Winnipeg - Of Interest

[Keng]

^^^ No problem and no need to apologize, the daily grind gets to us all at some point. It sounds like we both want better for Winnipeg.

[Only The Lonely..]

Originally Posted by Keng

^^^ No problem and no need to apologize, the daily grind gets to us all at some point. It sounds like we both want better for Winnipeg.

Amen.

But believe me, when it comes to saving Winnipeg we've got our work cut out for us.

Judging by the outcry the development at the Forks has received, and the non-existent support for 145 Pacific, The Ryan Block, or the Kelly House we still have a long way to go.

If Winnipeg survives the 21st century we may just have one the finest city's in the country.

Keep jabbing and dancing River city, I ain't hear no bell.

[metonymy]

If you want your fix of Beef the River, you'll have to go to Corydon. River Mandarin has closed their River Ave. location and is trying to downsize and move to Corydon. Good luck to them.

[wags_in_the_peg]

Oceana on Pembina is closing to...space is too big he says

[wags_in_the_peg]

Winnipeg to buck national decline in home prices

Winnipeg’s resilient resale-homes market is expected to buck a national trend with a modest increase in average selling prices this year, according to the latest house prices forecast from Royal LePage Real Estate Services.

The real estate firm predicts Winnipeg’s average selling price will climb by four per cent to $204,900 from a projected $197,000 in 2008.

Canada’s average selling price, on the other hand, is expected to fall by three per cent to $295,000 from a projected $304,000.

Royal Lepage also predicts Winnipeg will see one of the smallest declines in unit sales among the country’s nine major cities. It says sales here are expected to fall by one per cent to 11,780 homes from 11,900 in 2008.

That compares to a projected national decline of 3.5 per cent (416,000 compared to 431,000).

“Looking ahead, the economic future looks bright for Winnipeg,” says John Froese, a broker with Royal LePage Prime Real Estate in Winnipeg.

“As employment rates and population figures increase, consumer confidence is expected to rebound from where it was in the last quarter of 2008,” Froese added. “In turn, Winnipeg’s real estate market is anticipated to spring upwards as well.”

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca

[wags_in_the_peg]

Cop shop on block - City puts Transcona site on sale

By PAUL TURENNE, SUN MEDIA

Want to live on the site of -- or possibly in -- an old police station? You're in luck.

The City of Winnipeg has put up for sale the old District 4 police station and fire hall at the corner of Pandora Avenue West and Plessis Road and wants the buyer to erect apartments or condos in its place.

The station was built in 1968 by the old City of Transcona.

The fire department moved out in October 2007 when a new hall was built on Regent Avenue. The police station was mostly vacated when the new East District police station opened on Dugald Road last fall but is still home to the Winnipeg police canine unit, at least for the time being.

On Dec. 23 the city issued an invitation for expressions of interest to develop the site.

The invitation calls for would-be purchasers to present an offer along with a plan to develop "a multiple-family housing project with a strong green space component."

City council adopted a recommendation last April that the site be developed in such a way.

"The residents were concerned that it would become industrial," said Coun. Russ Wyatt.

Terry Aseltine, a spokesman for the city, said the plans do not necessarily have to include the demolition of the old station, which could either be torn down or incorporated into the new design.

"It depends on the expressions of interest," he said.

The eventual buyer will get the 41-year-old police and fire station and the surrounding 2.4-acre property at 730 Pandora Ave. W., minus a 12-metre strip of land along Plessis that the city is reserving to widen that street in the future.

Although the city's invitation does not mention a purchase price, the property was most recently assessed at $590,000, which is reflective of its 2003 market value.

Anyone interested in buying and developing the property has until Feb. 13 to contact the city.

Wyatt said the old District 5 station in St. Boniface, whose members also moved to the new building on Dugald, will be sold for housing as well.

[viperred88]

Couldn't we enviromentally self sufficient like they are

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSFEjdDgyaw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39lFdaFJvkw

OK this is a little bit off left field but I wonder why this city and MB Hydro does not take the initiative make ourself the greenest and not be so dependant on oil ... by installing solar panels on our rooftops like why not. It takes decades beyond decades for the hydro dam to pay for itself so why not do this instead.

Green Freiburg, environmentally sound and not dependant on oil.
And I wonder why we are not motivated to do the same.

I see Vancouver being the catalyst in Canada since they are pro environment. With these LEED certification you would think Canada would be all over this. Who knows the new MB hydro tower will spur this kind development, since its enviromentally energy sufficient building. MB Hydro would benefit alot from this, just think of excess energy that can be sold and perhaps there wouldn't be a need to build more dams.

