Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 16, 2014, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE 10 OPINION A10 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2014 Previous polls: How are you dealing with all of the snow this winter? Snowblower for the win! I upgraded my shovel. I like the upper- body exercise. I hired someone to clear it. Equal time shovelling and complaining. I don't clear snow. I live like a mountain goat. I left town. Should the federal government adopt income splitting for families? Yes, it's a great idea. No, the country can't afford it. The government should cut everybody's taxes. What did you think of the federal budget? Canada is heading in the right direction. Meh. Could have been better; could have been worse. I am frightened for the future. Who cares? The Olympics are on! What do you think is the best way to help kids avoid obesity? Enrol them in organized sports. Encourage them to play more outside. Provide them healthier food. Are you satisfied with Canada's performance so far at the Olympics? Yes No I don't care NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH T HOSE of you in crabby, well- informed residents' associations will know already that, after you review Brent Bellamy's Jan. 27 column Embracing Density , you must resist the urge to be neighbourly. Bellamy encourages us to believe jampacking old areas doesn't reduce urban sprawl. However, his column omitted the fact city hall recently created 15 gigantic, non- dense suburbs. Naturally, developers go where the money is. Suburbs and inner- city towers have two separate markets. They don't eliminate, or even compete with, one another at all. Never have, never will. Let me say straight away, I like an energetic bait- and- switch campaign as much as the next person. Where I live, in South Osborne, my neighbours and I fear massive disruption as many thousands of new residents overcome our quiet mature residential area. The City of Winnipeg still hasn't asked us about our actual needs. Instead, in 2010 it abruptly authorized the biggest infill development in Winnipeg's history. The Yards at Fort Rouge condo project will more than double the population of our charming cul- de- sac. It will add more than 5,000 people. It will overwhelm South Osborne. Our city councillor has indicated she will not consider our concerns until after these new people arrive. What's up with that? In addition, we just heard another developer is building condos for 2,000 more people near Morley Avenue. Their main road will be the narrow, bumpy back lane ( and cycling route) called Argue Street. The Yards' main road will be Rathgar and Beresford avenues, which are also narrow and bumpy. These go right past Lord Roberts School, McKittrick Park, two other playgrounds and two churches. The spectre of this is causing many residents to worry about children's safety, pollution, parking congestion, tree damage, disappearing green space, noise and even sewage backups. One more thing: Any gridlock in South Osborne will stall access to and from all of south Winnipeg. Many residents aren't too happy with this political insensitivity. All over the city - all over the world, actually - residents' groups report density is a euphemism. Its purpose is to guilt residents into submitting to the demands of developers. It also helps keep architects, consultants and the construction industry pleased. Another common euphemism is " revitalization." A recent example: developers in London have decided Leicester Square, where international movie premi�res take place, needs revitalizing. As in many other cities, including Winnipeg, it means tearing down heritage buildings to make room for skyscrapers. To support their claims of needing " density" and " revitalization," developers' websites have much ridiculous information. Bellamy cited hilarious examples about the Yards project: residents found out they crave a 1970 population, and that 900 family- sized condos will only add 1,800 people. Locals find this strange. Every developer's open house promotes funny factoids. In South Osborne, we've been told building on parks is good. Wetlands are irrelevant. No one will have cars. Towers don't cast shadows. Condos won't emit any light. Rapid transit can't use Pembina. Old railway soil is non- toxic. Trains are baby- friendly. Whatever will they think up next? Trouble is, politicians take these fake facts seriously. Heaven knows why. None of our councillors ever jump up and cry, " I'll take 10 of what he's building! Just put them over there beside the barbecue!" I do feel for lawmakers, who face hordes of voters who want less traffic, frequent ( not faster) buses, peace, quiet, strong communities and scenic views. In Winnipeg, most of us don't buy into the pro- development rhetoric. It doesn't address our needs. But community- building only gets people talking, then they create phone trees, and before you know it, they're all over the email