Winnipeg 311: The Wrong Answer

This past Saturday, I was out past the east Perimeter Highway and upon my return, I noticed the “Welcome to Winnipeg” sign on Fermor just west of the overpass at Plessis Road.

The sign had been dislodged at the middle bracket holding the two halves of the leftmost metal pole. The top half was hanging precariously on the lower half and only the broken bracket was preventing it from falling over completely.

I stopped to take a couple of pictures.

I suspected that a large truck with a heavy load probably grazed it pulling away from the shoulder and that the driver may have not even been aware that anything had happened.

This dangling sign is obviously a potential safety hazard, being so close to a busy highway. As a responsible citizen, I reported what I had seen via e-mail to the 311 service. I also attached the same pictures as shown above.

Having used the 311 service previously with positive results, I expected that the proper department would be notified and I would receive a reply thanking me for reporting it.

As they say in the Hertz commercials, “Not exactly.”

I did receive a reply from 311, but it wasn’t the reply I expected:

“Thank you for your email. I can certainly advise the correct department of the issue with the "Welcome to Winnipeg" sign, however they do require a contact telephone number is order to submit a report. Please respond at your earliest convenience and we will pass your information along to the department.”

I was dumbfounded.

Having been advised of the safety hazard, they would not take a report until I had provided a contact telephone number.

Wrong answer.

I thought about indulging the bureaucrat and providing my phone number, but, that too, would be wrong. A matter such as this needs to be forwarded to the proper department right away.

What did they need my number for anyways? Did they expect me to fix the sign? Did they think I was making it up?

Instead, I forwarded the correspondence to my councillor. His assistant replied promptly and assured me that the issue would be forwarded to the proper department for attention and apologized.

As a good friend and former colleague told me upon reading this story, “It’s hard being a good citizen, isn’t it?”

Indeed.

And it shouldn’t be.

Selinger’s Saloon

This morning, I went out to check out the construction progress of Manitoba’s largest tavern going up on the campus of the University of Manitoba. Though I do not partake in alcoholic beverages, I did want to see this palatial outdoor saloon that every Manitoban, including me, is paying dearly for.

I appreciate Comrade Selinger’s concern for the welfare of the brewery industry, but I wasn’t aware that, despite the troubled economic times around the world, that beer sales had taken any sort of nosedive that necessitated such extreme government intervention to the tune of $200 million to build a place for Manitobans to drink while being loosely entertained by taxpayer-subsidized minor-league football.

Heading south on University Crescent, you can see the roof on the east side towering over the trees even before you get to the golf course.

Looking south from the corner of University Crescent and Sifton Road.

From the looks of it, drunks seated on the east side won’t get any rain or snow in their beer thanks to that covering. You’re welcome.

The west side stands are also taking shape.

The outside façade on the east side.

Looking north from Chancellor Matheson Road.

Looking west from Chancellor Matheson Road.

There you have it: the developing edifice that should be called Selinger’s Saloon. It’s only too bad that it wasn’t built somewhere else like Regina instead of Winnipeg.

Winnipeg Transit Introduces the Eco-Ram

Winnipeg Transit announced that it will begin selling a new, environmentally-friendly battering ram for the convenience of riders who frequently board the so-called “Easy Access” line of buses in Transit’s fleet.

“A constant complaint we hear from our riders is how difficult it is to get out through the back door on our Easy Access buses,” said a Transit spokesman. “We are at last pleased to be able to offer some relief to those riders.”

Filled with 100% recyclable material, the devices, called the Eco-Ram, will be made available for general sale as well as at a discount as part of the employer-sponsored Eco-Pass program.

Winnipeg Transit's new Eco-Ram

“When riders leave for work in the morning, they’ll just have an extra item to sling over their shoulders. They will be lightweight, yet effective. Our testing has shown that, with a good thrust, it can dislodge as many as three or even four stragglers standing in front of the back door and with another thrust, it can force open even the stickiest door in our fleet,” said the Transit spokesman.

“This just shows how Transit is responding to the needs of their customers. Though we introduced the Easy Access line to accommodate the 0.001% of Transit riders who found our old line troublesome, the remaining 99.999% deserve some attention once in a while. I couldn’t be happier to see the Eco-Ram introduced”, said a spokesman for Mayor Sam Katz. “It’s a tribute to Transit’s ingenuity and another reason why I’m so proud to live in this city.”

