Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 10, 2000, Winnipeg, Manitoba Tracking can unlock a hidden wild world new maps Hope to build Bridges former Filmon Cabinet ministers Likely to have High Alliance profile Exchange / continued from Page by a a there a a Hole in the roof the size of a greyhound bus now a Rostecki says. A but there a a lot of Iron work in that building so what you re seeing is the deterioration of the wooden part of the across the Street is the Ryan building built in 1906, which has been vacant and deteriorating for several years. At the turn of the last Century Thomas Ryan housed his wholesale boots and shoes business there while a Tea importer and a loan company also found space inside. But where Many see deterioration others see Opportunity says Wayne Copet executive director of the Exchange District business improvement zone. A people have been in the office recently looking at a mixed use for the building Quot Copet says. A they recognize it would take a lot of work but there Are lots of people who look at a building like that and see maybe it could be a computer firm. Where once Banks the Grain Industry and wholesalers ruled now programmers and software developers Are moving in turning the area into a Caber Village. There Are 93 computer companies throughout the District. One building the Silit building has As Many As 15 computer companies inside. Rounding off the list of endangered buildings is the nearby vacant 104-108 Princess St., a romanesque revival warehouse built in 1885, and a few blocks Over the former Bank of Commerce at 389 main St., which was built in 1910 end features a huge doric colonnade on the front with a Large stained Glass dome on the Interior ceiling. This building May soon be leaving the list because mar West development corp. Recently announced it will donate it to a non profit group to use As a museum and Multi use facility called the Canadian Unity Centre. The Exchange District Isnit a museum. The buildings Are used for Many purposes not just businesses but a burgeoning residential component. Just a hop skip and jump away to the South from the Princess Street scape is a lot of work in Progress at 123 Princess St., where Pat Hitchcock has been working at turning a former printing press parts manufacturing shop into the a coolest loft a a it a definitely the heritage aspect and the location that a the reason for me doing this a Hitchcock says. A a we re trying to preserve As much As we can Here. People done to want to live in Little houses when they move Here. They want to see the a few Steps Over at King Street and William Avenue is the maw Block where Joseph maw before going into the car Dealership business housed his Carriage business at the turn of the Century. On the third floor of the building Long ago destroyed by fire maw even had a bicycle track so people could test drive bicycles or learn How to ride them Rostecki said. Further to the East at Mcdermot Avenue and Albert Street is the area known As newspaper Row. Here Edi k in a always Happy once there a a Good covering of Snow on the ground. No in a not an avid skier or snowmobiler a in a a tracker. One of my Favourite Winter activities is identifying and interpreting the tracks animals leave in the Snow. I was reminded of the importance of tracks one Day last week Doug Collicutt on the Way Home from my morning trip to the Coffee shop. There was a set of fresh footprints up the walk. Someone had stopped by the door turned and left again. When i reached the door and opened the Mailbox my suspicions proved Correct a the mail Carrier had come. A covering of Snow is like a pressure sensitive photographic plate it records everything that happens to it. Each new snowfall wipes the plate clean resetting it to Start recording All Over again. You can use this marvellous feature of Snow to glimpse into the lives of animals in Winter. Perhaps some experiences in be already had this Winter May inspire you to give this new outdoor activity a try. The White Jackrabbit i saw in my regular dog walking Field and wrote about weeks ago the one that had stuck out like a sore thumb on the Brown grass is now invisible in the Snow covered Field but i know it s still around because its tracks Are everywhere. Daily life there a one spot along the Fence where that Rabbit and perhaps others regularly ducks under As it comes and goes. From there a number of separate trails Branch out and there Are Bare patches where the rabbits have scraped away the Snow to eat the grass beneath. In one visit to this Snow covered Field i discovered More about the jackrabbits daily life than i d Learned from a whole Summers Worth of dog walks. Then on last weekends trip to our White Shell cottage i was in tracking heaven. I went off by myself for a Long afternoon walk Down an old logging Road. The Cloven Hoo prints of White tailed Deer were everywhere. Their trails through the Bush were prominent where they dragged their feet through the shallow Snow. At one Point a Wolf had padded Down a Section of Road neatly placing its Hind paws into the imprint of the front feet its Trail a business like straight line not the silly ambling of a dog. Farther on was a smaller set of dog like tracks belonging to a red Fox. A winding Trail of Bird like prints revealed a ruffed grouse at one Point. Its Trail ended abruptly marked by the tracings of its Wing feathers against the Snow. At several Points red Squirrel Quot highways criss crossed the Trail Back and Forth from tree to tree. Deer mice identified themselves with their Long tails dragging in the Snow. A Vole of some sort had crossed the