Yesterday I saw the strangest sight. I saw a dancer - looks like Cabaret or burlesque kind of dancing across from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. She was a pretty young woman but it was a strange sight as I had never seen that sort of busking before. There was a young man playing the trumpet and she was dancing to the music under the blistering sun.
Why not, musicians can busk other artists should be allowed to do so as well. However, I must say it made me think about whether the woman was doing it by choice or someone was forcing her to dance to make money for them. I had just finished reading an article on human trafficking and so when I saw this my mind went there. I hope it's my active imagination and nothing else.
Summer time in Winnipeg is the best, I say this all the time. After I passed that dancer I swung unto to Portage and there were two other buskers, one playing the flute and another a mandolin. It is so nice and I appreciate Downtown biz so much for the effort they make to keep our city swinging.
However, I must say that the City of Winnipeg is not cooperating. They want people to come downtown and they are making it more difficult for drivers to do so because of parking situation. Now I understand free parking will start at 8:30 p.m. and there will be no free parking until 9:00 a.m. On top of this, the bus fares are going up again. I think many people might just want to do their shopping and entertainment in their own neck of the woods.
Maybe the City could compromise developing more park and ride spaces in the City to encourage people to park their cars and hop on the bus for free or minimal charge.
The downtown can only become a safe place for people when more people are walking the streets. More small businesses need to be encouraged to set up in the down town, more coffee shops, specialized boutiques and specialty restaurants, shops and grocery places - places that would encourage us to walk outside even the winter months because we could weave in and out of buildings - that's what make cities tick and interesting.
Now let's me tell you about today - it was fabulous spending my lunch hour listening to steel band and Caribbean music on Edmonton at Portage by the Hi Lite Steel Orchestra and Paradise Band. This is in celebration of Trinidad's 50th anniversary of Independence. There was dancing in the street, roti-and-curry for sale, flag-waving etc. They had the flag-raising ceremony at City Hall earlier in the day. It was hard to return to work after all that elation.
Thanks Winnipeg, you're simply the best.
Why not, musicians can busk other artists should be allowed to do so as well. However, I must say it made me think about whether the woman was doing it by choice or someone was forcing her to dance to make money for them. I had just finished reading an article on human trafficking and so when I saw this my mind went there. I hope it's my active imagination and nothing else.
Summer time in Winnipeg is the best, I say this all the time. After I passed that dancer I swung unto to Portage and there were two other buskers, one playing the flute and another a mandolin. It is so nice and I appreciate Downtown biz so much for the effort they make to keep our city swinging.
However, I must say that the City of Winnipeg is not cooperating. They want people to come downtown and they are making it more difficult for drivers to do so because of parking situation. Now I understand free parking will start at 8:30 p.m. and there will be no free parking until 9:00 a.m. On top of this, the bus fares are going up again. I think many people might just want to do their shopping and entertainment in their own neck of the woods.
Maybe the City could compromise developing more park and ride spaces in the City to encourage people to park their cars and hop on the bus for free or minimal charge.
The downtown can only become a safe place for people when more people are walking the streets. More small businesses need to be encouraged to set up in the down town, more coffee shops, specialized boutiques and specialty restaurants, shops and grocery places - places that would encourage us to walk outside even the winter months because we could weave in and out of buildings - that's what make cities tick and interesting.
Now let's me tell you about today - it was fabulous spending my lunch hour listening to steel band and Caribbean music on Edmonton at Portage by the Hi Lite Steel Orchestra and Paradise Band. This is in celebration of Trinidad's 50th anniversary of Independence. There was dancing in the street, roti-and-curry for sale, flag-waving etc. They had the flag-raising ceremony at City Hall earlier in the day. It was hard to return to work after all that elation.
Thanks Winnipeg, you're simply the best.
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