Is Smoke's Poutinerie All It's Cracked up To

/29 J /A 2011 / 06 volume 65 SUMMER AT LAST YOUR GUIDE TO WINNIPEG'S FESTIVALS ARTS pages 8-9 & 11 WAYS TO THIS HISSES IMPROVE DEBUT WITH YOUR MUSIC SURF NOIR CAREER ARTS page 10 8 page 7 COMMENTS IS SMOKE'S POUTINERIE ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE? CULTURE page 15 OPEN FOR CLASSES THIS SEPTEMBER 2011 THE RICHARDSON COLLEGE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SCIENCE COMPLEX A world-class science facility in the heart of Winnipeg TACKLING THE LEADING CHALLENGES OF OUR TIME - The global north, climate change, Indigenous knowledge, water stewardship, inner-city issues, research and public policy initiatives associated with sustainability The $66.58 million minimum LEED Silver facility, with more than 30 new teaching and research labs, a vivarium and a rooftop greenhouse, is one of the most energy-efficient educational laboratory buildings in North America, made possible through strong partnerships with governments and the private sector. The University of Winnipeg gratefully acknowledges the tremendous support from our donors who have assisted in ealizing this state-of-the-art facility. Thank You to all our donors. Principal Donors: The Government of Manitoba, The Government of Canada, The Richardson Firm, Family and Foundation, The building development & design team (including Chartier Property Management Inc., Manshield Construction Inc., ReSolve Canada, Number TEN Architectural Group, and Lafarge Canada) Power Corporation of Canada, and Manitoba Hydro UWinnipeg thanks CN The University of Winnipeg would like to thank CN for its significant and generous gift of $750,000 to create the CN Indigenous Resource Centre in the Richardson College for The Environment and Science Complex, the CN Master’s in Development Practice Graduate Scholarships and the CN Model School Bursaries which will assist high school students attending UWinnipeg Collegiate. photo (L- R) Dr. Phil Fontaine, UWinnipeg Master’s in Development Practice (MDP) Advisory Circle Chair; Michael Cory, CN Senior Vice President, Western Region; Elder Tobasonakwut Kinew; David Crate, Chief of Fisher River Cree Nation; Gerri Zacharias, Acting Director, UWinnipeg Model School; Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, UWinnipeg President mdp.uwinnipeg.ca & Vice-Chancellor; Dr. Julie Pelletier, Director, MDP; Jennifer Rattray, UWinnipeg Executive Director, Government, Indigenous & Community Affairs. June 23, 2011 uwinnipeg.ca/richardson-college "Like" The Uniter on Facebook. Visit www.tinyurl.com/TheUniter to find our page. News 03 www.UniTer.ca June 29, 2011 The UniTer News The cost of revitalizing the West End neighbourhood’s housing prices skyrocketing, rental vacancy rates plummeting TIMOTHY DYCK in 2000, the average price for a home east of arlington Street and around the University of winnipeg was $28,500. Today, homes are selling for $121,500. mode. Something had to be done to reverse of Ellice and Wall Street. Miedema added that organizations aren’t Matt Preprost that decline.” “They decided they wanted to stay,” said out to gentrify the area. Volunteer Staff HOP alone has flipped some 80 homes in Gloria Cardwell-Hoeppner, executive direc- “We want to have mixed-income housing; the area since 1999. Lazarus Housing, an ini- tor of the West End BIZ. “Anytime people we're not out to displace people,” he said. tiative led by the late Rev. Harry Lehotsky, make an investment like that, it tells you “We are out to improve the neighbour- More than a decade ago, few would have has renovated 26 homes and more than 100 what they think of the area and that it’s worth hood and expand the amount of living space guessed snapping up a home in the West End rental units. investing in it.” available. We would like to do improvement or Wolseley would turn out to be one of the Add on top of that some 50 new infill However, some lower-income residents are across the board and that will mean some best investments a person could make. houses that have sprung up, going beyond struggling to keep up pace, and might be on higher income people coming in here.” But since 2000, house prices in the West Spence and to Arlington. the verge of being squeezed out. Squire cautioned that while the West End End have jumped by 361 per cent, according What has followed has been a litany of While housing prices are skyrocketing, isn’t as affordable as it used to be, it’s still lag- to Winnipeg Real Estate Board statistics. beautification and housing grants from orga- rental vacancy rates are plummeting and ging compared to the rest of the city. And while it’s enough to start flashing new nizations like the Spence Neighbourhood Manitoba’s minimum wage is still only crawl- “It’s still half of the selling price of the aver- dollar signs in the eyes of home and business Association, the West End BIZ and the Dan- ing along. age home around