Winnipeg, Urban Decay, and Other Cities

[wpgallday1960]

Globe and Mail rated Winnipeg as the 3rd most livable city in Canada.  It has its problems, especially downtown, but so do many cities.

[Brandon]

12 minutes ago, wpgallday1960 said:

Globe and Mail rated Winnipeg as the 3rd most livable city in Canada.  It has its problems, especially downtown, but so do many cities.

Regina is ranked #4 so.......   

[SpeedFlex27]

I've lived in Calgary since 1990. We have all these shiny new (empty) office towers downtown. But that's all this city is. Looks good on a postcard or on television with the impressive downtown against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains but other than that, Calgary has nothing going on downtown. Economiucally, this town is just starting to get back on it's feet after about 6 or 7 years of hard economic times. One thinh though, what calgary has always been in boom times or bust still remains the same. This place shuts down for business at 5 pm Monday to Friday& the entire downtown is deserted at night & on weekends.

Most Calgarians know better than to come to the Stephen Avenue Mall downtown at night for fear of getting stabbed or mugged. hanging out at Olympic Plaza at night or in front of City Hall. Or taking the C Train where drug deals are consumated on the platforms in front of people waiting to hop on the trains or even inside the trains themselves.

Murders, stabbings & horrendous assaults have caused the City & Province of Alberta to spend millions on crime prevention with i9ncreased security measures like cameras at every C Train station,  the hiring of transit police officers to ride the trains randomly or for officers to work at problem stations along the 3 different lines we have in Calgary coming in & out of the downtown now. Ridership is way down. People are scared to use the C Trains after dark. I tell ya, I sure wouldn't get on one anymore.

If anyone (like Bluto) thinks Toronto is better than anywhere else then they're either very naive or clueless. With homelessness at an all time high every city now has a problem. Urban crime is increasing. Last time I looked, I didn't see any demonstrators blocking bridges into Winnipeg's downtown like what's happened in Toronto. And yet, in high crime Winnipeg no one is threatening skaters on the Red River like what happened at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto or the shootings of Jewish synagogues or private Jewish schools in Montreal. Now, maybe that'll spread as the war in the Middle East goes on but right now, where's the problem? In our  3 biggest cities. Toronto, Montreal & Vancouver. 

10 minutes ago, Brandon said:

Regina is ranked #4 so.......   

Affordabilty (rent & mortgage payments) is 90% of livability so....

[SpeedFlex27]

5 hours ago, Brandon said:

Compared to Regina & Edmonton maybe... but anywhere else nope.   Worst downtown,  worst infrastructure,  low paying jobs,  high crime,  bad geography, terrible winters, etc...    Winnipeg used to be a great place to raise families because of the low cost of living, but that gap between Winnipeg and the bigger cities has shrunk over the years so we can't even claim that anymore.     

Most young educated professionals graduate from University and move away immediately.   It's a great place to live for incoming immigrants coming in as we do have large communities that can help them out when they first move to the country.     

Yes many downtowns are decaying,  but Winnipeg is the only place I've ever gone where after 5:00 pm the downtown is desolate and a complete ghost town minus the homeless walking around or sleeping in bus shacks.   People who try to compare other downtowns in saying that they are the same clearly have not visited other cities and seen the night and day differences between us and them.   

 

It would appear that you haven't visited other cities either if you think that other city's downtown are any better. Come to Calgary or Edmonton & check out how deserted they get once offices close for the day or on weekends. . 

5 hours ago, Mike said:

Are we really arguing that Winnipeg isn’t a dump? I’ve travelled all over North America … I think in terms of individual cities, I’ve been to Phoenix, San Diego, Anaheim, Richmond, Philadelphia, Trenton, Baltimore, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Buffalo, New York City, Orlando, Tampa, Regina, Minneapolis, Grand Forks and Fargo in the past 5-ish years … the only places that are as much of a dump as Winnipeg are Baltimore and Edmonton. Sure, obviously some places were a quick visit. Some places you can chalk the experience up to oblivious innocence where I probably didn’t know any better. But for the most part, there’s a ton more to do/see without half the hassle in these places. 

