Shenanigans of Halloweens past

The Voice, 1906

The earliest mention of formal Halloween events taking place in Manitoba can be found in the November 1, 1882 Winnipeg Daily Sun. It was a festival of the Scots and usually meant a concert and dinner put on by the likes of the St. Andrews Society. By the mid 30s and through the 40s these intimate gatherings became mainstream and a multi-day Scottish Halloween Carnival was held at the Winnipeg Auditorium.

Hallowe'en as a night for 'boyish pranks' seems to come about much earlier. The Manitoba Free Press of October 31, 1874 reminded readers that "prudent people are taking in their cabbages" lest they go missing that evening.

Boyish pranks, though, could get out of hand.

In 1901 the Morning Telegram, in an editorial called Halloween Excesses, detailed some of the Halloween night damage done in the city. Windows were broken, gates ripped off of hinges and other 'vicious depredations upon property'. They called on Winnipeg to look at what Minneapolis did that year, an evening curfew for boys on October 31st. (Though I believe the Minneapolis curfew had to do with the killing of a streetcar driver by a gang of kids).

Manitoba Free Press, Nov. 5 1901

A few hooligans were caught for the 1901 actions and went before the courts. Fourteen year-old Harold Hutchings, however, was able to turn the tables on an adult, (see above).

Through the decades, the major Halloween pranks remained broken windows, gates ripped off hinges and hay piles set on fire. Pranksters did keep up with new technologies such as opening fire hydrants and calling in false alarms to the fire department.

Minnedosa Tribune, Oct 22, 1922 (source)

Halloween during he Depression was a low key affair. Money for peanuts and apples was simply not there and communities and charitable organizations held central parties, such as the Scottish one mentioned above.

After the Depression and before the war, Halloween was back. Many of the pranks were the same, there were just more people out doing them. The police began the practice of hiring 'specials' to complement the existing force (also).

Some 'culturally insensitive', winning costumes of 1939 (source)

In 1939 Winnipeg's shenanigans included the usual false alarms and broken windows plus what would have been the odd site of youths riding horses up and down the sidewalks of Luxton Avenue. That year was particularly bad in Brandon. Youths barricaded streets, cut power lines and rearranged boxcars on the tracks.

World War II would again put a damper on Halloween. Some communities called 'Halloween truces', either not going out or collecting spare change to go toward Christmas packages for the troops rather than candy and apples. Killarney called theirs a "Shell Out".

Compared to other cities that had riots, murders and shootings, Halloween in Manitoba has been a pretty calm affair !

Have a safe and happy Halloween ! (Especially you, Mr. Gunnarson !)

P.S. whatever happened to Harry the Halloween Moose ?!

An architectural before, during and after !

If you haven't been down Main Street for a while you'll notice something 'new' on the streetscape south of Portage between Graham and St. Mary ! It's the old Scott Block !

These are before, during and after pics of the Scott (IKON) building. Credit goes to buflyer at flickr for pulling these together:

Brandon's first female alderman !

Not a lot to say about Winnipeg's election. We're happy with what we've had for the past four years, obviously !

As Curtis pointed out last week, the winds of change were blowing in the Wheat City. Congrats to Shari Decter Hirst on being elected the first female mayor of Brandon. Her victory comes just shy of the 75th anniversary of Brandon electing their first woman alderman.

Rhoda Power Tennant
(Image: MB Archives from Brandon Politics)

Born in 1891, Rhoda E. Power was raised in Brandon along with seven other sisters.

In 1907 she wrote her entrance exam for teaching college and graduated in July 1911. Her first teaching job in Brandon was at the Assiniboine School at 60 - 13th Street North where she is listed as a staff member from at least 1917 to 1919.

Between 1921 and 1933 there is no listing for Rhoda Power or her future husband George A. Tennant, a CPR brakeman. I assume that in these dozen years she got married and moved to Minnedosa.

The couple returned to Brandon in 1935 with George now a CPR conductor. Mrs. Tennant did not go back to teaching, (could married women teach at that time ?), instead she became heavily involved in community work through the Brandon YMCA and United Church.

