Winnipeg Construction X

[esquire]

^ Regarding that site, I'm somewhat surprised that the vacant Sobeys has been empty for a decade now. I thought that building would be well suited for something like a Giant Tiger... having grown up in that area, there is very little shopping there beyond supermarkets, drug stores and ethnic markets. If you want something simple like a pair of socks, you are likely going to be heading a considerable distance to Garden City or Polo Park shopping strips. Seems like a good captive market for those types of basics. But maybe everyone just gets that stuff on Amazon now, ha.

[TimeFadesAway]

Originally Posted by optimusREIM

One last thing I think that many people are maybe not considering is the tradeoffs we actually undertake to "solve" the problem in the short term. When it comes to any problem - certainly this one - there are no solutions, only tradeoffs. The logical outcome is either a massive tax increase or a major reduction in other services. I don't think either of those things is a tenable position to take. We need to consider what we can realistically accomplish on the public expenditure front, because these programs are massively expensive to run, and unfortunately, will leave us no further ahead if we don't correct course on some of the broader issues. Even if we can stop the bleeding, things will get a lot worse before they get any better.

This is a great point. Everything has a price, it's not a matter of whether or not we choose to pay that price, it's simply a question of where we choose to pay that price. Lately, we have chosen not to pay the price in taxes, but instead in allowing our social safety net to degrade. The result, then is what we see, more visible homelessness and drug addiction.

Personal responsibility is a great sounding talking point, but it oversimplifies what is, in reality, an extremely complex set of interrelated problems. We've followed, lately, the personal responsibility model and this is where it has got us. If you like where we are, then great. If you don't like where we are, then perhaps it's time to move toward a societal responsibility model instead.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by TimeFadesAway

This is a great point. Everything has a price, it's not a matter of whether or not we choose to pay that price, it's simply a question of where we choose to pay that price. Lately, we have chosen not to pay the price in taxes, but instead in allowing our social safety net to degrade. The result, then is what we see, more visible homelessness and drug addiction.

Personal responsibility is a great sounding talking point, but it oversimplifies what is, in reality, an extremely complex set of interrelated problems. We've followed, lately, the personal responsibility model and this is where it has got us. If you like where we are, then great. If you don't like where we are, then perhaps it's time to move toward a societal responsibility model instead.

Very good comments. I would love to see concerted a national effort to address homelessness & drug addiction, but I'm afraid jurisdictions are still too tied into their personal political philosophies to see that a multi-faceted approach is necessary to reduce these social problems.

[prairiedog007]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Regarding that site, I'm somewhat surprised that the vacant Sobeys has been empty for a decade now. I thought that building would be well suited for something like a Giant Tiger... having grown up in that area, there is very little shopping there beyond supermarkets, drug stores and ethnic markets. If you want something simple like a pair of socks, you are likely going to be heading a considerable distance to Garden City or Polo Park shopping strips. Seems like a good captive market for those types of basics. But maybe everyone just gets that stuff on Amazon now, ha.

Sobeys is currently using this as overflow warehouse space

[esquire]

^ Interesting, I didn't know that.

Speaking of that area, there is a large warehouse hitting the market as Amazon is shutting down their facility off Burrows. The Free Press reported that they are consolidating at their Regent facility IIRC.

Did they sink much money into renovating the Burrows warehouse which I think dates back to some time in the 70s or early 80s? If so, it could be an enticing proposition for another company if this place was spruced up recently on a fat Silicon Valley budget.

[pegcity]

Originally Posted by CoryB

I'm no where as in the know as some people but hard to ignore the 15+ year rumor that Tim's was opening there and around the same time that construction started the Inkster and Sheppard Tim's location, which cannot accommodate a drive thru, had a "for lease/Tim's relocating" sign pop up out front.

Technically there is a Tim Hortons on Keewatin, it’s just inside of the Esso. I’m pretty sure the current Tim Hortons on Inkster/Sheppard will be moving across the street also on Sheppard and Inkster, near the newish 7-Eleven on Inkster and Sheppard.

[kylbaz]

Originally Posted by CoryB

I'm no where as in the know as some people but hard to ignore the 15+ year rumor that Tim's was opening there and around the same time that construction started the Inkster and Sheppard Tim's location, which cannot accommodate a drive thru, had a "for lease/Tim's relocating" sign pop up out front.

Would be hard to leave Inkster. So much traffic there it needs it. No one is detouring that way for Tim's.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Interesting, I didn't know that.

Speaking of that area, there is a large warehouse hitting the market as Amazon is shutting down their facility off Burrows. The Free Press reported that they are consolidating at their Regent facility IIRC.

Did they sink much money into renovating the Burrows warehouse which I think dates back to some time in the 70s or early 80s? If so, it could be an enticing proposition for another company if this place was spruced up recently on a fat Silicon Valley budget.

It was about $15m.

The story's on Reddit and through the grapevine (if you believe them) say different things than the WFP article. It talks alot about the area, the crime, the abundance of security needed to keep the facility secure.

