Winnipeg | Of Interest

[1ajs]

we herd a blip thn it went silen txs for posting the latest blip u herd though this could been posted in th construction thread

[Biff]

Nice write up for the WFP Vike.



Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Star power elevates skyline
Global architects beautify city

By: Brent Bellamy / On Architecture

American tennis star Andre Agassi famously claimed, "image is everything." Actress Jennifer Lopez sells music, clothing and perfume bearing her name. Until recently, golfer Tiger Woods' trademark smile was used to sell everything from cars to soft drinks. The pervasive nature of today's mass media has created an explosion of celebrity culture in society.

Image-based celebrity branding has infiltrated even the traditional world of architecture, where media savvy 'starchitects' and their signature styles have become commodities to be purchased like the latest fashions off the runways of Milan. Cities around the globe clamour to have the latest works of the hottest 'it' designer. Having one of their buildings in your skyline is seen as the equivalent of having an Armani suit in your closet. Like casting Brad Pitt to star in your movie, building owners often hire 'starchitects' to ensure a level of prestige for their projects. While this phenomenon has traditionally been the playground of global cities such as New York and Toronto, three current Winnipeg projects indicate it may have found its way to our humble city.

The new Richardson International Airport terminal was designed by one of the most high-profile architects to ever work in Winnipeg. Argentine César Pelli is most famous for creating the striking Petronas Towers in Malaysia. Once the tallest buildings in the world, they starred prominently alongside Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the Hollywood movie Entrapment.

The dramatic design of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, under construction at The Forks, is by celebrated American architect Antoine Predock, who received the commission after winning a design competition that included nearly every 'starchitect' in the world.

While perhaps not making guest appearances on The Simpsons like Frank Gehry, Bruce Kuwabara of the Toronto firm KPMB is becoming the Canadian version of a 'starchitect', thanks in part to his work on the Manitoba Hydro Building. The gleaming new tower has quickly garnered global attention for its ground-breaking sustainable building technologies, winning several international awards, even hailed by the Toronto Star as "Canada's most important building."

With these projects as evidence, it appears even in Winnipeg, seemingly removed from the trappings of civic one-upmanship, large civic building designs are less often being awarded to local architects. The original airport terminal, designed by a Winnipeg firm, was widely admired as one of the finest in Canada. One might ask, what has changed that requires an imported designer for that same building today?

What does the practice of engaging international 'starchitects' mean for the local architectural community? What legacy will these buildings leave after their designers have gone home?

As ever-evolving technologies push the envelope of design, the profession of architecture has become increasingly specialized. Globally focused architects can inject new expertise and perspective to our design community that may not have previously existed.

The exposure that a 'starchitect' brings in mainstream media can elevate the public awareness of architecture, instilling civic pride and promoting the importance of good design in our built environment. This heightened interest in architecture can open up possibilities for local designers as developers and building owners are inspired by elevated design quality, demanding it for their own projects.

Brand-name architects will bring outside publicity to our community, potentially allowing Winnipeg to distinguish itself as a place of creative architecture, which could result in increased exposure and opportunity for projects designed by Winnipeg architects.

Do the benefits of importing 'starchitect' designers outweigh the lost opportunity for local architects? The answer may be yes, if we can capitalize on this unprecedented injection of creative thinking in our design community. We might look back on these three projects and consider them a turning point that spawned a pervasive culture of good design in our city, raising the bar of public awareness and expectation for modern architecture in Winnipeg.

Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group. Contact him at [email protected].

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 22, 2010 B4

[trueviking]

shhh.....you're going to blow my cover....

its going to be a regular feature....every few weeks.....

topic suggestions are welcome.

[hexrae]

City council approves 2010 budget

By: Bartley Kives

23/03/2010 11:59 AM

WINNIPEG — City council has approved Winnipeg's operating budget for 2010, an $817.6-million blueprint for program spending this year.

After a 2.5-hour debate, council voted 11-5 to approve the spending plan, which includes the city's 13th consecutive property-tax freeze and a business-tax freeze that allows more small businesses to be exempt from the program.

The budget calls for a spending increase of more than $30 million over 2009, an increase of about four per cent.

Opposition councillors such as Jenny Gerbasi (Fort Rouge), Dan Vandal (St. Boniface) and Russ Wyatt (Transcona) criticized the sources used to fund the increase, which includes $10.6 million expected from Manitoba Hydro in a dispute over taxes, as well as one-time transfers from reserves.

Opposition councillors also called the ongoing tax freeze irresponsible.

But Mayor Sam Katz and his council allies defended the budget. The mayor said legal opinions favour the city side of the dispute with Hydro, while St. Norbert Coun. Justin Swandel said some of the money in reserves was languishing and serving no purpose.

On a lighter note, after Wyatt suggested he deserved some of the credit for the Winnipeg Police Service's auxiliary cadet program, Katz thanked the Transcona councillor for also inventing fire and penicillin.

In the end, Wyatt, Vandal, Gerbasi, Harvey Smith (Daniel McIntyre) and Lillian Thomas (Elmwood) voted against the budget.

Council will resume tomorrow for a regular monthly meeting.

[DowntownWpg]

Still robbery capital

’Peg’s per capita rate tops in Canada

By CHRIS KITCHING, Winnipeg Sun
Last Updated: March 26, 2010 7:35am


Donna Chartrand is fearful since she, her grandson, and service dog were assaulted and robbed. (MARCEL CRETAIN/WINNIPEG SUN)

Despite dramatic decreases in the last decade, Winnipeg remains the robbery capital of Canada, according to a report analyzing holdups.

Released Thursday, the Statistics Canada study, based on 2008 data, found Winnipeg’s per capita robbery rate of 233 incidents per 100,000 residents was the highest of major cities and more than twice the declining national average of 97.

Meanwhile, Manitoba was tops among provinces and territories.

In terms of actual numbers, Winnipeg’s 1,771 incidents ranked fifth.

Winnipeg has consistently had one of the worst robbery rates, despite a 24% decrease since 1999, so the unpleasant title didn’t surprise many.

Winnipeg Police Association president Mike Sutherland said the city figures may be higher than it appears because the study focuses on the entire Winnipeg census metropolitan area, meaning some bedroom communities and their low crime rates are lumped in, bringing the rate down a bit.

“I would imagine the city of Winnipeg alone is higher,” Sutherland said.

The overall decline is mostly due to a drop in robberies of banks and stores.

Sutherland attributes it to advancements in security.

“If one target becomes riskier they’ll just move on to another one,” he said.

Home invasions and public transit robberies were up, while gas station and convenience store holdups were among the highest in Montreal and Winnipeg, the report found.

What the study doesn’t measure is the emotional toll on victims.

Donna Chartrand, who’s visually impaired and in a wheelchair, said she’s afraid to leave her home on her own since she, her grandson and service dog were assaulted and robbed by a group of youths.

“I stay in my house more than anything. I used to be hot-wheeling all over the place but now I feel too scared,” Chartrand said.

At 62%, most holdups in Winnipeg in 2008 were of the strong-arm variety, where a person is robbed of property, said Staff Sgt. Rhyse Hanson of Winnipeg Police Service’s major crimes unit.

Money and jewelry were stolen the most.

Some do it because they think they’ll get away with it or won’t get a severe sentence if convicted, Hanson said.

He said police patrol areas where robberies occur frequently and urge people to be mindful of their safety and surroundings.

Half of all robberies occurred in public places such as a street, while 39% occurred in a bank or business and 10% in homes, the report found.

Sutherland and Mayor Sam Katz said they want changes to the Criminal Code and Youth Criminal Justice Act to create stiffer penalties.

Sutherland said Winnipeg needs more police officers.

[email protected]

http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/winnipeg/2010/03/25/13361761.html

[Biff]

.....well someone has to give our man Viking props for another great article in this weekends WFP.




Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Urban gems helping city shine
Local designers thrive, inspire

By: Brent Bellamy / On Architecture

12/04/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0


The recent global economic downturn has had a devastating effect on the architecture industry in North America. Nearly one-quarter of all jobs in the profession have been lost in the United States and with construction dropping by 25 per cent last year alone, Canadian firms have also been hit hard.

