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[[de:Glück]] [[pt:Sorte]]
[[Image:St Boniface Cathedral Winnipeg Manitoba.jpg|thumb|400px|St Boniface Cathedral, in Winnipeg, Manitoba]]
''This article is about good and bad fortune. There is also: [[Luck, Volhynia]], a town in [[Ukraine]], and [[Luck, Wisconsin]], a village in the [[USA]].''
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'''Luck''' may be analysed from three viewpoints: rational, social, and spiritual.
==Rational viewpoint==
'''Winnipeg''' (49n53, 97w09 CST) is a [[List of cities in Canada|Canadian city]], and the [[Provinces of Canada|provincial]] capital of [[Manitoba]].
As related to the occurrences of actual events considered to be of low [[probability]] in a [[mathematics|mathematical]] or [[statistics|statistical]] sense. A [[rationalist]] approach would lead to the conclusion that such matters as whether or not someone bore a victim ill will would have no bearing upon (for example) that person being hit by a loose brick falling from a decrepit building. It was only due to a remote statistical probability that the brick's four [[Dimension|dimensional]] [[Spacetime|space-time]] path intercepted the 4D path of the victim's head (this was an actual occurrence in [[San Francisco]]). In a case like this both rationalists and spiritualists would likely say that the victim was ''unlucky''. In an example of good luck, a person winning a [[lottery]] would generally be considered lucky, although a rationalist might point out that there was bound to be a winner sooner or later, and there was actually nothing lucky about ''someone'' winning - it was merely a [[probability|probabilistic]] event. It is doubful that the winner would agree with that analysis, however.
==Social viewpoint==
The city is located at the confluence of the [[Red River of the North|Red]] and [[Assiniboine River|Assiniboine]] rivers, and protected from flooding by the [[Red River Floodway]]. It is the province's largest city and one of the world's largest wheat markets. It has [[Winnipeg International Airport]], railroad shops, grain elevators, stockyards, meatpacking and automobile plants, flour and textile mills, and breweries.
As a [[Society|social]] phenomenon, there is much truth in the saying "what goes around, comes around" (see [[karma]]). On the one hand, those who are kind and generous to others are usually perceived as open and accepting and so more likely to be freely offered assistance from others. They are also more likely to also be able to ask for and receive help from others in time of need. On the other hand, those who are asocial or anti-social are less likely ask for assistance or to be offered assistance by others. The open, generous and cheerful person is more likely to be classified by others as lucky, while the curmudgeon is more likely to be considered by others or to consider him/her self unlucky.
==History==
In [[1738]], the [[Sieur de la Vérendrye]] built the first post on the site, [[Fort Rouge]], but it was later abandoned. Other posts were built in the Red River region, which was fiercely contested by the [[North West Company]] and the [[Hudsons Bay Company|Hudson's Bay Company]]. [[Fort Gibraltar]], a post of the North West Company on the site of present-day Winnipeg, was renamed [[Fort Garry]] in 1822 and became the leading post in the region. In [[1835]] its name was changed to Winnipeg. In 1869-1870, Winnipeg was the site of the [[Red River Rebellion]], one of Canada's civil wars.
==Supernatural viewpoint==
Winnipeg experienced an economic boom during the [[1920s]], and the [[Manitoba]] [http://www.gov.mb.ca/legislature/homepage.html Provincial Legislature Building] reflects that. Built of [[Tyndall Stone]] in 1920, it is topped by the "[http://www.gov.mb.ca/goldenboy/index.html Golden Boy]", a four metre high five ton scultpure sheathed in 23.5 karat gold. The Golden Boy carries a sheaf of golden grain in his left arm, while his right hand holds high a torch. The Golden Boy's torch was illuminated in 1970, as part of Manitoba's Centennial Celebration. The lamp was removed in 2003 as part of a refurbishment of the famous statue, when it was discovered the cable supplying power to the lamp also contributed to the erosion of its internal frame. The statue is now lit at night by floodlights.
