About the McWetlog

The McWetlog is Jonathan Crowe’s personal blog. It’s where he writes about the things that turn his crank, such as astronomy, paleontology, photography, science fiction and snake keeping. A writer, editor, and all-round pain in the ass, Jonathan lives in Shawville, Quebec.

Winnipeg

McNally Robinson closes stores, seeks bankruptcy protection

Winnipeg-based independent bookseller McNally Robinson has filed for bankruptcy protection and is closing two of its stores — one in the Don Mills area of Toronto and one in Winnipeg’s Polo Park Shopping Centre. Two stores remain: its Saskatoon location and its flagship Grant Park Shopping Centre location in Winnipeg, the latter of which I’ve visited — great store. I have a lot of affection for this chain, having grown up bookish in Winnipeg and given them a not-insubstantial amount of my money, and am sad to see this happen. News coverage from CBC News, the Financial Post and, of course, the Winnipeg Free Press (follow-up stories here and here); see also McNally Robinson’s blog entry on the situation.

Update, Jan. 26: That was quick: McNally Robinson emerges from bankruptcy protection.

An Apple Store in Winnipeg

Holy shit: Apple is opening a retail store in Winnipeg; the Polo Park Apple Store opens this Saturday. Polo Park is the major mall in west-end Winnipeg — i.e., my old neck of the woods — so this is very interesting to me on a personal level.

Does it seem weird to you that Winnipeg got an MEC, two Henry’s and an Apple Store before it got an IKEA?

The eclipse of 1979

My first major astronomical experience took place 30 years ago: the total solar eclipse of February 26, 1979. Some people spend thousands of dollars to see a solar eclipse; I was lucky: the eclipse came to me. But to see it, I had to stay home from school that morning. My father’s recollection is that for some nonsensical reason or other, the schools were going to keep the kids inside during totality. Screw that, said my parents, who had three science degrees between them. So I saw the last few seconds of totality from my front porch.

Meanwhile, a lot of people came to Winnipeg in February to see it, which as an expatriate Winnipegger I will admit is not the best time of year to visit: see recollections at Behind Blue Skies and Regenaxe. Here’s the April 1979 issue of the newsletter of the Kingston chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, which contained several eclipse reports, including one by David Levy.

(Photo of the 1979 eclipse by Matthew Cole.)

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IKEA comes to Winnipeg

Though some Winnipeggers seem opposed to the idea, or to the company, or to its products, IKEA appears to be finally coming to Winnipeg. My family was shopping at IKEA for decades before this — we just had to go to Calgary or Edmonton to do it. It seems we weren’t the only ones. Pooh-pooh the idea of cheap furniture all you want, but this can only be a good indicator of Winnipeg’s economic health.

Consider that it was once a city too cheap for IKEA. This was what Winnipeg furniture stores were like in my day:

Note: Entries prior to November 2003 did not have categories assigned to them, and are not included in category archives; please consult the monthly archives.