Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 13, 2007, Winnipeg, Manitoba b2 Winnipeg free press thursday december 13, 2007 City development Sally Ann dinner fit for an army continued from b1 Turkey and All the trimmings served for a party of 1,000 by Nick Martin i t want a very Good night to be a Turkey ? but the turkeys bad Luck made a lot of people Happy wednesday. The salvation army and a Crew of volunteers served up 45 succulent try roasted turkeys to More than 1,000 peo ple at the Sally Anns annual Christmas dinner on Henry Avenue. Sitting after sitting of people caught some warmth and big plates of great food. Pretty Good said a fellow named Orest leaning Back contentedly if it weren to and proudly Dis for the playing his Blue bombers shirt people i met after polishing off Here i Don to a huge helping. Know where Orest has been coming every id be year getting to ? Frank Laird know one of the serving staff a fellow name of George Hickes whose Day Job is speaker of the Manitoba legislature. Every year i be been doing it 17 years said Hickes the new Democrat la for Point Douglas. A lot of them i be met Over the years. A lot of them Are originally from up if it weren to for the people i met Laird said he would look longingly then he got steered to the Sally Ann the first meals went on the tables at Here i Don to know where id be said at freight trains passing by on Higgins and life started getting a tiny bit better. 5 15 p.m., and the food just kept com Laird. Avenue calculating where and when the salvation army found him a ing. Salvation army major Al Hoeft the 59-year-old construction work they slowed Down he admitted. I got decent Bachelor unit with Manitoba expected at least five sittings we can or found himself homeless last sum it in my head i was going to hop a train housing and connected him with the do 225 at a sitting he said. Mer through a run of hard Luck ? a and go. If id missed id be under the welfare office said Laird. Next year after finishing dinner the Sally debilitating Back injury a pinched train and it would be the Ball game for he starts drawing his Canada pension. Anns guests could find a new Scarf nerve in his shoulder two blockages in i Cook my own meals now he said mitts or Toque from enormous piles of his heart that wont get examined by a pretty much every Public Agency he but he comes to the Sally Ann to be on donated Winter Wear. Specialist until february. Turned to for assistance said no or said the other Side of the table dishing out Frank Laird was helping out ? fair i can to lift anything too heavy. I take his benefits had run out or he did to meals. I said anytime you need a enough he reckoned since the Sally 50, 60 Steps and my right leg goes qualify said Laird. As Long As i could hand ill be Ann has been helping him since the end Laird said. My doctor has told me do lick a postage stamp i could work he of june. Not get says one Agency told him. but in the months since the downtown development committee first approved the Sale committee chairman Russ Wyatt announced he now believes an historic Park makes More sense. If Wyatt and at least one other Mem Ber of the four councillor committee vote against the Crystal Sale today the apartment plan will end up in limbo. And that has the owner of Crystal developers watching today a decision with interest. We need downtown housing. If you want to rejuvenate downtown you need people ? and by that i mean All kinds of people to create a Community said Ruben Spletzer whose company is Rar ing to go on the apartment project which Calls for 15 storeys of residential suites and one Penthouse level above a four Storey Parade and one level of underground parking. Spletzer said Crystal developers tried to hash out a Park development plan with the heritage group friends of upper fort Garry which wanted to build a $12?million heritage Park on top of both the apartment site and the former forts footprint. Frustrated i thought we could develop it together but they Haven to got a Penny to their name said Spletzer apparently frustrated by the friends strategy of lobbying without fundraising. This wonderful piece of property has been neglected for who knows How Long and then All of a sudden everyone comes out of their cocoons and say they have these great ideas ? and nobody has any Money for Harold Buchwald a spokesman for the friends of upper fort Garry said his organization will not raise Money to build a Park unless they gain control of the property. But he said his group will give up its efforts if the downtown development committee re approves the land Sale to Crystal developers this after noon. The apartment building jeopardizes a Quality heritage Centre said Buchwald adding his group would also seek to Dis Mantle other properties that abut the former forts footprint such As the Grain Exchange Curling club on fort Street. Along with coun. Wyatt the downtown development committee is comprised of couns. Gord Steeves Justin Swan Del and Jenny Gerbasi. ;