Have a seat, Winnipeg! It's time to Chair Your Idea

We know that everyone has a great idea on how they would make Winnipeg an even better city to live in. That's why we created Chair Your Idea. It is a crowd-sourced and crowd-funded open competition seeking to generate thousands of ideas for urban design in Winnipeg.We want to hear your great idea so we can share it to with the world and show everyone just how creative Winnipeg is. 

Anyone who calls Winnipeg home can submit an idea. Along with each idea, participants are asked to submit a $25 registration fee which will be used to implement the winning idea next year. The ideas are posted online as well as put onto chairs which are hosted by local businesses all over the city to create new public spaces where Winnipeggers can discuss ideas.

Need to get the ideas flowing? We caught up with some of the local businesses which will be hosting chairs and they shared their ideas on what change they would make for $30,000.

“Grow your mind, make your space, find your idea, discover your community - at Winnipeg Public Library."

Create a makerspace to support exploration and discovery at the Library. Makerspaces promote community engagement, collaboration and creativity in a hands-on learning environment. Makerspaces can be equipped with tools that allow people of all ages to learn new and transferable skills, explore technology, collaborate on ideas, and share knowledge. The space may include creative software, sound booths, 3D printing, as well as everyday tools that allow you to make or design just about anything. But the most important part of the makerspace is you and the unique knowledge and ideas you have to share.

Alix-Rae Stefanko, Youth Services Librarian, Winnipeg Public Library

“I would invest the money in to making Old Market Square a skating rink in the winter. It would be great so see The Exchange alive in the Winter Time!”

Mike Del B, King + Bannatyne

"To develop a walking tour app that takes you all over the site and tells the rich and diverse history of The Forks."

Clare MacKay, Vice-President, Corporate and Community Initiatives,

The Forks North Portage

“Organize annual design festival to build 10 summer benches on Corydon. Transform the street into a public space and inspire new urban ideas”

Jae-Sung Chon, Owner, MAKE COFFEE + STUFF

“Bright yellow & orange #IdeaBoxes situated in key spots around #YWG for anonymous notes on city ideas/issues/concerns #democracy #citizen."

Constance Popp, Owner, Chocolatier Constance Popp

“Adapt under-utilized areas within neighbourhood parks to create small scale urban dog parks (fenced). Happy pooches make for happy people."

Nils Vik, Owner, Parlour

Like these ideas? Think you could do better? Submit your great idea at www.chairyouridea.ca

Warming Huts

We recently announced the winners of the Warming Hut v.2013: Art and Architecture on Ice. One winner from Cambridge, one from New York and one from Winnipeg. As well we rolled out our invited architect from Montreal and the U of M entry.

Warming Hut v.2013 Winners

New this year were two art pieces that have nothing to do with the competition but will be installed on the River Trail anyways. There are several other various art and programming pieces that are in various stages of creation and may actually be realized this winter. I can’t tell you much more, but they are all very interesting.

However what the most interesting part to me is how a relatively simple project like a skating trail inspires creative genius here and around the world. Creating a skating trail down a frozen river seems fairly simple and rather obvious in a winter city. It doesn’t take a great visionary to have that idea. However, the jolt that  this skating trail has given to the creative spirit is truly amazing. It has spun a whole other world of the human spirit. Recreation mashing with art.

It would have been hard to imagine when creating the world’s longest skating trail a few years back that it would have also resulted in the world’s largest outdoor art and architecture gallery. It’s hard to imagine that artists and architects the world over would take such a great interest in the project and compete far beyond the monetary rewards (we simply cover the cost of the builds) to be able to participate. We didn’t set out to do any of these things but they happened anyway.

Skating at The Forks

A simple idea creating complex thought and effort. Quite a spin off.

This year as you skate, ski, bike or walk and enjoy 15 different huts, several art installations, crazy events and  random acts of architecture take a moment and marvel in the creative spirit that is unleashed when people gather together to create things for no other reason than pure fun.

-Paul Jordan