It would have an unpleasant time to be in Brandon as the Depression was at its depth. The city cut many services to the bone, or did away with them altogether, and was living on lines of credit just to pay the bills for their massive Depression relief costs.

It was into this environment that Mrs. Tennant decided to run in the November 26, 1936 civic election. She won, becoming the first woman elected to the chamber, and went straight to work on the social side of things.

Tennant sat on the finance committee, which would have been no treat during the Depression, as well as the relief committee and chaired the children's welfare committee.

As teh Depression continued, Tennant warned at one meeting that the city would soon have no relief money left to spend. Borrowing was problematic as council were openly debating whether or not they could even afford to pay the interest on their current lines of credit.

June 21, 1936. Winnipeg Free Press

Mayor Cater, now in the final two years of an 18 year reign, and council finally raised the white flag in 1936. They essentially declared themselves bankrupt and requested a provincial administrator to oversee the affairs of the city. (It would take nearly two decades to come out from receivership).

I cannot find any record of Tennant running in 1938, which in a way makes sense. The Depression was easing, city council had very little control over their own decisions under an administrator and the tumultuous two years she'd been though probably felt more like ten.

I cannot find a lot about Rhoda Powers Tennant after this time. She and George continued to live at 223 - 3rd St until his death around 1952. She died on September 15, 1970 in Brandon.

If you have any more information about Rhoda Power Tennant, feel free to drop me a line. With eight Power daughters there's gotta be a lot of siblings out there !

The Bay Downtown's big reveal

If I can sneak in something NOT election related .... 

I've caught bits and pieces of the renos at The Bay Downtown. New flooring, updated paint, new fixtures, but haven't seen it all together yet. Tonight and tomorrow Winnipeg's grand dame of shopping venues is getting her official reveal.

Today's Downtown Peggy post has the details on the assorted events. For a history of the store.

Throwing the challenge flag on Katz

This year my Mom got season tickets for matinées at MTC (and is loving it, btw !). Rather than drive and park downtown on a weekday she decided to use Transit Tom. A day before the first show she called to ask 'what about that free Transit for seniors ? It says here that I pay the same as students ?' (She does get a discount if she buys strips of tickets or a bus pass).

A few days later I saw a poster touting Wi-Fi at the Millennium Library. Years back, I recall that all of downtown was to be a complete, and perhaps free, wi-fi zone.

In fact, it seems that each election campaign there are a couple of very specific pledges that Katz has made that never get much further than that.

I've worked 'in the biz' so I know that promises can sometimes be made with the best intentions just to blow up in your face when the reality of office or a bad budget year kicks in. If you find that most or many of your 'marquee promises' end up in the bin, though, you might just be taking advantage of the short memories of voters.

I wanted to refresh myself with some quotable quotes and 'golden oldies' from past Katz campaigns. Note: this post is really best read with this song playing in the background !

“Tell me something that I have said that I never fulfilled... name one thing. So, if you want to challenge me, challenge me on a promise I’ve never fulfilled. I guarantee you won’t find one.”

Sam Katz June 19, 2004 (Wpg Free Press, p. B2)

2004 CAMPAIGN - The promises, in general

What the candidates are promising

Winnipeg Free Press June 21, 2004

Sam Katz: Key elements of the platforms of leading mayoral hopeful

❚ Increase spending, which would be offset by cuts in the consulting budget and savings achieved through competitive service delivery in areas like garbage collection.

❚ Lobby the province to eliminate the provincial education support levy, while phasing out the business tax, starting in the city’s core.

❚ Give homeowners a 50 per cent cut in city property taxes for five years if they build a new home in an older neighbourhood. Don’t hike taxes for 10 years for homeowners who renovate homes 25 years and older valued under $175,000.

❚ Build on current efforts to fast-track permits, making the department a self financing agency.

❚ Give storeowners and residents more control over parking on their streets in neighbourhoods where it’s hard to find a spot.

❚ Free transit for seniors from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

❚ Expanded free services for all riders in tourist areas.

❚ Spend $2.8 million on promoting the film industry.

❚ Boost policing and community patrols at a cost of $2.6 million.

