Winnipeg Construction X

[T'Cona]

Originally Posted by trueviking

You may have heard of a little thing called the pyramids?

I’ve been to Cairo. It’s mind blowing.

Winnipeg is an ok place to live. I’m not even really sold on that given other options, but it is crazy to suggest it’s a global destination for tourism. I’m sorry. That’s just the reality. Downtown, which is where tourists go, is filled with massive parking lots, is centred on giant car filled streets. There are very few shops or storefronts. No shopping street. Even the Exchange is half of what it could be.

Completely agree. Let's keep it real.

[buzzg]

The Fairmont here is in fact not very nice.

[DonaldSmith]

FYI 364 Sherbrook is on the market. Zoned for 112 suites.

https://www.shindico.com/index.php/s...erbrook-street

[esquire]

Originally Posted by DonaldSmith

FYI 364 Sherbrook is on the market. Zoned for 112 suites.

https://www.shindico.com/index.php/s...erbrook-street

Wasn't Lions intending to expand their facility north? What happened to that?

[thebasketballgeek]

Trust me as a POC Winnipeg punches WAY above its weight in regards to diversity, culture, and arts. Tell me about another city with 800,000 that is as well known as Winnipeg. I can’t think of any.

Let’s look at a deeper dive into the article, what are they referencing that makes the city so “great”?

Well they are discussing the Inuit art Centre which is BY FAR the biggest collection of Inuit art in the world. Which means that no other place in the entire world showcases this much representation of the Inuit people’s arts and culture. This further expands on the indigenous people within the city. Just in case if you don’t know Winnipeg has the largest Indigenous population in Canada and is only behind Phoenix if you count the US in raw numbers. Let me repeat that Winnipeg has more indigenous people then cities like Toronto, New York, and LA in raw numbers which is mind blowing. Not to mention we also have more mixed people then Toronto according to the latest census (again raw numbers). The racial diversity for a city of this size is unprecedented in guess what, THE ENTIRE WORLD.

As long as Winnipeg keeps on promoting indigenous culture and arts it will only continue to develop world class artists, buildings, and projects. Not to mention it’s so much easier to live here than India where my family is originally from. For most immigrants this place basically becomes heaven on earth after living here for 5 years, never mind the 20 years I’ve lived here.

Oh yea we’re also the smallest market to have a professional sports team in North America so that’s kinda neat (Green Bay doesn’t count because of proximity to Milwaukee and Chicago.)

Y’all need to appreciate this city a lot more and gain perspective to how shitty the rest of the world is.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by buzzg

The Fairmont here is in fact not very nice.

It's too bad The Fairmont isn't affiliated with The Fort Garry... if that hotel was elevated to Fairmont standards it would become the best hotel in town.

Winnipeg has a bunch of "okay" hotels but none that are truly awesome. Every one is either outdated or missing something. Maybe if the Sutton Place gets built it will become the go-to hotel, although for what it's worth I'm sure most business travellers in for a couple of days of meetings are fine with the Fairmont, the Delta, the Fort Garry, etc.

[xubiqtss]

I stayed at both the Delta and Fairmont recently and was surprised just how much better the Delta was. Fairmont needs a little TLC. And Delta has the best pools in town.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by thebasketballgeek

Trust me as a POC Winnipeg punches WAY above its weight in regards to diversity, culture, and arts. Tell me about another city with 800,000 that is as well known as Winnipeg. I can’t think of any.

Let’s look at a deeper dive into the article, what are they referencing that makes the city so “great”. Well they are discussing the Inuit art Centre which is BY FAR the biggest collection of Inuit art in the world. Which means that no other place in the entire world showcases this much representation of the Inuit people’s arts and culture. This further expands on the indigenous people within the city. Just in case if you don’t know Winnipeg has the largest Indigenous population in Canada and is only behind Phoenix if you count the US in raw numbers. Let me repeat that Winnipeg has more indigenous people then cities like Toronto, New York, and LA in raw numbers which is mind blowing. Not to mention we also have more mixed people then Toronto according to the latest census (again raw numbers). The racial diversity for a city of this size is unprecedented in guess what, THE ENTIRE WORLD.

As long as Winnipeg keeps on promoting indigenous culture and arts it will only continue to develop world class artists, buildings, and projects. Not to mention it’s so much easier to live here than India where my family is originally from. For most immigrants this place basically becomes heaven on earth after living here for 5 years, never mind the 20 years I’ve lived here.

