Winnipeg | Osborne Village & Fort Rouge

[bomberjet]

I was looking at streetview and there's already a camera for the traffic management centre right beside the tower.

Even though they aren't supposed to be for anything but traffic, there have been requests from police to view the footage from what I hear. Not sure how that works. How long before MPI is viewing footage for accidents?

[Roger Strong]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I was looking at streetview and there's already a camera for the traffic management centre right beside the tower.

Cameras are for more than traffic management. Typically those have a wide field of view to get the big picture of what's going on.

License plate readers on the other hand have a narrow field of view and look in specific spots. (My understanding is that Winnipeg police already have several camera-equipped patrol cars, reading all the licence plates they go by and feeding them into a database. Searches for expired licenses or expired insurance or vehicles belonging to persons of interest can be done later.)

Down in the Excited States there's a growing industry of private companies with networks of license plate readers selling data to insurance companies, law enforcement, corporate investigators, etc..

Now automated facial recognition is taking off. Both Britain and China have made recent high-profile arrests after cameras picked wanted people out of huge festival crowds. Osborne Village, The Forks and the new TNS courtyard would be ideal camera locations. An unknown face can be assigned an ID to tie sightings together in a database.

Police or corporate investigators will be able to retroactively tail someone years later with a quick purchase from facial and licence plate reader databases. (When I was in the Soviet Union in the '80s, there were what looked like mini air traffic control towers in major intersections and along highways, doing all this with much lower-tech methods.)

We'll be seeing a lot more cameras than the traffic management ones. So fear not; the tower won't go to waste.

[cllew]

Here is the current CoW statement regarding use of the TMC images:

The purpose of the TMC traffic cameras is to monitor and address traffic flows.
It is not the purpose of the TMC traffic cameras to operate as a law enforcement tool.

TMC traffic cameras are operated at certain fixed locations on the roadways to maximize coverage. Default resolution settings do not allow for the identification of personal information such as license plate numbers, or facial recognition. Pan/Tilt/Zoom capabilities may be used when monitoring a specific traffic congestion incident, traffic disruption, suspected damage to City of Winnipeg property, or when a traffic study is being conducted.

Cameras will not be set to view or record locations where an individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy. Additional remediation measures (such as privacy masks) will be used where possible to restrict zoom-in view around areas where privacy is expected.

Any personal information recorded by cameras is collected pursuant to 36(1)(b) of The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).

The recorded data from TMC cameras is retained for the time frame of up to 7 days, when possible.

It will not be used or disclosed for any other purpose, unless authorized by The Act. If you have any questions regarding this collection or use of this information, please contact the City of Winnipeg Corporate FIPPA Coordinator by mail to City Clerk’s Department, Administration Building, 510 Main Street, Winnipeg MB, R3B 1B9, or by telephone at 311.

[The Unknown Poster]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I was looking at streetview and there's already a camera for the traffic management centre right beside the tower.

Even though they aren't supposed to be for anything but traffic, there have been requests from police to view the footage from what I hear. Not sure how that works. How long before MPI is viewing footage for accidents?

I dont really have an issue with police requesting footage for investigations. When I worked at a local nightclub, the police requested footage all the time. We werent obligated to comply (except the one time they served us with a search warrant haha) but we always did.

[tree]

lol talk about missing the point with that one. literally 100 things need to be fixed but they focus efforts what will become an elevator to nowhere. At least the lookout point is so low my friend can toss me a beer from the street below.

[bomberjet]

Like you folks mentioned, the cameras sole purpose is to monitor traffic. The cameras are not HD to prevent instrusion into peoples private spaces (including in your car).

But now that the cameras are out there, it's a natrual evolution to use them for other purposes. Bait and switch type thing. Do I really have a problem if police request viedo because something major happened, no. But I do take issue if they're constantly using them for surveilance and things like that. That's not the intent.

[Ando]

If it was the largest observation tower between Toronto and Calgary, then that would be something.