Even Buffalo, which I was expecting to be a total dump … their downtown is quiet with not a lot to do (like ours) but I didn’t get hassled by a homeless person once. There’s stuff to do. Probably the most comparable downtown to Winnipeg, honestly … just cleaner and less disruptive.

I get the experiences won’t match because obviously the sample size is a lot larger in the city I reside in, but this place is a dump. Manitoba? Beautiful. Winnipeg? It’s a dump. It’s my dump, but it’s a dump. 

I was in Phoenix two weeks ago. If any city has a boring downtown it's that place. People don't go to downtown Phoenix to visit or for the culture. They go everywhere else. But not downtown. It's so spread out that every sector of the place has it's own ammenities so there's no need to go there unless you work downtown.

[Mike]

6 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

It would appear that you haven't visited other cities either if you think that other city's downtown are any better. Come to Calgary or Edmonton & check out how deserted they get once offices close for the day or on weekends. . 

I was in Phoenix two weeks ago. If any city has a boring downtown it's that place. People don't go to downtown Phoenix to visit or for the culture. They go everywhere else. But not downtown. It's so spread out that every sector of the place has it's own ammenities so there's no need to go there unless you work downtown.

I’d take a boring downtown over the meth zombie wasteland we have now.

[Brandon]

30 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

If anyone (like Bluto) thinks Toronto is better than anywhere else then they're either very naive or clueless. With homelessness at an all time high every city now has a problem. Urban crime is increasing. Last time I looked, I didn't see any demonstrators blocking bridges into Winnipeg's downtown like what's happened in Toronto. And yet, in high crime Winnipeg no one is threatening skaters on the Red River like what happened at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto or the shootings of Jewish synagogues or private Jewish schools in Montreal. Now, maybe that'll spread as the war in the Middle East goes on but right now, where's the problem? In our  3 biggest cities. Toronto, Montreal & Vancouver. 

You make the mistake of getting your info from the news/media.   I remember the time several years back when Trump was arriving in Canada and the news reported a massive riot and how stores were locking up shop and boarding up the windows. The news made it out like it was a scene from the movie the Warriors.   I was on the scene of that so called riot and it was 25 hippies who held signs for 10 minutes peacefully and then walked away.   The news isn't reliable.  CBC being by far the worst.  

Per capita Winnipeg has far more crime then those 3 cities.   Where you find poverty you find crime,  that's why Regina and Winnipeg have higher crime rates and the worst homicide rate across Canada.   A large factor is that these cities have a large indigenous community which many come from insanely dangerous places.  Thompson often is the worst city in Canada for crime.   What the news/media reports is probably only 5% of that total incidents of serious crime.   Talk to a police officer ,  someone in justice,  or even folks who work at hospitals and in ambulances.   Soooooo much really messed up and bad things happen that people are completely unaware of.    I assume this is done on purpose to not freak out the general population.   The stories that I have heard are horrendous and people would be horrified if they knew about what goes on.   

Statistically you are wrong and Toronto is a safer place.  You are more likely to be killed here in the Peg.   

24 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

It would appear that you haven't visited other cities either if you think that other city's downtown are any better. Come to Calgary or Edmonton & check out how deserted they get once offices close for the day or on weekends. . 

I did say Edmonton and Buffalo are comparables to Winnipeg and if that is what we are comparing with then that's extremely sad.   Bottom of the barrel.  

I have not been to Calgary in a few years,  but I have been to at least 20 other cities and each of them were light years better then Winnipeg.   My co workers from Edmonton who came in last year said downtown visually is similar to what they have with the buildings and the size... but the overall safetyness and cleanilness was much better in Edmonton.   

Also Winnipeg downtown is deserted during the days now since many people are working from home,  when I drive through downtown down Main and up Portage ,  I can count maybe  20 working class people on the streets?   It is super quiet these days. 

