It's Council Time Again ! Updated

After breaking for the month of August city council is back tomorrow at 9:30 am.

This likely won't be a barn burner but you never know ! Kives will live-twittle the meeting or you can catch it on ShawTV. Heck, why not take some of it in in-person !

Here are the players. Here's the agenda. Here are some notables:

Trash Ahoy

Not yet on the agenda is the awarding of the north-west garbage contract to BFI, aka the 'garbage cart issue'. The item IS on EPC's agenda prior to council so, unless the hordes descend on City Hall, it will likely be passed and carry on to council.

As PFrog points out, will likely take on a nasty life of it's own once passed. ("They'll have to pry my trashcan from my cold, dead fingers").

Gas Pain

The city's fuel contract for 2010 will go to Petro-Canada. Estimated worth: $22m plus. Youch ! (EPC Sept 9 #2).

Disraeli Debentures

Approve the borrowing of $75m, repayable over 30 years, for the Disraeli Bridge project. (EPC Sept 23 #2).

The Intrepid Way

Pass the renaming of Water Avenue to 'William Stephenson Way' (P&D Sept. 8 #1).

Landfill Housing

If you follow Waverley West correct me if I have this wrong. There's the second and third reading of an amendment to the Waverley West Northeast Neighbourhood Plan. The Manitoba Housing Renewal Corp will take over, for $1, a portion of the former landfill site to create 112 new houses. It appears to reduce the amount of park space but, in exchange, will get the former landfill space, (designated future 'open space'), off the city's hands. The developer will be responsible for any remediation of the site. (P&D Sep 8 #5).

A Nicer Place to Read

Bathroom a bit out of date ? The adoption of the Residential Toilet Replacement Credit Program will be voted on. The program is expected to be rolled out in Mid October. Save $60 on your water bill if you get a more water friendly toilet. (SPC Sep 23 #3).

Fair Transit Fares

In the absence of Nick Ternette, Emily Ternette will be appearing on behalf of th issue of 'Future Transit Fares and Low Income Transit Passes'. This issue has been bandied about the admin since late 2008. Ternette was pushing for the city to look into a package of low income and off-peak fares. Transit points out that the province offers transport allowances for low income people and that off-peak fares might be looked at when the new electronic fare system is fully implemented.

Rather than bite the bullet the committee is recommending it goes back into the bowels of the administration for another 180 days to cook. This looks to be the third or fourth referral for the sake of referral. (IRPW Sep 15 #1).

Now Whistle-Free

For those who bought a house near a rail crossing only then to realize "holy shit, trains make noise !", you're in luck. The city has reached an agreement with CP for John Bruce Road and Callsbeck Ave crossings forbidding trains to whistle. They will also vote to proceed with negotions to do the same thing for the crossing 700m east of Kenaston and Sterling Lyon Parkway.

UPDATES:

Here's how some of this stuff panned out...

Council delays debate on automated garbage-bin plan WFP
Trash carts plan derailed CBC

Water Avenue name-change approved WFP

Council approves Disraeli borrowing plan WFP

Winnipeg councillors approve environmental strategies WFP

The Old School of Art

I came across a 2006 Canadian Architect article which contained this photo captioned "The Norquay Building With the Old School of Art in the Muddy Foreground".
That would put it where the new section of the Law Courts Building is now.

A little more digging:
Interesting building. I hadn't seen images of it before so I thought I'd share !

I Love Manitoba (16): Snakes on a Plain

Last week Manitoba Housing announced that it would do a better job snake-proofing an Inwood MB seniors' home after complaints that garter snakes were invading it on their migration back to the Narcisse Snake Dens for winter hibernation. Coincidentally, I know someone who recently moved to Winnipeg who also wanted to see the dens so a road trip was in order !

Warm, sunny days in the spring and fall are the best time to see them as they sunbathe on the rocks. Unfortunately, Saturday was the least sunny, warm day of last week but we thought we would give it a shot.

The dens are in what is called the Narcisse Wildlife Management Area about an hour and a half drive from Winnipeg. They are the largest concentration of snakes in the world and attract researchers from around the world.

Of course, prior to getting there was my usual dilly-dallying on the side roads.... On the way there is St. Stephen's Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Pleasant Home MB, near Teulon. It was one of the first Ukrainian settlements in Manitoba c 1898. All that seems to exist now is the church.
Another stop along the way is Inwood, MB, a village of 200 people (and lots more snakes !). Inwood is home to Sam and Sara, the world's largest garter snakes:
And, apparently, a dog named Pube:
If you want to set a movie in a small prairie town Inwood has some great original architecture !
I also saw this. An odd row of graves. Seems like there was a church there for a short time in the 40's (most of the graves are from 1940 - 1944). They got one row done, added one to a second row and that was it ?!
Now back to the dens. The centre is quite simple. There are washroom facilities and a signed path takes you through the prairie with four den areas along the route. The dens are actually underground crevasses in the limestone. Each den area has a large rocky opening and that's where the snakes congregate.
A little freaky is that when you're in the wooded areas you can hear snakes absolutely everywhere around you. Thankfully, garter snakes don't climb trees or that would have been too creepy !

An interesting place. I definitely want to go back when I can catch a perfect snake day !

Related:
- The First Ukrainians in MB MHS
- Ukrainian settlers in MB: Early Days in Pleasant Home
- Fact Sheet: Red-sided Garter Snake
- Narcisse Wildlife Mangement Area

Toronto's Mayor Murray ?!

With the news that David Miller is hanging up his, well, whatever hangable item that a Toronto Mayor gets while in office, the race is shaping up for his replacement.

