Anybody Want A Peanut?

Lazy days of summer

2008-07-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry for my lack of activity. Actually, not really that sorry. Just explaining. Other things have taken priority including family stuff, landscaping my yard, golf, base ball, and just generally taking advantage of this blip in time known as our summer. I am sure other members of the local alternative media will keep you informed and entertained while I piss around over here, including the always insightful Policy Frog, newbie Don Street, and all the others.

I do still have half an eye open on the local goings-on, and I have to say there have been some tremendous developments:

I'm so happy that city hall has approved giving $7m of ~~rapid transit~~ ~~community centre~~ Kildonan Park money to fund a water park. This is good news, because if a private developer hasn't built a kick-ass water park in Winnipeg yet it obviously is never going to happen, right? And we need a kick-ass water park in order to be a world-class city, and everybody wants Winnipeg to be a world class city, right? Ergo, we must divert public money to a water park. Simple logic 101!

More good news ... a record was broken in Winnipeg! Oops sorry .. wrong link there. My mistake.

Catch you on the flip side of the weekend.

If I had a million dollars, I'd buy a lot of coke. Heh.

Friday Afternoon Update

2008-07-11T15:08:00.002-07:00

I have absolutely nothing to talk about. I am totally uninspired. It is 5 o'clock on Friday and I started drinking 3 hours ago. Not that that has anything to do with my lack of blog output -- in fact it may help given enough time and beer -- but I just thought it might help indicate my frame of mind at the moment.

So, with nothing to contribute to the pressing issues of the day like, what Winnipeg's new slogan should be ( and which of the varous polls you should bother voting in, if any) ... actually I have my own write in suggestion that I mentioned on the NewWinnipeg web forum: "Here be giant banners" ... But don't bother with that. Vote in MrChristian's poll instead. Anyhow, where was I? Oh ya right, birds ... I'll give you an update on the bird that nested in my front yard, since I KNOW that you're dying to find out how the family is doing.

Ok. The little blue eggs

successfully hatched into little wee baby chipping sparrows

(Trust me, they're in that picture somewhere)

And then one day shortly thereafter the nest was empty. No sign of a struggle. No baby birds on the ground or blood of anything. Just gone. Mama bird was flying around with a worm desperately trying to find her babies so she could feed them. So sad. I suspect a crow nabbed them out of the nest. Damn crow.

Sorry for the downer. I'll change the subject:

If you happen to be in the area of the art gallery in the afternoon between Tuesday and Friday until the end of the month, pop into the WAG Studio and check out the student art show. There's some crappy stuff, some weird stuff, and some really good stuff too. And some of my stuff. Specifically this. (Looks better in person, I think) I should have submitted this too, but oh well...

I'll be back next week with hard-hitting commentary on the newest Winnipeg Megaproject, whatever that happens to be. Ciao.

Safety for the pylons?

2008-07-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

Construction radar boosts safety: Police

The use of photo radar for speed enforcement in construction zones has dramatically increased safety conditions at roadway construction zones according to Winnipeg police.

The evidence:

Police started using photo enforcement because of ongoing safety concerns at the Bishop Grand Boulevard bridge construction work ... During the first three days of use in both directions on the bridge (April 29 to May 1) a total of 1,967 citations were issued to motorists speeding through the construction zone. During the last three days of available data (June 18 to 20), a total of 532 citations were issued.

So based on stats from one (of many) construction zones, using two different periods of time -- one on the spring and one in the summer -- they have concluded that workers are safer! Safety = β(1 / citations) + ε. I wonder what the t-value is on that coefficient?

Aside from drawing conclusions based on data with no statistical value, there's the small little additional concern that THERE ARE NO CONSTRUCTION WORKERS PRESENT!! I drive through there all the time and there are never construction workers around. If they are working at all, they are over on the other span of the bridge -- you know, the one that is closed down? But most often when I see those photo radar traps, it is in the evening or the weekend when construction workers are no where to be seen at all.

These radar traps are total bullshit. This is not exactly breaking news though. Take for example the radar trap on Route 90 and Corydon. The stretch that has a limit of 50 km/h, and a camera, even though Public Works presented a report to the City council back in Jan 03 that stated it should be higher? Or how about the report that shows that the city used misleading statistics in an attempt to cover-up the program's failure to reduce accidents.

Funny how the "When Passing Workers" part of the speed limit signs have disappeared from most construction sites. Makes one suspect that perhaps protecting the workers is not top priority.

