I wasn't really sure where to post this...I'm not from the Winnipeg area, so I'm not overly familiar with downtown Winnipeg. I know that we don't have any control and urbanization will continue, but does the construction of True North Square cause concern for future Radisson Peregrines?
True North Centre - no - it is a number of blocks away and south and west of the Radisson. By the time it is built it may in fact become one of our (not counting our chicks before they are laid mind you) chicks' favourite spots to hang out post-fledge. From what I have been able to visualize of the skyline of the project and its position, (knock on wood) by the time the chicks can fly up to rooftops, this one will be about the same distance away as the Delta Hotel which for the last few years has been a favourite place to play.
Closer to the Radisson is a new development that we are watching with more interest. Actually there are two developments at the moment, one 8 storeys, the other 30 storeys. The 8 storey development is where the Regis Hotel & its parking lot are now (
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/st-regis-hotel-to-close-next-month-ending-107-year-run-422456543.html). The 30 storey development is SkyCity (
http://skycitywinnipeg.ca/#top) is just south of there - the old post office parking lot - so northeast(ish) corner of Graham and Smith. Now we are continuing to try and keep the peregrines from nesting on the east side of the building so it may be a moot point until the chicks are fledging and if/when they fly around to the Hotel. Or maybe it won't be much of nothing - like the Glasshouse (
http://glasshousewinnipeg.com/) and Alt Hotel (
http://www.althotels.com/en/winnipeg/services/) on the west side of the Hotel and north side of Portage.
Fortunately the west side of the Radisson is pretty user friendly for the peregrines - the Hydro building is a couple of blocks away and (knock on wood) yet to cause a fatality. The MTS Centre, Eaton Place, the Somerset Building, the old Woolworth's store, Met Entertainment Venue, Centennial Library, old Winnipeg Free Press building, Air Canada Building as well as the Dollarama & MEC buildings are all lower with large flat roofs for landings. The Rogers Building, Glasshouse and Alt Hotel are used regularly by the chicks in the first week after fledging and the adults use the Alt Hotel sign as a perch during big storms during the nesting season. All of which, so far, has been pretty good for our peregrines - knock on wood (and anything else you like in addition) it will stay that way.
(and yes, when it comes to tempting the fates, I will knock on wood whenever and however many times it takes to not cosmically-influence the peregrines' safety
)