The Toronto Star went light on the issue yesterday but Torontoist.com came out and named four possibles including Murray who they refer to as a the 'outside, dark-horse candidate' ! The Globe and Mail also include Murray as a possibility and he confirmed to The Globe that he has been approached.

hey, wait a sec...

Ahh, yes. That Glen Murray !

Murray, a columnist and head of the Canadian Urban Institute, may not have the profile yet that he did here when he ran but with no incumbent and a fairly thin batch of possible council members that would be seen as serious contenders - stranger things have happened.

The election is not until November 8, 2010. In the era of 60 minute, or less, media cycles you can strengthen a profile pretty quickly.

UPDATE:
Glen Murray eyes Toronto mayor's job WFP 28 Sept
Murray to Run for MPP CBC Dec 3

Winnipeg's Rock Past Gathers Tonight !

The Winnipeg Rock and Radio Reunion is on tonight.

I posted this about some of the bands and personalities back in August, I thought I'd link to it again.

Ready to Put Some Junk in Your Trunk ?

I'm interested to see how our first Giveaway Weekend goes. If it's going to be repeated we certainly need a better name for it !

Just put your stuff out Saturday morning and, with any luck, you won't have anything to take back in by Sunday at dusk. If your grandma's favourite lamp, crappy old bike or Bomber's season tickets fail to move the above site offers suggestions on where to donate them.

I have my eye on this baby... for that empty corner in my suite:

Update: Note that Photo ID is Req'd for Lab Tour

If germs are more to your liking, I got a cool email at work: the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health, affectionately known as The Virology Lab, at 1015 Arlington will be having a rare open house October 3rd from 11 am to 4 pm. Free Monkey Pox for the first 100 visitors !!

Okay, no Monkey Pox. Still, a chance to peek inside one of the most unique laboratory sites in the world.

This is from the CBC's Urban Myth series about the CSCHAH.

Blog Action Day 2009

This year's Blog Action Day is October 15, 2009. The topic: climate change.

I hope it's still 24 degrees outside by then. That would make it soooo easy !

Here's my post from last Blog Action Day. The topic was poverty.

Winnipeg Walks Sept '09

Earlier I posted pics from a September road trip. Here are some city ones from this month.

Around Memorial Boulevard on Cyclovia day:

Fallen Airmen Memorial:
The Man Called Intrepid:
Now I see why all the construction on St. Mary of late. Must be the skyway extension project:
LOTS of people out on the rivers last weekend:
A stroll around La Verandrye Park in St. B:Central Park skyline (these are from August):
Looking Downtown from Central Park Area:

More Nice Rock News

Well, okay, it's punk news.

Last night Toronto punk band Fucked Up won the 2009 Polaris Prize. The prize, given by a panel of music journalists, comes with a $20,000 cheque to support their music.

In media interviews last night and this morning on CBC's Q they were asked what does a band in a niche segment of a small music market to do with $20,000 ? They'll use it to put on a benefit and record to support the missing aboriginal women across Canada.

That's fucked up - in a good way !

Related:
- 'That is insane': Toronto hardcore band wins Polaris Music Prize Globe and Mail
- Fucked Up Interview Q on YouTube

Sometimes You Just Gotta Go With It !

There can be life lessons in rock and roll !

Doing today's This Was Winnipeg I came across this great anecdote that began 35 years ago !

September 21, 1974: "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" is released by BTO.

The song was recorded by Randy as a joke for his brother Gary - the stutter in the lyrics mimicked a stutter Gary had when he was young.

A song was dropped from the album in pre-production and record execs wanted "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" to replace it. Bachman tried to record the song without the stutter but the lyrics just wouldn't work so the original version was used. Bachman was said to have been embarrassed when it started getting airplay and initially refused to allow it to be released as a single. He eventually gave in. The song became their only U.S. number one hit.

Related:
- Billboard Magazine on YASNY
- YASNY Video
- Randy Bachman Official Site
- Randy Bachman's Vinyl Tap (CBC Radio)

Manitoba Road Trip Sept '09

What a great September ! Over the past three weekends it's been a combination of both getting out and getting things done before this wonderful summer weather ends. I haven't been keeping up with uploading photos so here are some odds and ends from my camera ... sorry for the bad photos, the weather was an odd mix of ready-to-rain, then bright but cloudy. Not a great combination !

On September 7th I hopped in my car and hit the back roads on a meandering journey to see where I'd end up - my favourite sort of road trip !

Cannon School, an abandoned one-room schoolhouse near Sperling MB, but really in the middle of nowhere. I assume from the graveyard that there was once a church there as well:
Near the graveyard there was a cairn to the pioneers who settled there:
Former Sperling Legion:
LaSalle MB Church:
My mid-way point was Carman. A beautiful town. If you like architecture, it's a fabulous place. Wonderful old buildings and houses.

Carman's former train station, now arts centre:

Carman Memorial Hall:Carman Library:
Carman bandshell:
Okay, one day I am going to write a ranty post about the "tinnification" of rural Manitoba towns. Great main streets with wonderful old buildings, Rivers and Russell come to mind, but sometime, somehow, people got it in their heads that aluminum siding was the best way to coat their main drag as some hommage to the old Beaver Lumber sheds. I caught the act of tinnification in progress in Carman:
Another former one-room schoolhouse. This one on Hwy 3 just outside Carman:
Domain, MB. Hey, these guys used to be at Air Canada Park:
Staying on the school theme - Domain School:
Sanford MB:
What better way to end off a road trip than ice cream ! Roxy's in Oak Bluff: