hes got a job at the city last i herd

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

hes got a job at the city last i herd

Thanks for the info., shouldn't have stopped him from posting here though, he had a lot of insight into urban issues.

[trueviking]

Rob is a planner at the city now. Doesn't write for anything. Deleted his popular twitter account. His job is more important. He worked hard for it.

[trueviking]

Originally Posted by goldenboi

I'm curious to know if any of you skyscraper nerds are at the Canadian Urbanism Conference in Winnipeg right now.

I was. I organized it.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

On my recent trip to BC it was nice to walk into a grocery store and stick a bottle of wine in my shopping basket and pay for it with the groceries. So far only BC wines are sold at BC grocers. Also private liquor stores seem to be everywhere there now and I didn't notice any increase in the number of alcoholics wandering the streets as the NDP and MGEU here would lead you to believe.

Man Manitoba and pretty much all of north America has been behind the curve for years. I don't remember a time when I couldn't buy a €1.50 bottle of wine in pretty much any grocery store in Europe. I still think that in order for that to work though, we need a better booze culture. People seem to have more respect for alcohol in Europe and their endgame isn't just getting smashed. It's just another normal part of life. Wine and beer are staples in most households.

And yes of course there's partying but it doesn't seem like youth are as obsessed with getting drunk every weekend and you see far less alcoholics and public drunkenness.

[biguc]

Culture follows access. Europe has such a chill drinking culture because they've never made a puritanical stink about it. The greatest exception to European drinking culture is the UK. As the home of the Puritans, it has the most North American laws about liquor sales. As a result, it has some of the worst, sloppiest, most violent drunks on earth. Let the pub stay open later than 11 and I guarantee you won't see crowds of drunken idiots by 8.
I understand the Swedes also have restrictive liquor laws and big problems with binge drinking.


There's no reason we can't achieve European drinking laws and culture. Tear off the Band-Aid and we might be in for a few years of drunken stupidity while people figure out how to act. Or we could just keep on the path of gradual, steady liberalization. The zoo applied for the liquor license for the whole space. That's a big win, and it'll show the skeptics that available alcohol doesn't equal heavily consumed alcohol. The next step I'd like to see is something like the Forks licensing its entirety. Or certain public parks. The tipping point will pass and nobody will even notice.

The harder fight will be convincing the government to give up its lucrative and gouging liquor monopoly.

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Thanks for the info., shouldn't have stopped him from posting here though, he had a lot of insight into urban issues.

I ran into galston in real life a few months ago and I asked him why he never posts or blogs anymore. He has actual influence now so he has no need to, and has too much privileged information he can't share.

I often miss his posts though. The recent plans for more James Ave condos without that heavily subsidized parkade having gone up is particularly vindicating of what he stood for.

[trueviking]

^ parkade is coming.

[Roger Strong]

Originally Posted by trueviking

^ parkade is coming.

In Winnipeg it's assumed that winter is coming.

Parkade is coming.

[vid]

Ontario has beer and wine in grocery stores now, and not just limited to Ontarian or Canadian products either. They even give free samples to shoppers.

[biguc]

Originally Posted by trueviking

^ parkade is coming.

Why?

[trueviking]

Good question. I think it's being pushed by the concert hall. I've heard an RFP for design services is coming within the next couple months.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by trueviking

Good question. I think it's being pushed by the concert hall. I've heard an RFP for design services is coming within the next couple months.

Makes sense. There's never enough space in the concert hall parkade and it's often hard to find parking within a 10 minute walk, especially when there are other events going on at the same time.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by vid

Ontario has beer and wine in grocery stores now, and not just limited to Ontarian or Canadian products either. They even give free samples to shoppers.

How did they ever get that past The Beer Store monopoly in Ontario?

[Biff]

Originally Posted by trueviking

Good question. I think it's being pushed by the concert hall. I've heard an RFP for design services is coming within the next couple months.

That's interesting. Because I know the MCCC (Manitoba Centennial Centre) is pushing hard to develop their land on Rupert and Main St into a 6 storey parkade. Are you still referring to a parkade project on James?

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

About as dumb as putting govt. run liquor kiosks in grocery stores in Manitoba, wouldn't want someone putting legal liquor products in their shopping cart off the shelves and paying for them with their groceries and having a non-MGEU a sales clerk ringing up the bottle and collecing the taxes.

It's so ridiculous. In the states it all just sits on the shelves and when you go to the store they still follow the government rules. ID at checkout, only sell in proper times. In Minnesota you still can't buy booze on Sundays (wild), we begged the cashier at the store but they said it's the law.

I've heard the LGA argument in Manitoba that (underage) people could just go in and steal it... Well we don't ID upon entry in MLCCs, so anyone could do the same there.

Originally Posted by optimusREIM

Man Manitoba and pretty much all of north America has been behind the curve for years. I don't remember a time when I couldn't buy a €1.50 bottle of wine in pretty much any grocery store in Europe. I still think that in order for that to work though, we need a better booze culture. People seem to have more respect for alcohol in Europe and their endgame isn't just getting smashed. It's just another normal part of life. Wine and beer are staples in most households.

And yes of course there's partying but it doesn't seem like youth are as obsessed with getting drunk every weekend and you see far less alcoholics and public drunkenness.

Originally Posted by biguc

Culture follows access.

Exactly. Our "drinking culture" here is the way it is because we put such limitations on it. Like seriously what's the issue if I want to go walk my dog with a beer or glass of wine in my hand? Is the world going to end? Instead, I'll get extra drunk before I leave the house so I have a buzz for my whole walk...

The argument about people getting more drunk, or the spin gov creates about saying it'll effect at-risk people and alcoholics is ludicrous. People who are drunk and causing issues on the street are going to do that regardless, they're already drinking now and it's illegal.

Originally Posted by vid

Ontario has beer and wine in grocery stores now, and not just limited to Ontarian or Canadian products either. They even give free samples to shoppers.

In Ontario can these stores sell liquor after 6 pm or are they subject to ludicrous LCBO rules still?

[rrskylar]

^ Minny recently changed their Sunday liquor law:

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2017/07/02/minnesota-sunday-liquor-sales/