Beyond Asperdome: Thinking Big

2008-07-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

My first thought after seeing the conceptual drawings of Asper's vision last Saturday was: "well, you can't accuse him of not thinking big." (My second thought was "I wonder if there are more jobs for conceptual artists in Winnipeg than Architects"). Turns out he's not just building a stadium: he's building a stadium, moving roads, building bridges and underpasses, destroying buildings, renovating buildings, building a "Disney-esque" waterpark, building a hotel, building an underground lair (oops, I think I was supposed to keep that one to myself).

If you don't like the plan, don't blame Asper. You can't fault him for this. In fact, I could argue that Winnipeg needs more visionaries and big thinkers with big ideas. We live in a province that loves the status quo, and in a city who's idea of development is building neighbourhoods of stucco houses adjacent to big box stores, connected by traffic lights. Not a lot of big thinking going on there.

I think Asper should be commended for putting forth this plan. At the very least, it got us thinking and talking about a neighbourhood that is largely underdeveloped and under-utilized.

That doesn't mean that we have to accept his vision of course. I still have serious concerns about it, and I am not sure it is necessarily the best way to develop Point Douglas. I have concerns about the cost. He is ostensibly asking for less money, but after you expropriate the land and do the environmental impact studies and riverbank stabilization and decontamination, and infrastructure changes and archiving of the artifacts that are dug up, etc etc. it is going to cost a big bundle of money. I also am suspicious of the so-called "fair market value" that Asper will pay for the existing stadium site. How do you know if it's fair market value if you don't put the land on the market? That's something to keep a close eye on.

As for what's best for Point Douglas, the opinion of the residents is much more important than my own. But if the objective is to create a friendly or vibrant neighbourhood, then acres of parking lots and a seldom-used sports facility is not the solution. I don't care how many well-dressed white people they put in the conceptual drawings. Maybe there are other visionaries out there with better ideas. Or maybe it's just a matter of rezoning some lots, cleaning up the derelict properties and encouraging small-scale development with TIFs and tax breaks. TIFs could be used for more than just stadiums, you know.

Pork roast

2008-07-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

Hmmm.

Bill 17

3 fires killing 15,000 hogs in just over a month; 22,000 this year in four fires? (1 2 3 4)

coincidence?

Turning the screws on an industry already hit by a high Canadian dollar....

update: I just realized I ripped off the title of this post from a NewWinnipeg thread (pretty much). Tip of the hat to StBPegger

update #2: much more on this over at PITT

Happy Canada Day

2008-07-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry ...

2008-06-26T19:25:00.001-07:00

I have to apologize. That last post was even worse than the one before. I'm taking myself far too seriously as a blogger. I'm going to take a break and read Hot Chicks with Douchebags until I come to my senses.

there's more good stuff where that came from. Go check it out!

Beyond Asperdome: bottom line

2008-06-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

After writing my last eloquent post about the tight fit of a stadium in Point Douglas, I have since heard that Asper is in fact planning a 30-40,000 seat stadium. I suppose it might work if it were more of a bowl design, with smaller side grandstands and more end zone seating.

But really, who the hell knows what's going on? There are so many theories and suggestions out there on the internet that I don't even want to try to keep track, or add further speculation to the pile of speculation that's already filling up cyberspace. Instead, I'm going to lie low on this issue for a while, except to say this:

Whatever the plan is, it should not be forced on us. We shouldn't compromise for the sake of getting a deal done or compelling David Asper to quit smoking. If the terms and conditions are not right -- if the stadium is not what we need it to be, or if Asper ("Asker" as they're saying on NewWinnipeg) makes out like a bandit while the tax payers get screwed -- then there needs to be a way to stop the deal. Unfortunately I am not confident that we'll see that. Doer, while pretending to be responsible with the purse strings, will ultimately cave in to anything; Sammy would love nothing more than to leave a stadium as a legacy, especially as he has done very little else to be remembered by; David wants his empire; and Vic Toews ... I don't know if we can count on Vic.

There is only one entity that can give this proposal -- whatever it ends up being -- the sanity check it needs: you and me - the people of Winnipeg.

Beyond Asperdome: Ouch, that's tight!

2008-06-23T22:12:00.000-07:00

Stop it -- it hurts! Ouch ouch ouch ouch!

... that's that downtown Winnipeg will be saying after we stuff a stadium up it's ass.

