Alex Reid

My project-turn-empire “New Winnipeg” celebrates its sixth year this week.

I remember when people laughed at me for starting an “internet” business six years ago. Perhaps it was because they didn’t understand what the Internet was. Maybe they didn’t have faith in me. Or maybe it was simply because it was mere weeks after the infamous stock-market bubble burst of 2000.

Ironically, my initial investment money was my profit from the IPO bubble. I held stocks in about.com and I jumped ship less than two weeks before the market crashed. While many lost money – a friend tells me her dad lost a quarter million dollars from the bubble – I made off with $4000; roughly four times what I had invested. All of that went to the business that would change focus after I made a second investment in 2002, after I quit my job at shitty hall (which was one of the best decisions I ever made).

Sure I worked lots and I sacrificed more, but the real thanks goes to everyone I do business with. From large partners to the little guy with a $9 account; I say happy birthday to you!!

I think when clients are prepaying into the next decade, you know business is good.

After talking to a national client who uses Google AdSense, I decided to setup an account for newwinnipeg.com. I’m hopeful this will help the newwinnipeg.com crew afford their equipment and meetings.

Wooohoooo.. nearly four years to the day that I started the Skateboarding Association of Winnipeg with the intention of lobbying for a world-class skatepark in Winnipeg, The Forks announced they are building a world-class skatepark at The Forks.

This is a major coup for skateboarders in Winnipeg – and a great relief for me!

Kevin Pauls and I spent much time meeting with politicians and business owners in 2001/2002. We retained our Architectural firm and met with The Forks people (appointed board, set up by all three levels of gov’t) back in September 2001.

We met with the Mayor (Glen Murray) and I made a presentation to the City’s EPC the same day we met with The Forks people, in which the City would consult with their plan to re-assess the community centres. Even though the City decreed officially to work with us, we were left out of the picture. Glen Murray directed us to talk to Gerald Mirecki, the Manager of Community Services. When we called Mirecki, he suggested us to talk to the Mayor… and on and on went the BS. I logged 23 calls to the Mayor’s office, with zero calls back to us. I wrote two official letters to the Mayor’s office outlining how this was contradictory to the EPC decision in September 2001. The Winnipeg Sun picked this up, and by the time it mattered, the Mayor resigned from his position to run in the Federal election.

His Deputy Chief of Staff would later tell me that it was her fault that we never received one phone call back. Obviously something is wrong when 23 calls to your office goes ignored.

Disappointments aside, I successfully raised the issue of seeing the City of Winnipeg build skatepark with absolutely no money. I used my City Hall media contacts abroad to get the message out there. We petitioned and received the names of over 9,000 people to support us. What’s sweet is that I’m not even a skateboarder; so I have very little to personally benefit from the skatepark!

So why do it? Call it community service, call it saving someone down the road from idle hands, call it experience, call it whatever. I did it because I really believe the skatepark will benefit not only the young and old of Winnipeg, but also will do much to raise Winnipeg’s profile across North America. Having this skatepark – along with the other rinky dink parks across the city – boosts our ‘cool’ level. And it was great experience for me, to raise an issue using no money, putting on fundraisers, gathering a group of apathetic people for a common goal and finally, helping Winnipeg rock all that much more.

But really, this is my own test to prove (to anyone or myself) that one doesn’t need to be elected to office to get things done. Sure if might help, but I have more freedom right now not being elected and choosing projects and issues that are important to me and/or my community.

One project down, 87 to go.

It’s the final week – thank good cookies. It looks like Harry Lazarenko might win again this year. I don’t know if we’ll continue it next year, now that we’re all getting election-mania burned out. Besides, this was the third year – it’s time to move on to other democracy-encouraging projects.

Survivor at City Hall in Winnipeg