 

Also.... 

Quote

Each year, Stampede Park hosts over 1,200 business, tourism, sporting, hospitality and community events and welcomes more than four million guests.

 

Edited February 20 by Brandon

[Jimmy Pop]

11 minutes ago, Brandon said:

You make the mistake of getting your info from the news/media.   I remember the time several years back when Trump was arriving in Canada and the news reported a massive riot and how stores were locking up shop and boarding up the windows. The news made it out like it was a scene from the movie the Warriors.   I was on the scene of that so called riot and it was 25 hippies who held signs for 10 minutes peacefully and then walked away.   The news isn't reliable.  CBC being by far the worst.  

Per capita Winnipeg has far more crime then those 3 cities.   Where you find poverty you find crime,  that's why Regina and Winnipeg have higher crime rates and the worst homicide rate across Canada.   A large factor is that these cities have a large indigenous community which many come from insanely dangerous places.  Thompson often is the worst city in Canada for crime.   What the news/media reports is probably only 5% of that total incidents of serious crime.   Talk to a police officer ,  someone in justice,  or even folks who work at hospitals and in ambulances.   Soooooo much really messed up and bad things happen that people are completely unaware of.    I assume this is done on purpose to not freak out the general population.   The stories that I have heard are horrendous and people would be horrified if they knew about what goes on.   

Statistically you are wrong and Toronto is a safer place.  You are more likely to be killed here in the Peg.   

Yeah there's something not reliable here just can't put my finger on it... 

[SpeedFlex27]

5 minutes ago, Brandon said:

You make the mistake of getting your info from the news/media.   I remember the time several years back when Trump was arriving in Canada and the news reported a massive riot and how stores were locking up shop and boarding up the windows. The news made it out like it was a scene from the movie the Warriors.   I was on the scene of that so called riot and it was 25 hippies who held signs for 10 minutes peacefully and then walked away.   The news isn't reliable.  CBC being by far the worst.  

Per capita Winnipeg has far more crime then those 3 cities.   Where you find poverty you find crime,  that's why Regina and Winnipeg have higher crime rates and the worst homicide rate across Canada.   A large factor is that these cities have a large indigenous community which many come from insanely dangerous places.  Thompson often is the worst city in Canada for crime.   What the news/media reports is probably only 5% of that total incidents of serious crime.   Talk to a police officer ,  someone in justice,  or even folks who work at hospitals and in ambulances.   Soooooo much really messed up and bad things happen that people are completely unaware of.    I assume this is done on purpose to not freak out the general population.   The stories that I have heard are horrendous and people would be horrified if they knew about what goes on.   

Statistically you are wrong and Toronto is a safer place.  You are more likely to be killed here in the Peg.   

I did say Edmonton and Buffalo are comparables to Winnipeg and if that is what we are comparing with then that's extremely sad.   Bottom of the barrel.  

I have not been to Calgary in a few years,  but I have been to at least 20 other cities and each of them were light years better then Winnipeg.   My co workers from Edmonton who came in last year said downtown visually is similar to what they have with the buildings and the size... but the overall safetyness and cleanilness was much better in Edmonton.   

Also Winnipeg downtown is deserted during the days now since many people are working from home,  when I drive through downtown down Main and up Portage ,  I can count maybe  20 working class people on the streets?   It is super quiet these days. 

Quiet or not, most crimes occur after dark. Hence, people stay away from downtown. These, per capita stats can you provide a link? It doesn't matter anyway as all it takes is one person committing a crime against another to skew the stats if you're a victim. You couldn't pay me to take any kind of public transportation through downtown Calgary after dark.

We also have a huge homeless shelter in the downtown. It's about 8 stories stall & sleeps hundreds of people every night. Stories about how some homeless would rather spend the night outside sleeping in a tent in minus 40 temps than spending a night in that place. People fear for their lives when they sleep there. The drug addicts, alcoholics, people with mentaal health issues, infiltration by gangs, knifings, muggings & shootings outside the place. An increased police presence & arrests haven't made it any better. Yeah, downtown Calgary looks nice but looks are deceiving. 

