An impressive list...
Browsing the Manitoba Historical Society website a couple of days ago, I came upon a notice of a fund-raising luncheon for Heritage Winnipeg, to be held at the Fort Garry Hotel on March 20. The announcement included the following:
"Heritage Winnipeg feels that our built heritage has been under particular seige recently. In 2008 the organization has made at least eight appearances before Winnipeg City Council advocating protection for - among others - Kelly House, the St. Charles Hotel, the WRHA building on Main, and the Business Block on Albert. It has lobbied for tax grants and incentives for owners of heritage buildings and for improvements in design processes."
Sounds impressive, but was it true?
There was no formalized plan to demolish the St. Charles Hotel in 2008.
What was meant by 'the WRHA building on Main' (unfortunately not threatened by demolition) was, I'm sure, the buildings that were demolished to make way for it (one being a Grade II building on the City's Heritage Building Conservation list, three others on the Historical Buildings Inventory). All of these structures were de-listed within the span of a few weeks, but there does not seem to have been any public opposition of any kind, never mind a formal appearance at City Hall, on the part of Heritage Winnipeg in 2008.
The Business Block on Albert Street was threatened by demolition by the plan of St. Charles Hotel (located next door) owner Ken Zaifman to put a surface parking lot in its place. But on April 25, 2008, the Free Press reported that Heritage Winnipeg backed off from opposing the demolition after Mr. Zaifman canceled the plan to build a driveway to the parking lot, and after much of the heritage crowd in Winnipeg deemed the value of the ASBB was too far gone.
The article, entitled "Heritage advocates support new plan", reported:
"The Albert Street Business Block, a rundown retail strip that contains the remains of a 131-year-old home, likely faces the wrecking ball now that a tenative compromise has been reached between Heritage Winnipeg and Ken Zaifman...
"'Those are significant changes he's made," said Heritage Winnipeg director Cindy Tugwell, whose organization opposed the demolition of the ASBB as recently as one month ago. 'I believe everyone is on board.'"
Interestingly, the Main Street demolition was a Centre Venture initiative, while the St. Charles/ASBB plan was strongly supported by them. The one building on Heritage Winnipeg's list that they did (and continue to) defend, is the Kelly House, which happens to be one that Centre Venture does not want to see demolished.
It's great to see such team-work and the wish for "win-win solutions" between Heritage Winnipeg and Centre Venture, but it is misleading for Heritage Winnipeg to expect to raise money from the public (such as members of the venerable Manitoba Historical Society) by taking credit for opposing demolition plans that were actually: not substantiated; they were silent on; or they were actually in favor of.
At the time of publishing, an email to Heritage Winnipeg director Cindy Tugwell was not returned.
***
Also at the luncheon, we'll hear about the place Heritage Winnipeg worked the hardest for in 2008: "An update will be given on the Upper Fort Garry project."
So, most definitely, bring your chequebook.
"Heritage Winnipeg feels that our built heritage has been under particular seige recently. In 2008 the organization has made at least eight appearances before Winnipeg City Council advocating protection for - among others - Kelly House, the St. Charles Hotel, the WRHA building on Main, and the Business Block on Albert. It has lobbied for tax grants and incentives for owners of heritage buildings and for improvements in design processes."
Sounds impressive, but was it true?
There was no formalized plan to demolish the St. Charles Hotel in 2008.
What was meant by 'the WRHA building on Main' (unfortunately not threatened by demolition) was, I'm sure, the buildings that were demolished to make way for it (one being a Grade II building on the City's Heritage Building Conservation list, three others on the Historical Buildings Inventory). All of these structures were de-listed within the span of a few weeks, but there does not seem to have been any public opposition of any kind, never mind a formal appearance at City Hall, on the part of Heritage Winnipeg in 2008.
