Comments for The View from Seven

Comment on The world’s best countries by Kat

Kat — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:55:53 +0000

After the dismal results of yesterday’s provincial election, I’d bump Canada down a few notches and I live in Canada.

Comment on That certain zig-zag quality by Valium Nation

Valium Nation — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:28:39 +0000

That proposed Bridgwater development looks pretty sweet! But as a condo dweller in both Moscow and Riga one might expect me to say that.

Comment on Doing it all in your PJs by Yer Pal

Yer Pal — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:15:04 +0000

Only Hef can pull that look off.

Comment on Could North Americans handle Britain’s cheeky advertising? by The Analyst

The Analyst — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 09:48:52 +0000

Doesn’t the Winnipeg Sun already publish “risky” or “libertine” content with its Sunshine Girls? For some reason, it seems that the more ideologically conservative, tabloid or “shock jock” media can get away raunchy content than the more moderate, mainline press.

Comment on Could North Americans handle Britain’s cheeky advertising? by Valium Nation

Valium Nation — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 20:31:53 +0000

The advertisement has nothing to do with hockey, so it wouldn’t even register.

Comment on Uncouth viewpoints of Morris minority belong to the past, not the future by theviewfromseven

theviewfromseven — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:50:21 +0000

Overall, the two clusters of provinces are cohesive enough that each province’s rank (out of 10) could change slightly from year to year. But the fairly wide gap between Manitoba and the top-tier provinces — the tier Manitoba should be in — shows a need for improvement.

Comment on Uncouth viewpoints of Morris minority belong to the past, not the future by The Analyst

The Analyst — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 06:18:32 +0000

Surprised at how poorly Manitoba ranks (especially given that our largest city was the first of its kind to elect an Openly Gay Mayor).

Also can’t help but say, perhaps revealing my own unwarranted preconceptions, that I find it surprising that Nova Scotia is more gay-friendly than British Columbia. Maybe social conservatives in the BC interior are dragging the province’s overall results down, though.

Comment on Ellice Ave. hotel kicked out of Howard Johnson chain by Lionel

Lionel — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:48:03 +0000

I used to stay there and it was not bad if you had an outside monthly rented room and stayed away from eating there. Indian Affairs used to use the hotel for out of town northern aboriginals in Winnipeg for medical appointments.
The basic operation was racist in that the natives stayed on the 2nd and 3rd floors and the tourists and business people stayed on the 4th and 5th. The upper floors were renovated and passable while I was there but the lower floors were disgusting.
The staff were in constant terror of their paycheques bouncing and the housekeepers were too few to do a passable job. The bar was filled with intoxicated natives and the house specialty cocktail was “The Dirty Hooker” which was very appropriate. There were many assaults both sexual and physical that took place while I stayed there in one of the monthly rooms. It seemed that it was a regular stop for all emergency services(police,fire and ambulance)

Comment on Selling Winnipeg as a tourist destination a good lesson in economics by theviewfromseven

theviewfromseven — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:00:11 +0000

Thanks!

Comment on Selling Winnipeg as a tourist destination a good lesson in economics by portage & main

portage & main — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:43:52 +0000

Excellent post, Thanks for taking the time to think through some of the opportunities Winnipeg has to promote tourism. It is a refreshing change from the “happy talk” we hear from local tourism tall foreheads, and the belief among others that if only we had that “one big thing” tourist would flock here from around the world. Basically anybody who has championed a project in the last 30 years has made a direct connection between it and a marked increase in tourism (the Main Street bridge to St. Boniface, the Children’s Museum, MTYP, etc. and now the latest is the CMHR). None has had an appreciable effect, and I don’t see the CMHR attracting anywhere near the number of visitors they are projecting (unless they mean “virtual” visitors, in which case they aren’t really tourists). In both cases, I don’t think anybody has applied any realistic economic analysis.

You have touched on some really good ideas. I especially like the idea of Winnipeg as a jumping-off point for visits further north. A few years ago I had the misfortune to be in Washington DC for a week in July, and had to endure the heat, humidity and endless crowds of sweaty tourists and locals shuffling through the city. A couple of weeks later I was in The Pas and had a chance to visit one of the local lakes and see some of the tourist attractions, and thought OMG what a relief to be out of the heat & humidity! Summers in Washington DC (and most of the U.S. south and east) are absolutely miserable in the summer. In the west you have 120 degrees of dry heat in Phoenix and Las Vegas, and in the east you have 100 degree with 100% humidity, which is almost worse. I’m thinking a certain number of people in those areas would pay money to escape for a week, much like we go south in the winter to escape 6 months of sub-zero weather. Currently there is kind of niche market up north for fly-in fishing/hunting lodges but nothing on a very large scale. It would be an interesting test to see if you could draw people up to unused hotel rooms in The Pas or Thompson in the summer from the Phoenix’s and Washington DCs of the world. Maybe lure them in with a package deal that includes air & hotel?

It’s way over my head, but thanks for posting on this.