It was a cool and windy Saturday afternoon, but diehard Blue Bomber fans were in abundance at Canad Inns Stadium to see the Bombers beat the Montreal Alouettes 26-25.
An estimated 30,360 people were there to cheer on The Blue 'n' Gold. A number of them were season ticket-holders, and others were just anxious to see Winnipeg and Montreal battle it out for control of first place in the Eastern Conference. Regardless of how many games each person attends, there are special reasons why loyal fans come back game after game.
"It's tradition, it's part of my blood. I played football ... used to play it myself, so it's part of our history," said late-comer Rick Gibson.
Other died-in-the-wool Bomber supporters, like Patrick Loden, have similar feelings. Loden said he has been a fan of the big blue almost since birth.
"I think I was brainwashed, right, I had no choice in my family. So either be a Bomber fan or get the hell out."
Garry Lang is also harboring the tradition of Football enthusiasm in his family. Lang was accompanied by his toddler grandson Ashlyn, whose face was adorned with "Bombers go!" The grandfather first purchased season tickets back in 1980. He gave them up when the club put Astroturf on the field and his kids came along, but now that he's got used to the new turf and his grandson is old enough, he's excited to be back in the stands.
Others, who aren't spending quality time with their families, keep coming back for good old-fashioned fun.
"We're in Section S, so the cheering is always so loud and everyone gets right into it. It's great," said Melissa Morison as she enjoyed a beer with her partner Ryan Bruce before the game. "We're usually a little bit horse when we leave."
The fans in Section S will have another opportunity to cheer loudly, since the Bombers now have a home playoff date. Both Winnipeg and Montreal are tied for first place in the CFL's Eastern Division with 10-6 records, but the Bombers will achieve first place if the teams are tied at the end of the regular season.
Friday, 28 October 2011
Friday, 21 October 2011
Here's The Plan, Garbage Man
City council voted in favour of a garbage and recycling master plan Wednesday that strives to rid Winnipeg of its designation as one of the country's most wasteful cities, but one Point Douglas resident is skeptical about the plan's results.
Michelle Ross believes garbage pickup in her area isn't very efficient and she feels the pickups don't happen often enough. But the more pressing issue in her neighborhood, she said, is with the dumpsters in her back lane and the larger items people leave next to them.
"About 95 per cent of the time they are filled to over-capacity, so there's garbage bags and other things around the dumpster because it can't fit inside. And our back lane has been zoned as a fire area because of how many times the dumpsters have been lit on fire."
Coun. Jenny Gerbasi (Fort Rouge - East Fort Garry) said the plan, which will see current bins replaced by automated carts, will reduce illegal dumping and keep back lanes tidier. Gerbasi said people will take individual responsibility for how much trash they throw out, and because the new carts will have lids, they will not encourage illegal dumping.
The city will make use of 185,000 recycling carts and 145,000 garbage carts. Each cart holds 240 litres, which is equivalent to four blue boxes or three standard-sized garbage bags.
As part of the master plan, a flat fee of $50 per year will be added to Winnipeggers' water bills. Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) proposed that the rate be based on property values to make it affordable for everyone.
"We're trying to improve our environment, but we also need to take into consideration people's ability to pay," Eadie said.
Ross felt a different approach was more suitable.
"I would say it would make more sense to pay based on how much garbage you produce, cause if you pay based on the market value of your house, that doesn't really correlate to how much garbage you produce," she said.
"A $200,000 home could produce very little garbage, but would have to pay a premium to have their garbage removed."
Council approved the plan without Eadie’s proposed amendment, but passed a motion to create a Citizens' Advisory Committee, so the initiative could be perfected in the future. Mayor Sam Katz said he did not think the plan was perfect, but he was optimistic.
"Every journey starts with a first step. This is our step," said Katz.
Michelle Ross believes garbage pickup in her area isn't very efficient and she feels the pickups don't happen often enough. But the more pressing issue in her neighborhood, she said, is with the dumpsters in her back lane and the larger items people leave next to them.
"About 95 per cent of the time they are filled to over-capacity, so there's garbage bags and other things around the dumpster because it can't fit inside. And our back lane has been zoned as a fire area because of how many times the dumpsters have been lit on fire."
Coun. Jenny Gerbasi (Fort Rouge - East Fort Garry) said the plan, which will see current bins replaced by automated carts, will reduce illegal dumping and keep back lanes tidier. Gerbasi said people will take individual responsibility for how much trash they throw out, and because the new carts will have lids, they will not encourage illegal dumping.
The city will make use of 185,000 recycling carts and 145,000 garbage carts. Each cart holds 240 litres, which is equivalent to four blue boxes or three standard-sized garbage bags.
