Below is an e-mail I wrote to True North to show my support for the Winnipeg Jets name. I think the e-mail says it all for me. If they decide to ignore the fans and choose a new name, my vote is for the Falcons. The worst names floating around, in my opinion, are the "Moose" and the "Polar Bears."
From: Curtis, Shane Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2011 11:56 AM To: 'info@truenorth.mb.ca' Cc: hidden Subject: My Support for the Winnipeg Jets Name
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to you today to express my support for naming the new Winnipeg NHL franchise the Winnipeg Jets.
For the majority of Winnipeggers, the “Winnipeg Jets” represent more than just a team name. The Jets represent a sense of community and a sense of pride. For many people, this is why it has always been about the Return of the Jets, and not the Return of the NHL. True North has a rare and special opportunity to restore something very important to many people, something that is more powerful than any new marketing platform. The emotion and nostalgia associated with the Jets name goes beyond a hockey team. That is why we chant “Go Jets go” at concerts, festivals, and other gatherings. Furthermore, it’s safe to suggest that part of this process for many Winnipeggers is about getting back what is rightfully theirs, and filling a hole that has been in this city since 1996. Therefore, to them, the process for the return of the NHL is not complete until the Jets name is restored. We can’t ignore that this is too personal for too many people.
There are a million reasons for naming the team the Jets, whether it is history, brand recognition, or popularity, but at the end of the day, it’s very simple: it is what the majority of fans want, and what many of them need. It’s what Winnipeg needs. Too many fans are too emotionally invested in the Jets name. Anything else could have a devastating impact. Emotions and feelings are at stake.
This is why we chanted “go Jets go” at Portage & Main and at the Forks. This is why we will chant “go Jets go” at the first game, regardless of whether the new team name is Jets or not. And while it is not meant to disrespect a different team name, I fear it may come across as that to the media and fans outside of Winnipeg. It could damage a different team name, making it a marketing blunder. Winnipeg Jets is such a sure thing.
In the end, this decision tugs at the heartstrings of many Winnipeggers so it needs to be made with absolute care. Given True North’s exceptional track record to date, I have no doubt it will be treated this way, and in the end, the right decision will be made. Last Tuesday this city exploded in celebration thanks to True North. You have the ability to do it again.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Ps. Many colleagues and some friends (many of which are now season ticket holders) have asked me to include their name in this e-mail as an expression of their support for the Winnipeg Jets name as well. Those people are included in the “cc” field.
Shane Curtis, B. Comm (Hons) Auditor | INTERNAL AUDIT
I received the following cookie cutter response from "Scott Brown":
From: True North Reception [mailto:Reception@truenorth.mb.ca] Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2011 1:24 PM To: Curtis, Shane Subject: RE: My Support for the Winnipeg Jets Name
To Mr. Curtis,
Thank you for your interest in the return of NHL hockey to Winnipeg. Please be aware that any discussions of a team name are still taking place and a decision has not yet been made. Our first task is the successful completion of the Drive to 13,000 and final approval from the NHL at the Board of Governors meeting on June 21st. Once that process is complete, we can turn our attention to the team name and logo.
Once again, thanks for your interest; we look forward to seeing you at MTS Centre for the 2011-12 hockey season.
Scott Brown
Director, Corporate Communications & Hockey Operations
True North Sports & Entertainment Limited
260 Hargrave Street :: Winnipeg, MB Canada :: R3C 5S5 www.moosehockey.com :: www.mtscentre.ca :: www.mtsiceplex.ca
May 31st, 2011: The Return of the Jets. This was perhaps the greatest day in the history of Winnipeg. A moment that was 15 years in the making, and one that none of us will ever forget!
If this story ended as a fairy tale, it started as a horror movie. On April 28th, 1996 the lights went out in Winnipeg.
To remind us where we’re coming from, please watch this short clip:
With the loss of the Winnipeg Jets, we lost our sense of community and our loss of pride for this city. And then the hate poured in… “Welcome to Winnipeg: We were born here. What’s your excuse? We’re the Murder Capital of Canada, and the Arson Capital of Canada. And call it Winterpeg, that’s a better representation of this city.”
