Community News - R:ED Updates

Artists in the Exchange

Our March R:ED meeting "Artists in the Exchange" was a great success with a wonderful turnout of residents to hear about how the Exchange is more than a historical area and a theatre district, it is an art district.  We heard from artists and we heard how we can help those artists that we share this wonderful area with.

While we talked about many ways to support the local artists, the best, and most direct is to purchase their work to adorn our condos.  Many artists had some of their work on display for us, and there was even more to see the following weekend as the art studios in the building opened their doors for visitors.

We would like to thanks the artists that participated.  If you would like to look at samples of their work, links to their websites or their email addresses are included below:

   Heather Boyd (email)
   Darcy Bunio (web)
   Tyler Funk (web)
   Kelly Ruth (web)
   Mark Wohlgemuth (web)
   Christian Worthington (web)

If you missed this event, check out the photos (non-artistic!) in the R:ED Gallery.

R:ED Gaining a Voice in the Exchange

   Our group may be less than a year old, but we are already starting to attract attention.  In early January, CBC TV and radio carried the story of Residents of the Exchange District working to attract a grocery store to the neighbourhood.

  Chair John Giavedoni was interviewed as a lead story on CBC news.  He was also interviewed live on CBC Radio afternoon show explaining that while residents can walk to work, to a coffee shop, to restaurants and theaters, we need to drive to get bread, milk or eggs.

   R:ED and CBC also broke the story on Hydro's plan to purchase and gut three heritage buildings on McDermot Avenue.  For this story, John was interviewed on CBC TV and CTV local evening news.  He was also prominently quoted, along with Brian Timmerman of the Exchange District BIZ, in the Winnipeg Free Press.

   These stories have brought the Exchange District into the spotlight as Winnipeg's jewel.  Yes, there are many issues, but when the threat of the wrecking ball loomed this week, Winnipeg residents took notice (even for a moment), and said: this heritage district is important and must be preserved.

   That's a sentiment we can build on!

Attracting Businesses is Attracting Attention

   Although our Attracting Business committee has only had one meeting, we are already attracting attention.  The group held its first meeting on Jan 13th to look at how we can attract a grocery store to the Exchange.  The meeting was well attended and produced a lot of great ideas.  We recognize that there are challenges ahead, and much work is needed, but the group is very motivated!

   We also attracted a lot of media attention.  R:ED Chair John Giavedoni was interviewed on CBC TV news as a lead story about how Exchange District residents have no food store!  In addition, live on CBC radio at 5:10 pm he described how residents can walk to work, walk to restaurants, coffee shops and theatre, but if we need milk, eggs or bread, we need to get into our cars because there is no food store in our district.  Another interview was done at the meeting, for airing on the CBC morning show.

   Let's hope we can put some of this attention to good use and be able to demonstrate to the business community that we seriously need a small grocery store.