There is also sometimes considered to be a [[supernatural]] bias towards experiencing events of good or ill fortune. In this sense some believe that one's own or another's good or bad luck can be influenced through spiritual means or by performing certain rituals or by avoiding certain (from a rational viewpoint non-relevant) situations. [[Voodoo]] is a religious practice in which this belief is particularly strong, although many cultures worldwide place a strong emphasis on a person's ability to influence their luckiness by ritualistic means. This often involves proper respect for spirits, believed to inhabit a ___location prior to human occupation. In some cultures, if one builds a house on a property it is respectful to provide a small [[spirit house]] for their habitation. In other cultures, a building may be interrupted by a passageway to allow the flow of spiritual energy - the ___location being determined by an expert in such matters. In such cultures, ignoring such matters is believed to lead to misfortune - ''bad luck''. In this context there is also the concept of "purpose" to events ascribed to luck, good or bad.
==Effects of viewpoint and beliefs==
The current city of Winnipeg was created by the [[Unicity Act of 1971]]. The municipalities of [[St. James-Assiniboia]], [[St. Boniface]], [[Transcona]], [[St. Vital]], [[West Kildonan]], [[East Kildonan]], [[Tuxedo, Manitoba|Tuxedo]], [[Old Kildonan]], [[North Kildonan]], Fort Garry, and [[Charleswood]] were amalgamated with the Old City of Winnipeg. Small portions of the city have since seceded, but the vast majority of the populated area of the city remains within one single municipality. In order to prevent urban sprawl, the city restricted development to inside an [[urban limit line]] and in most cases left several kilometres of open space between the municipal boundary and suburban developments. Surrounding municipalities have a combined population of less than 60,000.
The belief in luck as a supernatural phenomenon is generally regarded by rationalists as a form of [[magical thinking]]. However, there is evidence that people who believe themselves to have '''good luck''' are more able to take advantage of fortunate chance events in their lives, and to compensate for unfortunate chance events in their lives, than people who believe that they have '''bad luck'''. This appears to be the result of [[positive thinking]] altering their responses to these events. A belief in luck can also indicate a belief in an external [[locus of control]] for events in their life and so escape from personal responsibility.
Some philosophers argue that we each "create our own reality", literally and not metaphorically, and in that context what appears to be good luck can be interpreted as having beliefs that encourage or create what are putatively good outcomes.
Because of its extremely flat topography and substantial snowfall, Winnipeg is subject to flooding. The Red River reached its highest flood stage in the last two hundred years in 1826. A large flood occurred in 1950, which prompted [[Duff Roblin]]'s government to build the [[Red River Floodway]], a 49-kilometre long diversion channel that protects the city of Winnipeg from flooding. Other related water diversion projects include the [[Portage Diversion]] (also known as the [[Assiniboine River Floodway]]) and the [[Shellmouth Dam]]. The flood-control system prevented flooding in 1974 and 1979 when water levels neared record levels. However, in 1997, flooding threatened the city's relatively unprotected southwest corner. Flood control [[dikes]] were reinforced and raised using [[sandbag]]s and the threat was avoided. Winnipeg suffered very limited damage compared to cities without flood control structures, such as [[Grand Forks, North Dakota]].
===Risky lifestyles===
==Demographics==
Often those who ascribe their travails to "bad luck" will be found upon close examination to be living [[Risk|risky]] [[Lifestyle|lifestyles]]. For example: a drunk driver may ascribe their arrest to the bad luck of being observed by a patrolman, or the bad luck of being involved in a traffic accident (perhaps not even the victim's fault), as a way of avoiding personal responsibility for his/her actions.
The metro area is home to 671,274 people (2001), about 60% of the total population of Manitoba. Winnipeg's population was 667,205 in 1996 and 660,450 in 1991. Winnipeg's growth rate has been 0.5% since 1971; Edmonton and Calgary, once Winnipeg's smaller cousins, have grown 3.0% and 4.5% per year, respectively, over the same period. Long Canada's 4th-largest city, Winnipeg dropped to 8th in the last decade. The city's ethnic makeup is approximately 79% Caucasian, 10% Native or Metis, 5% Filipino, 3% Chinese, 2% Indian and 1% Black.
===Positive outlook===
==Workforce==
On the other hand, people who consider themselves "lucky" in having good health may be actually reaping the benefits of a cheerful outlook and satisfying social relationships, both of which are well known [[statistics|statistically]] to be protective against many stress-related diseases.
