News Source: Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg can’t replace Infrastructure without federal, provincial money

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

The City of Winnipeg is staring directly at $4.9 billion (Canadian) in capital infrastructure needs, and the Mayor says they won’t be able to afford it without help from the Manitoba and Canadian federal governments. Get the full report on how Winnipeg is going to prioritize their list from the Winnipeg Free Press. From a

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Winnipeg’s recycling cost to increase after too much ‘crap’ put into bins

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

The report on recycling will be delivered to Winnipeg City Council in June. While we don’t know the full amounts, it is known that the cost of recycling to the City and citizens will be going up. The reason: contamination rates. Much of Winnipeg’s recycling materials are hauled across the ocean to Malaysia or India,

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Filling in the blanks, a perspective on implementing infill development

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Have you heard talk of ‘infill development’ lately? If you’ve followed the local news, probably; it has been a common talking point over the past few years in Minot. It’s also a core principle of Governor Burgum’s Main Street Initiative. In concept, the idea is simple. Focus development towards the urban core of a city

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Zebra mussel larva found in source of Winnipeg’s drinking water

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Zebra mussels wreak havoc. On boats, on water systems, on environments that they’re new to. And they’re coming. The North Dakota took steps this session to act more aggressively in coming years, here’s yet another sign that their action was prudent.

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U.S. scientist urges action to save Lake Winnipeg

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Did you know it’s possible to kill a lake? It is; it happened to Lake Erie. And a scientist who studied that catastrophe sees a similar pattern repeating with Lake Winnipeg. Why does it matter in Minot? The culprit is nutrient loading — particularly phosphorous. If you’ve noticed algae blooms in Minot’s river, you know

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Province to launch review into how development projects carried out in Winnipeg

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Wherever you go, government is at odds with itself. In North Dakota we reference state’s rights or local control — it depends who is pushing who around. In Canada, it’s Province versus City. And if you’re looking for a bit of political intrigue, this story out of Winnipeg has that, too.

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In Winnipeg, Buy local plan fails to gain traction

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

A proposal from the Winnipeg City Council requested the City develop a policy that gave an advantage to local firms seeking the opportunity to earn City business. But upon further review, the recommendation of an administrative report is to better communicate opportunities to local businesses, but not give them favor on contract terms. This issue

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Greyhound exit from Canadian Prairie expected to spur innovation in transportation

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

A couple days ago, we called out an article from the Winnipeg Free Press noting a soon-to-be void in their transportation network because of the discontinuation of several Greyhound bus routes across the prairie. A few days before that, there was an article on how creating a void in a system fuels innovation. This article

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Greyhound abandons the Canadian prairies

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Migration patterns of people and methods of transportation are in a state of disruption, and for the Canadian branch of Greyhound, those changes mean they can’t continue to support routes in Western Canada. Greyhound made the announcement citing a 41% decline in ridership over the past 10-years.

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In Winnipeg, ash borer battle is in full swing

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

The Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive species that slowly kills ash trees, and in Winnipeg, they’re expecting to spend $90 million (not a typo) in the next ten years. Minot has a bit of geographical buffer, the problem is on the way. We’d do well to watch these other area efforts unfold as we

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Winnipeg talks trash — expects few problems with new garbage collectors

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

In ‘socialized’ Canada, we see an unexpected example of business-focused privatization. Here in North Dakota’s larger cities, municipal trash pick up is the exclusive territory of government. In Winnipeg, the model is the opposite. Trash pick-up is served by private contractors who provide services based on contracts let by the City. It’s a worthwhile perspective

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Endangered butterfly shows trouble is waiting in the wings

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

The thing about losing a species — no matter how seemingly small and insignificant — is it’s a signal that something in the system is going awry. And when one of those species plays the role of a pollinator, the cascade effect becomes harder to quantify. The northern prairies are home to several endangered butterflies;

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Winnipeg: City hall committee shows its spirits, gives downtown distillery a green light

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

When it comes to alcohol, consumer trends are outpacing regulator’s ability to keep a handle on the new and emerging business models. One example is the emergence of boutique local distillers, a business type that’s hard to fit in many cities licensing policies. But in Winnipeg, they made room. Patent 5 Distillery is expected to

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Winnipeg economic development agency holding Railside Promenade ideas competition

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

In Winnipeg, The Forks Renewal Corporation, the city’s economic development agency, is looking to spur redevelopment in a neighborhood dominated by wide roads and parking lots. And how are they going about doing it? They’re holding a design competition. They’ve set basic goals of what they want to accomplish and the terms of what’s required

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Canadian Federal Government Sets Deadline for Provincial Marijuana Legalization

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

By July 1, 2018, marijuana will be legal North of the border. The interesting part, it’s the federal government in Canada that is setting the deadline. And if the provinces don’t put a framework in place for legalization, citizens seeking the product will be able to mail order it directly from the federal government. It’s

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Winnipeg’s “Go to the Waterfront” Campaign Opens Trail

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

The City of Winnipeg is working to make their neighborhoods stronger and more resilient, encouraging people and families to get out and be active through the “Go to the Waterfront” initiative. Here’s the direct quote from the Winnipeg Free Press article on the ribbon cutting of for a new waterfront trail. The Go to the Waterfront

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