Oh yea we’re also the smallest market to have a professional sports team in North America so that’s kinda neat (Green Bay doesn’t count because of proximity to Milwaukee and Chicago.)

Y’all need to appreciate this city a lot more and gain perspective to how shitty the rest of the world is.

Bravo! Well said! Indigenous art and culture goes way beyond the traditional dances and pow-wows, though it recognizes and celebrates that as well. I think we are seeing this in the variety of art pieces in the new Qaumajuq, which was the main focus of the Winnipeg portion of the Time article, demonstrating that point. I think Winnipeg positioning itself as an international centre of modern Indigenous life and culture would put it in a unique position, not just in the world of travel and culture, but in the drive for real-world reconciliation.

[Wigglez]

Originally Posted by GreyGarden

One of the most annoying Winnipeg responses I see - "if you hate it, then move" - trust me our young people are. Relocation is tough once life happens, but we should be seriously worried about keeping the young people we do have.

Re the Time piece, not paid for (probably lobbied for), but like someone else said, it's not Top 100 greatest places, its a yearly list and this year we had the luck of having the new WAG addition open. I haven't been but everything I've read is that it was done right - so why not feature it. Winnipeg is definietly not the "sh*thole" Canadians think it is. Regarding travel, for someone who is into art, it might be worth coming for a weekend and taking it in. I agree, the experience would be vastly improved if there were some luxury hotels, shops and restaurants, and of course well-heeled people who lived in the surrounding area to make it all viable.

I think the only times I cringe for these is the way Winnipeg media covers these types of pieces - or when they're paid for.

It should be noted that I'm aware of all of vikings efforts to better the city and that he is heavily active in the community (outside of just yelling on twitter or this forum). I'd also like to note that my question isn't a "LOLZ if you hate it leave asshole" comment, it's an honest question for someone who clearly has the means to leave. If he's not even sold on Winnipeg being a livable location then perhaps his attitude on the hope for this city to turn things around has faded.

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by esquire

Wasn't Lions intending to expand their facility north? What happened to that?

I think someone said it was kiboshed when the PPP thing came up on Portage Ave.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by Wigglez

It should be noted that I'm aware of all of vikings efforts to better the city and that he is heavily active in the community (outside of just yelling on twitter or this forum). I'd also like to note that my question isn't a "LOLZ if you hate it leave asshole" comment, it's an honest question for someone who clearly has the means to leave. If he's not even sold on Winnipeg being a livable location then perhaps his attitude on the hope for this city to turn things around has faded.

"Love it or leave it" can mean "criticism is forbidden", and I think that can be the go-to interpretation for some people. Personally I interpret it as "if you honestly can't find something to like about your city, it's better for you to find a place you CAN like". I doesn't forbid honest, constructive criticism, but it recognizes the living in a city you hate is a pretty terrible way to live.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by xubiqtss

I stayed at both the Delta and Fairmont recently and was surprised just how much better the Delta was. Fairmont needs a little TLC. And Delta has the best pools in town.

I think this will depend a lot on which room you stayed in at the Delta and Fairmont. The Delta started a renovation in 2013 and the Fairmont started on in 2014. It seems the Delta went at the renovation a lot quicker so they are likely finished while the Fairmont might still be working through theirs.

[biguc]

Originally Posted by thebasketballgeek

Trust me as a POC Winnipeg punches WAY above its weight in regards to diversity, culture, and arts. Tell me about another city with 800,000 that is as well known as Winnipeg. I can’t think of any.
*
Y’all need to appreciate this city a lot more and gain perspective to how shitty the rest of the world is.

Circle the wagons!

Seriously, though, nobody knows about Winnipeg outside NA. When they do it's for bad reasons.

[thebasketballgeek]

Originally Posted by biguc

Circle the wagons!

Seriously, though, nobody knows about Winnipeg outside NA. When they do it's for bad reasons.

There’s that saying that all publicity is good publicity. But within the US for example cities that have similar population to Winnipeg are Knoxville, TN, Charleston, SC and El Paso. Not very tough competition to say the least.

[BAKGUY]

Originally Posted by biguc

Circle the wagons!

Seriously, though, nobody knows about Winnipeg outside NA. When they do it's for bad reasons.

Not true.
Perhaps that remains your experience
On my 4 visits to Europe, they knew of Winnipeg, especially in Spain, Germany, Britain.
A few knew of NHL connection...
More so about The Winnie the Pooh connection to Winnipeg but some knew.
A few had known of someone who visited here.
None are a bad reason.
I was proud to say I am from Winnipeg.

