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WFP: Residents enthusiastic about walking-cycling trail plan (Feb.1'17)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Feb '17

01 Feb '17

*Residents enthusiastic about walking-cycling trail plan * http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/residents-offer-thumbs-up-to-walking… [Note: If you missed the open house, find the storyboards (under Documents) and online survey (under Engage) here <http://www.winnipeg.ca/PublicWorks/pedestriansCycling/walkBikeProjects/Chie…> .] IF they build it, Gloria Sampson will bike it. Sampson, who would only give her age as “in the seventh decade,” gave thumbs-up to the city’s proposal to build a greenway walking-cycling trail on Chief Peguis Bridge, connecting Henderson Highway and Main Street. The city held an open house Tuesday evening at Red River Community Centre to show the proposed design and gauge reaction. The trail would start on the north side of the bridge and proceed west until before the river, then loop under the bridge to the south side. On the south side, the current sidewalk would be extended by a metre to make it 2.5 metres wide, all the way to the traffic lights on Main Street. An additional trail would be built extending another 400 metres from Main Street to Frog Plain Park. The system would allow cyclists to bike from the south end of Kildonan Drive all the way to Chief Peguis Trail and Frog Plain Park. The loop under the bridge is required to take advantage of city-owned property— and for safety purposes because part of Chief Peguis Trail’s south side is hidden behind a sound wall. “I think it’s a good idea,” Swanson said. “It doesn’t require expropriating anything. It’s all city-owned land.” Aylen Mayor, 23, who cycles the Chief Peguis Trail regularly for recreation, also approved. “Cycling over the bridge is a safety issue, for sure. I was really scared the first time I went over,” Mayor said. There is only a narrow shoulder now for cyclists. “My dad uses that path every day, so it’s really important to have a safe path,” she added. The greenway is designated a moderate- to-highpriority in thepedestrianand cycling strategy, a 20-year master plan for walking and cycling in Winnipeg. There are two reasons for that, said Scott Suderman, a city transportation engineer. One is for “connectivity,” to link up with the greenway along Chief Peguis Trail between Henderson Highway and Lagimodiere Boulevard. The other reason is because northwest Winnipeg has been underserviced in transportation infrastructure, he said. The existing sidewalk on the south side of the bridge would be expanded by a metre to make it 2.5 metres wide. Expansion could be done without closing any lanes on Chief Peguis Bridge during rush hours, city officials said. Lighting and rest stops would be added throughout the trail system. Suderman said the greenway between Lagimodiere and Henderson Highway has proven so popular he has little doubt an extension would get plenty of use. “What the city finds is these pathways fill up with people,” he said. Next, a consultant will determine the cost, with a proposal put to council within a few months, officials said. Gord Tye, representing 20 Valhalla Drive apartments, was pleasedwith the walkway design because it doesn’t compromise the privacy of residents. bill.redekop(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Councillor blasts decision not to focus on improving safety for those on foot (Feb.1'17)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Feb '17