A 24,000 seat stadium is not big enough. It's a non-starter. If we build a stadium it should be somewhere in the 35,000 seat range, and have space to expand to host a Grey Cup. So, lets have a look at McMahon stadium (37,000) and see how that fits in downtown Winnipeg.

Just for fun. I'll be careful. I promise...

First, Point Douglas:

d'oh! Are we allowed to build a grandstand over a river? And what's that north of the tracks? A park? Are we destroying a park to build a parking lot? Just asking.

Ok, so let's check out the other location -- south of the Convention Centre:

Jesus, did anybody bother looking at a map before coming up with this one? The field barely fits in there, never mind the grandstands.

This is stupid. I don't know how this is going to turn out, but I have a feeling that once Sammy, Vic and David are done with us, we're all going to be reaching for the aloe vera cream.

Beyond Asperdome: Urban Goliath

2008-06-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

I suspect that those who were upset that a real estate agent and urban sprawl advocate became head of Winnipeg's Property Planning and Development department will also not be impressed that a Federal bean counter is now telling us where to build a new stadium.

Well, that's not exactly what's happening, but pretty close. The Polo Park location was the best part of the old deal. Now it appears that the Polo location is out of the picture because Vic Toews has made funding contingent on the stadium being in a downtown location. Now, if there were a logical place to put it near down town, then OK. But that's not the case. The options are:

Point Douglas, where an under-sized stadium will be shoe-horned in between rail way tracks and the river, with only three small roads (including one that goes through a residential neighbourhood) available to carry traffic to and from the games
South of the convention center, where an under-sized stadium will sit empty for 350* days a year, doing nothing to make downtown more vibrant.

My message to Vic:

Vic: let us put our damned stadium where we want to put the damned stadium. If you want to fund it, fine. Don't force us to compromise by squeezing in a stadium that's too small in a location where it's not appropriate. If you want to fund a 24,000 seat stadium, give the money to Halifax!

*it will be used more often if it is domed, but it won't be domed because that would be crazy expensive and would also involve a big payoff to True North/Chipman who have a negotiated monopoly on large indoor events in Winnipeg.

related commentary from the peanut gallery:
Policy Frog one and two
Progressive Graham
Marginalized Action Dino
The Hack
Pissing on the Stadium
Rise and Sprawl
did I miss you? Let me know.

How to sell out your blog

2008-06-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

I received a comment on my last post from a Mr. Rob Campbell. The comment was not about my new hat, nor was it about my fuzzy belly, or Dust My Broom or anything else having to do with the blog post. Rob, who apparently has not seen The Princess Bride, wants me to email him so he can add me to his index of Canada Blog Friends.

Well shoot ... who wouldn't want to be a Canada Blog Friend? I certainly don't want to be a Canada Blog Enemy. Canada = good. Blog = good. Friend = good. Canada Blog Friend = awsome!!!

But why do I have to email him? And why does he want to add me to his list seeing as he obviously knows nothing about my blog? And why is there no mention of Canada Blog Friends on his own blog? Time to put Mrs Google to work ... (that's right: Google is a chick, didn't you know?)

I find out pretty quickly that Rob The Garbage Digger has been spamming bloggers across the country. His MO is to make some kind of complementary comment about the blog, but nothing specific that indicates that he actually read the blog. For example:

seriously I cannot believe how many blog rolls you are on. You are like the quintessential West coast female blogger in Canada.

This site is the best I’ve seen for NB - the quality of information here is terrific.

Now I'm actually a little pissed because he didn't even bother to complement me. Turns out "Roberriffic" is a new breed of blogshiller. He's recruiting people to post promos for shit on their blogs for $10+ per post. See here:

Calling All Canadian Bloggers! As Roberrific, I work for an innovative web design and marketing company in downtown Toronto. They have asked me to build a Canadian blog club to promote their clients nationally... now they are really keen to see bigger club.

As the new Canada 'blog friends' club has already shown enormous potential, I have been authorized to reward $10 to $80 per post.

Rob calls it Social Media Optimization or SMO. His tool: SMOJoe

He can call it whatever he wants, but I don't much like it. He can take his SMOJoes and sneezers and his peanut for that matter and stick it up his virtual ass. Rob is no friend of Canadian bogs.

I am a Free Canadian!

2008-06-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to Darcey over at dustmybroom.com for the nifty hat, and for adding me as a "friend of the broom".