Reactions from Transit’s rider community were mixed.

“I think it’s great. I might be able to start using Transit again thanks to the Eco-Ram,” said one former Transit rider. “Since they put in that Easy Access bus, the frustration just hasn’t been worth it. I’d rather be out on my bike in -30º weather.”

“Might have to put some spikes on that thing. Wonder if they’ll start selling stun-guns to go along with it,” said a current Transit rider. “Right now, I have to ring the bell three stops ahead of time and hope that I can get off without having to walk too far back by the time I get through the mob in front of the back door.”

“We admit that it’s not a perfect solution. But when you’re an organization like ours that caters to the need of a few over the need of the many, tradeoffs like this are going to be necessary,” said the Transit spokesman.

The Eco-Rams will be on sale shortly at Transit’s Customer Service Center in Winnipeg Square and plans are in the works for additional distribution sites, such as drug stores and convenience stores.

WHA Database Update

For those of you interested in the history of the WHA, I have added 152 new game summaries to the database at http://www.WHAHof.com, in addition to making a significant number of updates to others. Among the new summaries are games against the Soviet National Team and the Jets’ first exhibition games.

With this update, I have summaries for over 91% of all WHA regular-season games online.

Winnipeg Rapid Transit: A Look Ahead

April 9, 2012 – Winnipeg Transit launches its long-awaited Rapid Transit service. Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz and Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger lead a host of dignitaries at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Harkness Station near the corner of Main Street and Stradbrook Avenue. “This marks another step forward for Winnipeg as a first-class city,” said Katz. “And the Jets are back,” said Selinger, who leaves the ceremony early to answer a call from True North chairman Mark Chipman asking for another government handout.

April 10 – Two joggers on the Transitway are hit by a Rapid Transit bus. The joggers are attended by paramedics and Winnipeg Transit, on orders from Winnipeg Police Service, shuts down the Rapid Transit service. Despite clear signage and laws prohibiting pedestrian traffic on the Transitway, the joggers are not cited by police, who, instead, turn their attention to the driver and harangue him incessantly. Later in the day, Winnipeg Transit announces it will launch an investigation into the incident and, as a matter of procedure, pull the driver off the road and assign him to a desk job pending the outcome of the investigation.

April 15 – After an examination of the scene, Winnipeg Police grants permission to Winnipeg Transit to resume Rapid Transit service.

April 21 – Following Winnipeg Transit’s decision to allow the driver to resume his regular duties, from their hospital bed, the injured joggers hold a press conference. “We have rights!” they exclaim to a large media gathering also attended by Manitoba Justice Minister Andrew Swan, who announces that his office is considering laying charges against the driver.

May 5 – Two northbound cyclists in the Transitway are struck by a southbound Rapid Transit bus. After the cyclists are taken to hospital, Winnipeg Police tapes off the scene and Rapid Transit is shut down until further notice.

May 6 – The front-page headline in the Winnipeg Free Press reads, “Open Season” and features a color picture of the mangled bicycles covered in the blood of their riders. The newly-formed Winnipeg Coalition for Social Justice demands that Winnipeg Transit adopt a more compassionate approach to its Rapid Transit service and that a public inquiry be held into the “reckless actions of its operators.” “Rapid Transit has become a scourge on our community,” says a spokesman for the group.

May 13 – Winnipeg Police removes their yellow tape from the scene and grants permission to Winnipeg Transit to resume its Rapid Transit service.

May 31 – Winnipeg Transit announces an extension of its Request Stop program in response to complaints from riders who have to walk farther to their nearest Rapid Transit stop than they do for their regular bus service. A spokesman for Transit says that its operators will be instructed to make additional stops along the Transitway when requested. “I asked to get off one block after my stop and the driver refused,” said a young mother pushing a baby stroller. “I don’t know what they didn’t build more stops in the first place.”

June 5 – One month after the incident with the cyclists, a homeless man sleeping on the Transitway is struck by a Rapid Transit bus in the early morning and nearly killed. Winnipeg Transit immediately suspends Rapid Transit service.

June 8 – The Winnipeg Coalition for Social Justice holds a rally at the steps of the Manitoba Legislature demanding changes to Winnipeg Transit’s “inhumane” Rapid Transit service. The rally, attended by more than 1,000 people, gets national media attention. “Winnipeg Transit is out for blood!” screams one supporter.