Approximately 375,000 people are employed in the metropolitan Winnipeg area. Winnipeg's largest employers are The Province of Manitoba, The City of Winnipeg, The University of Manitoba, The Health Sciences Centre, [[Manitoba Telecom Services]] (crown corporation, privatized in 1997), [[Manitoba Hydro]], Palliser Furniture, and Great-West Life Assurance. Other large private employers include Motor Coach Industries, [[New Flyer]] Industries, [[Boeing]] Aerospace, [[Bristol Aerospace]] and Investors Group. More than 54,000 people are employed in the public sector.
===Effects===
Winnipeg is also home to "[http://www.airforce.forces.ca/organization2_e.asp '1 Canadian Air Division (1CAD)']", the headquarters of the [[Canadian Armed Forces]] "Air Command" (Canada's Air Force). This is also the command structure responsible for strategic coordination and control of [[Norad]] operations over Canada (tactical control is in [[North Bay, Ontario]], in a bunker reminiscent of [[Cheyenne Mountain]]).
If "good" and "bad" events occur at random to everyone, believers in good luck will experience a net gain in their fortunes, and vice versa for believers in bad luck. This is clearly likely to be self-reinforcing. Thus, although untrue, a belief in good luck may actually be an adaptive [[meme]].
The [[gambler's fallacy]] and [[inverse gambler's fallacy]] are both related to belief in luck.
==Transportation==
Winnipeg has had a public transit system since the 1880s, starting with horse-drawn streetcars. It had electric streetcars from 1891 until 1955, and electric buses from 1938 until 1970. Its public transit system now operates entirely on diesel buses. For decades, the city has explored the idea of a rapid transit link, either bus or rail, from downtown to the University of Manitoba's suburban campus. No agreement has ever been reached. Winnipeg is home to large transit bus manufacturers such as New Flyer Industries and Motorcoach Industries.
==Numerology==
Winnipeg is unique among North American cities its size in that it does not have any freeways. Beginning in 1958, the primarily suburban Metropolitan council proposed a system of freeways, including one which would have bisected the downtown area. Like in [[Toronto, Ontario|Toronto]], [[New York, New York|New York]] and [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]], the freeway plan faced stiff community opposition, and the projects were eventually shelved in the mid-1970s when freeway-building fell out of favour with municipal governments.
Most cultures consider some [[numerology|numbers]] to be lucky or unlucky. This is found to be particularly strong in Asian cultures, where the obtaining of "lucky" [[telephone number]]s, automobile [[license plate]] numbers, and [[address (geography)|household addresses]] are actively sought, sometimes at great [[Money|monetary]] expense.
==PoliticsSayings==
Popular sayings and quotations related to luck:
Winnipeg's political climate is also unique among North American cities. Starting in 1900, in both provincial and federal elections, central Winnipeg elected politicians from the [[Labour Party]]. Winnipeg was the site of a [[general strike]] from May 15 to June 28, 1919. This strike saw violent protests, including several deaths at the hands of the [[Royal North-West Mounted Police]], and the arrest of many of Winnipeg's future politicians. Though it was not chartered until 1932, the [[Cooperative Commonwealth Federation]] was born not only out of the depression but also out of the labour unrest of 1919. Its successor, the [[New Democratic Party]], has enjoyed almost unbroken support in Winnipeg since the early 1960s. Winnipeg's longest-serving [[Member of Parliament|MP]]s include [[J.S. Woodsworth]] (21 years), [[Stanley Knowles]] (38 years), [[David Orlikow]] (25 years), [[Bill Blaikie]] (25 years and counting), [[Lloyd Axworthy]] (21 years).
* "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" -
* "You make your own luck" -
* "When it rains, it pours" - this is an expression of the mathematical property of statistically independent events to bunch together.
* "Bad things happen in threes" - see above
* "Luck is the residue of design" - [[Branch Rickey]]
* When something happens by "sheer dumb luck", it is considered to have happened unintentionally and without planning.
* "Luck doesn't exist." There are more variations on this phrase than can be listed here, but not enough to make believers care.
