Winnipeg

Old Swing Bridge on Red River

Aside Markosun Winnipeg

In the northern part of Winnipeg on the Red River is an antiquated railroad swing bridge. Out of service for decades, the bridge is still an amazing piece of history and engineering. When the boats were coming, someone would have to scurry to the middle of the bridge and hit the swing switch. Some type of motor would start the machinery causing the middle section to swivel. Hopefully no trains coming.

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The Windsor Hotel in Winnipeg Burns Down

Aside Markosun Buildings, Winnipeg

187 Garry Street was constructed in 1903 and designed as a boarding house by the owner, Charles H. Forrester. In 1910 the building was redesigned as a hotel. After construction was complete the Le Claire Hotel opened with three floors of suites and a small one storey gentlemen’s club attached.

In 1930 the hotel went through a redesign to become The Windsor Hotel, which is the current hotel name. The total costs of the renovation was $100,000 which included extensive renovations to the hotel’s bar and lounge.

By the 1990s the old gentlemen’s bar and lounge had become The Windsor Hotel’s Blues Bar. The small one storey attachment to the hotel would host jazz nights in which local jazz musicians would play for small crowds. By 1994 the Blues Bar became so popular that an addition was required to accommodate the many patrons. The much larger Blues Bar was newly designed with a Garry Street entrance and is decorated with paintings of popular blues artists. The mural on the North elevation of the hotel was painted in 1995 by Joe Mallzar. The image is of the Windsor’s logo. A second prominent painting is on the North elevation of the 1994 Blues Bar. This image depicts Charlie Chaplin as he contemplates continuing his career on stage. Chaplin was a previous customer at the Le Claire hotel in 1913.

Winnipeg Summer Road Construction Mayhem

Aside Markosun Transportation, Winnipeg

In Winnipeg the bitterly cold winters are not conducive for road construction. It gets so cold that the ground freezes up to 5-6 feet below the surface. The ground is so frozen equipment cannot penetrate through. And cement cannot be poured in those brutal temps. Therefore, all road and highway construction has to be done during the late spring, summer and early fall.

It creates such chaos that many streets are closed or down to 1 lane. Makes it an obstacle course to get around. Regular 20 minute commutes turn into 50 minute marathons. Such is existence in the Great White North.

Summer street in Winnipeg

Today’s Winnipeg street construction map.

Looks like this craziness happens in other jurisdictions:

Climber dangles from crane above downtown Winnipeg 

Aside Markosun Winnipeg

‘This city is beautiful,’ says posting on YouTube video by daredevil who scales Winnipeg crane

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At one point, the man in a YouTube video can be seen hanging from the crane, his legs swinging freely over the Winnipeg cityscape. (YouTube)

A new video of Winnipeg shows the city from a high vantage point, but in a way that’s not entirely legal.

In the YouTube video that’s not for the weak-kneed, a man scales buildings and walks along rooftops in the Exchange District before climbing a construction crane high above Portage Avenue.

The video, which claims to have been shot at 5:30 a.m., was posted Aug. 16.

Winnipeg police spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen said no formal complaint has been made about the incident, but “this behaviour/stunt is very concerning, not only for the safety of the individuals involved but the potentially dangerous position innocent bystanders are being put in.”

In addition to trespassing, the people involved in the video could face charges of break and enter and mischief.

Bockstael Construction, which is in charge of the crane and building project, would not comment.

Similar videos have surfaced in other cities and there were arrests earlier this year of six men in North Vancouver, B.C., who were caught climbing a crane.

Christopher Schneider, a Wilfrid Laurier University professor, has said social media may be fuelling the rise in so-called urban climbers, who like to post videos or selfies of their dangerous activities.

“One thing we’re really seeing here is that there are no media gatekeeper” to discourage the climbers’ behaviour, Schneider told CBC News in July.

“This is encouraging anyone who wants to participate in these kinds of activities to record themselves and put it on online.”