Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 19, 2007, Winnipeg, Manitoba N of i know exactly How Elvis Felt and ism talking Here about Elvis in his prime not overweight White jumpsuit Elvis. Ism talking about hugs and kisses from hundreds of adoring fans who Are overcome with excitement at the very sight of your sexy red velvet suit and about to cameras thrust in your sweat stained face All while you re thundering through icy skies on a luxury Jet at about 26,000 feet. But thatus just the kind of thing you have to learn to Cope with when you agree to put on the big red suit and play Santa Claus on the fifth annual North pole express. For Many inner City kids this annual Holiday flight organized by the Winnipeg airports authority signature vacations and sky service airlines is their first Chance to set foot on a real air plane. On tuesday about 160 wildly excited kids from Pinkham and Dufferin schools were bused to the Airport and squeezed onto a Boeing 757 for a Chance to make some serious Joyful noise and meet Santa. Last year i Rode along As the worlds largest Elf. This year i was upgraded to Santa. My Elf shoes were filled yesterday by my buddy Bob Cox who also happens to be the publisher of this newspaper and if you want to get technical my Boss. As Novice elves go Bob looked pretty Cool decked out in a red Vest Billowy Green pants a puffy shirt a hat with a Jingle Bell at the end and Genie style footwear. In the interests of unbiased journalism i interviewed several kids about whether they believed my Boss was in fact an Elf from the North pole. Ten year old Edith Fossen Euve made a frown face and chirped no i think hers a Volunteer. He looks like a pirate. Editors note he did Madison Keating 8, a Grade 3 student at Pinkham was even More sceptical pointing to a critical costume error. Well she scolded Bob in her most severe tone if you Are an Elf where Are your pointy ears if i had to sum up yesterdays flight in a single word that word would be loud it would not Surprise me to learn the sound Waves emanating from our flight demolished buildings As far away As grand Forks. It is a North pole express tradition that the kids Are restricted to making noise on two very specific occasions namely 1 when the plane is moving and 2 when the plane is not moving. The excitement began for this fidgety band of first time fliers when they spilled off their buses and were greeted outside the Airport by jazz and Haley two very real and very cute Reindeer from the zoo. The first time i saw it one of the Reindeer i thought it a snot real Quiara Francisco 8, a Grade 3 student at Pinkham squeaked her eyes As wide As dinner plates. But when i got close it was real then the kids were off to the observation lounge for a healthy lunch including carrots doled out by Winnipeg Blue bomber Star Matt Sheridan who is roughly the size of a convenience store. You dont want carrots Matt would say in mock Surprise then quickly add dude How Many carrots do you want continued please see Santa b 2 Winnipeg repress. Com c Ity & b business w wednesday december 19, 2007 City editor Paul Samyn 697 7292 City. Desk free press. My. Ca i Winnipeg repress. Com i family notices c7 b 1 Airport Deal close new hotel office building in works business b 9 tonight. On Csc news at 6. Families searching for Day care Are anxious to hear about the province s plan for a centralized waiting list. The Unsung heroes of Miles Macdonell collegiate serve up a Christmas dinner. And dont miss the free press minute with Rob Williams on the weaker thanks Homecoming 4 .89% mortgages from free mortgage transfers rates subject to change. Wow. Crosstown civic. My. Ca Crosstown civic credit Union by Joe Paraskevas Winnipeg City Council passed the 2008 capital budget by an easy margin of 12 to 4 tuesday although opponents to mayor Sam Katz had Strong criticisms of the document that outlined the coming years project spending. At a special Council meeting to consider the $ 421.5 million budget and the Cit yes five year capital plan the mayor and virtually All councillors who spoke to the budget motion acknowledged the City faces serious challenges fiscal environmental and infrastructural that the latest edition of the budget is meant to address. To Days budget solves problems that were left unfixed for years Katz said in his opening remarks. And yet few councillors shared katzes optimism. In the ensuing three hours even councillors who supported the budget raised concerns about budget priorities and the Means the City would choose to pay for Public works. Voting against the budget were councillors Jenny Gerbasi fort Rouge Lillian Thomas Elmwood Dan Vandal St. Boniface and Harvey Smith Daniel Mcintyre. The 12 4 vote while a solid Victory for Katz and his allies signalled the third year in which opposition to the mayor has grown at budget time. Last year the vote was 12 3 and in the year before Only Smith opposed the capital budget. The matter that Drew the most attention was the Cit yes continuing efforts to use Public private partnerships also known As p3s, to finance Small and Large construction projects. Private companies front the costs of such partnerships and pay for maintenance while the City pays to lease the infrastructure that the private sector has built. But Gerbasi said the City would pay about $ 25 million annually for up to 30 years in lease payments for a handful of projects both existing and proposed that would be financed under p3s. The Best known completed p3 project is the Charleswood Bridge that spans the Assiniboine River at Moray Street. The City has approved the use of a p3 to build one of three police stations and has proposed to follow the same Model for the other two As Well As to repair the Disraeli freeway to Elmwood and extend the chief pegu is Trail in North Kildonan. Gerbasi Thomas and Vandal spoke out strongly against p3s. This budget takes us Down the path of debt Gerbasi said. The p3 debt will be there for 30 years no matter what happens to the Economy or Federal funding of cities not Only was the City choosing a method with which she disagreed to pay for capital projects Gerbasi said but she also bemoaned the Lack of a plan for increased Public transportation. Vandal echoed Ger basis complaints. He tabled a motion to Stop the proposed chief pegu is Extension the Cost of which has increased $ 34 million to $ 64 million in under a year and Force an audit of the project. The motion failed 12 to 4, As did a motion by Thomas to include in the budget upgrades to Panet Road and Molson Street in her Ward. Vandal said the budget failed to include More for the Cit yes downtown citing Only $ 400,000 in image enhancements and he launched a scathing attack on the budgets priorities. We Are entering into an Era where approval of this capital budget and the almost half a billion dollars of spending within it will instantly bind us and will tie our hands probably behind our backs for the next two decades into an Auto dependent suburban focused City which wholeheartedly endorses the outdated the expensive ring Road transportation system which was devised in the 40s and the 50s, which will ultimately Hurt our downtown first. Priorities he said. Katz appealed for Council Unity but he also fired Back at his critics and said p3 lease payments represented 4.6 per cent of the total six year budget plan. Joe. Paraskevas free press. My. Ca City budget passed but critics lash out at priorities dreams no screams this Santa feel any warmer after inner City kids treated to Holiday flight in the Doug House Doug Speirs santaus surrounded by a throng of Happy inner City kids on the North pole express. Students enjoy pizza and drinks while watching planes land in the observation lounge. Excited Young travellers left clutch their boarding passes before the plane ride. Gold Wing ambassador Joan Anderson with students before the flight. A Happy traveller mugs for the camera. Hot 103 s Ace Burpee leads the caroling. Photos by Marc Gallant Winnipeg free press for slide show please go to Winnipeg repress. Com rein deers Beth Leclaire from left Tessa Bone and Bradley Houle enjoy the ride of their life ;