* "Luck be your lady tonight"
* A famous Samuel Goldwyn quote sums up the rationalist view: "The harder I work, the luckier I get". Or an equally famous [[Gary Player]] quote "The harder I practise, the luckier I get".
* [[Knocking on wood]], spoken expression used as a [[charm]] to bring good luck.
* "In my experience, there's no such thing as luck" - [[Obi-Wan Kenobi]].
* "Luck can only get you so far" by Hermione, referring to a "luck potion Felix Felicis" in {{Harry Potter]] (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)
==Items or events==
In 1998, Winnipeg elected [[Glen Murray]] mayor, making him the first openly-gay mayor of a city of more than 500,000 people. He was re-elected in 2002. Murray resigned on [[May 11]], [[2004]] to run for the [[Liberal Party of Canada]] in the federal election in the Charleswood-St. James riding.
Several items or happenings are considered lucky or unlucky.
===Lucky===
*Finding a [[penny]] on heads
*[[Horseshoe]]s
*Four-leaf [[clovers]]
*[[Rabbit]]'s [[feet]]
*[[Ladybug]]s
===Unlucky===
On [[June 22]], [[2004]], [[Sam Katz]] was elected mayor of Winnipeg, receiving 42.51% of the vote.
*[[Friday]] the [[13 (number)|13]]th
*The number 13 (Many buildings skipped 13 when numbering their floors for this reason)
''See also:'' [[List of mayors of Winnipeg, Manitoba]]
*[[Black]] [[cat]] crossing your path
*Stepping on a crack (it breaks the mother of the stepper's back)
==Sports==
*Breaking a [[mirror]] (seven years bad luck)
Winnipeg is and has been home to numerous professional sports franchises. The [[Winnipeg Jets]] were one of the original teams of the [[World Hockey Association]] and won three league titles. The Jets entered the [[National Hockey League]] in 1979 and played in Winnipeg until 1996. The Jets featured such hall of famers as [[WHA]] Coach [[Rudy Pilous]], players [[Bobby Hull]], [[Dale Hawerchuk]], and (briefly) [[Serge Savard]], as well as potential hall of famers [[Teemu Selanne]], [[Phil Housley]] and [[Keith Tkachuk]]. Since 1996, Winnipeg has been home to the minor league [[Manitoba Moose]], currently a member of the [[American Hockey League]]. The Moose are the primary affiliate to the [[NHL]]'s [[Vancouver Canucks]]. Winnipeg has produced Hall of Fame hockey players [[Andy Bathgate]], [[Billy Mosienko]], [[Art Coulter]], [[Ching Johnson]], [[Frank Fredrickson]], [[Jack Ruttan]], [[Kenny Reardon]], [[Fred Maxwell]], and [[Terry Sawchuk]], but perhaps the best-known current professional athlete from the Winnipeg area is [[Corey Koskie]] of the [[Minnesota Twins]].
*Spilling over [[salt]] (but you can get rid of the bad luck by throwing the salt over your left shoulder).
*Putting a hat on a bed
Winnipeg also has a team in the [[Canadian Football League]], the [[Winnipeg Blue Bombers|Blue Bombers]], who have won 10 [[Grey Cup]]s, the league's championship trophy. Winnipeg has a long history of minor league baseball, including the Class A [[Winnipeg Goldeyes]], an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, from 1953-1964, the AAA Whips, Montreal's farm team in 1970-1971, and since 1994, the Goldeyes, a franchise in the independent [[Northern_League (baseball)|Northern League]]. Winnipeg hosted the 1967 and 1999 [[Pan American Games]]. In addition, the [[University of Winnipeg]]'s women's basketball team won 88 consecutive games during the 1990s, a college sports record. Winnipeg is also home to many of the world's best [[curling]] teams and hosted the 2003 World Championships.
*Opening an [[umbrella]] indoors
*Seeing three butterflies at the same time
[[Summer Olympics|Olympic]] [[Taekwondo]] athlete [[Dominique Bosshart]] trained in Winnipeg.
