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Recession-squeezed Greeks ditch cars for bikes
by Beth McKechnie 09 Aug '12

09 Aug '12

Recession-squeezed Greeks ditch cars for bikes Published on Wednesday August 08, 2012 * Karolina Tagaris | *Reuters ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's dire economic plight has forced thousands of businesses to close, thrown one in five out of work and eroded the living standards of millions. But for bicycle-maker Giorgos Vogiatzis, it's not all bad news. The crisis has put cash-strapped Greeks on their bikes - once snubbed as a sign of poverty or just plain risky - and Greek manufacturers are shifting into fast gear. The high cost of road tax, fuel and repairs is forcing Greeks to ditch their cars in huge numbers. According to the government's statistics office, the number of cars on Greek roads declined by more than 40 percent in each of the last two years. Meanwhile, more than 200,000 bikes were sold in 2011, up about a quarter from the previous year. Shops selling bicycles, and equipment ranging from helmets to knee pads, are spreading fast across the capital, popping up even between souvenir shops on the cobbled pedestrian streets of the touristy Plaka district. "They're sprouting up like mushrooms," said Vogiatzis, who designs and builds tailor-made bicycles in his workshop on the Aegean island of Rhodes. A former cyclist on Greece's national team, Vogiatzis opened his business in the mid-80s, combining his love for drawing and mathematics, but only recently watched sales boom from a modest 40 bikes a year to over 350. "There's no more money for luxuries and that helps," said Vogiatzis, who works away furiously with two other staff to meet demand for all sorts of bikes - some lavishly hand-painted in glitter, others flaunting the Greek flag. "People who were never interested in cycling are buying bikes," he added. Vogiatzis now exports to seven countries including Germany and the United States, and opened shops across Greece, including in Athens where competition is fierce. A far cry from the shuttered shopfronts in the capital that have become a painful reminder of the country's worst downturn since World War Two, bike shop owners estimate that at least one store opened every month in 2011. Vogiatzis laughed: "Every neighbourhood has its bike shop just as it's got its kebab shop." POTHOLES, TRAFFIC JAMS In austerity Greece, the once lowly bike is winning new fans every day, from middle-aged commuters who relied on their cars to those who poked fun at former prime minister George Papanadreou's penchant for cycling as not being macho enough. The new national fashion has even prompted the Athens mayor to start working on a public bike hire scheme similar to those in other European capitals - a first for a city where the few cycling lanes are often dotted with pine trees or parked cars. The lack of infrastructure and Athens's mountainous landscape have not deterred Greece's new cyclists who have begun pedalling through traffic jams, up and down steep hills and over potholed roads. "This is not Berlin. Here it's risky but you need to start thinking what you'll cut back on - taxis, the metro," said Elena Koniaraki, 39, a music saleswoman who joked about sticking a learner's sign on her back for the first few bumpy rides. A pay cut two years ago forced Koniaraki to give up her car under a "cash for clunkers" scheme as she could no longer afford to pay the road tax or fill up her tank. She also moved from her house in a leafy northern Athens suburb to the centre. And to get through a cash squeeze in March, she picked up a second-hand bike for the first time since childhood. "At first my friends would laugh at me and say: Oh, poverty!" said Koniaraki, who now cycles to work from the foothills of the ancient Acropolis, past shop-gazing tourists in Plaka and through the bustling Syntagma square. "We've never had a bike culture in Greece. Sometimes I'll leave my local street market on my bike, loaded with bags of tomatoes, and people will stop and wave at me," she said. THE ONLY WAY IS UP With fuel prices catapulted by tax rises to about 1.72 euros per litre in July - one of the highest rates in Europe - a bike culture may just develop. "A lot of people are starting to see it as an alternative," said Tolis Tsimoyannis, a cycling aficionado who imports fold-up bikes from Taiwan. Tsimoyannis, who opened his business in 2006, said he saw a steady increase in demand in the previous two years, many of his customers students and people in their 40s who were struggling to make ends meet. Lately, his business has started to level out - not because of a drop in demand but because the opening of so many bike shops means they each get a smaller piece of the pie. But even as prospects of Greece's recession-mired economy remain glum and many fear the pain from the crisis will only intensify in the days ahead, bike enthusiasts are optimistic that the appeal of the bicycle will only grow. "The only way is up," Tsimoyannis said. www.thestar.com/business/article/1238625--recession-squeezed-greeks-ditch-c…