Katz airs big promises

Winnipeg Free Press, June 19, 2004 (p B1, B2)

Katz said he’d cut the fat at city hall, specifically indicating consultants’ fees....'Sam’s Plan for a New Winnipeg' .... Katz pledged to freeze property taxes, slash the business tax every year until it disappears, and offer tax incentives to core-area home builders and city home renovators. He also promised free bus rides for seniors during regular weekday hours and all day on weekends, and more free downtown shuttle buses.

Sam on Free Transit for Seniors

Seniors given transit discount But Katz backs off free-ride pledge

Winnipeg Free Press Feb 26, 2005 (p. A4)

Yesterday, he called the discount a compromise. “We believed our seniors need something more. We were way behind the rest of Canada, and with this additional savings, we now have a 50 per cent cut as opposed to 25, which put us in like with what seniors get across Canada.”

NOTE: At October 2010 seniors transit fare: 1.85 cash or $1.02 ticket (source).

Sam on ... his term in office

Council nixes vote on term limits

Winnipeg Free Press March 23, 2006 (p. B2)

“The bottom line is, I want to spend time with my family. Don’t expect me to be here 10 years from now. I said two terms is enough for me."

Fighting for term limits

Winnipeg Free Press (editorial) July 31, 2007

Mayor Sam Katz is playing coy about the chances a motion expected this fall on limiting councillors to three terms will get his vote — he says the idea makes no difference to him since he won’t be around that long. Mr. Katz has said previously he intends to quit city hall after two terms.

Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz eyes third term

CBC News December 31, 2008

While he once said he wouldn't do it, Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz is considering taking a run at a third term in office.... "I'm certainly open to one more term," Katz said in an interview.

Sam on ... Wi-Fi

Katz pledges Wi-Fi access for downtown Winnipeg

CBC News, October 10, 2006

"Katz proposed establishing a Wi-Fi zone for the majority of the downtown area.... "Our goal is to give employers in Winnipeg and elsewhere even more incentive to locate and hire within our downtown, and citizens even more reason to live, work and play there"

Libraries to offer Wi Fi for fee

Winnipeg Free Press September 11, 2007

“The City of Winnipeg is proud to seize technological advancements to benefit our citizens,” Katz said during the news conference. Katz said he didn’t want to follow the example of some other Canadian municipalities that offer free wi-fi service. “There is no such thing as a free service,” Katz said. “We’re offering a userpay service. If you use it, you pay and if you don’t want it, you don’t have to pay. Everyone has a choice.”

Note: Oct. 2010: only libraries and Pan Am pool offer Wi-Fi

Sam on ... Consultant Fees

Consultants Pay Report approval delayed

CBC April 7, 2010

Mayor Sam Katz's cabinet held off Wednesday approving a report that details about $35.5 million dollars worth of consultant work in 2009. That's almost $2 million more than in 2008.

$15M in consultant fees irritates city councillors

Winnipeg Free Press November 16, 2006

...one of more than 150 outside experts the city employed in the first half of 2006. They cost taxpayers more than $15.3 million, meaning the city is on track to surpass last year’s total spending of $26 million.

Note: Consultant fees 2006: $26m (source); 2009: $35.5m (source).

Sam on ... eliminating the business tax

2005 budget: "the rookie mayor made good on a campaign promise to cut the business tax rate from 9.75 per cent to 7.75 per cent in the downtown to spur growth in the core.

Note: At 2010 the business tax has not been eliminated downtown or anywhere in the city.

Sam on ... Gangs and Crime

Mayoral Candidates grilled on gang issues

CBC News Otober 17, 2006

In an interview with CBC News before Monday's forum, Katz called crime and safety his "No. 1 priority" during his campaign, and said he has acted on the issue since he was elected in a 2004 byelection.

Katz Launches Re-election Campaign

Winnipeg Free Press September 9, 2006

...He also said Winnipeg must address the root causes of crime by alleviating poverty in the inner city, even if that is not the traditional role of civic government.

