ISSUE 18 2009/01/29 VOLUME 63 Sam Katz promotes his vision for Winnipeg Can you read through Manitobans return the rhetoric? from Alberta’s oil rigs news page 3 news page 3 These Ripperz don’t take off their clothes a & c page 11 02 The UniTer January 29, 2009 www.UniTer.ca while most 21-year-olds are is tailgating a picture’s worth 1,000 Cover Image planning their first trip to what makes words. we check out “Lisa” Vegas, Katie Muirhead is Super Bowl exhibits by Talia Potash and Sheila Spence by ciji crighton running her own NGO so awesome? Oil and latex paint on canvas news page 4 sports page 21 arts & culture pages 10 & 18 UNITER STAFF news ManaGinG eDitor Stacy Cardigan Smith » [email protected] BUSiness ManaGer Homeless warming up in Winnipeg’s skywalks James D. Patterson » [email protected] PrODUcTiOn ManaGer Security patrols for Melody Morrissette » [email protected] Copy anD styLe eDitor panhandling and Ashley Holmes » [email protected] Photo eDitor disturbances, but Mark Reimer » [email protected] whose turf is it? newS assiGnMenT eDitor Toban Dyck » [email protected] Joe KorNelSeN newS PrODUcTiOn eDitor BeaT reporTer Ksenia Prints » [email protected] arts anD culture eDitor Aaron Epp » [email protected] With winter weather taking its toll, Winnipeg’s skywalks can be a place Comments eDitor Devin Morrow [email protected] for people on the streets to warm » up. But concerns over panhandling SPOrts & FiTness eDitor have security patrols cracking down Jo Villaverde » [email protected] on skywalk living. “From our side I understand Listings cO-OrDinator The Downtown Watch, a pro- Curran Faris » [email protected] gram set up by the Downtown if you don’t have a home, Winnipeg BIZ, has patrolled the mark BeaT rePOrTer Dan Huyghebaert [email protected] but it kind of scares people away.” » streets of downtown Winnipeg for re i several years; now they are also pa- –Chris Lucas, Lucas and associates Travel Group mer BeaT rePOrTer trolling the skywalk system. Joe Kornelsen » [email protected] Chad Kendel, the supervi- sor of the Downtown BIZ Safety The downtown skywalks, the domain of shoppers and stores during the day, provide some of the city’s homeless with shelter on cold BeaT rePOrTer Sandy Klowak [email protected] Program, said the BIZ patrol pays winter nights. » attention to the temperature, not- BeaT rePOrTer ing that as the temperature drops Andrew McMonagle [email protected] the skywalks in Winnipeg. He said Doug Thiessen, weather pro- » there are more people looking to there are a few people who regularly tected walkway co-ordinator for stay warm inside the walkways. hang around in the skywalk that he the WPA, said the WPA has a secu- HomeLessness “We want to make sure they’re operates his business in. rity agreement with the Downtown CoNTrIBUTORS: not freezing, but we don’t want in winniPeG According to Lucas, secu- Watch to “provide a continuity of them to be causing grief,” said carlen George, alex Garcia, antoinette rity from nearby Portage Place security,” but there is a bit of a ju- 1,700 people in Kendel. Dyksman, Brooke Dmytriw, Steve currie, Shopping Centre often removes risdictional overlap. winnipeg are homeless Kelsey clifford, Brendan Olynik, andrew Generally the Downtown Watch panhandlers within 20 minutes. Thiessen said that responsibility Tod, James Janzen, rev. Jack Duckworth, will remove people who are pan- Lucas said he personally believes for a walkway’s upkeep is split be- Resources available for home- Marina Koslock, Matt Prepost, John handling or if they are creating a herbert cunningham, Jennifer Pawluk, that people who have nowhere to tween the two buildings on either less people in the inner city: disturbance. alannah Zeebeck, cindy Titus, alex Kyle, go need somewhere to warm up, side of each walkway, while security Valerie Price, executive director rob McGregor, ali Fulmyk, Brandon but he said some other skywalk was a shared concern. emergency shelters: of the Manitoba Association for Bertram, courtney Schwegel, Bucky users are sometimes uncomfortable He said that while there were Main Street Project Driedger, Jonathan Dyck, Thomas epp, Rights and Liberties, said it is im- because of the homeless. people the Watch removed, it was (for adults) Les Friesen, Theo wiebe, Kevin chave, portant that people not be removed “From our side I understand if not meant to be discriminatory. ndinawe endawaad Brad Pennington, ryan Janz, cory Falvo, without just cause. natasha Tersigni, Trevor hagan, Sagan you don’t have a home, but it kind “I don’t think we’re trying to “Decisions to move people along inc. (for youth) Morrow, Marko Bilandzjia, Josh Boulding, of scares people away,” Lucas said. get rid of one particular group,” he or not should be based on their