Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 5, 1978, Winnipeg, Manitoba More sense to remove Core area traffic obstacle overpass Grant hassle Renews rail move demands by Ingeborg Boyens the precarious Fate of the special Federal Grant for construction of the Sherbrook Mcgregor overpass has renewed demands to relocate the up rail marshalling Yards. Many Winnipeg officials and Resi dents Are saying it makes More sense to remove the traffic obstacle than build a Bridge Over it to connect Winnipeg s North end to the downtown. Sister Geraldine Macnamara director of Mossbrook House and chairman for tonight s Public meet ing said monday it is certainly not too late to reconsider relocation. Relocation will have to come eventually As the Yards can t continue to operate indefinitely she said. The overpass is not the solution to Winnipeg s transportation problems. If it were its effects on the neigh Boring communities could be a said the Community worker. Even City officials have admitted the design of the Sherbrook Mcgregor overpass is poor offering the driving Public Steep grades and Only four lanes of traffic said sister Mac Namara. She said it was essential for civic representatives to see that freeing the 200 acres of inner City land now occupied by the railway could improve the Bleak future of Winnipeg s Core area. It would Cost far More to construct the Sherbrook Mcgregor overpass and repair the straining 68-year Barbara cans no last year the Book of lists appeared on the Market. It was written by David Wal Lechinsky Irving Wal lace and Amy Wallace. The Book of lists is a funny volume even informative. It includes inside knowledge lists like 16 names of things you never knew had names like Aglet and bib Cocks and 3 people who died during sex All adding up to 486 pages of Good trivia. A month or so ago the Canadian Book of lists appeared on the Book Market. Monty Python and the National Lampoon have done it again. Would a leave us alone 0 Canada Monty and the Lampoon did t have to do anything. Jeremy Brown and David Ondatje have done it for them. The Canadian Book of lists is for real a spinoff Quick in run off in an attempt to crash the pre Christmas Book Market and rival the list of Gucci franchises in the soviet bloc in its abundance of source material. Examples the 10 most Beautiful women in Canada a list compiled by aesthete John w. H. Bassett chair Man and president Baton broadcast ing incorporated. Numero Uno is is. Barbara Amiel. The others include mrs. John Bassett -3 wonder fully expressive face either on television or in even More expressive if she had t made the list and the honorable Lona Campagnolo now apart from the Obi this John Bassett does t get around much even in Canada and that he s controlled by his wife he also needs a correction. Mrs. Bassett and Lona Campagnolo pleasant enough and All but has he never seen Margaret Trudeau Genevieve Bujold Louise Marleau and Karen Kain none of whom made the list Peter c. Newman editor of a clean s Magazine compiled the 0 people most Likely to influence the course of events in Canada. John Turner is number one. Jennifer Ash Ley Newman is number 10 because she s the smartest 14-year-old i cute. The 10 provinces with the largest population growth Are listed. Popula Tion growth in the other provinces is slow. 10 Favourite Canadian Flowers number one is the dandelion. Pregnancy periods of 10 Canad an animals the horse cow human beings Reindeer Moose Polar Bear Beaver cat dog Fox. Consult the encyclopaedia Brittania for the preg Nancy period of non Canadian horses cows and human beings. 10 Best magazines sold in Canada compiled by Terry o Malicy president Vickers Benson advertising lists the new yorker As number six trailing be Hind chatelaine. Number one is to Ronto life. Fathis is even better. The 10 Best newspapers sold in Canada lists the new York times As number 10. 9 there Are attempts at humor. The 10 worst swear words in the Canadian language. Number one is number 10 is hilarious. Then one Jacqueline Cloutier offers two More exclusives the 10 Best Canadian lovers truck Drivers -1 and the 5 worst Canadian lovers politicians whatever Jacqueline Cloutier is she gets around More than John Bassett. Decter s Juba James Boswell had his Samuel Johnson and now Michael Decter has his Stephen Juba. Winnipeg born Decter 26, is writing a biography of the former mayor. James Lorimer co. Ltd. In Toronto approached by Decter last summer has agreed to publish the Book. And after several de Terian attempts to Contact Juba through Juba sidekick Ai Golden Contact was finally made last thurs Day when Juba wrote Decter a letter agreeing to co operate fully As Long As the Book s a thorough Job. Co operation will require interviews with Juba and Decter Hopes Access to some of his papers. First Decter will read archival material and do three months of interviews with people on Council people who worked for the City friends of Juba. So anyone with a Good one can come Forth. The Book says Decter will be a biography and will chronicle the development of the City during Juba s two decades As mayor. Says Decter so far As politicians in Post War Manitoba go Juba was by far the most colourful. The Only one who gave him a run for his Money was Joe Borowski and he did t have the staying Power. It s a question of political style. He really had a Good understanding of How to manufacture an event to make an event More interesting for example Decter cites the time in the fifties when there was a fight Over the colouring of Margarine. City people wanted color. Country people did t. So Juba ran a contest in 25 words or less say Why you want coloured Margarine. Thousands entered. The Winner got an All expense paid trip for two to Florida. The Margarine was coloured. Then there was the infamous outhouse fight with