Road at one Point its Trail similar to that of a Small Deer mouse but without the Tail Marks. Here and there tiny shrews had alternately hopped Over the surface or slowed under the shallow Snow leaving Long tunnels. Real finds Snowshoe hares with their enormous Hind feet had bounded along the Road in a dozen places. Then two real finds the feet together bounding gait of a Fisher and a similar smaller set of prints revealing that a Marten had been by too. In a couple of hours id encountered 12 kinds of animals though id seen Only one a a red Squirrel chattering at me from a Jack Pine Bough. The tracks they left in the Snow were tangible proof of their presence. All that had separated us was time. Making sense of tracks in the Snow is not difficult. Identifying the animal that left a particular track is the first step and this requires some practice but there Are a number of Good books and web Sites around to get you started. The Dean of these resources is Olaus j. Murie s a Field guide to animal tracks no. 9 in the Peterson Field guide series. It was first published in 1954 and is still the Standard. If you re looking for a new Winter activity give tracking a try. Its a great Way to glimpse into the lives of our All too often unseen wildlife and another Way to appreciate our Manitoba Winters. Doug Collicutt is a Winnipeg biologist who Aims to explore and celebrate Manitoba s biodiversity. For More info visit by Helen falling the future of Canadian conservatism might look a lot like Brian Banister a socially moderate and passionately committed to finding common ground Between the Canadian Alliance and the tories. The new Alliance my for Portage Lis Gar is As Young and telegenic As party Leader Stockwell Day but carries none of the evangelical Christian baggage that doomed the party in Eastern Canada. Pallister and Provencher my elect vie Toews a former provincial tory Cabinet ministers a believe Day should be Given a Chance to prove himself in the House of commons where the pair could soon be sitting on the Alliance front Bench. Quot both of them demonstrate that they re bringing conservatives in which is what the Alliance wants to do Quot said University of Manitoba political scientist David Stewart. A i would expect that both of them would have fairly High profile a key Canadian Alliance organizer in Ontario provincial consumer minister Bob Runciman recently suggested its time to create another new party to unite the right but Toews and Pallister believe the Alliance is still up to the task. They won their Federal seats last month by persuading tory voters to Quot swim across the River to the Alliance As Pallister puts it. The new party will have to learn How to do the same in Ontario Quebec and Atlantic Canada if it is Ever to form a government. Toews said he Hopes to get a seat in the opposition benches next to conservative maps. A i Hope i can play a bit of a role of a voter queasiness about Alliance Leader Stockwell Days views on Abor Tion Gay rights and capital punishment helped sink the Campaign in Ontario but thews said he thinks the new party could learn a few lessons from the former Filmon government. It commanded the loyalty of Reform party supporters without scaring away Federal conservatives. Toews said former Manitoba tory Leader Gary Filmon left individual Las free to take positions on controversial social issues that reflected the views of their constituents. A i Hope that we can work out that kind of an accommodation Quot said Toews who attends a mennonite Brethren Church but does not like to talk about religion in his political life. Pallister believes the liberals succeeded in painting a false picture of Day a one that frightened Many women in his Riding. The first Challenge Pallister said will be to make sure canadians get a Chance to really know Day and his wife Valorie As people. A former Federal tory leadership candidate Pallister is one of the alliances most High profile converts. But Stewart said provincial tories from the West will not be enough to win Over Ontario tories. A i think they need somebody from Pallister said there is room for his own moderate social views in the Alliance and former conservatives can help clarify the Alliance policies that make some voters nervous. A that does no to happen if people just stand Back and say a the recipe does no to include me and never will a a Pallister said. Pallister suggests that the Alliance plan an outreach tour to connect with conservative party volunteers who do not want to a waste Quot any More time working for a party with dwindling support. He knows full Well that tory Leader Joe Clark will never join the Alliance but plans to a go around 7 Hope i can play a hit of a role of a conciliator Between tory and Alliance maps in the House of commons a a vie Toews Pallister is committed to finding common ground Between tories Alliance. As the new kid in the Alliance caucus Pallister said he is risking accusations of disloyalty As he tries to build Bridges with the conservative party he Only recently left a a party that was openly hostile to the Alliance throughout the election Campaign. However Pallister expects most of his Peers to support him. A they understand the prospects Are very Bright for the Alliance if it accepts the Challenge of Toews said he will remind Manitoba a Only tory my Rick Boro Tsik that they worked Well together when Toews was provincial labour minister. But Boro Tsik thinks the tories Are More Likely than the Alliance to develop an alternative to the liberals that canadians find acceptable. He said he will probably have merely a cordial relationship with Toews