June 30 – Winnipeg Transit resumes its Rapid Transit service but instructs its operators in the dedicated Transitway to drive slowly and stop and wait for joggers and cyclists. A spokesman for Winnipeg Police Service says that “of course, we will not enforce the sections of the Highway Traffic Act prohibiting joggers on roadways.”

September 1 – Winnipeg Transit reports a sharp decline in ridership for its new Rapid Transit service. “I can get out and walk faster,” says one disgruntled former rider.

September 15 – The jogger hit by a Rapid Transit bus in April is granted an audience with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The jogger, called a “victim of brutality” by the Winnipeg Coalition for Social Justice, pleads for changes to Canada’s Criminal Code to ensure that “reckless bus drivers” are taken off the road and incarcerated.

December 15 – Winnipeg Transit discontinues its Rapid Transit service, citing a lack of ridership. “It is no longer economically feasible,” said a spokesman for Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz. “There are clearly other priorities for this city. We must address the problem of homelessness first,” said councillor Harvey Smith.

December 16 – In a hotly-debated session of City Council, a motion tabled by councillor Harvey Smith and seconded by councillor Jenny Gerbasi is narrowly passed that calls for an undisclosed compensation package to be paid to the joggers, cyclists, and the homeless man hit in the dedicated Transitway. In a separate motion, City Council also passes a motion to cover the expenses of the Winnipeg Coalition for Social Justice, including the cost of bus tickets for their members to attend the council meeting.

May 1, 2013 – Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz and Manitoba Minister of Healthy Living Jim Rondeau are present at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the official opening of the Southwest Winnipeg Trailway that follows the path of the abandoned Transitway. Both Katz and Rondeau join a gathering of joggers as they run down the pathway.

Blast from the Past: Pat Kavanagh

For that handful of people familiar with the Manitoba Moose’s 15-year history, Pat Kavanagh’s name will not stand out as one of the best players the franchise has ever had. However, he may go down as one of the most memorable figures in club history, not for anything he did on the ice, but for his small, yet fanatically devoted legion of female followers.

Property of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, Kavanagh came to the Moose when the Canucks transferred their affiliation from Kansas City. Originally drafted by the Flyers in the second round of the 1997 draft, Kavanagh was entering his third pro season, having yet to play his first NHL regular season game.

Kavanagh would score 51 goals in three full seasons with the Moose, earning little more than a cup of coffee with the Canucks. Though he failed to impress Canucks’ management, he did impress females young and old.

His long, flowing hair sent hearts a-flutter in the stands and in online forums. “Kavy” became the favored object of affection of groupies in and out of Winnipeg. Never mind that he couldn’t play. “He works so hard,” was a familiar refrain. True as it might have been, he was little more than a marginal player, even at the AHL level.

Brandon Reid, "Kavy", and admirers 

A group of women would regularly be among the first to arrive at the Arena to take their place along the glass for when “Kavy” would come out for the warmup. Sometimes they would bring signs, other times, they would press themselves up against the glass. There was a time when one of them turned her sweater around so that the “KAVANAGH 15” on the back would be facing to the front.

 Score 1 4 Us!

With the Winnipeg Arena virtually empty most nights, they certainly stood out and, no doubt, “Kavy” had fun with them. He’d make sure to swing by their way at least once, flicking his locks and nearly causing these women to faint.

Once the games started, the Moose turned in their fair share of stinkers and those women provided more entertainment than the game itself. It must have been a dark day for them when Kavanagh signed as a free agent with the Senators organization during the summer of 2004.

Kavanagh eventually got into eight more NHL games after leaving the Moose, but he never had the kind of success the Flyers or Canucks envisioned from him. Nonetheless, for some fans in Winnipeg, his career is more noted for broken hearts than for unrealized expectations.

Jets Site Update

For those who are interested, I have added three new feature articles on my Jets site:

A look at the tenure of former coach Dan Maloney:
http://www.curtiswalker.com/jets/maloney.aspx

Profiling the amateur players who answered the Jets' call during their WHA years: 
http://www.curtiswalker.com/jets/fillins.aspx

A look back at Vegas Nite, a fundraising event during the time when the Jets were under community ownership:
http://www.curtiswalker.com/jets/vegasnite.aspx