2006 CAMPAIGN - The promises in general

No more promises for Katz

Winnipeg Free Press October 24, 2006

IN the 2004 mayoral byelection, Sam Katz made 30 promises. During the 2006 campaign, he’s only made ten. Here’s what’s new and what’s not-so-new in Katz’s platform playbook:

REITERATED PROMISES

❚ Reduce the business tax. Following through on a 2004 campaign pledge, Katz has promised to cut the business tax from 9.75 per cent to 7.75 per cent.

❚ Establish a 311 phone service. When Katz’s Red Tape Commission rolled out its final recommendations in 2005, Katz promised to create a 311 phone service. He’s now pledged to make it happen by 2007, along with an efficiency-monitoring system called ServiceStat.

❚ Institute “intelligence-based” policing. In May, Katz pledged to emulate New York City’s CompStat policing system, which combines statistical analysis with weekly meetings. In September, he renamed the system CrimeStat.

❚ Explore more public-private partnerships (P3s). Also in May, Katz said he wanted to find more ways
for Winnipeg to partner up with the private sector on major infrastructure projects. In October, he said three new police stations will be P3 guinea pigs.

NEW PROMISES

❚ Make it illegal for people under 18 to purchase spray paint or possess it in public. This is an antigraffiti measure.

❚ Implement an environmental strategy. Facets include green-rooftop and natural-grass pilot projects, energy-efficient city buildings, old vehicle spot checks, a water-conservation project and a pledge to ensure all new developments have bike and walking paths.

❚ Synchronize red lights along major streets. Routes to be determined.

❚ Cover downtown Winnipeg with a wireless Internet network. Cost to be determined.

❚ Make Central Park a priority for CentreVenture. No city money pledged for redevelopment.

❚ Create incentives for downtown living. No details announced.

Promises galore

Winnipeg Free Press October 2, 2006

Katz pledged to synchronize lights to speed up traffic flow and promised to form a seniors’ advisory council.

“I don’t act like a politician. I don’t do what politicians do. When I have to assemble a team of advisers, I find the most qualified people for the job. Regular politicians don’t do that.”

Sam Katz, October 14, 2006

Winnipeg Faux-Mayor: The final vote !

When CTV Calgary anchor Barb Higgins threw her hat into their mayoral race I asked 'which local tv personality would make the best mayor of Winnipeg ?' Since then, I've asked the same about entertainers, mascots and morning show deejays.

Now, the top vote getters from each poll face-off for the title of Faux-Mayor of Winnipeg ! Results will be final on Friday morning. Here are your finalists:

Benny (Winnipeg Jets)

Benny was christened in a 1986 fan contest and unveiled as number 00 for the Jets before the 86-87 season. His name is, of course, is a double entendre of the name of Jets founder Ben Hatskin and the Elton John song Bennie and the Jets. Despite being six feet tall and blue, little has been seen of Benny since 1996. Winnipeg Jets Online wondered 'Where’s Benny' but got no takers. He might be an absentee mayor.

Kim Babij (Shaw TV)

Babij is long-time local media personality, now co-hosting The Fabulous Blue Bombers Show on Shaw TV. She’s also been with MTN, CBC and the local Score Sports reporter. In 2008 she won the regional ‘Media Idol’ contest with her version of Time after Time, (which sadly cannot be found on-line). A life-long Winnipegger she is also a Red River CreComm grad.

Gerry "The Big Bear" Barrett (NCI)

‘The Big Bear’ is a 48 year-old Ojibwe from the Saugeen First Nation in southern Ontario. He is a comedian and host of the NCI-FM morning show based out of Winnipeg. It would be the first time one of 'his kind' would be mayor of Winnipeg - yes, I'm talking about an Elvis impersonator.

Ace Burpee (Hot 103)

The omnipresent Burpee has been co-host of the 103 FM morning show since 2003, blogs with the Big Boys (and girl) over at the Free Press and is a Shaw TV personality. Last year he showed his range of talents by teaming up with Hilary Druxman to create West End necklaces and was the Head Elf in the Santa Claus Parade. A man for all people

Buzz (Winnipeg Blue Bombers)

Buzz and his partner Boomer are among Winnipeg's oldest mascots, celebrating their 25th birthday last year. For those who think that there is little difference between the two, in the 'which mascot would make the best mayor of Winnipeg ?' poll Buzz tied for first while companion Boomer got no votes at all. I hope that doesn't cause a rift !