Seemingly against this global trend, Winnipeg's architecture community has been flourishing in recent years. Several new firms have opened and many others have expanded their business in Winnipeg and abroad. While megaprojects designed by acclaimed international architects rightfully receive much of the fanfare, local designers have seized this period of growth to do imaginative work on smaller projects that are transforming the city's neighbourhoods.

Good architecture at any scale has the ability to inspire the public spirit. Often, the hidden gems that we interact with on a personal level have a greater influence on the emotional connection we make with our city than any new downtown skyscraper could.

Sitting quietly among the elm trees in Wolseley is one of these little surprises. Retail architecture is often merely a platform for the largest sign allowable by zoning, but the expansion of Tall Grass Prairie Bakery, by Syverson Monteyne Architects, exemplifies how with good design and elegant materials a retail building can make a memorable statement without relying on brightly coloured stucco and glowing signs. Constructed using reclaimed wood from fallen grain elevators and the old Winnipeg Arena, the new building appears as a grey box floating over a wall of glass that floods an airy, two-storey interior space with warm sunlight.

The Movement Disorders Clinic near Deer Lodge Centre by Cohlmeyer Architects reinforces these principles. Hidden from the street, a small but dramatic addition reveals itself as you walk around a redeveloped historic building. Light, modern materials such as glass and copper panels that are changing colour over time provide a contrast to its heavy-looking brick neighbour. A dynamic two-storey box hovers over the main entrance, drawing you in from the sidewalk.

Both of these projects show that even a small, well-designed addition can bring new life to an existing building and proves that modern-looking commercial architecture has its place in older neighbourhoods.

The long overdue revitalization of our urban parks is another area where local designers are having a positive impact on our communities. With eager anticipation of its reveal, the new stage at Old Market Square sits secretively hidden under a protective wrapping. Designed by 5468796 Architecture, rumours of a glowing, translucent cube with moving walls that open to reveal a stage will be a dynamic contrast to the old buildings of The Exchange.

Starting construction this spring, the Family Centre at Assiniboine Park by Number Ten Architectural Group will be the centrepiece of the duck pond expansion. With an organic shape, a roof covered in local grasses, and natural construction materials such as wood, zinc and stone, this small pavilion will appear to grow from the forest that surrounds it. Angled glass walls will flood the interior spaces with soft, leaf-filtered light. On the exterior, the glass will reflect the vibrant colours of its surroundings, altering the building's appearance as conditions change through the day and through the seasons.

Across the pond from the Family Centre, a nondescript skate change and washroom facility was transformed into something beautiful by Bridgman Collaborative with a limited budget and a lot of imagination. The existing roof was raised and tilted upward to allow natural light to flood the interior. Using money saved by recycling 75 per cent of the existing building, a fireplace was added to the project. The building stands as a celebration of the park instead of the utilitarian structure that it once was.

While many local firms are working on large projects throughout the city -- including development at Red River College, the Health Sciences Centre and both the universities of Winnipeg and Manitoba -- these smaller, community-focused buildings often allow an opportunity for imaginative design that can have an intimate connection with the neighbourhoods in which they are situated.

Look for these little surprises around the corner in your area -- it might be a creative housing project, an interesting community centre or a well-designed school. It can be inspiring to stumble across these unexpected urban gems.

Along with the sparkling new buildings downtown, these locally designed projects are helping to make Winnipeg a modern and vibrant city.

Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group. Contact him at [email protected].

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 12, 2010 B4

[JayM]

Bombers sign Buck Pierce

By: Ed Tait

12/04/2010 9:09 AM | Comments: 19

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The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will officially announce later today that they have signed quarterback Buck Pierce.

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The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will officially announce later today that they have signed quarterback Buck Pierce. (DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have their man.

Quarterback Buck Pierce -- the gritty but often-injured former B.C. Lions starter – is expected to be introduced at a 1 p.m. press conference in the club’s locker-room this afternoon.

His addition gives the club five quarterbacks under contract: Pierce, Steven Jyles, Ricky Santos, Adam DiMichele and Stefan LeFors – although it’s expected LeFors, who is balking at returning under a reduced contract, will retire.