[esquire]

^ Colour me skeptical but I have a hard time believing the crime angle... there is a large Manitoba Housing complex not too far from there but it is not at all what I'd consider an especially high-crime area in general. Lots of companies operate in areas much worse than that.

And wouldn't a company like Amazon have the means to secure their property if needed? e.g. put a large fence around the loading docks, hire a couple of extra security people over and above the basic complement. It's peanuts to a company that large.

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by CoryB

I'm no where as in the know as some people but hard to ignore the 15+ year rumor that Tim's was opening there and around the same time that construction started the Inkster and Sheppard Tim's location, which cannot accommodate a drive thru, had a "for lease/Tim's relocating" sign pop up out front.

There's also work being done directly across Inkster at the 7/11 strip mall. I believe the owner at one point bought the surplus land adjacent from the city (decommissioned rail road tracks). Could be a potential site for the Tims relocation.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Colour me skeptical but I have a hard time believing the crime angle... there is a large Manitoba Housing complex not too far from there but it is not at all what I'd consider an especially high-crime area in general. Lots of companies operate in areas much worse than that.

And wouldn't a company like Amazon have the means to secure their property if needed? e.g. put a large fence around the loading docks, hire a couple of extra security people over and above the basic complement. It's peanuts to a company that large.

That's why I said "if you believe them".

[anthonyk]

Originally Posted by cheswick

There's also work being done directly across Inkster at the 7/11 strip mall. I believe the owner at one point bought the surplus land adjacent from the city (decommissioned rail road tracks). Could be a potential site for the Tims relocation.

Yup, Tim's is going there.

[Wpg_Guy]

MEDIA ADVISORY - VIA RAIL ANNOUNCES MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR INVESTMENTS AT WINNIPEG UNION STATION

WINNIPEG, MB , Aug. 23, 2023 /CNW/ - On August 24, VIA Rail will hold a media event at the Winnipeg Union Station to announce multimillion-dollar investments designed to protect and enhance its Heritage stations.

These significant investments to our Heritage stations, including Winnipeg's Union Station, are being made to ensure we maintain and protect these landmark buildings while improving the customer experience by making them more accessible and sustainable.

[esquire]

Interesting. The VIA station just received a pretty decent overhaul not that long ago. It's in better shape now than when it used to get multiple trains a day. These days there are hardly any train passengers... in some respects, it would probably be a hell of a lot easier and cheaper for VIA to sell Union Station and just build a small facility somewhere along the CN line like out around Grant or Wilkes. Good on them for keeping Union Station, though.

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by esquire

Interesting. The VIA station just received a pretty decent overhaul not that long ago. It's in better shape now than when it used to get multiple trains a day. These days there are hardly any train passengers... in some respects, it would probably be a hell of a lot easier and cheaper for VIA to sell Union Station and just build a small facility somewhere along the CN line like out around Grant or Wilkes. Good on them for keeping Union Station, though.

moving it would be dumb and short sited

[esquire]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

moving it would be dumb and short sited

Why? The station was built to accommodate dozens of trains and hundreds of passengers a day. These days it gets at most one train a day with maybe a few dozen passengers. Some days there aren't any. It's a huge and very old facility to maintain for so little activity.

Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that VIA is willing to maintain the station. But at the same time, I wouldn't be shocked if it one day decided it wasn't worth spending millions of dollars on Union Station when its needs could be met with a simple building in the suburbs. That's what VIA did in Edmonton 25 years ago, they moved out into the sticks but in that case their hand was forced when CN shut down the rail line into downtown Edmonton.



Hell, I bet if VIA received a good offer for the station it would happily accept.

[pegster]

Any chance this announcement might say something about the station's role in the Transit Master Plan? It could be a hub once more (even if much of the building, including the old waiting halls, has already been converted to office space and other uses).

[audie]

^ that was my first thought. I doubt the CEO of VIA rail has so much free time that he comes out to winnipeg to announce the renovation of a building already in acceptable condition

[Wpg_Guy]

Doesn’t look like anyone from the civic government will be there:

Remarks will be given by Mario Péloquin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Françoise Bertrand, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, and the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Member of Parliament for Saint Boniface-Saint Vital.

[esquire]

^ Haha, I'm pretty sure I saw the above-named VIA people and a few others walking through Stephen Juba Park today around lunchtime. I saw this gaggle of well dressed people in the park speaking French, and now it all makes sense.

I have to admit my mind went to transit first too, but that won't be happening if there's no civic representative. I wonder what's in store? Like I said, VIA sank a decent amount of money into the station over the last 15 years. It does not seem like the sort of facility that would rank highly on their list of spending priorities... western services are a bit of an afterthought for VIA. It's a very Quebec-focused company, all their senior management is from there.

Fun fact: The former City of Winnipeg CAO and former CMHR interim President/CEO Gail Stephens is on the VIA board.