Choosing the best spot to make a statement

“Location, location, location” is the old axiom in real estate marketing, but a few local examples this past week showed the same thinking applies to attracting, or avoiding, attention from the media or public.

First up is the group from Occupy Winnipeg, who have been raising fears the provincial government is getting ready to kick them out of Memorial Park. Problem is that there’s little evidence to support that theory, beyond a few emails from provincial officials suggesting health-and-safety improvements.
I can’t say I blame the occupiers for courting controversy, though.

While many Occupy camps across North America have been shut down after dramatic showdowns with police, the Winnipeg site has been largely ignored after some initial curiosity from the public.

Of course, that’s what happens when you pick a location that sits vacant all winter long. If the occupiers had instead put down their tent pegs at the Legislative Building, Air Canada Park or Old Market Square, they could have been far more successful at provoking the public, big business and the government.

As it stands now, the occupiers will likely be free to stay until the spring, or until they get cold and bored. My money’s on the latter.

Now if the protesters really want to get in the faces of those in power, then perhaps they should try occupying Hu’s Asian Bistro, which will once again be the site of the mayor’s annual free holiday dinner for city councillors and department heads.

While I’m sure Hu’s cooks up a fine kung pao chicken, the problem here is that the restaurant also happens to be owned by the mayor. And the meal is being paid for by the taxpayer.

Many people have deservedly asked why the city’s power brokers are getting a free holiday party in the first place. It’s a good question, but odds are the entire story could have been avoided if the mayor had picked one of the thousand or so other local restaurants that he doesn’t own.

Better yet, he could have made a donation to a soup kitchen and organized councillors to serve up some holiday cheer to those who really need it. Or invited the directors of local non-profit groups to share dinner and talk about their organizations with city staff.

Alternatively, I can think of some folks in Memorial Park who could probably use a warm meal about now.