Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 18, 2007, Winnipeg, Manitoba B2 City Winnipeg free press tuesday december 18, 2007 Winnipeg repress. Com seasons greetings from Hugh Mcfadyen and the progressive conservative caucus the twelve songs of Christmas Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephen when the Snow Lay round about deep and Crisp and even brightly shone the Moon that night though the Frost was cruel when a poor Man came in sight Gath ring Winter fuel " hither Page and stand by me if thou know St it telling yonder peasant who is he where and what his dwelling " sire he lives a Good league hence underneath the Mountain right against the Forest Fence by Saint Agnes " bring me flesh and bring me wine bring me Pine logs hither thou and i will see him Dine when we Bear him Page and Monarch Forth they went Forth they went together through the rude wind s wild lament and the bitter weather " sire the night is Darker now and the wind blows stronger fails my heart i know not How i can go no " Mark my footsteps my Good Page tread thou in them boldly thou Shalt find the Winter s rage freeze thy blood less in his master s Steps he trod where the Snow Lay tinted heat was in the very Sod which the Saint had printed therefore Christian men be sure wealth or rank possessing be who now will bless the poor shall yourselves find Blessing j. H. Bruns collegiate 6 to see and hear each choir perform please go to Winnipeg repress. Com Good King Wenceslas r rising $ 12.5 million is no easy task even when names like Richardson Asper and Buhler Are on your Side. But that big fat fundraising target does not represent All the Cash the friends of upper fort Garry must amass in their quest to transform surplus City land along main Street and Assiniboine Avenue into a heritage Park and interpretive Centre befitting the Cit yes Birthplace. Last week a closed door Council vote allowed the friends a coalition of wealthy philanthropists and retired politicians to pursue their heritage dreams if they could develop a business plan by the end of january. They also need to raise 80 per cent of the Cash needed to build the Park before the end of March which amounts to a Cool $ 10 million. That figure does not include the value of the land the City is prepared to Fork Over to the heritage group. It also does not cover the final piece of the upper fort Garry Puzzle the Grain Exchange Curling club which the friends must also Purchase or at least strike a Deal to Purchase before the end of March. According to City records that piece of property on fort Street is assessed at $ 491,000 and would probably command a prettier Price on the open Market seeing How close it sits to the parking deprived Manitoba club on Broadway. But More importantly the people who run the Grain Exchange Arentt exactly eager to sell it. Ive been Here for years and this comes up All the time said Greg Sokalski general manager of the Curling club which has been the subject of Sale rumours since former mayor Bill Norrie was a fresh new face at City Council. It hurts us because our members think were about to close Down Sokalski continued. Ism not really against the friends of upper fort Garry but nobody has come and talked to us about it. Built in 1948, the Grain Exchange Curling club occupies 17,300 Square feet of land Northwest of the surplus City property the friends have been lobbying to control for most of the year. Sokalski said the club has 300 members but hosts Many More curlers during tournaments. He said the club is a non profit organization. The property is registered owner is listed in City documents As the Grain Exchange Curling club Ltd. And heres where things get murky As neither Sokalski nor club Secretary Bruce Peloquin Are Clear about who would stand to receive the Cash if the Curling club property was sold. I dont know the answers to those questions Peloquin said. Ironically it May very Well be that two of the friends most prominent members May already own a piece of the property albeit indirectly. If Grain companies still own shares in the Grain Exchange Curling club Ltd., James Richardson & sons May be among them. Both George and Hartley Richardson Are listed among the friends of upper fort Garry. Maybe those two could help swing a Deal. Can buses have bad hair Days its not every Day that an inanimate object turns Down a photo of but Winnipeg transits newest piece of machinery can safely be described As a diva. Last week the City paraded its new prototype Bendy bus that is articulated diesel electric hybrid before newspaper and television cameras but the free press photo staff was too Busy with other assignments to attend the curtain Call. So on monday i made another request to take a photo of the new bus either on the Street or at the station. To the amusement of my editors the request was denied. Transit advises the articulated hybrid test bus in t available for photos for the next few Days City spokesman Ken Allen said in an e mail that also contained a few of the Cit yes own snaps of the vehicle. Do motor vehicles Wear makeup do hybrids look too Hung Over the morning after they guzzle too much diesel fuel Well never know As the Bendy bus could not be reached for comment. Bartley. Kives free press. My. Ca friends of fort May have f friends on the inside Bartley Kives the Richardson May already indirectly own a piece of the fort. Winnipeg transit photo transit sent a picture of articulated diesel electric hybrid Bendy Bush obviously taken from the buses Good Side. Strength in numbers the Winnipeg free press is read by 44% of Winnipeg adults every weekday. Thatus # 1 in Canada among major newspapers. Phil Hossack / Winnipeg free press upper fort Garry Park plan includes Grain Exchange Curling club ;