Paul Friesen ‏@friesensunmedia  53m

Breaking News: Stadium flooding exposes more design flaws at IGF. Around one-third of suites are flooded, source says. #Bombers

 

Paul Friesen ‏@friesensunmedia  51m

Source says water from melting snow on roof flowing up against suite doors and through celings at IGF. #Bombers

 

Paul Friesen ‏@friesensunmedia  49m

Source says repairs will be in the "hundreds of thousands." #Bombers CEO W. Miller downplays flooding as "a little water from spring thaw."

 

Paul Friesen ‏@friesensunmedia  49m

#Bombers CEO W Miller says builder or designer, not team, will be on the hook for repairs or redesign.

 

Darrin Bauming ‏@DarrinBauming  47m

I have a friend in construction who told me last year more problems may arise at Investors Group Field come its first spring. Sure enough.

 

Paul Friesen ‏@friesensunmedia  47m

#Bombers CEO Wade Miller refused Sun's request to have access to stadium and see damage, first-hand. "You're not getting in there."

 

 

Why do people think they are entitled to see the damage in the stadium?  Is it because the team is community owned?  The price tag to the club or the tax payer is fair game once it is determined, but nothing else.  

 

As for diffusing the situation with the media, once the leak got out, nothing was going to diffuse that.  Parading a bunch of reporters and camera men in so that news outlets can get a splashy picture and headline would not have made this news any better.  It would be much worse. 

 

If there was water damage in the MTS centre over the summer, do you think True North would acquiesce to any media demands to see it?   No, they wouldn't.  And it probably would never leak either.

Taxpayers funded the stadium, Rich.  Therefore they should be able to see the damage. I think it's time some kind of government inspection was done to determine just what needs to be done once & for all to determine all that needs to be done to  fix anything & everything. 

 

 

Disagree.

 

As I said the taxpayer is entitled to know the cost of the damage and who is going to pay for it. 

 

That is different then letting in media and photographers for the sole purpose of a splash headline and photo.

 

You as a taxpayer can't walk into any government building and demand to see their books and investigate yourself.   You can only see auditor reports.

 

This isn't just a "government building". It's a public stadium that was a lightning rod of opinion, before, during & now after construction. The public has a right to know what's going on. Miller's embarassed & he shouldn't be. As I said in a previous post, this isn't the Bombers fault & there's no need to be secretive about it. 

 

 

 

Why do people think they are entitled to see the damage in the stadium?  Is it because the team is community owned?  The price tag to the club or the tax payer is fair game once it is determined, but nothing else.  

 

As for diffusing the situation with the media, once the leak got out, nothing was going to diffuse that.  Parading a bunch of reporters and camera men in so that news outlets can get a splashy picture and headline would not have made this news any better.  It would be much worse. 

 

If there was water damage in the MTS centre over the summer, do you think True North would acquiesce to any media demands to see it?   No, they wouldn't.  And it probably would never leak either.

Taxpayers funded the stadium, Rich.  Therefore they should be able to see the damage. I think it's time some kind of government inspection was done to determine just what needs to be done once & for all to determine all that needs to be done to  fix anything & everything. 

 

 

Disagree.

 

As I said the taxpayer is entitled to know the cost of the damage and who is going to pay for it. 

 

That is different then letting in media and photographers for the sole purpose of a splash headline and photo.

 

You as a taxpayer can't walk into any government building and demand to see their books and investigate yourself.   You can only see auditor reports.

 

This isn't just a "government building". It's a public stadium that was a lightning rod of opinion, before, during & now after construction. The public has a right to know what's going on. Miller's embarassed & he shouldn't be. As I said in a previous post, this isn't the Bombers fault & there's no need to be secretive about it. 

 

 

Where did I say the public doesn't have a right to know.

 

There is a huge difference in the public knowing what is happening and the media taking a picture to show everyone.  A picture won't tell you what the total damage is, what the dollar value is to fix it, and who is going to pay for it.   It would be nothing more then a tabloid like picture to sell a few more newspapers.

 

I don't think Miller is embarrassed at all, nor are they being secretive.   This is about the organization being run in a proper and professional manner, and that includes protecting their brand and image, no matter whose fault it is.

 

If anyone thinks letting reporters in to see what is happening would be anything but a more negative news item for the Bombers then it is right now is out to lunch.  Their job is to control the negative press as much as possible.

 

In time, it will be known what the damage and cost is.   Letting reporters in at this point is not going to give you that information.