and Pallister. A i done to think they have a lot to converted to residential use. I the Inland Revenue warehouse at 145 Mcdermot ave. Built in 1908 by the Federal government this edwardian romanesque revival style building at one time had coming through its doors All the goods being brought to Western Cortada through Winnipeg. The rounded head openings Are where shipments coming in on adjacent rail lines were delivered for inspection. The building continues As a Federal building housing Parks Canada. I the pantages theatre at 80 Market ave. Built in 1913 for vaudeville shows it is one of three other buildings individually listed by the Federal government As a National historic site. Rostecki says that what a happening in the Exchange District now is a far cry from the situation just a few years ago when the main danger to the area was from City councillors who were still debating putting a freeway system across the City. One of the main branches would have slowed through the heart of the Exchange in route to St. Boniface. Now Rostecki says fire remains the main danger for any of these buildings. He says he a Happy about the irony that in the end it was nothing More than a stagnation and neglect that retained the Exchange District buildings As a potential drawing card for tourists. A it Cost More to tear them Down than to keep them running at a Bare minimum and pay the \ is tors and reporters from the Manitoba free press at 217 Mcdermot ave., Winnipeg Tribune and Winnipeg Telegram at 242 Mcdermot ave., and the National newspaper service All three founded the Canadian press scooped their rivals during the Day and drowned their troubles in the evening at the nearby criterion hotel at 214 Mcdermot. Built in 1903, the criterion is another building considered to be among the top five in the area because of its distinctive coloured Terra Cotta on the main floor exterior which is also featured on the inside of the main floor. Take a Quick look at the criterion a next door Neighbour the red Sandstone Lake of the Woods building at 212 Mcdermot. Built in 1901, its an example of romanesque revival architecture. It was built for the Lake of the Woods milling co., the largest such company in the country at the time. Around the Corner and to the South is the third top five building electric railway Chambers at 213 notre Dame ave., built in 1913. Most Winni Eggers know this 11-Storey building More for its exterior which is covered with 6,000 Christmas lights every year. It housed the Winnipeg electric railway co., which operated the City a electric Streetcar system and its first hydroelectric Utility. It was built in the Chicago school architectural style. Look hard and you can see lion statuary jutting out of the uppermost floor. Along main Street was Bankers Row the financial Centre of Winnipeg with Western Canadas most important Banks. In this four Block stretch on either Side were located 18 major Bank buildings including the Canadian Bank of Commerce at 389 main the Bank of Hamilton at 395 main the Bank of British North America at 436 main and the Bank of Toronto at 456 main. As Well As the Headquarters of the confederation life Assurance co. At 457 main. The confederation life building and the Union Bank Tower and Annex formerly Royal Bank at 500-504 main Are the last two of the top five buildings and Are the Only ones listed individually As Federal National historic Sites. The confederation life building left Princess Street As it used to look including some of the buildings still standing today. Below the ornate Interior of the former Bank of Commerce at 389 main Street. Built in 1912, is considered one of the finest examples of the Chicago school style in the District. Its wedding cake exterior is rounded to follow the Bend in main Street and it is constructed of steel reinforced Concrete and a White Terra Cotta facade with a base of polished Granite. It was built for the Toronto based confederation life Assurance co., which sold it in 1960. It is now occupied by government offices. The Union Bank Tower built in 1903, with the Annex reconstructed in 1921, is known by most Winni Eggers today As the Royal Bank building because the Union Bank merged with the Royal Bank in 1925. Its the oldest Chicago school skyscraper still standing in Western Canada. Inside the Tower Are painted ceilings on the main floor and in the Annex Are stained Glass skylights. The Bank of Hamilton built in 1916, is also listed As a National historic site. Our tour takes us briefly to the East Side of main Street into the Grain Exchange area. Here the buildings were once a mix of warehouses publishing houses customs offices and insurance companies. Walking Down Mcdermot Avenue the area from 165 to 179 Mcdermot is another of the districts intact sections of buildings including the Dawson Richardson building at 169-171 Mcdermot constructed in 1921, and the Porter building at 165 Mcdermot built in 1906. Other buildings in this area include i the third Grain Exchange building at 167 Lombard ave. Built in 1906 As a seven Storey Structure seven More floors were added in 1913, and three other floors were added Over the years. It was built in the Renaissance Palazzo style and includes a false Balcony on the second floor. I the great West life building at 177 Lombard originally was four storeys tall when built in 1909. Serving As the head office for the growing company a further four storeys were added in 1922. The company moved to Osborne Street in 1958. I the Ashdown warehouse at 167-179 Bannatyne ave. Built in 1895, this stored goods for the hardware Chain bearing the owners name. It has been ;