*Killing a ladybug
*Walking underneath a [[ladder]]
==Arts and culture==
Winnipeg is well known for its arts and culture. Among the popular cultural institutions in the city are: the [[Royal Winnipeg Ballet]], the [[Winnipeg Art Gallery]] (WAG), the [[Manitoba Opera]], the [[Manitoba Theatre Centre]], the [[Prairie Theatre Exchange]], and the [[Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra]]. The city is home to several large festivals. The [[Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival]] is North America's second largest Fringe Festival, held every July. Other festivals include [[Folklorama]], the [[Winnipeg Jazz Festival]], the [[Winnipeg Folk Festival]], the [[Red River Exhibition]], and [[Le Festival du Voyageur]].
Winnipeg also has a thriving film community, which is bolstered by migrating film companies from the [[United States]], especially in the summer. Although small for a capital city, Winnipeg has its share of visiting celebrities, including [[Robin Williams]], [[Sharon Stone]] and [[Kirstie Alley]]. Winnipeg was the site of the soon-to-be-released hollywood movie Shall We Dance, starring [[Jennifer Lopez]] and [[Richard Gere]].
Winnipeg has a community college, [[Red River College]]. Winnipeg's three universities are the [[University of Manitoba]] (undergrad and grad, medical), [[College universitaire de Saint-Boniface]] and the [[University of Winnipeg]] (undergrad).
==Architecture==
Architecture of Winnipeg http://canada.archiseek.com/manitoba/winnipeg/index.html
==Local media==
===Daily newspapers===
*the ''[[Winnipeg Free Press]]''
*the ''[[Winnipeg Sun]]''
===Television stations===
*[[CBWFT]] ''([[SRC]], channel 3, cable 10)''
*[[CBWT]] ''([[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]], channel 6, cable 2)''
*[[CKY]] ''([[CTV]], channel 7, cable 5)''
*[[CKND]] ''([[Global Television Network|Global]], channel 9, cable 12)''
*[[CHMI]] ''([[A-Channel]], channel 13, cable 8)''
====Cable television stations====
*[[Aboriginal Peoples Television Network]] (APTN)
===Radio stations===
====[[FM radio]] stations====
*CBW 88.3 - ''[[CBC Radio One]]'' (news/information)
*CKSB 89.9 - ''[[SRC]] (French news/information)''
*CKXL 91.1 - ''Envol 91 ([[College universitaire de Saint-Boniface]], college/French)''
*CITI 92.1 - ''92 Citi FM (classic rock)'' CITI is the most powerful FM station on the planet, with an effective radiated power of 360,000 watts.
*CKIC 92.9 - ''[[Red River College]] (college)''
*CHIQ 94.3 - ''Q94 FM (top 40/pop)''
*CHVN 95.1 - ''(contemporary Christian)''
*CKUW 95.9 - ''[[University of Winnipeg]] (college)''
*CJKR 97.5 - ''Power 97 (hard/classic rock)''
*CBW 98.3 - ''CBC Radio 2 (classical)''
*CJZZ 99.1 - ''Cool FM (jazz)''
*CFWM 99.9 - ''BOB FM ("80s, 90s and whatever!")''