01 Feb '17

*Councillor blasts decision not to focus on improving safety at dangerous intersections for those on foot* * ‘Watch out, pedestrians’ * http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/collision-counts- take-priority-over-pedestrian-injuries-in-intersection- improvements-412329253.html PEDESTRIAN safety is taking a back seat to motorist safety at city hall. A civic committee Tuesday rejected a proposal that would target engineering improvements at intersections with the highest number of pedestrian/vehicle collisions. Luis Escobar, the city’s transportation manager, told councillors on the public works committee that his staff annually reviews all 1,900 intersections across the city and highlights for improvements those where the greatest number of traffic-related injuries or fatalities occur — and currently those intersections most dangerous to pedestrians don’t make that list. “While it is worthwhile looking at pedestrian collisions only, intersections with high collisions and all types of fatalities are important,” Escobar told the committee. “While I respect the desire to focus on pedestrians, it would be good to look at all intersections where there is a high level of injury and focus on those ones.” City council sets aside about $1 million annually to improve intersections that have a high frequency of collisions. Escobar was responding to a proposal from Coun. Janice Lukes and the Riel community committee, which passed a resolution requesting the public works committee direct the public works department to include the top 12 intersections considered most dangerous to pedestrians — according to Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) collision data — for this year’s engineering improvements. According to MPI’s most recent data for collisions between 2011 and 2015, there is no overlap of intersections where the most pedestrian/vehicle collisions and motor-vehicle collisions occur. Escobar said his department is preparing a list of the intersections that will be made safer in 2017, based on collision counts. To then include intersections most dangerous for pedestrians would cause unnecessary delay, he said. “To put all of that work aside and focus on (pedestrian collision intersections) would almost set back this year’s traffic engineering program,” Escobar said. Councillors on the public works committee agreed and voted to take no action on the proposal from Lukes and the Riel community committee. “I’m quite comfortable relying on our experts to tell uswhat is needed,” Coun. Marty Morantz, chairman of the public works committee, said. Lukes said Escobar’s rationale and the committee’s decision to support him demonstrate that the car remains Winnipeg’s No. 1 priority. “We are not putting the most vulnerable road user at the top of the priority list but at the bottom — so, watch out pedestrians,” Lukes (South Winnipeg-St. Norbert) said. Lukes said vehicle-on-vehicle collisions vastly outnumber those involving pedestrians, adding that with the city’s current policy, pedestrian safety will never become a priority. Lukes, who built a career before coming to city hall advocating for pedestrians and cycling strategies, said city hall’s disregard for pedestrian safety is the exact opposite of the policy of the City of Vancouver, which she said targets intersections most dangerous to pedestrians for engineering improvements. Escobar did not provide the committee with the list of intersections to be improved this year. A civic spokeswoman said the intersection list has not been finalized, and the information won’t be released publicly before it’s presented to the committee. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Resources for bike-ped counts & performance measurement
by Beth McKechnie 31 Jan '17

31 Jan '17

Hi everyone, In case you haven't come across these yet, here are a couple of potentially helpful reports from the FHWA released in 2016: Bicycle-Pedestrian Count Technology Pilot Project <https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/countpilot/summary_…> which compares different types of counters and lessons learned Guidebook for Developing Pedestrian & Bicycle Performance Measures <https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/perfor…> including a toolbox for different contexts (see Chapter 4) (additional resources <https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/transportation_alternatives/performanc…> to Guidebook above including webinar recording and slides) cheers, Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

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WFP: Juice from sweet veggie clears ice from park's walking paths (Jan.30'17)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Jan '17