Rich, not letting in reporters solves what exactly? The premise that there's something to hide? Media attends such things as major water main breaks, disasters & fires to public & private buildings everyday. When the shed at Canad Inns Stadium went up they took photos & it was front page news. No one is saying the media is going to go in with an appraiser & start tallying up the damage. They just want to see it which is reasonable. How is keeping the media out acting professional in any way? I think Miller is angry & embarrassed & I don't blame him as this is just another problem in a long line of problems that just won't go away. However, having a bunker mentality  doesn't help. Miller needs to be up front with people. I don't think that's too much to ask. But the facility still belongs to the taxpayer. The Bombers just play there for now, haven't made one payment yet.

a question: Why is Friesen the only "media" seemingly trying to make a big deal out of this?

a question: Why is Friesen the only "media" seemingly trying to make a big deal out of this?

Because he broke the story.

Why do people feel the need to believe in Friesen, and make him out to be the proponent of Winnipeg's taxpayers and, by only Friesen's story, Miller is evil, completely wrong and a lying S-O-B?

Why do people feel the need to believe in Friesen, and make him out to be the proponent of Winnipeg's taxpayers and, by only Friesen's story, Miller is evil, completely wrong and a lying S-O-B?

Miller and BBB have essentially acknowledged Friesen's story as being true.

Acknowledgment is stating there is a little water? A good number of the suites have significant water damage, ceiling tiles, drywall and carpet. Never mind the cost of cosmetic repairs, the actual cost of just identifying the source of the water intrusion, never mind the repairs will be significant. Who is shelling out this time? Asper should be the embarrassed guy and he then collected 4 million when he handed over the "plans" for the facility. He should by his architect some Lego and let him see what he can screw up with it.

Miller and BBB have essentially acknowledged Friesen's story as being true.

 

 

 

Didn't say believe Friesen, I said believe IN Friesen.

Certainly, there is some validity to the story, but it's Miller's job to control the situation and he gets no co-operation from the bad-hair guy.

And...I just don't trust Friesen in reporting how the conversation went down.

He, in his phrasing in the article, is not trying to foster a better relationship between himself and the Blue, especially Miller, but through the piece, people see Miller as the bad guy and Friesen as the defender of the common citizen.

That, in itself, is a lark.

When the flash flood drowned the great hockey rink in Calgary last year the administrators immediately allowed camera and reporter access. Drainage, write-offs and repairs were enacted in short order and the rink was ready just weeks later for events. Nobody blamed the Flames, their executive group or the team GM for a rather violent act of nature. 

 

Miller had nothing to do with the idiotic chain of events which led to the various maladies at IGF. However, upon further review Miller's covert refusal to allow media access to the damaged portion of the building does nothing to build confidence in his new regime. He gets an automatic F in public relations and looks like a coverup artist more than CEO.

 

Eventually, Miller will be replaced as lead man on the repair project cuz thats not his domain.

 

The provincial govt. is a lay-down on this one. Their sport minister, a feeble mind named Ronald Lemieux has already said if more money was required it would be provided. Thats almost chilling as they haven't got a report on the damages. Or maybe they do!

 

Either way its no skin off the football fan's hands. The public purse will pay for whatever debacles befall this white elephant stadium. (Somebody on the Riders Forum called it Dollarama Field). Greg Selinger is in real deep on this baby, believe me. Its gonna cost him his neck (or more likely he'll be resigning in the next 10 months) or his party's neck in the next election. 

 

My own prediction, based on history is that the Bombers will repay little or anything of the so-called "mortage" on the facility.

 

Instead the next series of governments who take over from the dead and inept NDP will institute a tiny seat tax and possibly a facilities/concessions tax in addition to their current 8% rake via the PST. The 250 or 300 million the project eventually expands to when all is said and totalled (hopefully it won't expand to over 300 million) will be fuelled by various aspects of the public purse. 

 

Asper and Wan have the proverbial gun into Selinger's bulbous body. Nobody has to worry about where the money is coming from. For it is us!

Just a couple weeks ago I drove by the stadium and recall seeing 6-10 feet of snow on top of the Bomber office building, same side as the Bomber store on Bison Drive and thinking to myself 'that doesn't look right'. Homeowners all have to remove snow from their roof, or they risk leaking in the Spring when the snow melts. I wonder if some simple winter maintenance (i.e. shoveling snow) could have prevented this?

Well if Selinger thinks investorsStadium is going to be his legacy he better think again. If it was a Toyota they would be recalling it. With Lyle Bauer being named CEO of the MB PC party it will be interesting to see how much fuss the PCs make about the NDP money pit.

When the flash flood drowned the great hockey rink in Calgary last year the administrators immediately allowed camera and reporter access. Drainage, write-offs and repairs were enacted in short order and the rink was ready just weeks later for events. Nobody blamed the Flames, their executive group or the team GM for a rather violent act of nature.