[xubiqtss]

"Winnipeg is an OK place to live" is a great slogan for this town.
Because it's true!

Making it 'better' is a tough prospect when so often different groups' versions of 'better' are at odds. I think it's fair to say the lions share of Winnipegers have rejected urbanism in the style of Jane Jacobs in order to prioritize "convenience," that is, parking lots for miles, big box shopping, a front lawn etc. Not a Winnipeg phenomenon by a longshot, but very difficult to reverse. Development in the core chugs along, but the suburban will always be prioritized over the urban unless a drastic sea change comes along. It's frustrating for those trying to foster a sense of community. There's more than enough blame to go around: milquetoast politicians, poor planning, developers more concerned with short-term payoffs than long-term sustainability, etc etc.

Weather is always given as an excuse, but Montreal makes do with similar conditions, and should be held up as an example of the possibilities of urban life. Obviously the population is different, but maybe even more significant is that their historical built environment supports the sort of mid-density mixed-use neighbourhoods we always talk about. Is it possible to build that here? Are we too late? The towers going up downtown are not what I'm referring to.

Certainly an attitude shift would help. We could do without the dour pragmatism that invariably puts up barriers to changing anything whatsoever in this city. Bold changes are necessary, or as said previously, the next generation will just keep leaving.
Ok, I'm done my little rant.

[biguc]

Originally Posted by BAKGUY

Not true.
Perhaps that remains your experience
On my 4 visits to Europe, they knew of Winnipeg, especially in Spain, Germany, Britain.
A few knew of NHL connection...
More so about The Winnie the Pooh connection to Winnipeg but some knew.
A few had known of someone who visited here.
None are a bad reason.
I was proud to say I am from Winnipeg.

I supposed people who work in tourist services will have encountered a few people from Winnipeg who told them some trivia or bragged about a sports team they don't care about. They'll be nice about it too.

I live here and nobody knows where the hell I'm talking about when they ask where I'm from. It's gotten to the point where I answer, "it doesn't matter" just so I don't have to get into it. And, because I'm not a tourist who anyone needs to butter up, the people who do know Winnipeg know it for being cold, being in the middle of nowhere, being boring, being ugly, and so on.

[BAKGUY]

Originally Posted by biguc

I supposed people who work in tourist services will have encountered a few people from Winnipeg who told them some trivia or bragged about a sports team they don't care about. They'll be nice about it too.

I live here and nobody knows where the hell I'm talking about when they ask where I'm from. It's gotten to the point where I answer, "it doesn't matter" just so I don't have to get into it. And, because I'm not a tourist who anyone needs to butter up, the people who do know Winnipeg know it for being cold, being in the middle of nowhere, being boring, being ugly, and so on.

Always a ray of sunshine you are...I educate people on how hot we get.
I guess you like many see life as a half empty glass...Boring depends on if you are cultured or not, there are plenty of things I can not find the time to attend the options, pre covid.
it has been my finding that people who find a city boring are boring people to start with.
Far from ugly but then you left for those reasons.
I see beauty in things you call ugly.
To each their own.

[Spocket]

Originally Posted by biguc

Circle the wagons!

Seriously, though, nobody knows about Winnipeg outside NA. When they do it's for bad reasons.

Actually, I think you'd be positively surprised. I know I was because I expected nobody to have any clue where I was from. Most didn't, of course but the number who did surprised me. And Winnipeg doesn't have any international reputation to speak of, really. Mostly it's just word of mouth stuff but your view of the city in these cases depends on where you're from. When people in China (and I met a lot of people from all over the world) knew of Winnipeg at all, they didn't equate it with cold or mosquitoes. I'm sure there are plenty who do but they tend to view it all from completely different perspective such as, "Yeah, housing costs a fortune in my country but it's pretty cheap in Winnipeg" or ," Yeah, there's so much room and it's so open and clean there."

[biguc]

Originally Posted by thebasketballgeek

There’s that saying that all publicity is good publicity. But within the US for example cities that have similar population to Winnipeg are Knoxville, TN, Charleston, SC and El Paso. Not very tough competition to say the least.

Charleston is really beautiful and historical. El Paso has the Marty Robbins song, but it kind of cheats by having Juarez right next door. Knoxville is probably pretty dumpy but if you care about sports, even without pro teams the college play in all three of those cities would probably outstrip the Jets both in terms of how many locals show up to watch and in absolute awareness (given how many Americans there are).

Globally Winnipeg is up against places like Macau, Luxembourg, Riga, Cancun, Utrecht, Leipzig... Quebec City.