30 Jan '17

*Well, if that don’t beet all!* http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/well-if-that-dont-beet-all-412117503… IT’S a sunny Thursday afternoon in Assiniboine Park in January, but it feels more like an afternoon in March. Shouts can be heard from the toboggan run. A few skaters are leisurely cutting figure eights at the Duck Pond. All types of dogs, from scrappy black terrier mixes to big yellow labs, are gleefully leading around their humans. A group of moms with strollers walk and chat. Runners are neon blurs in the distance. Assiniboine Park does not hibernate in the winter. Claire and Marcel Major are among those enjoying a walk. They live in the area and when their young granddaughters are in town from Montreal, they make it a point to take them to the park for picnics or to the Zoo in the summer. “It’s a must-show,” Claire says. On mild days in the winter, they take their walks through the park. “I’ll tell you what’s nice about walking in the winter when it’s not too cold, it’s this,” Marcel says, pointing down to the path. “The sidewalks are nice and clear. Walking downtown is very difficult. It’s really nice here. You can do quite a bit of mileage and still stay clear.” That is perhaps the most striking thing about Assiniboine Park in the wintertime. You will always be able to find a place to walk or run. The not-so-secret secret to those down-to-pavement paths is beet juice. For the past five years, the Assiniboine Park conservancy has been using a made-in-Manitoba anti-icing mixture called Fusion 60/40, supplied by Collet Transport Inc. The solution is 60 per cent sugar beet juice, 30 per cent water, 10 per cent salt — and 100 per cent organic and biodegradable. “It doesn’t cause any damage to the trees, to the turf, or to the cars,” says Kaaren Pearce, the director of horticulture for the conservancy, the organization that manages the park. “It allows us to melt things and get down so that there’s traction. It turns the streets a bit brown in the winter time, but it gets down to pavement quickly.” The anti-icing solution, which doesn’t stain and has a slightly sweet odour, is spread on warmer days so it has a chance to bond to the pavement. On Thursday, when temperature hit -1 C, piles of rust-coloured slush lined many arteries of Assiniboine Park, inviting lots of commentary from passersby. “It smells like hot chocolate,” remarked a little girl dragging a pink toboggan behind her. Beet juice solutions and beet-sand mixtures are gaining popularity and are starting to replace traditional salt and sand mixtures in cities and towns all over North America, including La Broquerie and Dauphin in Manitoba. “Itwould be lovely if the City of Winnipeg could use it,” Pearce says. She even knows of a great trial spot: along Roblin Boulevard, so Assiniboine Park could grow trees and grass along that stretch of the park. Ice management is just one piece of the puzzlewhen it comes to keeping Assiniboine Park’s large network of paths, trails and roadways moving in the wintertime. Snow clearing is also a finely choreographed dance. After a heavy snowfall, the conservancy will prioritize places where it has the most visitors. “So Qualico (family centre), the pavilion, the zoo, the conservatory — and then our offices, so our staff can get in,” Pearce says. The crew on themorning shift, which starts at 6 a.m., makes sure the Zoo andmain entrances are done first thing so they can be open by 9 a.m. After that, crews go for themain paths and parking lots they know are used often. “Some paths don’t get done as quickly, butwe always try to make sure there are some paths open,” Pearce says. The evening shift goes into the zoo after hours to help out the morning crew. A few different pieces of equipment are used to get the job done, depending on the kind of precipitation that’s fallen. “If it’s wet, heavy snow, they’ll use a plow first and then go back through with a broom,” Pearce says. “If it’s light, they’ll use the broom first and then plow to scrape it lower. We try to get it as close to pavement as possible.” When that’s not possible, the focus is on making roadways and paths level. “The biggest thing is to keep people safe and moving,” Pearce says. “Once we push the snow back, we have to get it out of the way so people can see at intersections.” Keeping on top of snow and ice can’t be just reactive — it has to be proactive, too. Crews monitor weather forecasts so they can plan how to best use their time. As well, the conservancy pays close attention to howthe park is actually being used in the wintertime. That way, they can get a sense of which paths are being used by diligent snow-or-shine dog walkers orwhich routes are being relied upon by commuters who cut through the park. Crews took snowblowers through the English and Leo Mol gardens for the first time this year rather than having walkers forage paths of their own. After snow clearing comes maintenance. Crews push snow to places where they know there’s good drainage so the park doesn’t flood. Eventually, Pearce wants to look at installing cisterns so that snow could be used forwater in the summer. “That would be amazing for the gardens in a dry year,” she says. Of course, Assiniboine Park isn’t just a lovely place to take a walk or a run. It also works hard at being the kind of place where Winnipeggers can actively enjoy the season most closely associated with our city. “We have skiing, so we have a groomed trail,” Pearce says. “We have lots of places where people snowshoe. We have trails through the forest that they use for the heavy horses, so that’s a nice walking trail. The Duck Pond, obviously, for skating. “The Zoo is way better in the winter, in my opinion, because the animals are much more active,” she adds. Pearce credits her team, and howmuch they care about their work, with keeping the park accessible even when theweather doesn’t cooperate. “We know this park is important to people,” Pearce says. “It means a lot to people and their families. It’s closer for a lot of people, comparatively, than going out to the Whiteshell or something. People come down here and make snowmen. They really use it as their big yard, and that’s what we want to provide for people — a place where people can meet and play as families, all year round. It’s fun to see all the different coloured coats and little kids and puppies who are learning their newwalks in the snow.” Assiniboine Park is almost quite literally Dave and Jacqui Blanchard’s backyard, they live so close. The couple can be found outwalking the trails every second day; it used to be every day when their old border collie/lab was still with them. Jacqui points out how easy it is to take a space like Assiniboine Park for granted. “It’s so beautiful,” she says. “And it is well groomed. Very seldomdo we have to get around a snow pile, but we understand if we do. It’s a beautiful place, summer or winter.” “We want to be a world-class destination all year round,” Pearce says. “We’re still here in the winter. We still feed the animals, we still maintain the roads. You might as well come play with us.” jen.zoratti(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @Jen Zoratti

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Transit Garage Expansion | AT pathway
by Beth McKechnie 26 Jan '17

