Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 21, 2020, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE B1 CITY?BUSINESS ASSOCIATE EDITOR, NEWS: STACEY THIDRICKSON 204-697-7292 ? CITY.DESK@FREEPRESS.MB.CA ? WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM B1 MONDAY DECEMBER 21, 2020 SECTION BCONNECT WITH WINNIPEG'S NO. 1 NEWS SOURCE? T HE other day it occurred to me that I had done what I do every Christmas. I'd put off shopping for longer than I realized. It happens every year, December hits and there is a whole blank month ahead of me to plan for the holidays and to get my shopping done. So I usually start the month by browsing through websites, leisurely looking for the best deals on things my kids have asked for, or things I think they might like. And then, like someone who has not been burned by this tactic every single year, I wait. That's right. I seldom even add things to a shopping cart, and on the off chance that I do, that's where my purchases go to die, because I abandon them there. This is when the anxiety and sheer panic hit me like a ton of bricks. Two out of three of my kids believe in all the magic of Christmas, if you know what I'm saying. They have high hopes that the big ticket items on their lists will be under the tree on Christ- mas morning after a visit from Santa. This year is especially challenging, since most gifts have been deemed non-essential purchases, so every- thing has shifted online. I know that there are so many who are working so hard to try to make shopping online and curb-side pickup as seamless as possible. But, wow, COVID Christmas shopping has been stressful. Don't get me wrong, I've managed to spend a lot of money in the last couple of days even though I've procrasti- nated, but I'm not done. Or at least I thought I wasn't done. The other day I was sitting in the parking lot of Mastermind Toys, wait- ing to pick up a couple of LEGO sets I'd ordered. Vehicles pulled into the park- ing lot, as staff members ran out with plastic bags, trying to find the rightful customer. For a cobbled together sys- tem, it ran surprisingly well. After a few attempts to call the store, I got through to someone. She asked me to hold while she gathered my items, and when she came back on the line she recited my purchase back to me. "There are supposed to be two," I replied. "We had to cancel one of them," she said apologetically. "Oh no." This was such a small inconvenience, but in that moment, after several can- celled LEGO orders from various toy stores in Winnipeg over the last couple of days, it seemed like a big deal. So I sat there in my minivan on the verge of tears in a toy store parking lot franti- cally searching for the next place to buy this damn toy before Christmas. Even Amazon couldn't guarantee that I'd get my order in time. Writing this makes me realize how privileged and stupid it all sounds. But, I got caught up in the notion that I needed to buy my kids the most magi- cal Christmas, especially this year. I keep fretting that I won't have enough and I'm trying to make up for the fact that this year will be different. I was putting a lot a pressure on my- self, but I need to stop. More toys aren't going to make this Christmas any less different. We already have enough. It took me having a near breakdown in a busy store parking lot to realize that. I'm not sure if others feel the same kind pressure about Christmas this year, but if you do please be kind to yourself. We are in the middle of a pandemic and we're all trying to make the best of it. Even Santa may have a few items that aren't exactly what the kids asked for, but he tried his best and that's all any of us can ask for. Enjoy the holiday season. shelka79@hotmail.com @ShelleyACook Toying with Christmas shopping season Let's all sit back and realize we already have enough SHELLEY COOK Building A NEW ERA Historians hoping for seat at table in talks over future of downtown landmark The committee includes representatives from the business and economic develop- ment community, representatives from the city, as well as a representative from Hudson's Bay Co. However, no one representing a historical perspective has been named to the commit- tee. An open letter to Bowman, co-signed by all eight of the province's historical societ- ies, asks for this oversight be corrected. "We commend your leadership for estab- lishing a committee to investigate the future of this important historic resource. We would respectfully suggest that you broaden the expertise of this committee so as to en- sure the best possible outcome. As advocates for heritage, the Manitoba Heritage Summit Group contains personnel with significant heritage specific knowledge, experience, and insight that would provide an invaluable contribution to the Hudson's Bay Downtown Advisory Committee," the letter reads. Gordon Goldsborough, president and head researcher with the Manitoba Historical Society, says he doesn't believe the exclusion of historical perspectives was deliberate but does hope it can be corrected. "I can understand the rationale for the people they chose, I have no objection to them. We're just saying, it just isn't fully representative of the voices that need to be around the table," Goldsborough told the Free Press. The mayor's announcement specifically states that the committee will "engage partners committed to conserving and respecting the building's historical designa- tion." But Goldsborough says that really isn't sufficient given those third parties won't be there when closed-door consultations take place. "Planning to repurpose a building that is nearly 100 years old, you would need to have someone who is intimately familiar with the nuances of repurposing old buildings. Some- body like a conservation architect, even a structural engineer," Goldsborough said. Last week, Bowman highlighted that his- torical significance was something he was taking into consideration. "It's incredibly important to the com- munity, not just in terms of our history, but that location is also really important. It's across the street from the Winnipeg Art Gal- lery, it's down the street from the Manitoba legislature, it's on one of our main arteries, Portage Avenue. It is prime real estate and an incredibly important historical building in the hearts and minds of Winnipeggers," said Bowman. However, the building was appraised at $0 last year, partly because it requires millions of dollars in renovations. "We're not saying the building is perfect by any means. There's definitely going to have to be things done to it to make it suit- able for another hundred years, but that can be done, especially if you're familiar with those things. And it seems to me that perspective should be captured in this com- mittee," Goldsborough said. The building has been designated with official historical status, ruling out the pos- sibility of it being torn down. Still, Golds- borough thinks lessons can be learned from past experiences proving that historical preservation and economic development opportunities often bring decision-makers to diverging opportunities. No example is better than the demolition of the downtown Eaton's building in 2002 to make way for what is now Bell MTS Place. "I'm not saying that was a bad thing necessarily, but it did result in the loss of a pretty iconic building," Goldsborough said. "There's a worry that the same attitude might prevail with the Bay building." - with files from Joyanne Pursaga sarah.lawrynuik@freepress.mb.ca SARAH LAWRYNUIK JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Gordon Goldsborough is calling for the committee to include someone with a historical perspective. LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER H ISTORICAL societies in the province are knocking on the door, asking to be included in the newly-minted committee considering the future of down- town Winnipeg's Bay building. Mayor Brian Bowman announced the creation of the Bay Downtown Advisory Committee last week, after the 650,000-square-foot store at 450 Portage Ave. was abruptly shuttered in November. 'We're not saying the building is perfect by any means. There's definitely going to have to be things done to it to make it suitable for another hundred years, but that can be done, especially if you're familiar with those things' - Gordon Goldsborough, president of the Manitoba Historical Society TOP PHOTO: WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES B_01_Dec-21-20_FP_01.indd B1 2020-12-20 8:38 PM ;