Canadian Museum for Human Rights to Begin Construction Friday

[Goat Boy©]

Oh great, another big fat waste of money for the Pussy Willows of our society to ooh and aah over.

It might be better to direct the money towards something that actually has some intrinsic value.

X2

[Goat Boy©]

It looks like it will be very high tech and electronic according to the video.

Its an infrastructure project.....only thing is its kind of in the wrong province right now being as we still have a labour shortage in the Winnipeg area.

Museum = infrastructure? Are you certain?

[Smallc]

Museum = infrastructure? Are you certain?

A public building does count as infrastructure, yes.

[Goat Boy©]

A public building does count as infrastructure, yes.

Perhaps on paper, but in reality........?

[Smallc]

Perhaps on paper, but in reality........?

In reality, a public building requires people to build it....so yes.

[blueblood]

Yeah, that's what they're doing right now. They're redoing the bad portion of the tracks from Gillam to Churchill.

I'm curious how that would do with permafrost, and if it could handle fully loaded cars. If it goes how I want it, my freight costs are drastically reduced. The benefit of Russian fertilizer also helps out as well. I'm surprised they don't snap up a pipeline there. A deep water port so close to natural resources is a good thing.

[Goat Boy©]

In reality, a public building requires people to build it....so yes.

So during the construction phase it generates jobs, and afterwords exactly what does it do? What foundation does this build?

[Smallc]

So during the construction phase it generates jobs, and afterwords exactly what does it do? What foundation does this build?

It attracts people. It also employs people.

[fellowtraveller]

More than enough projects over the the next few years to keep people busy. We've barely been affected by the downturn. Once resource prices stabilize, the mines and drilling operations will return to normal and will need far more people. You can keep sending them.

Manitoba is a fiscal joke, a leech on Canada.

Enjoy the free ride, it ends soon.

[Smallc]

Manitoba is a fiscal joke, a leech on Canada.

Enjoy the free ride, it ends soon.

Most of what is going on here has nothing to do with government money. This province is experiencing massive growth.

[jdobbin]

Manitoba is a fiscal joke, a leech on Canada.

Enjoy the free ride, it ends soon.

Well not before Friday. That is when Harper announces he is giving money to Manitoba.

Didn't you vote for that man?

[Smallc]

Well not before Friday. That is when Harper announces he is giving money to Manitoba.

Didn't you vote for that man?

Some time before the 16th, the Federal Government is also going to give money for the new stadium...

[jdobbin]

Some time before the 16th, the Federal Government is also going to give money for the new stadium...

Guess things won't end soon then. Harper likes Doer. And since some Albertans like Harper, we are not going to see an end to the friendly relationship Harper has with Manitoba anytime soon.

[blueblood]

Guess things won't end soon then. Harper likes Doer. And since some Albertans like Harper, we are not going to see an end to the friendly relationship Harper has with Manitoba anytime soon.

I'd sooner as much stimulus money as possible go to Churchill and get that damn port and transport to that port going as soon as possible.

[Topaz]

Harper and his ministers have a bad habit of saying one thing and then replacing that minister and then going in the opposite direction. Harper cut money to museums and now they are building one! Rona as environment minister did her negative thing and then she's replaced, making her look bad and Baird TALKED alot of going in the opposite direction and now a third minister won't have choice since Obama is going to bring the US into the fore front of the environment. So now we will have Human Museum, I looking forward to see how Harper treats the First Nation, immigrants and women.

[Argus]

It attracts people. It also employs people.

It attracts people? Schoolchildren will be forced to trudge through it. I can't imagine it attracting anyone else.

[Argus]

Well not before Friday. That is when Harper announces he is giving money to Manitoba.

Didn't you vote for that man?

What was the alternative?

[Smallc]

It attracts people? Schoolchildren will be forced to trudge through it. I can't imagine it attracting anyone else.

'm quite certain that it will. I'm not denying that I can think of better museums, but I know I'll go at least once when its open.

[Argus]

'm quite certain that it will. I'm not denying that I can think of better museums, but I know I'll go at least once when its open.

And what do you expect to see?

I would love to see a major world calibre museum in Canada, one which depicts the various ages and great empires of the world, from ancient Rome and Greece, to the Incas and British empire. But we have nothing.

None of the national museums in Ottawa has a single exhibit from anything outside of Canada save the National Gallery, which has some international art.

[White Doors]

Well not before Friday. That is when Harper announces he is giving money to Manitoba.

Didn't you vote for that man?

You voted for Dion - how pathetic is that?

LOL

[jdobbin]

You voted for Dion - how pathetic is that?

Think I have already stated that I believe the museum is a bit of a vanity project and Harper gave money to it because of the Aspers.

I've been fairly consistent in my criticism that it is likely to cost a lot more than what is reported and that it might have a hard time attracting annual numbers based on on its focus and location.

In other words, I don't believe Harper would have funded this project if it hadn't been for the Aspers and that Doer has been one of the easier premiers for him to work with.

I don't vote for a leader based on their willingness to fund projects that I am dubious about. In fact, the only vote I have is for my MP. I don't vote for the Tory MP in my riding because I have disagreed with his views politically since he was president of the student union at the University of Manitoba.

Doer and Harper haven't convinced me that this project will be of critical importance to the people of Canada and sustainable in the future based on numbers. The numbers I am looking are solid figures on construction, operations and people coming from across Canada.

Harper cancelled the Portrait Gallery because of the numbers and the timing. I just wonder what is different here.

Those are the bad things I have to say about the project. The good things are that I am impressed by the design of the building. I am impressed by the private fundraising done for it. I don't believe I have seen anything like it in Canadian history. I like the location within the city. I like the concept of the museum as it has not been done in the country before.

I don't know that is enough. At the federal level, I would expect a clear understanding of a national strategy for museums. Is the main focus for them to keep them in Ottawa? Will Winnipeg's museum steal funding from the others? Will Winnipeg's museum lose funding if other projects emerge elsewhere in the country?

I don't believe these questions have been answered.

So when told that it is pathetic that I didn't vote for the man responsible for putting shovels in the ground today, I think I can say that my reasons were not going to be influenced just by money coming to my city.

[jdobbin]

I'd sooner as much stimulus money as possible go to Churchill and get that damn port and transport to that port going as soon as possible.

You might see that too.

I'll settle for a national strategy on highways similar to what we see in the U.S. That would be a boost in more ways than one.

[jdobbin]

What was the alternative?

For any fiscal conservative, it has to have been hard voting for Harper knowing he just didn't get a handle on spending from the get go.

I thought Dion's spending announcements during the election were out of control and said so here. Not much better than Harper's leading up to the election call.

So what was the alternative? For me it was to focus on getting a better MP and hoping they would push the case for better financial management.

[Smallc]

You might see that too.

I'll settle for a national strategy on highways similar to what we see in the U.S. That would be a boost in more ways than one.

Well, there is significant work going on dealing with the Trans Canada through the rockies, but what they need to do now is get to work on improving the highway through Northwestern Ontario.....which is planned and will probably be accelerated.

[Argus]

For any fiscal conservative, it has to have been hard voting for Harper knowing he just didn't get a handle on spending from the get go.

I thought Dion's spending announcements during the election were out of control and said so here. Not much better than Harper's leading up to the election call.

So what was the alternative? For me it was to focus on getting a better MP and hoping they would push the case for better financial management.

I thought that extremely unlikely under Dion, impossible under the Coallition. As for Ignatief, that remains to be seen. I think Harper's natural inclination is towards fiscal responsibility. Political realities and popularity motives are behind his spending, and the Liberals have never shied from spending for the same reasons.