Windsor Hotel happy to be singin’ blues again

Positive anticipation is growing about major housing developments underway in Winnipeg’s downtown

If traffic is light and the wind is down, Somia Sadiq is able to hear the roar of Winnipeg Jets fans twice: first through her window, then on TV.

From her apartment view high above downtown, she can look out at Graham Avenue’s painted pedestrian landscape, see construction cranes and hear the heavy equipment at work as massive housing projects take shape at The Forks, at what used to be Portage Place shopping centre and at the former Hudson’s Bay building.

Sadiq has lived at 300 Main for 2 1/2 years, a few steps from the city’s famous, windy and reopened-to-pedestrians Portage Avenue intersection. At 42 storeys, it’s the tallest building in Winnipeg.

She is among 18,000 downtown residents who will soon be joined by thousands of others attracted to the city’s core by the new wave of major construction projects.

Gillingham outlines big plan for Seine River in a second-term as mayor

Scott Gillingham promises to turn the Seine River into a permanent recreation and nature attraction, if re-elected as mayor.

At a riverside campaign announcement Friday, Gillingham said a long-term plan would be to create Rivière-Seine Historic Municipal Riverway encompassing the entire Winnipeg section of the Seine, building on past volunteer efforts to clean up the river and make it a paddle-friendly attraction.

The Seine, which winds through St. Boniface and St. Vital, originates in the Sandilands Provincial Forest, passes through southeastern Manitoba, crosses the Red River Floodway and joins the Red River in St. Boniface just north of The Forks.

“What we want to do, really, is to establish the permanence of this river and allow its beauty and the opportunity to enjoy it, to be something that we don’t just leave to volunteers alone, but come together and focus on establishing it as, really, a place that gets focused attention and investment,” said Gillingham.

Well-known Brandon-born rock drummer Sutherland dies at age 58

Chris (Suds) Sutherland, a Brandon-born drummer who was the driving force behind many top artists in the Canadian music industry, has died at 58.

Sutherland is widely praised throughout North America as a talented percussionist with an extensive discography.

He performed with such Canadian music legends as Kim Mitchell, Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Streetheart and others.

Sutherland brought presence and “plow” when he played, Tina Faye said about her husband.

Relief, reproach from law school staff after disgraced ex-dean’s arrest in France

The overseas arrest of a disgraced former law dean who defrauded the University of Manitoba out of more than $600,000 is being met both with relief and renewed frustration in the local legal community.

Portage Avenue stabbing victim staggered into nearby store for help

A 46-year-old man stabbed on Portage Avenue Wednesday afternoon is in hospital after staggering, bloodied, into a nearby dollar store.

Police said the man was confronted by several people on the 300 block of Portage shortly before 6 p.m. and was stabbed with an unknown weapon. He was helped by people inside the store until police and paramedics arrived.

The man was rushed to hospital in unstable condition but was later upgraded to stable, the Winnipeg Police Service said.

WPS Const. Claude Chancy said Friday that police were still attempting to speak with the victim, and it was not yet clear if the attack was random. No arrests have been made.

Flop wedge needed at Phantom Lake Golf Club

In a remote land of spruce, ptarmigan and rock, Flintabbatey Flonatin — an adventurer exploring the depths of Phantom Lake with his little submarine — discovered an underwater treasure trove of minerals. Once word spread among the prospecting community, the miners came, and the head frame of Flin Flon was born.

Now, that’s not exactly how The Sunless City novel reads, and Phantom Lake is actually in Saskatchewan, but my re-interpretation connects the dots enough to introducing Flin Flon’s links.

Phantom Lake Golf Club does not technically reside in Flin Flon, but rather in its twin community, Creighton, Sask. Indeed, as soon as you cross the border, you immediately turn south for a couple of clicks to the shores of Phantom Lake.

The very old river-stone clubhouse is up the hill from the parking lot. Folks with movement challenges might want to send the young bucks ahead to get the rental cart and bring it back to the parking lot to collect you and your sticks.