[GCn20]

I live in Thompson Manitoba now, violent crime capital of North America. Moved from Winnipeg full time a couple years ago. Wouldn't live anywhere else. Love it here. Social issues ...oh yea..makes the North End look like a Christian retreat.

Like any other city tho it's contained to certain areas, even in a small city. Just stay away from those areas and enjoy the rest of the city. This isn't rocket science. Smh, at those complaining about Higgins Ave. Or Spence...wtf you doing there in the first place. Every city ever founded has some low track areas, and newsflash they are almost always bordering on downtown. Have some awareness, stay outta there, and quit bitching about it. Good lord.

If you can't find one redeeming quality, or even a reason why you are staying why stay?

Edited February 20 by GCn20

[Goalie]

Bad things happen everywhere after dark. Heck sometimes bad things happen at Super Bowl parades. Winnipeg is no worse than anywhere else in my opinion. Most our major crimes here happen in one specific area off Main Street that I wouldn’t recommend driving down those streets at night never mind walking. Downtown to me is entertaining. The homeless ppl don’t bother me, occasionally they ask for a smoke and if I’m feeling it I’ll oblige but if not, then sorry last one. Money? I just use logic when they ask for money. I’ll say here’s the thing everything is plastic now and I don’t see a bar code on you. One guy made me laugh by saying you can try here on my hand then he made a beep noise and said looks like it worked. I dunno. I’m not normal tho and don’t think I’m better than anyone. I have no issue buying a homeless dude a burger if he truly wants one. The problem here is ppl like to think they are better but we aren’t. We are all equal. Made up of the same crap inside. Struggles are real for people and if you have never struggled and grew up with money, then you will never understand 

Edited February 20 by Goalie

[GCn20]

3 minutes ago, Goalie said:

Bad things happen everywhere after dark. Heck sometimes bad things happen at Super Bowl parades. Winnipeg is no worse than anywhere else in my opinion. Most our major crimes here happen in one specific area off Main Street that I wouldn’t recommend driving down those streets at night never mind walking. Downtown to me is entertaining. The homeless ppl don’t bother me, occasionally they ask for a smoke and if I’m feeling it I’ll oblige but if not, then sorry last one. Money? I just use logic when they ask for money. I’ll say here’s the thing everything is plastic now and I don’t see a bar code on you. One guy made me laugh by saying you can try here on my hand then he made a beep noise and said looks like it worked. I dunno. I’m not normal tho. 

No you are bang on. To say Winnipeg is a **** hole because of a couple impoverished neighborhoods is kinda ignoring the fact every city has these problems. Just look at downtown LA. Hundreds of thousands of homeless have taken it over. Not too many ppl calling it a shithole tho.

Edited February 20 by GCn20

[SpeedFlex27]

Thompson is a rough town with the mining going on. I lived there for 2 years with my family from 1988-90 when I worked as an independent Adjuter adjusting claims in Northern Manitoba. I spent a lot of time working in the different reserves as well as Lynn Lake & Leaf Rapids.

The First Nations had their own bar at the Thompson Inn. The whites had their own bar called Trappers. The whites went to Trappers. First Nations went to the Thompson Inn.

I had to adjust a bad kitchen fire at the Thompson Inn in 1990. There were usually no problem if the First Nations stayed at their bar & whites stayed at theirs. Saw & experienced a lot of racism on both sides. 

Those two years up north was quite the eye opener.... 

Edited February 20 by SpeedFlex27

[Geebrr]

47 minutes ago, Mike said:

I’d take a boring downtown over the meth zombie wasteland we have now.

 

I think some see a really tall building or the mountains in the background and miss what is happening in front of them. 

[SpeedFlex27]

9 minutes ago, Geebrr said:

 

I think some see a really tall building or the mountains in the background and miss what is happening in front of them. 