The Business Block on Albert Street was threatened by demolition by the plan of St. Charles Hotel (located next door) owner Ken Zaifman to put a surface parking lot in its place. But on April 25, 2008, the Free Press reported that Heritage Winnipeg backed off from opposing the demolition after Mr. Zaifman canceled the plan to build a driveway to the parking lot, and after much of the heritage crowd in Winnipeg deemed the value of the ASBB was too far gone.
The article, entitled "Heritage advocates support new plan", reported:
"The Albert Street Business Block, a rundown retail strip that contains the remains of a 131-year-old home, likely faces the wrecking ball now that a tenative compromise has been reached between Heritage Winnipeg and Ken Zaifman...
"'Those are significant changes he's made," said Heritage Winnipeg director Cindy Tugwell, whose organization opposed the demolition of the ASBB as recently as one month ago. 'I believe everyone is on board.'"
Interestingly, the Main Street demolition was a Centre Venture initiative, while the St. Charles/ASBB plan was strongly supported by them. The one building on Heritage Winnipeg's list that they did (and continue to) defend, is the Kelly House, which happens to be one that Centre Venture does not want to see demolished.
It's great to see such team-work and the wish for "win-win solutions" between Heritage Winnipeg and Centre Venture, but it is misleading for Heritage Winnipeg to expect to raise money from the public (such as members of the venerable Manitoba Historical Society) by taking credit for opposing demolition plans that were actually: not substantiated; they were silent on; or they were actually in favor of.
At the time of publishing, an email to Heritage Winnipeg director Cindy Tugwell was not returned.
***
Also at the luncheon, we'll hear about the place Heritage Winnipeg worked the hardest for in 2008: "An update will be given on the Upper Fort Garry project."
So, most definitely, bring your chequebook.
posted by The Rise and Sprawl at
7:19 PM
7 Comments:
Heritage Winnipeg has come to mean an Orwellian-like organization. They "save" a building by advocating its demolition.
...And then moving the bricks over to help "save" the Upper Fort.
It's sort of like Sweeney Todd for buildings. Only, instead of making meat pies from people...
Remind us all, Rob - how is Heritage Winnipeg governed? Who appoints the Board? Etc.
Though it seems like you're picking apart HW based on something that another group wrote about them ?
I don't think HW made the claim, MHS did unless I am reading that first para all wrong.
When it comes down to it HW is an advocacy group with a staff of one person I assume that they have to choose what bunnies to chase fairly carefully or nothing would get done.
I assume that MHS, in terms of budget, staff and deciding on how what projects to focus on are in much the same boat.
I am a heritage advocate but don't consider sitting back and pissing on a couple of mostly volunteer run non-profit groups as part of any heritage solution. Instead of telling people not to fundraiser for them you should put one of your own on for them. the more resources the better, I'd say !
12:06- it's all here: http://www.heritagewinnipeg.com/about.htm
Mr. Christian-
If it was false information written by someone not in HW, wouldn't someone at HW get ahold of the MHS webmaster and let them know they got it wrong?
Yes, they might only have one full-time staff person, but they do have email. In a few moments, it will have been three full working days since I emailed HW about this matter.
Do you think the heritage value of Winnipeg is best served by blindly supporting organizations that are assisting in the dilution of that heritage value? You think that HW should go without any public scrutiny for apparently saying nothing when a block of Main Street is razed, or definately support the demolition of the ASBB (nevermind allegations that they also supported the demolition of the Smart Bag Co. warehouse), then to try and take credit for things they didn't do in a fund-raiser announcement? You have no problem with that?
Mr. Christian please STFU you clueless 'tard.
Heritage Winnipeg's support for the Upper Fort Garry embarrassment is more than enough to blacken their reputation in my eyes, regardless of the circumstances surrounding other incidents. With dozens of existing heritage properties to preserve, their decision to support preservation of a parking lot at immense cost is a sign that they are incapable of actually understanding their mission, or worse, that they'll blow in whatever wind is blowing across the Free Press pages on any particular day.
nice
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