So the Upper Fort Garry heritage park is going to be even bigger, as Petro Canada is moving out of downtown. Great news! I’m sure they’ll need the extra space to handle the crowds.
[Please tell me you picked up the sarcasm.]
This line from the Freep blurb made me laugh out loud though:
The Petro-Canada agreement means the only building on the block that once contained Winnipeg’s birthplace is the Manitoba Club, which the Friends have no plans to purchase and demolish.
Gee, I wonder why? I mean, shouldn’t we restore the site in its entirety, rather than proceeding with a compromised vision? After all, if it’s not appropriate to have a curling club or gas station on the site, then why a nearly empty private club that serves inconsistent food and stands as a reminder of wealthy Winnipeggers past? I say that if we’re going to build a true WORLD-CLASS attraction, that we should do it right. No compromises, right Jerry Gray? Down with the Manitoba Club!
Where do I send my cheque?
UPDATE: So the Premier has been kind enough to shovel another million dollars into this project (after promising even more money for the CMHR last week), while Petro Can will “donate” $1.35 million in land value to the Province. Now they’re talking about developing a “fully accessible green corridor extending from Broadway to the Assiniboine River river walk.”
Whoa there. Early versions of the site development plan called for something like this, which included blocking off Assiniboine at Main. First, I think someone should check with the City before making such commitments. Second, blocking off Assiniboine would be a bad idea in my opinion, as congestion would certainly increase on Broadway.
Filed under: winnipeg blog | Tagged: friends of upper fort garry, upper fort garry
In order to restore the site in its entirety, you would take over Main Street and part of the Forks to do it. The Manitoba Club just happens to be near, but not on, the original site.
PF, a reminder for your readers-
A) 21 of the 37 Friends were, at last count, members of the Manitoba Club.
B) The Club underwent costly renovations and had launched a desperate membership drive that, among other things, pimped the view of the gate out their back patio.
C) Dr. Gray, who wears two hats as a spokethingy for both organizations, told me that the Club had not, and would not, contribute a dime to the fundraising campaign of his fellow millionaires.
D) A couple of our archived stories:
http://tgcts.blogspot.com/2008/03/blog-post.html
http://tgcts.blogspot.com/2008/02/free-press-story-reports-truth-about.html
The Manitoba Club should be converted into a museum. A horror museum! One that accentuates class-divisions and extols the historical primacy of the Anglo-Saxon elite in this province!
We gave 1.5 million last year,1 million today,a nice tax break to the oil co.But hey The Manitoba club should stay so the elite can sit around and compare how many tax dollars they got for their pet projects.
We don’t have enough money to maintain the parks we have – so let’s get new parks!
We don’t have enough money to maintain the museums we have – so let’s get new museums!
We don’t have enough money to fix the heritage buildings we have, so let’s build a fake one instead!
We have a shortage of services downtown, and we want more residential development, so let’s drive an apartment and a gas station out of downtown so we can make room for fake heritage, new museums land and new parks!
…I’m sorry, isn’t land occupied by gas stations often so damaged after the station closes that few things will grow for years after due to contamination?
I jog by that Petro Can quite frequently. It’s a good thing it’s there (so as not to pay the inflated Forks prices if you need a drink), and it’s a shame it’s going away. There’s a beautiful, lush park directly behind there along Broadway and the river, the Forks a block or two away, and so many more parks and recreational spots. Anyone who thinks downtown Winnipeg needs more “heritage areas” and parks clearly hasn’t been there as more than a motorist… or a snooty club member.
Check the latest version in Prav – er, the Free Press.
At first it said Petro Canada was donating the land.
New version: “Petro-Canada will then donate $1.35 million to the heritage park, the premier added.”
Now the FP makes it sound like they are giving cash, not writing off a land swap.
I wonder why they changed the story. Not.
hope they city aquires some of that land and add an additonal turning lane, broadway gets backed up there
Froggie,
So today after reading your post a buddy of mine made a few calls.
Here’s is what he was able to figure out with a few calls to MB Govt.
Supposedly, the costs for the environemtal clean of the site is is going to come out of the “Provinces Capital commitment” and be borne by Frauds of Upper Ft. garry.
Calls to conservation (petroleum clean-up) were unable to assign a price for this – but guess what? It ain’t gonna be cheap.
Calls to Petro-Canada Media relations were all for naught – you can bet any in-house estimates they had for the clean-up won’t be released! Bottom line _ Petro- Canada is getting off cheap!
Again – we are paying for clean-up of corporate site polluted for profit.
Good point, but that’s just how things work around here. It’s not unlike turning the pavilion in Assiniboine Park into an upscale restaurant and snooty art gallery for the well-heeled in Tuxedo.
Jamie, blame Jerry Gray, the “hero” of the story.
Yesterday the Mayor said he had NO idea there was ANY plan to close Assiniboine.
Of course he didn’t Marty. We shouldcall Sammy, Shruggy.
What….I didn’t know .
And yet, somehow, nobody out there critizies Doer.
Amazing.
How does he always manage to avoid responsibility?