That is just a sad, sad, sad video. My son lives in Seattle & the same thing is going on there downtown as well.  He may be willing to go to the Seattle Fish Market during the day but says to get out before dark. 

[Geebrr]

4 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

That is just a sad, sad, sad video. My son lives in Seattle & the same thing is going on there downtown as well.  He may be willing to go to the Seattle Fish Market during the day but says to get out before dark. 

Yeah I have seen some crazy stuff happening in Seattle. 
 

But again, the ocean and the mountains makes you put up with more. 
 

I have a buddy who lives near LA and he says that skid row is even worse than you think and the violence is off the charts. That is right down town. 
 

Nobody goes to downtown LA unless they have to, or it’s for some specific event. 

[Goldkobra]

I've traveled a fair bit in the last decade. Canada,  us and a few places off the continent.  A lot of places I've been to, really make me appreciate winnipeg.  We have our issues,  no doubt about it.  But we have a lot in our favor too. 

[SpeedFlex27]

8 minutes ago, Goldkobra said:

I've traveled a fair bit in the last decade. Canada,  us and a few places off the continent.  A lot of places I've been to, really make me appreciate winnipeg.  We have our issues,  no doubt about it.  But we have a lot in our favor too. 

Who gives a **** what a few snobs from Toronto think & rich, entitled hockey players. Most don't want to play in Canada, anyway. Yeah, like posters here say Winnipeg does have its problems. Winnipeg & Vancouver are also the two oldest cities in the West & were towns half a century before the others were. Winnipeg has been around since the 1850's just like Vancouver. Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon & Regina may look newer because they've only been settlements since the late 1890's or early 1900's when CP Rail came through. Guaranteed they have issues as well. 

[FrostyWinnipeg]

7 hours ago, Mike said:

Are we really arguing that Winnipeg isn’t a dump? I’ve travelled all over North America … I think in terms of individual cities, I’ve been to Phoenix, San Diego, Anaheim, Richmond, Philadelphia, Trenton, Baltimore, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Buffalo, New York City, Orlando, Tampa, Regina, Minneapolis, Grand Forks and Fargo in the past 5-ish years … the only places that are as much of a dump as Winnipeg are Baltimore and Edmonton. Sure, obviously some places were a quick visit. Some places you can chalk the experience up to oblivious innocence where I probably didn’t know any better. But for the most part, there’s a ton more to do/see without half the hassle in these places. 

Guessing you didnt hit Balt's harbourfront and took The Wire tour instead

 

[Rich]

31 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Who gives a **** what a few snobs from Toronto think & rich, entitled hockey players. Most don't want to play in Canada, anyway. Yeah, like posters here say Winnipeg does have its problems. Winnipeg & Vancouver are also the two oldest cities in the West & were towns half a century before the others were. Winnipeg has been around since the 1850's just like Vancouver. Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon & Regina may look newer because they've only been settlements since the late 1890's or early 1900's when CP Rail came through. Guaranteed they have issues as well. 

Based on how active this thread is, quite a few people 😀

[Mark H.]

3 hours ago, Brandon said:

I still haven't met anyone who has gone to the Human Rights museum

That's too funny - maybe they don't want to meet you? 😄

[Goldkobra]

55 minutes ago, Rich said:

Based on how active this thread is, quite a few people 😀

What i find hilarious about Toronto is so much of it reminds me of Winnipeg.  Just a bit bigger. I have no desire to go there, unless it's for work. The city does nothing for me,  otherwise. 

[SpeedFlex27]

3 hours ago, Brandon said:

You make the mistake of getting your info from the news/media.   I remember the time several years back when Trump was arriving in Canada and the news reported a massive riot and how stores were locking up shop and boarding up the windows. The news made it out like it was a scene from the movie the Warriors.   I was on the scene of that so called riot and it was 25 hippies who held signs for 10 minutes peacefully and then walked away.   The news isn't reliable.  CBC being by far the worst.  