The world according to Garth

2008-06-10T22:07:00.000-07:00

From Garth Turner's blog:

The moment Stephane Dion has been waiting for, the launch of his plan to heal both the economy and the environment, draws near. In speaking with him in private, I got the sense this is his time. ... Destiny may not be the right word in his mind. But it’s not far off.

Ooooo. I'm all tingly with anticipation.

It has taken a toll on everyone to eschew key votes and keep an undeserving government alive. The trolls are vicious, workers and loyalists dismayed, reporters dismissive, donors turned off and troops restive. Dion knows that, of course, but he has soldiered on to a moment of his choosing.

Really? The moment of his choosing is after Liberal party workers, loyalists, troops and donors have lost faith in his leadership, and the press is dismissing him? Wow, his intellect is obviously on a whole different plane than mine. (please no snarky comments).

He has to pull the trigger sooner or later. It would be really embarrassing to allow a minority government to survive an entire term. Let's see what trick he has up his sleeve (nitrogen taxes??) . Garth has my expectations up pretty high.

Warning labels are the answer

2008-06-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

Live blogging little birdies - UPDATED

2008-06-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that's right. Watch out Falcon Cam, Cherenkov has up-to-the-week coverage of the little birdie who decided to nest in his yard, thereby screwing up his landscaping plans, complete with blurry pictures:

Little birdie is sitting on a cluster of wee little blue eggs, in a nest in a bush that was not supposed to be standing anymore.

Little birdie is still sitting there.

Yup ... still just, umm ... tell you what ... I'll keep you posted if anything happens.

UPDATE:

It appears my little birdie chose her nest more wisely than the falcons. In an unfortunate turn of events, the ledge on which the falcons were nesting got flooded in the rains today and the chicks perished. Story here.

Who wants to bet that Trey will get an earful from Princess about this one? "I wanted to go back to the nesting box, but nooooo ... you wanted to try the ledge."

I checked on my little birdie this afternoon. Seems to be doing fine. Did not take a photo, as it would look exactly like the one above.

See Gary Spend, Part II

2008-05-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

Dan Lett has a column today, where (if I can boil it down) he essentially says the new legislation is a non-issue. However, he eventually makes the following point:

Even if the NDP wanted to require the province to balance its consolidated budget on a rolling, four-year basis, it could continue to balance the operating budget on an annual basis if only to save itself from criticism.

This is exactly what they should have done. Not to save themselves from criticism, but to give taxpayers confidence that they won't spend us into oblivion if Hydro has a few good years. The NDP has done little to give us confidence that they can control their spending -- for example, drawing down the Fiscal Stabilization Fund even though the economy was in full flight and transfer payments were increasing.

Hydro has only lost money once in the last decade. This IS essentially a free pass to increase spending, Mr. Lett.

***

I went to the PC Manitoba web site to see what they had to say about this bill, and found ... nothing! There is nothing but one month-old press releases under the "Current News" and "Where We Stand" links, and there is a tiny link to an audio clip that gives no detail about the bill. WTF? If you're going to get all fired up about a bill and ask people to speak to the government about it, why don't you have something on your web site? Explain to us exactly why you think it's a bad bill!

See Gary Spend

2008-05-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

I am not a legislation geek, but I heard about a proposal by the NDP to meddle with the balanced budget legislation on the Great Canadian Talk Show. Well as a concerned citizen, a fiscal conservative, and somebody with an economics background, this caught my attention because responsible financial management is extremely important for any government. Anything that can give the NDP even more leeway for spending is a scary prospect. So, while I also happen to be the laziest blogger in Winnipeg, I actually felt compelled to read the bill.

At first glance it doesn't look that bad, but here's the thing: the balanced budget isn't based on government operations anymore, but on the "government reporting entity" which includes crown corporations. Manitoba Hydro, for instance, while heavily in debt itself, does turn a profit most years ($122m in 2007; $415m in 2006). The government can use these profits to offset deficits in core government operations. In other words, the government can leverage the crown corps to spend more then they could under the current legislation.

This government has a serious spending problem and this legistation is not going to help. I think we need to bring in a professional:

also read: NDP bill crosses line from bad to awful

links: old bill / new bill

Down with Big Taxi

2008-05-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

The big two taxi cab companies in town are at it again: trying to crush any competition to their duopoly. Competition is what makes our economy go 'round. It's a good thing. Open up the damn market and let it regulate itself. If some drivers want to start a taxi co-op, let 'em. It can only lead to improved service for the public, which is the bottom line after all.

