Local News Briefs

Bipole III controversy

In a recent press release, Bob Brennan, president and CEO of Manitoba Hydro, announced that the almost 1,400 km Bipole high voltage direct current transmission line would be built on a path down the western side of the province, near the Saskatchewan border, as to minimize environmental impact. The bipole project also includes the construction of two new converter stations, in total estimated to cost more than $2 billion. According to CBC, a more direct, cheaper, alternate route down the east side of Lake Winnipeg was rejected by the Doer government because of the location of a UNESCO World Heritage site on the proposed path.

Yellow card for Katz

Sam Katz and other city officials
participated in a friendly game of soccer against a group of refugee children last Monday. Global News posted footage of the mayor missing the ball and giving one of his young opponents a solid boot to the side of the head. Bartley Kives, city reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press, compared this to a similar sports-related gaffe by the late Progressive Conservative leader Bob Stanfield, poised to win the 1974 election before fumbling a football during a photo-op. It has been posited that this dropped ball marked the turning point in the campaign, costing him the election to Pierre Elliot Trudeau.

CBC’s online homicide map

CBC.ca has published an interactive map showing the locations and names of Winnipeg homicide victims in 2009 and 2010. There have been 16 homicides in the city this year compared to 27 last year; however, both this summer and the last have seen eight deaths. Crimes are colour-coded by offense and identified in a side bar by the victim’s first and last name. The locations of the majority of the crimes have been largely concentrated around the core and inner city area. The map is also features a search engine, which allows for queries by name or description.  You can find the feature at www.cbc.ca/manitoba/features/homicides.

Central Park renovation celebrated

The neighborhood around Central Park in downtown Winnipeg is celebrating the success of the city’s $5.6 million investment in development back in 2008. Residents of Central Park told CTV Winnipeg that the area has improved significantly since the addition of a playground, water park and soccer pitch. Police have also cracked down on gang violence and drug activity in the area, including the arrest of 15 drug dealers in fall of 2008 turning it into a family-friendly, positive space. Winnipeg Police corroborate the observations of Central Park residents, noting that officers once frequented the area, but now crime is much less of a concern.

North Kildonan church resurrects drive-in

This summer, as reported in the Winnipeg Free Press, Kilcona Park Alliance Church has been hosting a free drive-in movie night once a month. The church boasts being the only drive-in theatre inside city limits and has been very popular with as many as 200 people attending. These nights are intended to be family friendly and as such, feature family-oriented movies intended to promote traditional family values. Afterwards, the families in attendance are posed questions exploring the values expressed by the film. The last screening will be on Sept.12, but the church plans to bring the drive-in back next summer.

Published in Volume 65, Number 1 of The Uniter (September 2, 2010)

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