Folklorama Llama

This guy might have the seniors vote locked up ! Always out for a good time Llama has been a fixture with Winnipeg's most popular festival since 1988. He is also the tallest contender, for those of you that believe height is important in an elected official.

Sylvia Kuzyk (CTV)

She's the grand dame of Winnipeg television and has the hardware to prove it - everything from the 2010 Association of Electronic Journalists Lifetime Achievement Award to the Order of Manitoba. Beginning her on-air career in 1974 she has the advantage of having met 60% of the population of the city over that time.

Gord Leclerc (CTV)

Brandon-born and The Pas raised, Leclerc joined CTV back in 1995 and is now Winnipeg's most watched news anchor. He's still a man of the people, though, as he has been seen this year both riding Winnipeg Transit and repelling down the Royal Bank building, not on the same day.

Fred Penner

Frederick Ralph Cornelius Penner, which fortunately was shortened to 'Fred', is known to generations of Winnipegers as a folk singer, then children's entertainer. His show Fred Penner's Place (1984-99) brought him a North America-wide audience. Not just a pretty voice, he's got an Order of Canada and a psych degree, the latter could come in handy for this job.

Little Hawk (Troy Westwood)

From kicking footballs to kicking it on the stage, Dauphin's Westwood has spent 20 years in the Winnipeg spotlight. In 2002 his singing career garnered him a Juno Award with the group Eagle and Hawk. He is now a morning deejay at QX104 and performs as Little Hawk. He still holds the highest field goal percentage in CFL playoff history and being able to deliver a swift kick might be a great asset at City Hall !

John K. Sampson

Sampson already had a few years under his belt performing with Propagandhi before The Weakerthans broke onto the local music scene in 1997. In the autumns of 2009 and 2010 he released solo EPs. Despite his most famous song being about hating Winnipeg, Sampson received a civic political appointment earlier this year - as a 2010 Mayor's Arts Ambassador.

Don't stop believin', Wolseley !

Don't stop believing, Wolseley !

Warming up to the Virology Lab

The Community Liaison Committee for the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health, better known as "The Virology Lab", is hosting a couple of public information sessions on October 20, 2010.

One is at noon at the Frederic Gaspard Theatre at 727 McDermot (in the U of M, HSC Campus). The other is at 7 pm in the public theatre of The Lab at 1015 Arlington.

The sessions are billed in their newspaper ad (but, oddly, mention of them doesn't appear at their website ?!) as "Everything you ever wanted to know about the Virology Lab".

It's a pretty cool facility, one of just over a dozen Level 4 labs in the world and the first one to combine animal and human research under one roof.

Related:

National Microbiology Laboratory PHAC website

The strange world inside Canada’s only level-4 containment lab CMAJ

Life Science Ass'n of MB News LSAM

Images: Convocation Hall, U of W

The U of W has done some incredible development work in the past few years. I am going old school with this one, though. Back to 2006-07 !

Convocation Hall, once the jewel of Wesley Hall until blacked out to become the U of W's theatre for a couple of decades, was restored to her former glory and reopened in September 2007.

I remember seeing the renos in their early stages but hadn't seen the end product until this Autumn. I'll eventually do a post about the Hall for my Winnipeg Downtown Places blog but, until I get the time to do the research, here are some pics of a great space !

More of my U of W photos

Construction Project Updates U of W website

Another blogger, another book !

And a plug for the TWO local bloggers (that I know of) to be involved with a dead-tree book this year.

First it was Brian Scott of Winnipeg Love Hate with Winnipeg Love Hate - Select Photographs.

Now it's Curtis Brown from Endless Spin, co-editor of Manitoba Politics and Government: Issues, Institutions, Traditions (University of Manitoba Press). The launch takes place at McNally Robinson on Monday Oct. 18 2010 at 7:30 pm.

Support your local starving blogger this Christmas ;)

Okay, who took the Market Square clock ? UPDATED !