Per capita Winnipeg has far more crime then those 3 cities.   Where you find poverty you find crime,  that's why Regina and Winnipeg have higher crime rates and the worst homicide rate across Canada.   A large factor is that these cities have a large indigenous community which many come from insanely dangerous places.  Thompson often is the worst city in Canada for crime.   What the news/media reports is probably only 5% of that total incidents of serious crime.   Talk to a police officer ,  someone in justice,  or even folks who work at hospitals and in ambulances.   Soooooo much really messed up and bad things happen that people are completely unaware of.    I assume this is done on purpose to not freak out the general population.   The stories that I have heard are horrendous and people would be horrified if they knew about what goes on.   

Statistically you are wrong and Toronto is a safer place.  You are more likely to be killed here in the Peg.   

I did say Edmonton and Buffalo are comparables to Winnipeg and if that is what we are comparing with then that's extremely sad.   Bottom of the barrel.  

I have not been to Calgary in a few years,  but I have been to at least 20 other cities and each of them were light years better then Winnipeg.   My co workers from Edmonton who came in last year said downtown visually is similar to what they have with the buildings and the size... but the overall safetyness and cleanilness was much better in Edmonton.   

Also Winnipeg downtown is deserted during the days now since many people are working from home,  when I drive through downtown down Main and up Portage ,  I can count maybe  20 working class people on the streets?   It is super quiet these days. 

 

Also.... 

 

That has nothing to do with anything. The Jets have 42 home game averaging 13,000 fans a game. That's 546,000 that come downtown. Throw in Moose games & concerts & maybe another 150,000 & it's three quarter of a million people. 

1 hour ago, Rich said:

Based on how active this thread is, quite a few people 😀

My point is we really shouldn't care what people in Toronto think. They keep saying this is the year the Leafs win the Stanley Cup & we just laugh. 

[Mark H.]

45 minutes ago, Goldkobra said:

What i find hilarious about Toronto is so much of it reminds me of Winnipeg.  Just a bit bigger. I have no desire to go there, unless it's for work. The city does nothing for me,  otherwise. 

I have been to TO twice - it was ok. Attended an Argo game, climbed the CN, & sat in Beliveau's locker at the HHOF.  😁

[Brandon]

17 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Quiet or not, most crimes occur after dark. Hence, people stay away from downtown. These, per capita stats can you provide a link?

Stats Canada over the last 20+ years.    Have you never heard Winnipeg always battling Edmonton for Murder Capital of Canada?  

14 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

That has nothing to do with anything. The Jets have 42 home game averaging 13,000 fans a game. That's 546,000 that come downtown. Throw in Moose games & concerts & maybe another 150,000 & it's three quarter of a million people. 

My point is we really shouldn't care what people in Toronto think. They keep saying this is the year the Leafs win the Stanley Cup & we just laugh. 

546 000 tourists visit Jets games?  Or would you say it's predominately people who reside in Winnipeg who go to the game and then immediately goes home?    Apples and Oranges comparisons.       

14 hours ago, Mark H. said:

That's too funny - maybe they don't want to meet you? 😄

Need I post about how the attendance at the Human Rights Museum is significantly lower then what they had projected,  losing money,  and how they are struggling to get people into the door.     It's a niche attraction and not something that will bring a large amount of tourists into the city.  It's been a huge bust so far hence why people always joke about making it into an indoor waterpark to salvage all the money that was lost constructing and maintaining it. 

[Stickem]

A shooting everday in Van....The drug trade has an ongoing war that threatens passersby almost daily....That does not happen in Winnipeg, as I follow the local news quite closely....Sure the Peg has it's problems but not like Vancouvers....I don't know who compiles shootings ...followed by a stolen car fire to cover evidence, but I assure you Van is a helluva lot worse than the Peg in that respect...Just face it violent crime in general is rampant across the country...When one politician said the country is 'broken' , he's very close to the truth