be- Siloam Mission Scott christiansen, Mike collins, adam Confusion abounds over whose said. haviour,” said Price. Meals: Peleshaty, Megan Turnbull, J. williamez, jurisdiction the city’s walkways fall “People will only be removed for robert huynh, James culleton. But according to Price, the limits under. All portions of the walkway breaking the law: public drunken- agape Table inc. of allowed behaviour should take a that are within a building are the re- ness or panhandling.” Siloam Mission The Uniter is the official student newspaper of the person’s mode of earning into ac- sponsibility of the building owner. Source: Siloam Mission, homeless nation University of winnipeg and is published by Mouseland count. Price said that mere panhan- Press inc. Mouseland Press inc. is a membership Yet the walkways over the street are To speak to the WPA, call the new dling is not grounds for removal. 311 line or 204-986-6281, or e-mail based organization in which students and community the responsibility of the Winnipeg members are invited to participate. For more Chris Lucas owns Lucas and Parking Authority (WPA). [email protected]. information on how to become a member go to www. Associates Travel Group in one of uniter.ca, or call the office at 786-9790. The Uniter is a member of the canadian University Press and campus Plus Media Services. SUBMiSSiOn OF ARTicLeS, LeTTERS, GRAPhicS AND BY JOE KORNELSEN PhOTOS ARE WELcOMe. articles must be submitted in text (.rtf) or Microsoft word (.doc) format to editor@ Q: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HOMELESS uniter.ca, or the relevant section editor. Deadline for submissions is 6:00 p.m. Thursday, one week PEOPLE USING PUBLIC SPACES TO KEEP WARM? before publication. Deadline for advertisements is noon Friday, six days prior to publication. The Uniter reserves the right to refuse to print submitted material. The Uniter will not print submissions that are homophobic, misogynistic, racist, or libellous. we Brohdi Goers Donna Cawker Megan Pomarenski also reserve the right to edit for length and/or style. first year education student mature student first year athletic therapy It’s better than them freezing. I have no problem with home- student COnTaCT uS » Maybe we should find some less people using anything It’s OK depending on the General Inquiries: 204.786.9790 way of helping them find shelter to keep warm. But I think the situation. As long as they’re advertising: 204.786.9790 that isn’t those areas. city should be doing more. not interfering with people Editors: 204.786.9497 We need a lot more public passing by. Fax: 204.783.7080 housing and still we see very E-mail: [email protected] expensive condos going up Web: www.uniter.ca every year. LOCaTIOn » room OrM14 university of Winnipeg Wilfred Johnson Lourdes Binuya Dhiraj Narula 515 Portage avenue postal worker nurse project manager It can be a bit uncomfortable They don’t have any other op- They need to live. A lot of people Winnipeg, Manitoba r3B 2E9 especially if they have been tion. The government should I see rely on government. At least drinking. But it would be give them spaces to go. give them a roof; but they should cold-hearted for me to say get these guys some work. they should be out in the Mouseland Press Board of directors: cold. I notice that they cause David eisBrenner (chair), Mary agnes welch, aggravation to security rob nay, nick Tanchuk, Brian Gagnon, Devin guards; I don’t know that that King, Meg McGimpsey, Ben Zorn, Kelly ross should be their main duty. (UwSa), Scott nosaty For inquiries e-mail: [email protected] Ne w s As s i g N m e N t ed i t o r : to b an dy c k NEws e-m A i l : Ne w s @u N i t e r .c A 03 Ph o N e : 786-9497 www.UniTer.ca January 29, 2009 The UniTer FA x : 783-7080 local The mass Alberta exodus News Briefs company to be one of the smaller compiled by carlen George Oil rig workers rig contractors, employing about abandon Alberta 260 people. Jeff estimates about half of in droves, fed up his workers come from out of province. GReeN liGhT fOR biOdieSel with drying work He is familiar with the problem a two-year, $600,000 alternative of workers leaving Alberta as the oil fuel study is nearly complete and the and harsh lifestyle well runs dry. The work may not be results are promising: 20 winnipeg full-time, so while some may move vehicles were successfully run on a to Alberta temporarily, most can’t conventional fuel and soy-based diesel DaN HUygHeBaerT afford to stay due to the high hous- mix, without altering the engines. BeaT reporTer ing cost. The winnipeg Free Press reported that biodiesel can be made from low- mark “Normally we have everything grade or blighted crops, used cooking going right now, but we are only re oil and possibly even algae.