Better Winnipeg: Chair Your Idea puts Winnipeggers’ ideas to the test

WINNIPEG — If you had $30,000 to spend on improving Winnipeg with an urban design, what would you do?

It’s a question local firm 5468796 Architecture is encouraging people to consider for a new competition called Chair Your Idea.

“We believe that good ideas come from anybody. You could be a 10-year-old child or a senior citizen,” says Johanna Hurme, from 5468796 Architecture.

“We’re hoping to gather 1,000 great ideas for the city and 1,000 seats for people to sit at and contemplate and discuss those ideas together.”

All you need to enter is a $25 registration fee, a white chair of any kind and an idea boiled down to 140 characters.

After registering the idea, competitors are supposed to write it on a white chair and give it to one of more than 30 “chairtakers” – local businesses that have agreed to host the chairs until the competition wraps up Sept. 19.

Local businessman and former Winnipeg Blue Bomber Obby Khan is pitching a plan to brighten up the Exchange District with old Christmas trees.

“My idea was about building community and getting people to the Exchange.”

Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman’s idea also focuses on the Exchange District.

“Walking by Old Market Square last winter and seeing it dormant, I thought, this place should be as vibrant in the winter as it is in the summertime,” says Bowman.

His idea is to build a skating rink in the unused park, complete with lights and music.

“My idea is to create year-round activity there.”

In a few short weeks, organizers are hoping to collect more than 1,000 ideas and generate enough money from the registration fees to cover the cost of bringing the winning idea to life.

“I would never attempt this anywhere else,” says Hurme. “I know we can count on Winnipeggers to come together, be creative, be innovative, be resourceful and come up with the great ideas and the chairs.”

As for the ideas that don’t get the judges’ nod, the mayor says he wants to look at them all.

“I do want to see all 1,000 ideas and look at them in terms of the 999 that aren’t accepted. We’ll want to consider them and make Winnipeg an even better place.”

The winner will be announced at a block party on Sept. 19 from 3 to 6 p.m. at a prominent location yet to be announced. All of the white chairs registered in the competition will be displayed at the mystery spot.

If you want to see some of the ideas and white chairs, you can find a list of chairtakers posted online at chairyouridea.ca  While you’re there, you can also register your own urban design idea.

If you know of a person, event or place you think makes Winnipeg a better place to live, email us at betterwinnipeg@globalnews.ca.