The 28-year-old New Mexico State product spent five years with the Lions and posted a 21-12-1 record during his time in orange and black. He was named the Lions starter prior to last season after signing a three-year $900,000 contract, but was released last month when the team committed to Casey Printers instead. He exited the Lions’ den with the third-best QB rating in team history behind only Dave Dickenson and Printers.

The Bombers were represented at a free-agent camp Pierce attended earlier this month in California and, sources say, have done their homework on the concerns about his injury. Pierce suffered a season-ending injury to his non-throwing shoulder against the Bombers last fall and has also experienced at least two concussions during his time with the Lions.

[1ajs]

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Former RWB artistic director dies

By: Staff Writer
12/04/2010 9:34 AM


WINNIPEG — The man who put the Royal Winnipeg Ballet on the international dance map has died.
Arnold Spohr was the RWB’s artistic director from 1958 to 1988.
His friend and caregiver, the choreographer Stephanie Ballard, said that Spohr died at 1:30 a.m. Monday at the Tuxedo Villa nursing home. He was 86 and had been incapacitated for several years.
"It was time," Ballard said. "He passed away very peacefully."
The cause of death had not been confirmed, but Ballard said that Spohr’s kidneys had been failing and that he had been on dialysis three times a week for almost four years.

"He was made of steel," she said. "He was a giant. There was no one like him. He gave Canadian dance an identity."

His biographer, Michael Crabb, called him "a volcanic force for good in Canadian dance."

"And it wasn’t just Canada," Crabb said. "Wherever you went and the subject of ballet came up -- Russia, Cuba, Australia – people would ask, ‘What about that wonderful man in Winnipeg?'"

Though Spohr’s death is sad, Crabb says, it is also a time to celebrate.

"My God, what a life he had," Crabb said. "He didn’t miss a thing."

Ballard says a private funeral will be held in the coming days and that that she and the RWB will be organizing memorial events in Winnipeg and Toronto.

"We don’t know when yet," she said. "But it will be sooner than later."

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Former RWB artistic director dies

By: Staff Writer
12/04/2010 9:34 AM


WINNIPEG — The man who put the Royal Winnipeg Ballet on the international dance map has died.
Arnold Spohr was the RWB’s artistic director from 1958 to 1988.
His friend and caregiver, the choreographer Stephanie Ballard, said that Spohr died at 1:30 a.m. Monday at the Tuxedo Villa nursing home. He was 86 and had been incapacitated for several years.
"It was time," Ballard said. "He passed away very peacefully."
The cause of death had not been confirmed, but Ballard said that Spohr’s kidneys had been failing and that he had been on dialysis three times a week for almost four years.

"He was made of steel," she said. "He was a giant. There was no one like him. He gave Canadian dance an identity."

His biographer, Michael Crabb, called him "a volcanic force for good in Canadian dance."

"And it wasn’t just Canada," Crabb said. "Wherever you went and the subject of ballet came up -- Russia, Cuba, Australia – people would ask, ‘What about that wonderful man in Winnipeg?'"

Though Spohr’s death is sad, Crabb says, it is also a time to celebrate.

"My God, what a life he had," Crabb said. "He didn’t miss a thing."

Ballard says a private funeral will be held in the coming days and that that she and the RWB will be organizing memorial events in Winnipeg and Toronto.

"We don’t know when yet," she said. "But it will be sooner than later."

I certainly hope the Free Press will give his death a little more coverage than that. That was someone who helped make Winnipeg's name known around the world.

[rgalston]

Great piece, Viking. Keep this up.

[JayM]

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
204 plus more: new area code coming to Manitoba

By: Aldo Santin

14/04/2010 4:46 PM | Comments: 0

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The rapid explosion of new cell phone numbers has nearly consumed the supply of existing phone numbers. A new 431 area code could be in place in Manitoba by the end of 2012.

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The rapid explosion of new cell phone numbers has nearly consumed the supply of existing phone numbers. A new 431 area code could be in place in Manitoba by the end of 2012. ([email protected])

WINNIPEG - A second area code and 10-digit dialing are coming to Manitoba as a result of an explosion of cell phone numbers, competitive land-line carriers and population growth.