Winnipeg: a city with a reputation for being a loser. Freezing cold winters, child poverty, a dead downtown, and potholes. Nobody wanted to come here, and nobody wanted to stay here. For over a decade, Winnipeggers left for greener pastures in other provinces. “I can’t wait to leave this city” was typical mentality. For those who stayed, it stung.
But that is changing. In fact, that was then and this is now:
Yesterday the National Hockey League announced the return of professional hockey in Winnipeg. To me, this announcement launched what I like to call the “new” Winnipeg. Winnipeg is growing and developing and NHL hockey is further evidence of this. In recent years, symbols of economic development and prosperity have begun silencing our critics and become the voice for those who have always believed in our Winnipeg. In sociology, the tipping point is defined as the event in which a previously rare phenomenon becomes dramatically more common. I believe the tipping point for this “new” Winnipeg is the return of the NHL, but like the definition states, other rare phenomenons had to become dramatically more common. And boy, did they!
In 2004, the MTS Centre opened downtown, and quickly became the 19th busiest arena in the world, 11th busiest in North America, and 3rd busiest in Canada (behind only the Bell Centre in Montreal and the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.) In addition, True North opened the MTS Iceplex in 2010 which will be a training facility for our new NHL team and will accommodate more than 20,000 hours of recreational icetime for junior, minor and adult hockey teams.
In 2007, the Winnipeg Airports Authority began construction on a crucial transportation hub for Winnipeg, the new Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport terminal. In addition to the new Canada Post plant built next to the new terminal, there is also a plan for a new luxury hotel to be built and connected to the new terminal.
In conjunction with the new terminal, in April 2009, the provincial and federal governments announced they will contribute over $400 million to CentrePort Canada –North America’s new 20,000-acre inland port that has been designated Canada’s first Foreign Trade Zone that is expected to attract numerous new corporations to Winnipeg and give a real boost to our growing economy.
In 2008, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights was established in Winnipeg at our historic Forks site. Not only is this the first Canadian national museum to be established in over 40 years, but it is the first national museum ever to be built outside of Ottawa. It’s expected to boast upwards of 300,000 visitors per year.
In April 2009,anew Winnipeg Blue Bombers football stadium was approved. Located at the University of Manitoba, this 33,000 seat stadium will be 20 years newer than the next stadium (the Rogers Centre) in the Canadian Football League.
In 2009, IKEA announced its entry into Winnipeg. For us, it’s not simply a furniture store, but also symbol of our economic strength. IKEA plans on building its biggest store in Canada in its smallest market. Normally only built in cities with populations greater than 1,000,000 people, IKEA believes we can compete with the likes of Calgary and Vancouver.
Lastly, if you don’t believe downtown Winnipeg is being revitalized, you haven’t looked. There is construction everywhere. In the past few years massive improvements have been made to our downtown, the biggest of which is the new Manitoba Hydro Place, which opened in 2009. The University of Winnipeg and Red River College have built many new buildings, and renovated others. Empty buildings have been converted into condos, and new restaurants such as Boston Pizza and 4Play have opened their doors. On Main Street alone, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and the United Way have constructed brand new buildings. The Centre for Youth Excellence is currently under construction, the historic Union Bank Tower is being renovated for Red River College, and the development of Upper Fort Garry Heritage Park will begin soon. In addition, the historic Exchange District is welcoming many new restaurants, the Avenue building on Portage Avenue is finally being developed, and the MTS Exhibition Hall has been a success.
With all these exciting changes and improvements to our city, perhaps the most important is still ahead. Centre Venture, along with True North, have been working closely with the city and other businesses in recent months to establish a Sports, Hospitality, and Entertainment District (SHED) proposed for downtown Winnipeg. This will be in addition to three other downtown districts: the University District, the Retail District, and the Commercial District. If this division of four zones is successful, it will completely change downtown Winnipeg as we know it. The arrival of the NHL to our downtown area is that final piece of the pie for a revitalized downtown. True North has plans for a 17th storey hotel north of the MTS Centre, and other plans for the south. Canad Inns will be developing land west of the MTS Centre (the Old Met), and with the arrival of the NHL, the expanded Convention Centre will happen, with a new Canad Inns hotel attached.