Russell Doern a classic of Juba winning the Day in Public relations terms. He ridiculed his opponent by having the outhouse deposited in the that was Juba the Clown. Decter also talks about Juba the serious comparing Drapeaux handling of the olympics and Juba s handling of the pan am games in 1967. The pan am games were run successfully on a Low budget. It was an event where All the facilities were of a scale that was useful to the Community afterwards. Juba was the Salesman and then had the Good sense to let the people run the games whereas Drapeau had to inject himself into the running of the olympics with disastrous re does Juba s written consent mean this is an authorized biography not exactly. Decter s contract with Lorimer says Decter adds it s going to end up being a sympathetic biography but i Don t intend to get Juba s approval on the Juba biography is Decter s first Book. Decter is an in economics from Harvard University was executive assistant to de Broad Bent in Ottawa acting head of plan Ning for the Manitoba government then worked for the Spivak task Force. He resigned in june to pursue other interests freelancing and a Little economic consulting for a number of governments who la re main Lorimer has Given Decter an and Vance of and a Standard Royalty agreement. The Book will be pub Iii the summer or fall. Absurdities from the new York review of books personal column editor 56, jewish ailing wife seeks woman who enjoys Mozart yoga cheese n fruit swimming and laughing at life s absurdities. Metro Politan by. In sickness and in health a a. Old Arlington Bridge and the Salter Bridge than to relocate the up mar shalling Yards. Estimates in 1976 set the potential costs of repairing and constructing the three Bridges at million. Construction costs for the Sherbrook Mcgregor overpass alone were pegged at million. Present estimates for the construction of the overpass Are closer to million dollars plus another Mil lion for rerouting Sherbrook and Furby streets. Winnipeg mayor Robert Steen said monday that the overpass is still the Only viable option for the City despite the renewed interest in relocating the Yards. Millions of dollars have already been expended in examining the Relo cation option said the mayor. The area has been studied to he added. Even if up could be convinced to give up its Yards the City could never afford to service the vacant inner City land and the new marshalling Yard property with sewers and streets. The mayor estimated the total Cost of relocation at about million dollars. He said the earlier Esti mates Laid out in a report by City consultants Damas and Smith failed to consider the City s costs in Servic ing. The 1977 report said it would Cost up rail million to build new Yards on its Rosser property but the rail Way could save million Over 15 years because of improved efficiency. The added value of the old site would bring the net Cost to Mil lion. Railway relocation is just not Worth it unless someone else is foot ing the said Steen adding that the senior Levels of government had shown Little interest in financing Relo cation. People should Stop dreaming so much it s just too Rich for our the mayor said last week. However sister Macnamara Dis missed Steen s comments. The problem Here is a political one not a financial she said. Meanwhile a up spokesman said monday the railway had no interest in relocating the marshalling Yards. There has never been an interest to relocate. That s part of the conf said Public relations officer George Smellie. There is no need for the rail company to consider moving operations As the 60-year-old Yards Are efficient and productive despite their age said Smellie. Relocation would Cost up much More than projected by the City consultants in their relocation study suggested Smellie. However up would be prepared to co operate with the government if relocation was requested. Federal rail relocation legislation says the government May move rail lines out of a City Centre As Long As the railway neither gains nor loses by the move. Alexandria court hearing set civic environment committee Mon Day reserved dec. 18 for a hearing into the protective listing under City bylaw of the Alexandria court apart ment Block As a heritage building. The three Storey apartment Block at Edmonton Street and Graham ave. Was recently recommended by Council s historic buildings sub com Mittee to Merit Grade three Sta Tus which does t Rule out demolition. Ii will be up to environment com Mittee and Council whether to con serve the Shell or elements of the 1905 Brick Structure. This fall tenants of the building were told to be out by nov. 1 to enable major structural it was later discovered the building was headed for demolition. Winnipeg free press tuesday december 5, 1978 2nd class mail registration number 02ae of in air staff photo the executive Secretary of the Christmas cheer Board Byrdye Beckel Points with Pride at a display of hundreds of hand knitted garments donated by Winnipeg the garments along with other contributions will go into Christmas hampers and for distribution to needy families in the City. Mayor Robert Steen still has not been notified if Winnipeg will receive the required Federal permission or the requested special Grant to build the Sherbrook Mcgregor overpass. Steen said monday afternoon he still had t heard from Federal trans port minister Otto Lang who has final say on the funding. I am giving him the Benefit of the doubt that he is just waiting for a propitious time to approach cab said Steen when asked if he thought the minister was stalling. But you never know what he is going to said the mayor. Steen s office did reach Federal minister of Urban affairs Andre Ouellet late last week and was Able to Calm Ouellet s concerns that the overpass would destroy a federally funded