SMART city


Bliss & Beatz strikes a balance with yoga pool party


chakras? With the motto to “take the party out of the bar and yoga out


I


of the studio,” the trio of Bliss & Beatz rolled out its very first pop-up yoga pool party to a gung ho group of yogis. As soon as you checked in, you were served a Dixie cup of pineapple mimosa, and then you passed through the gate to the secret location unveiled to you just the night prior. A bean-shaped, luminescent


pool opens to an expansive, epic stretch of grass for the yoga community to break a sweat on. It’s some dude’s backyard in Charleswood. A cash bar was set up with


Fresh Cut Brenlee Coates


pitchers of sangria and mimosas, and DJ Mama Cutsworth was already spinning funk from her booth. A few neon floating tubes and


animals decorated the pool. Te scene was set for a proper daytime pool party, and the perks


were just beginning. Savannah Joy, Liane Cherrett and Niki Trosky from Bliss


& Beatz helped orchestrate the pop-up, and got heavy hitters like Chef Rob and the gentlemen from Green Carrot Juice Co. on board. Free cold-pressed juice was offered to guests along with


an elaborate menu prepped by the revered chef. A massage table was even set up offering 10 minutes of tranquility and opulence to guests. It’s maybe not the kind of party people are used to hearing


about on Monday, but it truly was a reinvigorating use of the weekend. As your twenties begin to fade into your thirties, or your


thirties start to include parenthood and babysitters, letting loose at the club just doesn’t seem to be the best use of your weekend anymore, or your babysitting budget. Oddly enough, weekends are starting to be measured by


productivity. I started using weekends to make up for too many rest days that should have been spent running down Wellington Crescent. Priorities have shifted a little bit, but the urge to unwind


after the workweek remains. We’re at the age where it feels more important than ever to


stay tuned in to your emotions and needs, ensuring you’ve got enough left to give to your work, your partner, your child and your health. Tis mentality is probably why yoga has taken off so much, since people are finally allowing themselves time to quiet


t’s the same old story: you can either go the gym, or you can enjoy a warm summer’s day basking in the sun, eat- ing delicious BBQ, drinking mimosas – and aligning your


Bliss & Beatz programming throughout summer


July 21 Take Me Out to the Om Game (lululemon, Winnipeg Goldeyes and Liane)


August 8-10 Trout Forest Music Festival in Ear Falls, Ontario August 16 Manitoba Electronic Music Exhibition


their minds and get down to what matters. True to yoga, the rewards of the pop-up pool party were in


its balance: meals were healthy but felt decadent, drinks were served but no one binged, and yoga was instructed at a reason- able Saturday pace, picking up difficulty in parts while always reminding us to listen to our own bodies and its limitations. Yoga instructors Niki and Liane tag-teamed the practice,


August 17 Rainbow Trout Music Festival August 30 Grand Beach lululemon wrap-up party September 7 Prairie Love Festival (Niki and Andre Clement) Follow Bliss & Beatz on Facebook to learn more about events.


with Niki inviting us to quiet our inhibitions and let our hips and arms sway to the music, and Liane leading us through some sun salutations and vinyasas. Eventually, the clouds did part and the soft drizzling came to a close. It was time to let go of anything standing in our way, find a


spot along the pool’s edge, and jump in with our clothes on. With our skin warmed and minds opened, no one hesitated.


Time to reflect on downtown progress I


t’s been a great start to the summer! Maybe not when it comes to the weather – but when thinking about downtown progress, it’s been almost perfect.


In the first quarter, we’ve seen forward movement on many initiatives, and the com- mon thread that ties most of these new initiatives together is housing. For the first time, it feels like both social and physical revitalization are on the radar at the same time, and that strategic focus and the importance of connecting the different districts of down- town is better understood. Here are some snapshots of


Downtown Stefano Grande


what’s been happening this summer! Te 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness


A plan to end homelessness


has arrived. With the leader- ship of the United Way of Win-


nipeg and the Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council, a new plan will coordinate resources and place those less fortunate into homes first, surrounded by supports. Te plan shows promise to improve the health and safety of all our citizens, and help our city become a more caring and tolerant place.


Parcel 4 Te proposed redevelopment of Parcel 4 and Railside


Land at the Forks National Historic Site has been an- nounced. A well thought-out, community-based plan with wide support has finally emerged under the careful direction of Forks North Portage Development Corpo-


6 SMART TAB


ration. Housing forms a key part with over 700 units planned as part of a well-designed mixed-use develop- ment. While to date Waterfront Drive has been the calling card of the new downtown, Parcel 4 has the potential to match or exceed it. Developers will be lining up. Tax increment financing


Te second generation of the residential tax increment


financing program has arrived. Te first program of over $40 million in incentives has leveraged five times that much in private sector investment to stimulate down- town housing, which resulted in almost 2,000 units under construction or proposed under the direction and leadership of development agency CentreVenture. A short six years ago, there was much opposition to


such a large-scale program on the basis that the private sector alone should revive the downtown market. With the voices of groups like city BIZ associations and the leadership of key politicians in the province and city who understand the long-term financial implication of not directing development inward, the new program took shape. Te arrival of this second generation program, with


an estimated $24 million in additional tax support, is more finely tuned and focused. Its emphasis on targeting surface parking lots; strategic focus in certain districts; and emphasis on mixed use are all elements that make this version much more powerful. Tis could lead to a speedier realization of the ultimate


goal – vibrancy through density and mixed-use develop- ments. No doubt there will still be some challenges, the biggest one being if owners will bite, or simply inflate their property value and try offloading their properties, making development more difficult. An earlier recommendation by the BIZ, when real estate prices were much lower, was for the city to simply


www.smartcareers.ca


start buying surface parking lots, controlling the market and creating strategic partnerships with the private sec- tor, then applying the tax incentives. If you want to play the game, then think like a developer would! More additions to the University of Winnipeg Te United Health and RecPlex on Spence Street has


finally been unveiled, adding to the U of W’s vison of creating a world-class campus. First-rate sports facilities, great housing, and a walkable campus with storefronts, restaurants and more are all key ingredients in attracting students to universities, and clearly Dr. Axworthy has visited some of the best campuses in North America. His vision has taken shape at lightning speed and is perhaps a model whose approach should be replicated in other districts in downtown Winnipeg. Te complex will be a boon to everyone from local youth to older soccer heroes wanting to relive lost glory. A second farmers’ market


Office workers wanted it, so we delivered it. A second


market this year has taken off with the support of the Workers Compensation Board on Broadway. Te goal is to give office workers reasons to enjoy their downtown; help residents buy organic produce not sold anywhere else; and create a positive buzz in the area. At times trying to create a conversation around revi-


talization can make you feel like a lone voice – especially when policy has not yet caught up. But we at the BIZ are not alone; ordinary people, politicians, administrators and many other leaders in the city share our passion and beliefs. But what is important is that these conversations spark creativity in others, whether it challenges them to think harder, or creates synergy with partners that helps get us to our goal. Conversations are good, and they must continue, because momentum is finally on our side. A great first quarter start – let’s keep it going.


August 2014


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