The Yards at Fort Rouge - Some Humorous Criticism

I'm a big fan of satire, and have used it myself to make a point or two in my lifetime. I found this recent video satirically criticizing Mike's latest building project in Winnipeg, The Yards at Fort Rouge. Just some quick background, The Yards is a condo project currently under phase 1 construction in Winnipeg which Mike Holmes is overseeing through his inspection company, Mike Holmes Inspections. Mike has already attended the Grand Opening Sales Event earlier this week, addressing criticisms current and future residents have about issues such as an increase in traffic and, from what it sounds like in this video, straining already limited utilities such as the sewer system. The project is being developed by Gem Equities, headed by Andrew Marquess, who has been the subject of lawsuits in the past for dubious business decisions. To be fair, Andrew Marquess has admitted his previous failures attributing them to hard times, and has addressed and settled all previous lawsuits against his companies.

So there's the controversy in a nutshell. In the video "Lord Roberts" addresses Mike Holmes, pointing out satirically how working class people are being suckered into buying these condos located near noisy railroad tracks and a fire station, and that Andrew Marquess is using Mike's good reputation to peddle a bad idea to unsuspecting people. I obviously don't agree with a lot of the conclusions that people are making, but I respect the opinions of those who are concerned -- after all, they do have to live there.

And FYI, I currently live in a reclaimed industrial area. There's a rock quarry not too far from my house, and the main road that connects where I live to the rest of the city is a major highway. All other roads in my area are pretty inadequate for the amount of traffic, and during rush hour it gets rather thick. I cross railroad tracks on my way home, and sometimes I hear a the train. I also live near a fire station, and a police station. I hear trains and sirens a lot, but I would not consider these noises a disruption to my life. I say this to point out that people are resilient and will learn to deal and adapt to changing conditions. Increased traffic is not a good enough reason to halt progress in my opinion, however annoying it may be. As far as whether or not the homes will be built good enough? With Mike Holmes' fingers in the project, I'm confident that construction will be nothing but top notch, if for no other reason than Mike Holmes' company is involved.

Regardless of how anyone personally feels, this video certainly does a good job at showing the "cons" of the project, in a humorous and satirical way. I enjoyed it...