The Friends are borderline insolvent. Their board has dwindled from 14 members in 2018 to to 5 today. Past Chair and chief booster of the project Jerry Gray has apparently disowned the project. Current Secretary Penny McMillan refuses to comment, saying it’s not her job;
Who knew sand could be so controversial? Sio Silica, a company that detractors derogatively refer to as “an Alberta Company”, has proposed a large project to extract high-grade silica sand in eastern Manitoba for the manufacturing of solar panels, among other potential uses. Alberta or not (we won’t get very far if our economy is…
I spent a few days in Boston. What follows is a disjointed series of pictures observations from that trip. Getting Around Look at Boston on google maps and you’ll see freeways cutting through the middle of the city. Route 90 shoots west, straight through the historic Back Bay neighbourhood (or should I type “neighborhood” because…
I covered the top two candidates in my last post. There are 9 more, and unfortunately I don’t have time to cover them all. I probably don’t have time to do any of them justice to be honest, but I feel compelled to at least post something because many of them are worth consideration. Below…
I have no connection to any candidate, and no clear preference yet. I may not know who I’m voting for when I walk into the booth, but I reviewed the platforms of the candidates for mayor in the 2022 Winnipeg election, paying particular attention to the issues I highlighted last time, to help myself make…
11 people are in the race to be the new boss of Winnipeg. Although one candidate has more name recognition and support in the polls, the winner is not quite a foregone conclusion. I find it refreshing to have a civic election where there is no incumbent mayor and many different visions and personalities to…
A couple of years ago the government of Manitoba announced that it was going to upgrade the South Perimeter Highway. Work has begun. This whole summer equipment has been digging and plowing and getting land ready for new split-grade intersections at the St. Anne’s Rd. and St. Mary’s Rd crossings of the Perimeter. Yes!! It’s…
The customs officer studied my passport. “Where are you going?” “Portland” I answered. “Have you been there before?” “Nope, first time.” “Are you bringing brass knuckles?” “Um .. no. Do I need them?” I’m not certain it’s legal to bring brass knuckles in my carry-on, but apparently it is advisable if you’re staying in downtown…
The future of the Blumberg golf complex has been uncertain for the better part of a decade. It was 2013 when the city-owned property outside of city limits was declared surplus. Throughout that time the complex, which includes an 18 hole and a 9 hole golf course, has managed to evade the wrecking ball, but…
My earliest memory of the murky world of military procurement was back around 1991 when PM Brian Mulroney announced the purchase of 50 new EH101 helicopters to replace our ancient fleet of Sea Kings, knowing he would likely not be around to see the sale through. As expected, new PM Jean Chrétien cancelled the order…
The government of Canada is potentially wasting tens of billions of dollars and nobody is talking about it. Reports have been written about it, but politicians of all stripes ignore it, and it fails to capture any attention. “It” is the purchase of 15 new frigates for the Canadian navy, to replace our aging and…
I have been employed by a large firm that went through a dramatic restructuring. I will not tell you which one, though some of you know and some will guess, but I can tell you that we were a publicly traded company operating in a duopoly environment, meaning there was limited competition. I was hired…
One Million is a nice round number. It is the unofficial population benchmark of a Big City. It is also the number of trees that Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman once pledged to plant. But between destructive bugs, an underfunded tree program and infill development, it may take a million years to get there. How do…
The momentum behind a movement to reduce residential speed limits is building, not just in Winnipeg but in larger cities all over the world. Calgary city council recently voted to reduce their residential speed limit to 40 km/h. The UN and WHO are pushing for reduced residential speeds. Outspoken individuals and advocacy groups have sprung…
There is an impression, often a correct one, that governments and consumers don’t mix. Let government set the rules and the taxes and allow the private sector handle retail and service delivery. I buy into that, generally. When cannabis was legalized, allowing private retailers to distribute it was undoubtedly the right approach. I have to…
Around This Town 