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What an NHL return to Winnipeg really means

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Photo credit to Sanchom's photostream on flickr

Whether or not you’re a hockey fan really has nothing to do with the fact that a NHL return to Winnipeg will be great news for our city.  Of course it’s great news for hockey fans, but this article is NOT about hockey, but about economy.  Lets take a closer look at why a NHL return to Winnipeg would be a good thing.

Positive National News Media Attention

Anyone else tired of hearing terms like ‘WinterPeg’, ‘Mosquito-Capital’, etc?  Sick of being reminded that our crime rate, per capita, is among the highest in the country?  After hearing such stories over and over again, it starts to resonate, and even our own residents start to believe in them.  On the other hand, reading and hearing positive stories about Winnipeg in the national news media is uplifting and encouraging.  Being mentioned in the same stories alongside of other NHL cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary etc is also a positive step.  An old saying goes something like this “If you want to succeed, … rub elbows with other successful people”……   Same goes for cities!

What does positive attention mean?

Aside from making our own citizens feel good about themselves, positive stories will help draw other people towards Winnipeg.  More immigration and migration back to our city is a great thing.  More people means more housing starts, and the building and/or sale of real estate is the first step in a long chain of an economic domino effect.  New houses means furniture and appliance sales, landscaping improvements, property taxes being paid, etc etc.  Why do corporations pay huge money to  Public Relations Firms, Ad Agencies etc to create positive images for themselves?  Answer: Because positive image helps business. Same goes for cities!

NHL return to Winnipeg is good for our downtown

In a recent presentation sponsored by Winnipeg Harvest, the presenter Brad Lamb, an uber-successful real estate developer from Toronto, reminded everyone that a vibrant downtown is the lifeblood of any city.  I really can’t remember how I felt about the prospect of placing a hockey arena into our downtown (I probably made the argument that it’s already too crowded and parking will be an issue…dumb, dumb dumb!)  but in retrospect those who lobbied for the MTS Centre to be in our downtown should receive public accolades.  Makes me think the football stadium should have been placed downtown as well….  Another old saying  “Build it and they will come”.  A vibrant downtown, of which the NHL return to Winnipeg would be a large part, will help draw people there on a regular and permanent basis.  More people in the downtown means more condo sales, more active nightlife and less vagrants and crime.

Should Government subsidize a hockey team?

Look, I hate paying taxes, as we all do.  And so the argument that “Money is better spent on road repair” will certainly make sense to a lot of people.  But tourists, (and hockey fans) don’t come here to marvel at our pot-hole free roads.  They come here to see the Manitoba Museum of Human Rights, to visit our new Assiniboine Park Conservancy, to enjoy a successful Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and yes, to take in a Hockey Game at our beautiful MTS Centre and in our growing downtown core.  Tourists spend money here, which will mean increased taxes (property, income and sales) and some that that will be spent on roads.

Direct Economic Boost

I’m sure that someone has calculated the economic spin-off value of having an NHL team in any given city.  But even at a more basic level, think about the people who make up a team:  Players, coaches and staff, support staff and all their families.  They will need homes in Winnipeg, and I for one would like to apply to be their REALTOR® right now  .

Winnipeg must realize that major attractions such as these, along with the NHL return to Winnipeg, are an investment in the economic welfare of our city.  Large corporations calculate that money invested in public relations is NOT wasted, but returned many-fold thru the positive image created.  Same goes for cities!

So whether you’re a hockey fan and actually go to the games, or just watch them on TV, or even if you couldn’t care less about hockey at all….  an NHL return to Winnipeg (Winner-Peg?) is a good thing for ALL Winner-Peggers!

Winnipeg is, after all, the city that introduced the “White-Out” to the NHL….  let’s show them how it’s really done!

Related articles

• What to do on Date Night in Downtown Winnipeg (bokauffmann.com)
• Downtown Winnipeg: Best Options for getting around our downtown (bokauffmann.com)
• Canadian Museum for Human Rights a hot attraction in Winnipeg (bokauffmann.com)
• Top Ten Reason to Love Winnipeg (bokauffmann.com)

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