Glen Pilley, director of the Canadian Numbering Administrator (CNA), which co-ordinates new area code allocations across the country, said Manitoba is running out of phone numbers and a new 431 area code could be in place by the end of 2012.

"There are about 23 million cell phone numbers in Canada and that’s 3 million more than the total number of land lines," Pilley said, adding the rapid explosion of new cell phone numbers has nearly consumed the supply of existing phone numbers.

A committee of service providers has been meeting to come up with a set of recommendations to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission (CRTC), which will formalize when the new area code will come into effect and how it will be applied.

Pilley said the area code committee is expected to finalize its recommendations within weeks but the tentative plan is:

* A second area code will come into place between May and October or November of 2012.
* The new area code will be 431.
* Telephone subscribers will have to dial the appropriate area code and the existing seven-digit number to make a local call.
* The first 431 numbers will likely be assigned in early 2013 to new cell phone customers.
* New landline customers will get their numbers with the 431 area code in late May 2013.

[bomberguy]

Wuddupppp, reppin the 431!!

Doesn't sound right.

[Bdog]

• Video Link

Sorry, but I couldn't resist...

[The Jabroni]

Originally Posted by Bdog

• Video Link

Sorry, but I couldn't resist...

Ah, I was going to post that!

[JayM]

MTS lays off 20 operators
Last Updated: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | 7:17 PM CT Comments19Recommend9
CBC News

Twenty telephone operators in Manitoba providing services for people who are hearing-impaired are being laid off from their jobs at telecom giant MTS-Allstream.

The company confirmed the layoffs on Wednesday, saying it has contracted out the services the operators provide.

Company spokesman Greg Burch cited a decrease in demand for the service as a reason for the cuts, which account for about half of the operator staff at MTS.

The employees involved will be offered other job opportunities with the company, Burch said.

Other operator services are not affected, he said.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2010/04/14/man-mts-layoff-operators.html#ixzz0lD3DdNk9

[JayM]

Schools graduating more students

By: Staff Writer

15/04/2010 1:49 PM | Comments: 6

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WINNIPEG — Manitoba's high school graduation rate is on the rise.

Figures released by the province today show the grad rate in 2009 stood at 80.9 per cent, compared with 72.4 per cent in 2001.

"This increase can be attributed in part to innovative programs and mentoring supports already set up in schools and communities to encourage students to stay in school," Education Minister Nancy Allan said today.

Allan presented the annual Celebration of Excellence in Teaching awards today at the Legislative Building.

The award for outstanding new teacher went to Jason Hofer of Hofer School, Greenwald Hutterite Colony in the Sunrise School Division. Hofer is the first recipient from a colony school to receive a minister's award for excellence in teaching.

[JayM]

Originally Posted by JayM

Schools graduating more students

By: Staff Writer

15/04/2010 1:49 PM | Comments: 6

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WINNIPEG — Manitoba's high school graduation rate is on the rise.

Figures released by the province today show the grad rate in 2009 stood at 80.9 per cent, compared with 72.4 per cent in 2001.

"This increase can be attributed in part to innovative programs and mentoring supports already set up in schools and communities to encourage students to stay in school," Education Minister Nancy Allan said today.

Allan presented the annual Celebration of Excellence in Teaching awards today at the Legislative Building.

The award for outstanding new teacher went to Jason Hofer of Hofer School, Greenwald Hutterite Colony in the Sunrise School Division. Hofer is the first recipient from a colony school to receive a minister's award for excellence in teaching.

This is because of the nofail procedure. I actually know people who have made it through high school and come out actually not even being aware they learned anything or how they graduated. Good old mercy pass.

[jmt18325]

Actually, that's not true. You can be placed in the grades up until grade 8, but after that, if you don't get the credits, you don't graduate.

[JayM]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

Actually, that's not true. You can be placed in the grades up until grade 8, but after that, if you don't get the credits, you don't graduate.

Some places have difference systems in place. High School in some places is 10-12 and others is 9-12.

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

Actually, that's not true. You can be placed in the grades up until grade 8, but after that, if you don't get the credits, you don't graduate.

awwww