Last time we saw Big Taxi get its panties in a knot, it was to protest an airport shuttle proposal. Imagine that -- an airport shuttle in a city that takes pride in being a transportation hub. What an outrageous idea. People like to throw around the term "World Class" in Winnipeg. Something as simple as an airport shuttle would do a lot more towards making Winnipeg a World Class city than any interpretive centre for a non-existent fort.

There is no good reason for this over-regulation of the industry. In fact, ditch the Taxi Cab Board completely and replace it with some basic regulations (minimum standards for cabs, etc.) and let the market work. It will be ok. Trust me.

Recommended reading: This column from Peter Holle.

Is that a fly in your water, or are you just crazy?

2008-05-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

There have been a number of lawsuits over the years in which people have been rewarded for being unlucky, weak, and/or just plain stupid. The most famous probably being the $3m McDonalds coffee incident. This is a kind of reverse-Darwinism where the genetically deprived prosper, and ordinary folks suffer because of higher insurance rates and reduced share values.

As one of the ordinary folks (I hope) I am therefore pleased to read that a similar case was recently overturned by our Supreme Court:

A hairdresser who claimed the torment of finding dead flies in his bottled water wrecked his sleep, his sex life, his business and his ability to take showers has lost his bid for psychological damages in a ruling Thursday morning in the Supreme Court of Canada.

The decision means Martin Mustapha loses the $341,000 award he won from Culligan Canada after convincing a judge that he suffered enduring distress when he noticed one whole fly and another half one in an unopened bottle of drinking water [link]

I find it ironic that seeing a fly in a bottle of water cause him to stop taking showers, which no doubt attracted more flies. Seriously, how does somebody that sensitive make it into adulthood not confined to a straight jacket?

Inflation

2008-05-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

My reply to James, since he does not allow comments on his blog:

Is the Government lying about inflation ?

No.

It is true that some things have gone up more that 2%, which is the Bank of Canada's target rate. Orange juice is one. I used to buy cans of frozen OJ on sale for a buck. Now I have to steal it from my neighbour. However, other things are cheaper. You can buy a brand new car for $10,000 now. When was the last time you could do that? Electronics always go down in price. Milk never changes much. Frozen dinners, meat, etc.. none of it is changing much.

Inflation is not 12%.

Something that cost $100 in 1964 would cost $690.80 this year, a whopping 590.80 % increase in just 44 years !

That may be, but that's only 4.6% inflation, and that period includes the mid 70's when Trudeau had to implement wage controls to try to rein it in, and interest rates sky rocketed.

I don't care what anyone says, I am keeping a majority of my savings in silver and gold. Over time, they have held their value.

If you take one thing away from this post, let it be this: DO NOT PUT YOUR MONEY IN GOLD AND SILVER! Especially not now! Seriously, you would have to be the Evel Knievel of investors to sink your money in something with a chart like this:

Sure, if you bought gold in 2000 and sold now, you would make out like a bandit. But if you bought gold in 1980 and sold 20 years later you would have lost half your money in nomimal terms, meaning that you would have lost more when taking into account inflation. (A lot more if inflation was 12%).

Sure, take a few thousand bucks and play the market, or shift 10% of your money into bullion if you sniff a recession around the corner, but fer gawd's sake, don't risk what you can't afford to lose.

When inflation happens, it only benefits large companies. Because prices always go up before wages.

Inflation does not benefit (most) companies because it causes interest rates to rise which makes the cost of borrowing more expensive, and all large companies borrow money. Lots of it.

Do prices always go up before wages? It's a chicken and egg thing, but sometimes wages go up more than inflation. Just ask the nurses about that.

2008-05-16T15:32:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo! Long weekend. I cut outta work a little early today. I'll have to check out Darcy's Friday Night Blues and Beer selection of tunes a little bit later, because I've got international hockey on the tube right now. Canada up by two after an awsome goal by Green. I've been trying out a few new beers lately, but have gone back to one of my fav's today:

I've got to say that I'm I a pretty upbeat mood, despite all of the devastation in Asia and the fact that killing a hooker nets you only one day in jail (if you beleive the headline). I am formulating some thoughts on Waverly West and will stick them up here soon. There have been some stories lately about the insatiable appetite for housing, which makes me wonder why we can't push through geothermal energy and proper road infrastructure as originally planned. There's more than one way to reach equilibrium in a market, but the little ticky tacky house makers will tell you that there's only one: more quantity.

