Closing the Divides – First things first

by Errol Black In early July the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg announced that it was seeking to obtain money to fund a study to determine the feasibility of relocating the C.P.R. yards that geographically currently divides the city. …

Dreaming Big Dreams?

PDF version by Jim Silver Congratulations both to the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg (SPCW) for raising the issue of the long-standing divide between Winnipeg’s North End and the rest of the city, and to the Free Press …

Change takes time

By Lynne Fernandez Did you happen to read the editorial in June 12’s Winnipeg Free Press – the one about plastic bags? It explains that Glen Laubenstein – the City’s past chief administrative officer – had been tasked …

$7 Million Slip Sliding Away

Last week, Winnipeg city council announced a proposal to build a hotel and waterpark on Parcel 4, at The Forks. This is after years of looking for a private developer to build a water park in exchange for …

Achieving Urban Intensification in Winnipeg

PDF version by Brendan Salakoh After two years of research and analysis, the City of Winnipeg has recently released its new official plan, Our Winnipeg. The 20-year growth strategy identifies several corridors and centres which (due to transit, location, …

Money for Water Parks or for Rapid Transit?

This letter was published, in a slightly edited form, in the March 10th edition of the Winnipeg Free Press. Dear Mayor Sam Katz, I was pleased to hear that you cancelled the 20 cent transit fare hike. The …

New CCPA report – Stranded in Suburbia

One of the biggest topics of conversations these days is the impact that the baby boomer generation will have on Canadian society as it turns 65. In Winnipeg, baby boomers live primarily in the suburbs. Suburbs are generally …

Are we about to lose our City-owned golf courses?

Tuesday February 14 – Meeting at City Hall The February 14, Property and Development Committee Meeting is a very important opportunity to voice your concerns about the sale of City-owned golf courses for commercial and residential development. There …

Going Nowhere Fast: The Kenaston Boulevard Project and the Inadequacy of Roadway Expansion in Reducing Winnipeg’s Gridlock

PDF version by Ben Gillies For many Winnipeggers, the news from Main Street last week was long overdue. On Wednesday, city council voted in favour of a preliminary design to finally widen Kenaston Boulevard to six lanes of …

Selling City Golf Courses to Developers: A Permanent Loss

PDF version by Dave Hall October 26, 2011 was the deadline for developers to make proposals for seven large pieces of prime real estate scattered across Winnipeg. Unsurprisingly there were lots of proposals, although the City won’t let …