I guess we can say we have some more green iniatives like the waverly west new development started out with geo-thermal heating but thats where it stopped because it was too cost prohitive for the short sighted developers who want to make a quick buck.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by viperred88

OK this is a little bit off left field but I wonder why this city and MB Hydro does not take the initiative make ourself the greenest and not be so dependant on oil ... by installing solar panels on our rooftops like why not. It takes decades beyond decades for the hydro dam to pay for itself so why not do this instead.

It can also take decades to pay off solar panels and geothermal systems. So whats the difference?

Hydro electric dams also have a longer life than solar systems that usually need to be replaced within 25-30 years.

[MichaelM]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

Cop shop on block - City puts Transcona site on sale

By PAUL TURENNE, SUN MEDIA

Want to live on the site of -- or possibly in -- an old police station? You're in luck.

The City of Winnipeg has put up for sale the old District 4 police station and fire hall at the corner of Pandora Avenue West and Plessis Road and wants the buyer to erect apartments or condos in its place.

The station was built in 1968 by the old City of Transcona.

The fire department moved out in October 2007 when a new hall was built on Regent Avenue. The police station was mostly vacated when the new East District police station opened on Dugald Road last fall but is still home to the Winnipeg police canine unit, at least for the time being.

On Dec. 23 the city issued an invitation for expressions of interest to develop the site.

The invitation calls for would-be purchasers to present an offer along with a plan to develop "a multiple-family housing project with a strong green space component."

City council adopted a recommendation last April that the site be developed in such a way.

"The residents were concerned that it would become industrial," said Coun. Russ Wyatt.

Terry Aseltine, a spokesman for the city, said the plans do not necessarily have to include the demolition of the old station, which could either be torn down or incorporated into the new design.

"It depends on the expressions of interest," he said.

The eventual buyer will get the 41-year-old police and fire station and the surrounding 2.4-acre property at 730 Pandora Ave. W., minus a 12-metre strip of land along Plessis that the city is reserving to widen that street in the future.

Although the city's invitation does not mention a purchase price, the property was most recently assessed at $590,000, which is reflective of its 2003 market value.

Anyone interested in buying and developing the property has until Feb. 13 to contact the city.

Wyatt said the old District 5 station in St. Boniface, whose members also moved to the new building on Dugald, will be sold for housing as well.

This site will be a hard sell for upper scale apartments or condos.

Busy corner.

And a high demo cost.

I hope someone steps up to the plate.

MM

[ILYR]

Maddin's My Winnipeg named best film by Toronto critics
Last Updated: Tuesday, January 6, 2009 | 6:48 PM CT
The Canadian Press

Guy Maddin's bizarre, fantastical tribute to his hometown, My Winnipeg, has won a new $10,000 film prize.

The avant-garde director was given the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award, presented by the Toronto Film Critics Association at a gala Tuesday night to recognize the association's favourite releases of 2008.

Sarah Polley, whose film Away From Her was named best Canadian feature last year, was tapped to present the award to Maddin.

Filmmakers such as Atom Egoyan, Robert Lantos, Bruce McDonald and Don McKellar were expected to attend the event.

Other films in the running were Stephane Lafleur's film Continental: A Film Without Guns and Yung Chang's acclaimed documentary Up the Yangtze, about issues surrounding the Three Gorges Dam in China.

"Our three finalists for the year's best Canadian film are all strongly evocative tales of characters adrift in manufactured landscapes," association president Brian Johnson, film critic for Maclean's magazine, said in a release.

"My Winnipeg gleefully obliterates the line between fact and fiction, documentary and drama, between lucid memoir and fevered dream. It's an exquisitely Canadian film that has won praise from around the world, and we are pleased to add our voice to the acclaim with this inaugural prize."

Maddin's film, which features scenes from Winnipeg history intercut with fantasy images, was also named best Canadian feature at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006. It had special screenings throughout Canada in 2008.

Established in 1997, the Toronto Film Critics Association is made up of Toronto-based journalists and broadcasters who specialize in film criticism and commentary.

[metonymy]

Roger Ebert loved it (his review here), gave it four starts out of four, and also gave it honourable mention on his 2008 top ten film list, as well as invited Maddin to present the film in his Ebertfest 2009 series.

[1ajs]

Manitoba Housing Smoking Ban?
CJOB's Jeff Braun reporting
1/7/2009

A resident is trying to get smoking banned in Manitoba Housing Complexes.

Steven Orosz, a tenant in a St. James complex says cigarette smoke from his neighbours permeates his residence as well.

Aside from the smell, Orosz points to new legislation that bans smoking in cars where children are present.





Darryl Jones, COO of Manitoba Housing, says they deal with smoking issues on a case by case basis.

He says one of the problems with an all-out ban is peoples right to privacy in their own home.