June 2008, Old Market Square

Whenever a renovation project is set to start I like to go take pictures. This is in part so that I can do a 'before and after' photo display but also because you never know what amenities won't end up returning. This is the case with the recent Old Market Square renovations. The place got a top to bottom fix, everything from seating and sod to the stage itself but not everything made it back.

I wrote a 'Missing Stuff Alert' last summer when buflyer noticed some heritage building shards were missing after the square reopened, (some returned as part of the Ed Letinsky memorial.)

Former clock location

I also noticed that the Exchange District clock was also nowhere to be found but I let it slide thinking that it might be waiting for electrical upgrades as part of The Cube which, at the time, was still under construction.

Losing the clock would be a shame. Like many Winnipeggers, I often find myself at Old Market Square to see stage performances or movies at Cinematheque. A public clock is a handy feature to have to get you where you needed to be on time and it made was a nice ornament for the park.

This leads me to a question: where does this stuff go ? I certainly hope that they don't end up lost in the shuffle and an ornament for someone's back yard or cottage !

If you know where the shards or clock have ended up post a comment or email me at cassidy-at-mts-dot-net.

Update Oct 15: a media type did some digging to see what's up with the clock. It turns out that it IS in the possession of the Public Works Department and they are in discussions about when and where it will go back up !

'Arlington Bridge' back in business !

The Arlington Street Overpass reopened Monday after a week of TLC !

I enjoy visiting bridges, especially the older ones, when they are closed for maintenance. It's a chance to see the structure from a new perspective, to stop and really look at them without worrying about noise or traffic. (I did the same with the Louise Bridge last year).

A co-worker who grew up in the North End made told me to check out the wooden planks which I didn't really understand until I got to the site. Yup ... on the approaches to the bridge there are wooden planks, alright ! I've emailed the city's Public Works Department to ask why wood ?

I assume it's for the same reason today as back in 1947 when the city was dealing with ever crumbling concrete on the sidewalk areas. The city engineer "...recommended that fir planking be used in replacing the present crumbling concrete walks. Such planking would reduce the dead load on the bridge, and do away with expansion". Perhaps this is the same idea just with a few centimeters of asphalt over top ?

The bridge deck, though, is steel and was reconstructed in 1992, though with the look of it in some places, I'd feel as safe with the wood !

They may be aging relics but there is something fascinating about these iron monsters, something that can't be said for more recent bridges like the Disraeli or Midtown. Interestingly, the Disraeli's lifespan will have been about half of the Arlington's (or the Redwood's or the Louise's). These old ladies have seen a Midtown Bridge come and go in just 30 years and a Provencher Bridge replaced in just over 80.

The Arlington Bridge opened Tuesday February 6, 1912. It was controversial from the day the 'Brown and Brant Street Bridge' project was first planned out in 1907. The structure was beset with problems from the day it first opened. An exasperated Alderman Blumberg once said on the floor of council that they should take that stretch of road and 'just give it back to the Indians', to which another Alderman said we should 'gift it back to Cleopatra'.

Given that this is the 100th year of the start of her construction I will follow this up with a part 2: A history of the Arlington Street Overpass !

Related:
More Arlington Street Overpass photos
Arlington Street Overpass Temporary Closure City of Winnipeg
Bridges Homepage City of Winnipeg Public Works Dep't
Coming Soon: The history of the Arlington Street Overpass !

Chile: The World Watches

In an era of fractured news audiences and people tuned out to the world around them, who won't remember the day the Chilean Miners were rescued ?! Quite a remarkable night (and day ahead).

Here's the BBC Live Cam from the San Jose mine and a timeline of the disaster.

A musical tribute, Working Man. (It's the Dubliners' take, I can't find a good on-line version of the Men of the Deeps).

There are a few Canadian connections to the rescue. Companies involved include Metalogic, ATCO and, of course, the 'Plan C' group of Precision Drilling.

Closer to home, earlier this year the Manitoba Mining industry held it's 50th annual Mine Rescue Competition. Just last month two of Vale's Thompson mines had to be evacuated due to smoke.