The return of the NHL has given us permission to believe again. The naysayers said Winnipeg is too small, the MTS Centre isn’t to NHL standards, and we don’t have enough corporate support. Yet, here they are! When it comes to sports, it’s not the population that determines the success of a sports franchise, but the size of its fan base. If it was about the size of the population, the Atlanta Thrashers (5.4 million), Phoenix Coyotes (4.3 million) and New York Islanders (7.6 million) shouldn’t be 28th, 29th, and 30th in league attendance while Calgary (1.0 million), Ottawa (812,000) and Edmonton (713,000) are 6th, 11th, and 19th in league attendance. In Winnipeg, the Manitoba Moose are second in AHL league attendance. The MTS Centre currently has a waiting list for box suites that’s rumoured to be 100 corporations long. Not to mention, our team owner, the richest man in Canada, runs a company of 55,000 employees. How’s that for corporate support? And unlike the old Winnipeg Jets who relied exclusively on ticket sales, the new team has many more revenue streams. They own the team, the MTS Centre, the concessions, and other exciting things that will be made public in the coming weeks through the SHED. And keep in mind that the naysayers have never said we didn’t deserve a team. They only said we’d never get one. There’s a big difference there. Sadly, when many of us think of Winnipeg, we think inferiority complex. We are not inferior and that mentality is changing both at home and throughout Canada. The Free Press recently ran a story stating that Winnipeggers are far more proud of their city today than five years ago. Out of 6,000 nominations across the country, the Forks was recently named Canada’s top public space. And sayings like “My NHL includes Winnipeg” have turned into “My Winnipeg includes the NHL.”
This was never about Winnipeg vs. Quebec City or Winnipeg vs. Hamilton. It was never about the United States “sun-belt” teams vs. Canada and their rabid fans. This was only ever about us! We have made Winnipeg, the smallest market in the NHL and in all of professional sports, viable. We have convinced the richest man in Canada that we’re worth it. It’s because we earned this that True North is delivering it - and we should all be grateful and thankful that they are.
This is OUR moment. This is OUR time. Yesterday, Winnipeg celebrated the return of the NHL and that celebration was shared with people around the world. Patiently, we waited 15 years for this and we are finally here. To quote Epicurus, “the greater the difficulty, the more the glory in surmounting it.” We need to enjoy this moment. It’s once in a lifetime. Whether with the masses at Portage and Main, in the comfort of your own home, with friends and family, or anywhere else around the world, we celebrate this victory as one. This is the poetic justice that has been a longtime coming for this city, and the people that live in it. We celebrate the tipping point for a new Winnipeg. And all of this can be described in only a few words, or three to be exact: Go Jets Go!
It's time to show the kind of passion for this city that it deserves. We have been hesitant, and that is understandable, because we failed to meet our potential. This city was born out of prosperity and triumph in the late 19th century and early 20th century. In 1879, Alexander Begg said, “That Winnipeg is destined to be the great distributing and railway centre of the vast North West admits no denial.” In 1911, the Chicago Herald said “All roads lead to Winnipeg” and in 1912, Principal Mackinnon said “Few cities have a more romantic tale of bloodless progress than the one that has risen so marvelously on the banks of the Red River.” We never developed into the great, admirable city that we were expected to be and instead we declined tragically throughout the 20th century. But we are not losers, anymore. Winnipeg is not a loser, anymore. The return of the NHL gives us permission to cheer for this city, and to be proud of this city once again. It rights a wrong. It ends a nightmare. We don't have to be hesitant anymore. We will be passionate, because with Winnipeg, we have something to be passionate about. The NHL has made the majority of people realize that. It is our tipping point, and that is why it will be the symbol to represent our new sense of community. And that is the ultimate achievement in all of this. Winnipeg is a community. And we were a community before the return of the NHL. Our cultural community, our music and dance community, our festivals, our theatres, our museums, our sports etc. etc. etc. We are the Peg, River City and Peg City. We are home of the Blue & Gold, Winnie the Pooh, Nellie McClung, the Guess Who, Louis Riel and many, many more. We are the Slurpee Capital of the World, the Cultural Capital of Canada and the Heart of the Continent. It just took a hockey team for us to see that. This is a great city. And it’s not 1996 anymore. And who knows… Maybe the return of the NHL, this “new” Winnipeg, this new sense of community will make our winters feel a little warmer, make our mosquito bites a little more tolerable, and make our potholes feel a little smoother.
Winnipeg is my home, and I’ve never been prouder to say it.