26 Jan '17

If you use the AT pathway adjacent to the Winnipeg Transit campus at 421 Osborne and that connects to the Rapid Transit AT path, note that there will be changes due to construction of a new bus maintenance garage. Open House details below and/or you can view the storyboards <http://winnipegtransit.com/assets/1671/5516057_WPG_Transit_Garage_OH_Boards…> online and complete the survey (www.surveymonkey.com/r/wtge) before January 27th. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: City of Winnipeg <no_reply(a)cityofwinnipeg.ca> Date: Fri, Jan 13, 2017 at 1:28 PM Subject: Transit Garage Expansion Information Session To: beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca [image: City of Winnipeg - Public Engagement News] <http://cowsvpelms01.cityofwinnipeg.ca/t/540300/217461/180/10/> New Opportunities for Engagement with the City of Winnipeg Information session for the Transit Garage Expansion Project Winnipeggers are invited to the public information session to learn more about the transit garage expansion project. Winnipeg Transit’s fleet has been increasing in size and types of buses over the past decade. The primary vehicle maintenance facility operated by Winnipeg Transit is the vehicle overhaul and repair shop at the Fort Rouge Garage, located at 421 Osborne Street. The main facilities at the Fort Rouge Garage are nearly 50 years old and many of the building systems have reached the end of their useful life. To meet current and future demand, Winnipeg Transit is proposing to expand its Fort Rouge Garage bus maintenance facility. Join us at an information session to learn more about the proposed expansion. *Date*: Thursday, January 19, 2017 *Time*: 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. *Location*: Fort Rouge Leisure Centre, 625 Osborne Street <http://cowsvpelms01.cityofwinnipeg.ca/t/540300/217461/826/18/> For more information, to view the information session presentation boards or to provide feedback, please visit winnipeg.ca/transitgarageexpansion <http://cowsvpelms01.cityofwinnipeg.ca/t/540300/217461/827/19/>. Connect with us Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/CityofWinnipeg <http://cowsvpelms01.cityofwinnipeg.ca/t/540300/217461/182/20/> Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/CityofWinnipeg <http://cowsvpelms01.cityofwinnipeg.ca/t/540300/217461/183/21/> Share this mailing with your social network by clicking on the appropriate link: [image: Facebook] <http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3a%2f%2fcowsvpelms01%2ecityofwinn…> [image: Twitter] <http://twitter.com/home?status=http%3a%2f%2fcowsvpelms01%2ecityofwinnipeg%2…> Related Office of Public Engagement <http://cowsvpelms01.cityofwinnipeg.ca/t/540300/217461/184/22/> OurWinnipeg <http://cowsvpelms01.cityofwinnipeg.ca/t/540300/217461/91/23/> Winnipeg.ca <http://cowsvpelms01.cityofwinnipeg.ca/t/540300/217461/93/24/> Unsubscribe Please *do not reply to this email*. This e-mail was sent from a notification-only address and replies are not monitored. Mailing address: City of Winnipeg, 510 Main Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3B 1B9 Privacy Statement The City of Winnipeg values your privacy. We do not sell or share your personal information with third parties. You are receiving this email as a result of your signing up for the Public Engagement newsletter list offered on the City of Winnipeg website <http://cowsvpelms01.cityofwinnipeg.ca/t/540300/217461/94/28/>. You may unsubscribe or change your subscription options <http://cowsvpelms01.cityofwinnipeg.ca/t/540300/217461/86/29/> at any time. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

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Bicycles & Infrastructure article
by Jeremy Hull 17 Jan '17

17 Jan '17

At their request I wrote an article for the Public Sector Digest that summarized some of the findings in the last bike counts reports. It was published in the January issue that focuses on the theme Municipal Capacity: http://www.publicsectordigest.com/article/impact-bicycle-infrastructure-in-…. Jeremy

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Chicago: Despite cold, winter biking spikes in popularity
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jan '17

16 Jan '17

Full article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-winter-biking-getting- around-0116-20170115-story.html The number of winter bikers has spiked in recent years due in part to improved infrastructure, such as protected bike lanes, and better, cheaper cold-weather equipment, cyclists and bike dealers said. Other factors include the expansion of Divvy, which gives commuters an alternative to using their own bikes in the salty slush, and a mild winter last year that encouraged people to give cold-weather biking a try. *Numbers up* Figures from the Chicago Department of Transportation's Divvy bike-share program show that December through March trips jumped more than 200 percent to 518,286 in the winter of 2015-16 from 167,258 in the winter of 2013-14. Some of this is likely because the 2013-14 winter was unusually cold, while last winter was unusually warm, and Divvy has been expanding, department spokesman Mike Claffey noted. But the trend continued this winter, which has been cold. The number of Divvy trips taken this past December, which had below-normal temperatures, was 93,275, lower than the December 2015 number of 121,141, but still higher than the December totals in 2013 and 2014, which were 44,694 and 86,800, respectively. Motivate, which runs Divvy and other bike-share programs across North America, also has seen big spikes in winter biking in New York City and Boston, spokeswoman Dani Simons said. "People are starting to make bike-share a year-round transportation choice," she said. Simons noted that some users bike to transit stations instead of walking. "It may be a way to speed up your trip in cold weather." -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