Anyhow. Enough about that. Time to relax and watch Canada bury the Swedes. Have a good long weekend everybody.

The nail in the coffin

2008-05-14T21:48:00.001-07:00

I don't comment much on US politics, but I just want to say that this is the nail in the coffin of Hillary's hopes and dreams (at least for 4 years):

Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards endorsed Sen. Barack Obama on Wednesday at a campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Edwards will get the VP ticket that he was hoping for, and Obama will get the white middle-class draw that he was looking for. Hillary will get a loan to pay for her campaign bills then take a seat on the bench. 48 hours tops before she calls it quits.

Ugg

2008-05-11T19:52:00.000-07:00

Good thing I didn't eat before I read this:

the voice of Free Press columnist Gordon Sinclair Jr. trembled last night when he talked about receiving his latest National Newspaper Award. ... NNA judges lauded Sinclair Jr.'s work for "tugging at his readers' heartstrings with powerfully sensitive columns."

One of the powerfully sensitive columns that earned him the hardware was the column that "brought the battle for the future of Upper Fort Garry, one of Canada's most sacred historic sites, to public attention.." I can't tell you which of his 82 columns on Upper Fort Garry that was, but it really doesn't matter. Let me remind you, dear readers, about what this was all about. THIS is precisely the sacred historic site he was tugging at peoples' heartstrings to save:

That's right, it's a FUCKING PARKING LOT! And thanks to Gordon and the so-called Friends of Upper Fort Garry, that's exactly how it will stay for years to come.

Apparently, the NNA judges were also hoodwinked by Gordon's sappy writing. Or maybe that's what is considered the gold standard in journalism these days: the ability to mislead readers and manufacture a controversy. If that's the case, then Gordo has many more awards in his future because he's been practicing it for so long it's now second nature. Even at the awards ceremony he couldn't turn off the bullshit machine:

He also singled out [with his voice trembling, no doubt] Free Press reader Currie McMillan for contacting him about Upper Fort Garry's precarious future.

Oh ya, Mr. Sinclair: hero for the little guy. Fighting for the cause of an ordinary Joe. 'Cause you know, if it wasn't for Currie McMillan, Gordon never would have known about Upper Fort Garry and the big bad apartment building that was threatening a near-by sacred parking lot.

Vive le Canada Uni

2008-05-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I said I was impressed with the new French PM Nicolas Sarkozy. Well, the man has come through again, by sticking his finger in the eye of the Separatists:

In a stirring declaration of love toward Canada, Sarkozy said he would like to "bring together" Canada and La Belle Province. ... "We bring them together so each can understand what we have in common. We will turn toward the future so the future of Canada and France will be the future of two countries that are not only allies, but two friends." [cnews]

He made the statements while attending a D-Day ceremony in Normandy with Michaelle Jean, whom I have no doubt he tried to charm the pants off of when the cameras weren't looking.

Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe (is he still around?) was not a happy camper, which makes me a happy camper. Thank God the days of Charles de Gaulle are behind us. I can hardly wait until the days of the Bloc are a thing of history as well. It won't be long...

Breaking News: We're better than Calgary!

2008-05-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

A strange little "Breaking News" article in the on-line edition of the Freep reports in the headline and opening paragraph that "Building permits in Winnipeg rise 3.5%", which was "far better than in Calgary and Edmonton where building permit values fell 45 per cent and 21 per cent respectively." This is true, but a fairly rosy take on a report that could have also started off a number of other ways:

Breaking News: Growth in Saskatewan surpasses Manitoba

The value of building permits in our neighbouring province grew 30% in March to $145m, leapfrogging Manitoba where building permits dropped 6% to $116m.

Breaking News: Winnipeg lagging behind other major cities

Despite modest 3.5% growth in building permit values in March, reaching $74m, Winnipeg is still lagging far behind other cities of similar size including Quebec City ($157m) and Hamilton ($206m) which has seen 85% growth in building permits year over year.

Breaking News: Bored Free Press reporter stumbles across StatsCan web site

A bored-as-hell Free Press reporter resorted to passing off a routine monthly StatsCan report as "Breaking News" Tuesday, when told by his boss to stop playing Mahjong and dig up a story, Dammit.

While building permits in Calgary and Edmonton did in fact drop quite a bit month over month, both cities still dwarf Winnipeg in that area. All I'm saying is, let's not get all excited because a few more stucco houses are going up this month vs. last month.

StatsCan report link