Winnipeg,” he said. owners, some are concerned the rising prices iel McIntyre/St. Matthews Community “Ultimately, it's not a surprise that prop- might be pushing the area towards gentrifi- Association. erty values have been escalating considering With files from Ethan Cabel cation. all the money that government has put into In 2000, the average price for a home east “We want to have mixed- the West End” through funding community of Arlington Street and around the Univer- organizations, said Don Miedema, housing sity of Winnipeg was $28,500. Today, homes income housing; we're not co-ordinator at the Spence Neighborhood real estaTe by The nUMberS are selling for $121,500. out to displace people.” Association. WEST END (west of arlington) The average home west of Arlington and – Don MieDeMa, hoUSing co-orDinaTor, Spence “(But) there are a number that have talked towards Polo Park was $54,000. They’ve more about appealing their property tax assess- average house price, 2000: $54,090 neighborhooD AssociaTion than tripled to $176,700. ments,” he added. “Their taxes have increased average house price, 2006: $90,206 Even a house in Wolseley was, on average, – in some cases doubled.” $56,000. Houses are now selling for close to All receive funding from the city and prov- Miedema said it is starting to push away average house price, 2011: $176,702 $161,000. ince to give out grants for external renova- those who had previously come to rely on WEST END (east of arlington) Natural inflation aside, community lead- tions to rental properties and home and busi- lower housing prices in the West End. ers say a concentrated effort over the last 10 ness owners. “It's a crisis level in the city when you have average house price, 2000: $28,522 years to improve housing stock in the West Naturally, the area is seeing new commer- less than one per cent vacancy rate,” he said. average house price, 2006: $59,698 End has a lot to do with it. cial growth as businesses follow new money “When property taxes go up, the price of Organizations like Housing Opportunity as higher-income families move into the tra- rooming houses go up, and it contributes to average house price, 2011: $121,501 Partnership (HOP) and Lazarus Housing ditionally lower-income neighbourhood. making it difficult for the lower-end client to WOLSELEY have fixed up derelict and abandoned houses It’s not to say the West End hasn’t lost retain a room.” and put homeowners committed to the West major businesses – it has (most notably Safe- It is unlikely that the neighbourhood will average house price, 2001: $55,877 End back in them. way in December 2008). have much time, if any, to catch up, as orga- average house price, 2006: $104,945 “You need home ownership as a base to But some see a silver lining when compa- nizations push more housing renewal over average house price, 2011: $160,972 build on for community revitalization,” said nies like Cambrian Credit Union, Winni- the next few years. Peter Squire, public affairs director for the peg's third-largest credit union with about “There’s still more work to be done,” Squire Source: winnipegrealTorS Winnipeg Real Estate Board and an orga- $2.2 billion in assets, recently moved into a said. “There are still boarded up houses that nizer with HOP. “Prices were in free fall new 4,000-square-foot building at the corner need to be removed.” New agreement targets “Buy local” policies The local Council of Canadians and Cana- Canadian Municipalities was loss of control achieve the greatest good – all things consid- ANNE Thomas dian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) over local sourcing. ered,” said Brendan Reimer, regional co-ordi- Volunteer chapters co-sponsored Winnipeg's event. Unlike past free trade deals, under CETA, nator for the Canadian Community Eco- Barry Hammond of the Council of Cana- purchases made by provincial and municipal nomic Development Network. “The CETA dians fears the proposed Comprehensive Eco- governments would be included in a major agreement takes this strategic tool of govern- A cross-country campaign that stopped in nomic and Trade Agreement (CETA) will way. ment off the table.” Winnipeg June 27 is aiming to educate Cana- support privatization of Winnipeg's water, A CCPA report analyzing a leaked draft Provincial negotiators are participating in dians about the local implications of a little- while mainly benefiting the rich. says that local governments would not be the federal trade talks that resume July 11 in known free trade deal with Europe. “I'm fearful that a new trade agreement allowed to favour local or environmentally Brussels. Maude Barlow, chairperson for the Coun- simply means that poorer people will be dis- responsible suppliers or those suppliers cre- “Manitoba's very much placing priority cil of Canadians, and Paul Moist, president enfranchised here in Winnipeg,” he said.

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