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US DOT standards now counting people not just cars
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jan '17

16 Jan '17

Some really exciting and significant changes in how traffic is measured and evaluated in the US. Read full article: http://usa.streetsblog.org/2017/01/12/transportation-agencies-will-finally-… Transportation Agencies Will Finally Measure the Movement of People, Not Just Cars *1. STATES WILL MEASURE THE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE, NOT JUST VEHICLES* U.S. DOT’s previous version of the rule measured roads that move the highest number of vehicles were the most successful. If some of those vehicles were buses holding 40 people, they would count the same as a single person driving an SUV. The final rule incorporates a measure of “person-hours” of delay rather than just “vehicle hours.” That means spatially efficient solutions like exclusive transit lanes won’t be penalized for supposedly worsening the congestion problem. *2. STATE DOTS WILL HAVE TO TRACK THEIR IMPACT ON CARBON EMISSIONS* For the first time, state transportation agencies will be required to monitor and forecast the impact of their projects on greenhouse gas emissions. The rule will apply to any alteration of roads in the National Highway System, which includes not just interstates but many state highways and major urban streets as well. Transportation emissions are the single biggest source of carbon emissions in the U.S. <http://usa.streetsblog.org/2016/08/05/u-s-transportation-now-belches-out-mo…>, and this acknowledgment that DOTs should address the problem is long overdue. *3. PEOPLE WHO WALK, BIKE, OR RIDE TRANSIT WILL BE COUNTED* The U.S. DOT rule creates a “multi-modal” performance measure that will track “non-single occupant vehicle travel.” States will have to establish targets to increase walking, biking, and transit use. U.S. DOT is also leading a research project to help states and local agencies development better tools to measure how much people walk and bike — a big missing piece in transportation agencies’ toolkits. *4. FREE-FLOWING RUSH HOUR CAR TRAFFIC ISN’T THE GOAL* Originally, U.S. DOT wanted to measure congestion by comparing rush-hour travel times to free-flowing traffic conditions. That framework rewards road expansion and sprawl <http://nyc.streetsblog.org/2010/09/29/report-want-to-ease-commuter-pain-hig…>, and it’s been the basis for a lot of wasteful highway spending. In response to comments, U.S. DOT dropped this problematic measure altogether. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

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Rookie police chief makes traffic safety a priority - Winnipeg Free Press
by Charles Feaver 14 Jan '17

14 Jan '17

https://shar.es/1OolkU Another City department is planning to focus on road safety. Now, if the Province got on the case too, we could hope for some big changes.

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USDOT "Transportation Toolkit"
by Patman, David 13 Jan '17

13 Jan '17

Some sections of this might be too US-centric for application in Canada, but this new "Transportation Toolkit" might be a useful set of documents to have a look at for members of the public interested or questioning any type of new transportation infrastructure projects, but who are unfamiliar with how such projects move from concept to reality, and/or what the decision-making processes are. Might be worth a look. https://www.transportation.gov/leadershipacademy [City of Winnipeg]<http://www.winnipeg.ca/> David Patman, P.Eng. Senior Transit Planner Project Manager, Eastern Corridor Study Service Development Division, Winnipeg Transit City of Winnipeg Phone: 204-986-5737 Mobile: 204-806-6471 Email: dpatman(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:dpatman@winnipeg.ca> Website: http://www.winnipegtransit.com<http://www.winnipegtransit.com/> Address: 2nd Floor, 421 Osborne Street, Winnipeg, MB R3L 2A2 [2017 Canada Games in Winnipeg]<http://www.2017canadagames.ca/en> Connect with us: [Facebook]<https://www.facebook.com/cityofwinnipeg> [Twitter] <https://twitter.com/cityofwinnipeg> CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The information contained in this message is intended solely for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged information. Any use, dissemination, distribution, copying or disclosure of this message and attachments, in whole or in part, by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and permanently delete the complete message and any attachments. Thank you.

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