*CHNR 100.7
*CJUM 101.5 - ''UMFM ([[University of Manitoba]], college)''
*CKY 102.3 - ''Clear FM (adult contemporary)''
*CKMM 103.1 - ''Hot 103 (top 40/pop)''
*CKVN 106.3
*CFEQ 107.1 - ''Freq 107 (alternative rock; religious license)''
*CJWV 107.9
====[[AM radio]] stations====
*CJOB 680 - ''(news/talk/sports)''
*CKJS 810 - ''(ethnic)''
*CBW 990 - ''[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC Radio One]] (news/information)''
*CKSB 1050 - ''[[Société Radio-Canada|SRC]] (French news/information)''
*CFRW 1290 - ''(oldies)''
==Personalities born in Winnipeg==
*[[Kyle McCulloch]], writer for South Park
*[[Randy Bachman]], musician
*[[Burton Cummings]], musician
*[[Len Cariou]], actor
*[[Bill Cody]], actor
*[[Tom Jackson]], actor
*[[Chris Jericho]], pro-wrestler
*[[Guy Maddin]], director
*[[Fred Penner]], musician
*Rowdy [[Roddy Piper]], professional wrestler
*[[Brad Roberts]], musician
*[[Ray St. Germain]], musician
*[[Ashleigh Banfield]], TV host
*[[Anna Paquin]], actress
*[[Nia Vardalos]], actress and writer
*[[Deanna Durbin]], actress
*[[Chantal Kreviazuk]], musician
*[[Terry Fox]], cancer activist and national hero
*[[Joanna Gleason]], actress
*[[Monty Hall]], television game show host
*[[Gisele MacKenzie]], singer
*[[Frank Pickersgill]], [[Special Operations Executive|SOE]] agent in WW II executed by the Nazis
*[[Douglas Rain]], actor
*[[Gabrielle Roy]], author
*[[John K. Samson]], singer-songwriter ([[The Weakerthans]])
*[[David Steinberg]], actor, comedian
*[[Intrepid]], spy, man on whom the character of James Bond is based
*[[Winnie the Pooh|Winnipeg Bear]], on whom the character of Winnie-the-Pooh was based
*[[Catherine Wreford]], stage actress, wife of [[Jeff Goldblum]]
*[[Doug Henning]], magician
*[[Terry Sawchuk]], NHL goalie
*[[Venetian Snares]], aka Aaron Funk, underground electronic musician
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<p align="center"> </td>
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<p align="center">^<br>
North<br>
[[Rosser, Manitoba|Rosser]] | [[West St. Paul]] | [[East St. Paul ]] </td>
<td width="71%">
<p align="center"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="24%">
<p align="center">< West<br>
[[Headingley, Manitoba|Headingley]]</td>
<td width="44%">
<p align="center">WINNIPEG</td>
<td width="71%">
<p align="center">East ><br>
[[Springfield, Manitoba | Springfield]] </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="24%">
<p align="center"> </td>
<td width="44%">
<p align="center"> [[MacDonald, Manitoba|MacDonald]] | [[Ritchot]]<br>
South<br>
v</td>
<td width="71%">
<p align="center"> </td>
</tr>
</table></center>
See also:
*[[List of cities in Canada]]
*[[Winnipeg General Strike of 1919]]
{{Manitoba}}
[[Category:Manitoba communities]]
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==Luck in fiction==
Winnipeg is also the name of a bear on whom the [[A. A. Milne]] character [[Winnie the Pooh]] is named.
*[[Gladstone Gander]], a fictional [[cartoon]] character, is dependent solely upon his good luck.
*[[Joe Btfsplk]], a character in the [[Li'l Abner]] (Little Abner) [[comic strip]] by the cartoonist [[Al Capp]] is not only unlucky, he is shunned by the other characters as they suspect (with good reason) that this bad luck may be [[infection|infectious]].
*In [[Larry Niven|Larry Niven's]] novel ''[[Ringworld]]'', the character [[Teela Brown]] was the incredibly lucky result of a centuries-long breeding program initiated by the alien [[Pierson's Puppeteers]] directed to just such an outcome. The consequence of her state was that she'd led such a charmed and worry-free life that she was emotionally immature and unprepared for "harsh reality."
*In [[Terry Pratchett]]'s ''[[Discworld]]'' series, luck is an [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic personification]] known as the Lady, who, while not a goddess, is powerful enough to be the rival of the god Fate.
*[[Eugene Horowitz]] from [[Hey Arnold]] is known for the bad luck he constantly has, though his [[optimism]] always makes his personality win over it.
*In the [[Harry Potter]] novels, there is a [[potion]], [[Felix Felicis]], which gives its drinker good luck.
*[[Furrball]] the cat in ''[[Tiny Toon Adventures]]'' is a perpetually unfortunate feline, forever suffering mishaps, though frequently it's his own actions (i.e. overwhelming greed) that get him into trouble (not unlike mentor Sylvester the cat).
==See also==
[[da:Winnipeg]] [[de:Winnipeg]] [[fr:Winnipeg]]
*[[Curse]]
*[[Destiny]]
*[[Evil eye]]
*[[Fate]]
*[[Folk religion]]
*[[Irrationality]]
*[[Magic (paranormal)]]
*[[Probability]]
*[[Statistics]]
*[[Superstition]]
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