neighbourhood improvement project . Area. Steen said that contrary to representations made to Ouellet Only eight of the 49 housing units slated for demolition Are part of the . Project. However Steen admitted recent Public reaction against building the Bridge May once again Sway Ouel let s opinion. A spokesman in Lang s office told the mayor last week that a reply to the City s application for funding would be forthcoming before wednes Day s Council meeting. By Rick Blanchard civic environment committee on monday ordered an in camera meet ing in 60 Days to Deal with what it views As sensitive issues Stem Ming from a methane Gas problem at old Landfill Sites. Highly inflammable methane Gas seeping up from rotting garbage of former Landfill Sites is causing the City to delay development on or with in 500 feet of the old garbage dumps. Methane inherited from old Gar Bage is a continent wide problem but technical information on How to Han dle Winnipeg s individual Case is Only just being prepared. On monday the environment com Mittee faced making a decision to allow a Small residential develop ment within 500 feet of an old Landfill site in East Kildonan but stalled pending arrival of a technical re port. A number of developers with prop erty on or near former Landfill Sites Are chomping at the bit to go ahead and build according to coun. Alf Skowron Skowron urged committee to con Sider the moral dilemma coun cil faces in whether to impose the methane danger on future owners or occupants of buildings constructed near old landfills. He charged the City administration with and Hocking their Way in Deal ing with a problem they Don t know How to Deal and with bending a lot of questions he has asked. Civic environment commissioner Dave Henderson told the committee a technical report to help formulate policy is on its Way but he admitted there is no exact science to handle the problem. Henderson said of the 27 old land fills probed for a methane problem the problem has been narrowed Down to four or five Sites. Henderson said a preliminary look at a task Force s technical report showed it might be technically Possi ble to de activate the methane source if the source was known in each Case. But he added that if methane was migrating underground along trenches into other areas the question still remained As to How to build a Barrier to prevent escape of the Gas to beyond the controlled area. Coun. Jim Ernst Mill agreed with an in camera ses Sion and review of the technical re port before approving development close to an old Landfill site. Ernst said the matter deserves in camera attention and has Finan Cial implications for the City. Four St. Boniface industries have received More than million in compensation from the City because they located on City Industrial land converted from the Warman Road garbage dump and subsequently faced methane problems. Discussion on the City s contentious apartment loss study was again delayed at monday s civic Environ ment committee meeting. Committee members agreed More time was required to Deal with the re port which says Tough City up grading codes Are responsible for the Demoli Tion of inner City apartments. We should be looking at t Nis at As a policy said coun. June Westbury urging the committee to set another Date for debate. Coun. Jim Ernst said it was impossible for the committee to Deal with the report s recommendations at monday s meeting because they raised so Many questions. Ernst said he would like to know How the City treasurer would react to the two part loan program to help landlords comply with City orders recommended in the apartment loss report. However director of the City s environmental planning department Roy Darke said it was time Council lors dealt with the study. Someplace sometime the City has to sit Down and Deal with this. Otherwise we just prepare report upon report for no said Darke. The purpose of these reports is to raise added the planning director. The committee s chief housing critic coun. Cyril keeper asked Why some discussion could not take place. Why not do it the said keeper nevertheless the com Mittee set next monday a the Dale for continued discussion on the re port. The apartment loss study was re leased in october after one year s Worth of preparation by City plan ners and consultants. About 1700 apartment units were closed or demolished Between Jan uary 1972 and june 1978, the re port indicated. Of these 58-1 were lost because landlords found it More economical to demolish the units. Chalmers improvement urged the City s environment committee recommended monday the City spend si.2 million Over the next four years under the neighbourhood improve ment program in the Chalmers area of East Kildonan As Long As the Federal government agrees to foot its share of the Bill. Although the Fate of the Federal government s . Is Uncertain Federal funds will be available in 1979 through the new Community services Grants program. The new program which will come into effect , will provide Block funding to the provinces for various endeavours including neighbourhood improvement said a report to the committee. While the details of the Cost sharing Between the three Levels of govern ment Are not Yel known the City s . Director Tom Yauk said the Only Way the City can expect to get any Money is by applying. In addition to the City contribution the environment committee recommended the City request Cost sharing of the improvement program from the province through a Community services Grant and ask the Federal government to indicate How much residential rehabilitation assistance program funding the Chalmers area can expect As a new generation improvement area. The area proposed for neighbor Hood improvement is bounded by Henderson Highway Washington Avenue the Canadian Pacific railway and the red River ;