As part of the master plan, a flat fee of $50 per year will be added to Winnipeggers' water bills. Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) proposed that the rate be based on property values to make it affordable for everyone.
"We're trying to improve our environment, but we also need to take into consideration people's ability to pay," Eadie said.
Ross felt a different approach was more suitable.
"I would say it would make more sense to pay based on how much garbage you produce, cause if you pay based on the market value of your house, that doesn't really correlate to how much garbage you produce," she said.
"A $200,000 home could produce very little garbage, but would have to pay a premium to have their garbage removed."
Council approved the plan without Eadie’s proposed amendment, but passed a motion to create a Citizens' Advisory Committee, so the initiative could be perfected in the future. Mayor Sam Katz said he did not think the plan was perfect, but he was optimistic.
"Every journey starts with a first step. This is our step," said Katz.
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Old Market Square: A Great Place to Visit, but Not For Everyone
Members of Winnipeg's disability community are giving a popular Exchange District attraction a failing grade on accessibility, and they want the city to do something about it.
Representatives from Manitoba League of Persons With Disabilities and Disabled Women's Network Manitoba say recent renovations made to Old Market Square do not meet accessibility standards for people with mobility or visual impairments.
Diane Driedger, MLPD Provincial Coordinator, said her organization met with city planners last year when the first phase of renovations was complete, and suggested steps the planners could take to make the space more accessible. But when they met again last summer, not a lot had been done.
"They put two new ramps in," said Driedger. "One of them is very steep and needs a railing."
Driedger compared the park's new green space that encircles the stage to a sunken living room. She said the three sets of stairs that provide access to the space do not have railings or visual indicators to show where each stair begins, creating a dangerous situation for people with balance difficulties or limited vision.
But the biggest problem, say the disability advocates, is with the ramp that provides wheelchair access to the green space in the southwest corner. The side walls also function as a seating area, which presents additional challenges.
"So what happens is, there isn't enough room to pass there--everybody's sitting there--and as a wheelchair user comes, they have to run over everybody's feet. They have to ask people to move," said Driedger.
She pointed out that those sitting on the walls could be asked to move, but some people with disabilities do not feel comfortable making that request. Either way, the MLPD and DAWN representatives feel the path should be made one brick wider, so everyone can have equal access.
"Public spaces should be public spaces," said Mindy Tucker, a member of MLPD's provincial council, who met with city planners.
Coun. Ross Eadie, chair of the city's Access Advisory Committee, agrees the recommended changes should be made. Driedger and company were told those in charge of the renos had run out of money, but Eadie said his committee is recommending that more funds be set aside, even though the city has spent $2.6 million on the project so far.
"I'm not quite sure what that cost will be. All I know is handrails are quite cheap. The biggest cost is going to be fixing the path, which is the biggest problem."
Eadie said he'll make the recommendation to the Mayer's Executive Policy Committee within the next couple of weeks.
Representatives from Manitoba League of Persons With Disabilities and Disabled Women's Network Manitoba say recent renovations made to Old Market Square do not meet accessibility standards for people with mobility or visual impairments.
Diane Driedger, MLPD Provincial Coordinator, said her organization met with city planners last year when the first phase of renovations was complete, and suggested steps the planners could take to make the space more accessible. But when they met again last summer, not a lot had been done.
"They put two new ramps in," said Driedger. "One of them is very steep and needs a railing."
Driedger compared the park's new green space that encircles the stage to a sunken living room. She said the three sets of stairs that provide access to the space do not have railings or visual indicators to show where each stair begins, creating a dangerous situation for people with balance difficulties or limited vision.
But the biggest problem, say the disability advocates, is with the ramp that provides wheelchair access to the green space in the southwest corner. The side walls also function as a seating area, which presents additional challenges.
"So what happens is, there isn't enough room to pass there--everybody's sitting there--and as a wheelchair user comes, they have to run over everybody's feet. They have to ask people to move," said Driedger.
She pointed out that those sitting on the walls could be asked to move, but some people with disabilities do not feel comfortable making that request. Either way, the MLPD and DAWN representatives feel the path should be made one brick wider, so everyone can have equal access.
"Public spaces should be public spaces," said Mindy Tucker, a member of MLPD's provincial council, who met with city planners.
Coun. Ross Eadie, chair of the city's Access Advisory Committee, agrees the recommended changes should be made. Driedger and company were told those in charge of the renos had run out of money, but Eadie said his committee is recommending that more funds be set aside, even though the city has spent $2.6 million on the project so far.
"I'm not quite sure what that cost will be. All I know is handrails are quite cheap. The biggest cost is going to be fixing the path, which is the biggest problem."
Eadie said he'll make the recommendation to the Mayer's Executive Policy Committee within the next couple of weeks.
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