Premier Gary Doer told CJOB it's a complicated issue and they will listen to the views of both sides before making any decisions.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

He says one of the problems with an all-out ban is peoples right to privacy in their own home.

It is not their "own home". It belongs to someone else.

Ban smoking inside. Not only does it destroy the building, but also the lungs of people (namely children) that also live inside.

[Only The Lonely..]

Originally Posted by h0twired

It is not their "own home". It belongs to someone else.

Ban smoking inside. Not only does it destroy the building, but also the lungs of people (namely children) that also live inside.

Alright Herr Director!

From this point forward smoking is verboten! Is there anything else you would like the morality police to crack down on?

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by h0twired

It is not their "own home". It belongs to someone else.

Ban smoking inside. Not only does it destroy the building, but also the lungs of people (namely children) that also live inside.

i agree with it also..

on a side note the aprtments behind portge place band pot smoking period u will geteviced if caught due to the people smoking the stuff causing the fireal arms to go off 2 or 3 times a week in the midle of the night

[1ajs]

this is rather oddd

Man dies after shooting himself in confrontation with police
Last Updated: Wednesday, January 7, 2009 | 5:12 PM CT Comments25Recommend27
CBC News
Winnipeg police officers talk at the scene of a shooting Wednesday.Winnipeg police officers talk at the scene of a shooting Wednesday.

A man who shot himself early Wednesday following a confrontation with police in Winnipeg's West End has died, police said.

Investigators said the man fled from officers around 4 a.m. after being pulled over during a traffic stop on Beverley Street.

When officers found the man a short time later in the 300 block of Simcoe Street carrying a gun, he fired at shot at himself, a police spokesman said Wednesday afternoon.

He was rushed to hospital in critical condition but died later in the day.

Amanda Sackmann, who lives across the street from where the shooting occurred, said she woke up at 5 a.m. to the sound of police sirens. She said it is the second gun-related incident in the neighbourhood in the past two weeks.

"It's scary," she said. "You don't expect something like this to happen right across the street."

The homicide unit is investigating.

----


Winnipeg police still probing self-inflicted death
Last Updated: Thursday, January 8, 2009 | 12:34 PM CT Comments0Recommend1
CBC News

Winnipeg police still aren't saying much about a man who killed himself in a confrontation with investigators early Wednesday, but the driver of the car from which the shooting victim fled has been located.

The driver and another man were in a car that was pulled over in the 200 block of Beverley Street during a routine traffic stop around 4 a.m. Wednesday, police said.

The man who was the passenger bolted from the vehicle.

When officers found the man a short time later in the 300 block of Simcoe Street carrying a gun, he fired a shot at himself, a police spokesman said. He was taken to hospital in critical condition but died later in the day.

Police did not fire a weapon or a Taser in the incident, they said. There were no outstanding warrants for the man who shot himself, although he was known to police.

The homicide unit is still trying to piece together what happened, but Const. Jason Michalyshen admitted the incident is shocking and unusual.

"I think there may have been circumstances similar to this in the past, but exactly like this ... no," he said. "There is no question this is something fairly unique."

The car was not stolen, police said, but belonged to a family member of the driver of the car, who was interviewed by police and released without charge.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/st...mcoe-shot.html
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/st...icide-man.html

[hexrae]

Province lends window company $10 million

Steinbach-based window and door manufacturer Loewen will receive a $10-million repayable loan from the province to help fund a $30-million factory overhaul.

The secured, interest-bearing loan will help pay for a factory redesign for the company, which expects to double capacity and increase productivity by 30 per cent by the time the overhaul is finished.

Loewen has been hard-hit by the U.S. housing market slump in the past year.

Last April the company laid off about 100 manufacturing workers, and in July it laid off an additional 70 office staff.

The loan, offered through the Manitoba Industrial Opportunities Program, will be secured by Loewen's assets in Manitoba. The interest rate charged is above the province's cost of borrowing.

----

170 laid off workers! Anyone know how many people this business employs?

[Archiseek]

around 1500 at the start of this year

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by Only The Lonely..

Alright Herr Director!

From this point forward smoking is verboten! Is there anything else you would like the morality police to crack down on?

There are lots of places where smoking is prohibited. Why should it be any different for Manitoba Housing?

I personally would not want to live in a house that had chain smokers living in it.

[wags_in_the_peg]

Originally Posted by h0twired

There are lots of places where smoking is prohibited. Why should it be any different for Manitoba Housing?

I personally would not want to live in a house that had chain smokers living in it.

new studies show 3rd hand smoke (carpets, jackets, etc) is causing respitory issues with kids. BAN THE WEED ...well at least the legal weed, don't ban the illegal weed