Miller had nothing to do with the idiotic chain of events which led to the various maladies at IGF. However, upon further review Miller's covert refusal to allow media access to the damaged portion of the building does nothing to build confidence in his new regime. He gets an automatic F in public relations and looks like a coverup artist more than CEO.

Eventually, Miller will be replaced as lead man on the repair project cuz thats not his domain.

The provincial govt. is a lay-down on this one. Their sport minister, a feeble mind named Ronald Lemieux has already said if more money was required it would be provided. Thats almost chilling as they haven't got a report on the damages. Or maybe they do!

Either way its no skin off the football fan's hands. The public purse will pay for whatever debacles befall this white elephant stadium. (Somebody on the Riders Forum called it Dollarama Field). Greg Selinger is in real deep on this baby, believe me. Its gonna cost him his neck (or more likely he'll be resigning in the next 10 months) or his party's neck in the next election.

My own prediction, based on history is that the Bombers will repay little or anything of the so-called "mortage" on the facility.

Instead the next series of governments who take over from the dead and inept NDP will institute a tiny seat tax and possibly a facilities/concessions tax in addition to their current 8% rake via the PST. The 250 or 300 million the project eventually expands to when all is said and totalled (hopefully it won't expand to over 300 million) will be fuelled by various aspects of the public purse.

Asper and Wan have the proverbial gun into Selinger's bulbous body. Nobody has to worry about where the money is coming from. For it is us!

Shocking.. New management, new stadium, new forum.... Same ole song and dance..

Anyone else surprised? Anyone?

Well I agree with Spuds about the next government and ultimately the public being on the hook for the stadium the interesting thing will be if the next government is willing to write a blank cheque without more direct involvement in the management and governance of the football Club. Perhaps that might be the silver lining in all of this .

IFWT

I can't see the provincial government having more of a say in running the Bombers as a positive. I believe if possible, the team should be sold. I also can't see the taxpayer being on the hook here. There are builders warranties &  insurance to cover the loss. The Bombers or the government (ie taxpayers) won't be left to foot the bill. The guilty parties will.

I can't see the provincial government having more of a say in running the Bombers as a positive. I believe if possible, the team should be sold. I also can't see the taxpayer being on the hook here. There are builders warranties &  insurance to cover the loss. The Bombers or the government (ie taxpayers) won't be left to foot the bill. The guilty parties will.

I asked you about the Saddledome getting flooded to make a point. Imagine if the powers to be hadn't allowed cameras into the arena to document the damage? Public furor, perhaps?

As for builder warranty and insurance in Wpg. - lets hope!

Stuart Olson Dominion had never built a stadium so I suspect they bare-boned it thru the entire process. If they have to warranty damage without a third parter insurance company to back them they will simply bankrupt themselves and enter long-term lititgation with our local authority. Having to pay 10s of millions in extras simply isn't part of their balance sheet.

 

As for insurance thats a good question. One I'm sure Mr. Miller will also avoid if asked. Miller always seems on the verge of a panic attack when confronted by media. 

 

btw Al, wasn't Saddledome covered by insurance?

No Nate, overland flooding. No insurance coverage. The Flames paid the $30 to $40 million in repairs themselves. They never even approached the provincial government for money for repairs. They did it all themselves.

No Nate, overland flooding. No insurance coverage. The Flames paid the $30 to $40 million in repairs themselves. they never even approached the provincial government for money for repairs. They did it all themselves.

WOW - didn't realize that. And they never approached Radford. Imagine that?

Nope. There were some complaints that between the Stampede grounds getting quickly ready for the Calgary Stampede & repairs to the Saddledome that there wasn't enough equipment or manpower to help communities that needed it in Calgary or High River. Some local bitching but at least the Flames didn't have the albatross of asking for public disaster relief funds to repair their building hanging around their neck. Imagine how that would have played out & they were well aware. So, I don't think it was ever an option for them.

Wasn't it on here that someone posted they took a tour of IGF and discovered this situation? I could have swore I read about it somewhere before Paul Friesen talked to someone.

 

Riderfans is where I saw it.

Based on his post, would it be safe to assume Bearman was likely Friesen's source. What type of rep does he have?

Who is Bearman?

…Nobody knows for sure, but we know he has access to the internet…and really likes blackberries.

When the flash flood drowned the great hockey rink in Calgary last year the administrators immediately allowed camera and reporter access. Drainage, write-offs and repairs were enacted in short order and the rink was ready just weeks later for events. Nobody blamed the Flames, their executive group or the team GM for a rather violent act of nature. 

 

 

There were a half dozen photos tweeted by an operations manager of the Saddledome.  They didn't let reporters in, how would they get in, swim?

Who is Bearman?

The user name of the person at RiderFans who posted about water damage at IGF on Monday. After reading his post it sounds the same as what Friesen says his source told him.