with questions. They start complaining about 18- wheeler flatbeds near playgrounds. How do you stop all this gathering together for the common good? That's simple: We must stop being neighbourly. Then, we wouldn't have to drive where politicians and developers live to get a break from all their density. I'll go further: Winnipeggers' community spirit is a leading barrier to our rehabilitation. Let's plow under the trees. Let's build 17 highrises right on top of my house. Let's see back lanes, boulevard gardens and tot lots as tomorrow's condo footprints. Developers and city hall together hope that, if Winnipeggers were only a little more content to overpopulate the city, they could have more of our money for more progress. I don't see evidence anywhere in the city that voters feel this way. I, for one, am very glad to live where neighbours care so much for each other's welfare. That's what healthy vibrant communities are all about. Bev Pike is a Winnipeg artist and community activist. Anyone who might want to sue her should know her worldly wealth consists exactly of two bird feeders, a pair of old boots and these words. By Bev Pike Developers think we're all dense 27% 13% 52% 8% 35% 20% 45% 69% 5% 27% 15% 36% 50% H OCKEY Winnipeg announced a new policy Wednesday making it mandatory for parents to complete an online Respect in Sports course, but many of our readers doubt it will stop some hockey dads and moms from acting like morons. Noble idea, but I can't see it having much of an impact. Most parents are normal and have common sense and they know what it's all about. It's that small per cent that make the news, that are born idiots, that should never be parents in the first place... no amount of courses is going to change how they behave. These special cases need to be banned from all arenas... problem solved. - LuckyBucky If this mandatory course even changes one idiot's behaviour, it will be worth it. Sadly however, as in many life instances, the idiot does not recognize him/ herself and thinks everyone else is the idiot. The refs cannot be everywhere, there are no cameras, this is just minor hockey - but when parents have issues with refs or other parents, there should be some sort of plan to address the conflict without resulting in fists and mouths flying off. Stop the game for three minutes or followup after the game - anything but storming locker- rooms and fighting in front of the children or in the rink in front of everyone, shameful schoolyard bullying behaviour. - LOKA The course is a waste. The behaviour that causes people to yell at other people, threaten other people and physically attack other people is not unlearned in a two- hour " feel good" course. That takes a lot of therapy and hard work. - Gack Sadly, a lot of parents think their kid is playing for the Stanley Cup and, even more remarkably, believe their kid will one day win a Stanley Cup. It has become a sad game to attend. - Chad W. Some parents get upset because they think what has happened is affecting little Billy's meteoric rise to the NHL. That's a small part of it. Most parents who get upset are ticked off by what they see as a disregard for safety, either by refs or by opposing coaches who can sometimes seem to condone goonery by their players ( such as congratulating kids on the bench for head shots, can openers or spearing). Which isn't to say its right, but it's not accurate to say parents who get upset are all deluded about their son's talent or prospects. - Family Guy Treat everyone like a criminal. Seems like a great solution. NOT. - 23595227 Road rage, hockey rage - something to really be proud of. Why in the world would people need lessons on how to behave toward each other? I guess they do. - Tamaro Step in the right direction but some parents still won't get it. We might still need something like a $ 500 good sportsmanship bond. - seneca Sadly, like everything else, the only people who will take this seriously will be those who don't need it. Anyone who has passed the age of five still believing that full- out tantrums are acceptable will never in a million years change that behavior, usually because it works. - Southend If kids have to have names on the back of their jerseys so we can identify them, maybe we should have name bars attached to all parents when they enter the rink? ' Who is that being the jerk?' or ' That is the parent of this player on the ice.' Now we can identify the kid and sympathize with him for having parents like that. - 23622772 Get the smartphone video cameras rolling. Nothing works better than a public shaming. - Rooby Readers weigh in with all due respect 24% 4% 12% 11% 24% 13% 11% POLL How have you been handling your Hydro bills this winter? Vote online at winnipegfreepress. com KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Bev Pike believes the Yards at Fort Rouge condo project will disrupt the neighbourhood. A_ 10_ Feb- 16- 14_ FP_ 01. indd A10 2/ 15/ 14 5: 36: 39 PM ;