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by Ando

If it was the largest observation tower between Toronto and Calgary, then that would be something.

Would you take largest between Souris and the Forks?

[Roger Strong]

Originally Posted by drew

The elevator alone will cost ~$100k. Plus it will need HVAC, and a staircase (not to mention an elevator shaft and foundation).

The city could pay for it with syndicated mortgages. They know a couple experts. Heck, they might even give free advice as part of a community service sentence.

[Wolf13]

This things is the height of waste.

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by Wolf13

This things is the height of waste.

Thinking about the amount of money they're contemplating pouring into that shitty tower...

Imagine what they could do for the same amount of money if they gave it to the artists who painted the New West Hotel or Vineyard Church or the parking lot next to the Red Road Lodge. (The long stretch of brown stucco at the Cornerstone cries out for it in particular).

Or if they used it to rent out one of the vacant storefronts for a year and put in a rotating set of retail pop ups.

Or if they used it to partially subsidize storefront revitalizations like they did on Graham St.

[Ando]

This idea just doesn’t ring true. Someone should have their bell rung.

[Ando]

As if things couldn't get worse in the Village, from the FP breaking news:


Broadcast warning of nuclear attack in Osborne Village unfounded
04/23/2018 8:02 AM

Police say they don't believe there's any legitimacy to a message warning Osborne Villagers of an imminent nuclear attack

Numerous residents called police around 9:20 p.m. on Sunday night saying they were hearing a loud message alerting them that Canada was under attack. A police spokesman said officers arrived on scene just as the broadcast was ending but they believe it to be "unfounded."

The spokesman said more consulting with investigators is needed before he can outline possible next steps in the investigation.

[esquire]

^ That made me laugh out loud when I heard it on the radio this morning.

Was Concerned Citizen Stan on the loose?

[buzzg]

^Or actually hire a landscape/urban designer to plan and restore the Osborne streetscape instead of having someone who runs a shitty event business make design decisions far beyond their abilities.

There's absolutely no harmony between the red bike clipart bike racks, giant LED light boxes, dark concrete stools, classic wood benches, dark purple wayfinding bricks, existing black iron globe lighting. I assume whatever awful design she has in mind for the tower has no correlation with any work already done. It's time for Stephanie to go.

[windypeg]

This lookout elevator business is seriously the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I still can't believe it's not satire.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by windypeg

This lookout elevator business is seriously the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I still can't believe it's not satire.

It's depressing that these are the ideas coming from the group that is supposed to understand the issues and look out for the area's interests. It would be like firefighters answering a call at your house but then attempting to connect the fire hose to your barbeque or something similarly head-scratching.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by esquire

It's depressing that these are the ideas coming from the group that is supposed to understand the issues and look out for the area's interests. It would be like firefighters answering a call at your house but then attempting to connect the fire hose to your barbeque or something similarly head-scratching.

That's the issue – it's not a group. The BIZ is one person, and I've heard from owners there that she/it's extremely dysfunctional and unorganized (maybe on purpose). The BIZ director runs an events company, which magically gets the contract to do Canada Day and any other events on Osborne. Must be a terrible company because aside from logistics about the only thing the street party gets is some snow fencing and a few Canada flags.

[rkspec]

Originally Posted by buzzg

That's the issue – it's not a group. The BIZ is one person, and I've heard from owners there that she/it's extremely dysfunctional and unorganized (maybe on purpose). The BIZ director runs an events company, which magically gets the contract to do Canada Day and any other events on Osborne. Must be a terrible company because aside from logistics about the only thing the street party gets is some snow fencing and a few Canada flags.

Osborne Village BIZ director to run for Winnipeg city council
https://globalnews.ca/news/4297295/o...-city-council/

[michelleb]

Originally Posted by rkspec

Osborne Village BIZ director to run for Winnipeg city council
https://globalnews.ca/news/4297295/o...-city-council/

Oh no. I hope someone better runs against her. With Gerbasi exiting, anything could happen.