Henderson Highway block to get makeover

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/henderson-block-to-get-makeover-5717...

ELMWOOD community groups are joining forces to show residents the potential of a stretch of Henderson Highway.

On July 25, Henderson between Noble and Hart avenues will be transformed to include bike lanes, parking, planters and seating for pedestrians.

Glenelm Neighbourhood Association co-chairman Michel Durand-Wood said more than 1,500 people were surveyed about a five-year plan for the neighbourhood in 2018.

“One of those priorities was addressing the difficulty experienced in getting around our own neighbourhood, especially for the many who get around on foot, bike, transit and with mobility aids or strollers,” Durand-Wood wrote in an email.

The project, called #ReimagineElmwood, cost the eight community groups involved less than $400.

Durand-Wood said a project that transformed Toronto’s Danforth Avenue last summer inspired the Elmwood project.

“That was the a-ha moment that led to developing this project, that we could work in small steps, testing things out on a temporary basis, and building on what works,” he said.

“There were quite a few locations that were specifically identified by the neighbourhood as troublesome to navigate, and we plan to work on them all. This is just the first of many projects.”

He said the project will inspire people to make positive changes in the neighbourhood despite no municipal funding or influence.

“Just by having neighbours working together, identifying what we want to improve, and taking small steps to try possible solutions out, we can make our neighbourhood better for the people who live here, even one block at a time,” he said.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: malakabas_