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ITE Pedestrian and Bicycle Council Newsletter: Request for Articles
by Beth McKechnie 08 Aug '12

08 Aug '12

Any ideas for articles to submit? Deadline is September 5th. Thanks to Bob Kurylko for sharing. cheers, Beth ** ** *From:* Institute of Transportation Engineers [mailto:info@ite.ccsend.com] *On Behalf Of *Institute of Transportation Engineers *Sent:* Wednesday, August 08, 2012 6:00 AM *To:* Kurylko, Robert *Subject:* ITE Pedestrian and Bicycle Council Newsletter: Request for Articles**** ** ** [image: A Community of Transportation Professionals]**** * * *Fall 2012 Newsletter: Request for Articles* August 2012**** The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Pedestrian and Bicycle Council (PBC) is currently soliciting contributions for the Fall 2012 edition of the PBC e-newsletter. We are looking for current news, journal articles, or other items of interest to share with the membership. Please feel free to forward this solicitation to your colleagues. We welcome submissions from non-ITE members. Please refrain from marketing companies, products, or services.**** ** ** The PBC e-newsletter is a quarterly publication for ITE members designed to keep transportation engineers involved in, and informed about, bicycle and pedestrian transportation best practices. Criteria for submissions are flexible, but should be related to bicycle and pedestrian planning/engineering, policy, or advocacy. Previous editions of the newsletter have included academic research, updates on recent changes to MUTCD design standards, solicitations for public comment on MUTCD standards, "how to" guides for community groups and transit agencies, project case studies, data collection and education efforts, and news items related to pedestrian and bicycle projects. All of these topics (and others) are suitable for submission.**** ** ** Submissions should not exceed 1,000 words in length. If submitting original academic research, please include an abstract of no more than 200 words and a link to the full article. If submitting graphics, please submit them separately from the Word documents (e.g., jpg, tiff, or gif files).**** The deadline for submissions for our Fall newsletter is *September 5th, 2012 *.**** ** ** Please send your questions and submissions to the editors via e-mail: ite.pbc.news(a)gmail.com.**** ** ** *Forward email<http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=umc9fycab&m=1102470515092&ea=…> * <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001kkqO0FxDKZT4vX7yz6nMv4DYC…> **** <http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?pn=buynow&cc=news08>**** This email was sent to robert.kurylko(a)stantec.com by info(a)ite.org | **** Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001kkqO0FxDKZT4vX7yz6nMv4DYC…>™ | Privacy Policy <http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>. **** Institute of Transportation Engineers | 1627 Eye Street | Suite 600 | Washington | DC | 20006**** ****

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WFP: Beloved bike brought back - Police recover property after seven years (Aug.2'12)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Aug '12

07 Aug '12

Beloved bike brought back Police recover property after seven years By: Gordon Sinclair Jr. <gordon.sinclair(a)freepress.mb.ca> Feeling lucky today? Probably not as lucky as Wayne Selby or, for that matter, the Winnipeg Police Service. Back in mid-June, I wrote a series of columns that centred on how police don't seem to treat bike theft as a priority. The columns, three in succession, landed like body blows to the police service's image. The last one included a question that rhetorically asked how much police really care about finding and returning your stolen bike. It was a question, and an issue, thousands of bike-theft victims could relate to and did. Among them was a semi-retired teacher named Wayne Selby, who was "intrigued" by the series. At first it was because, like all those others, he knew what it was like to have a bike stolen; in his case from a locked shed in the backyard of the Norwood Flats home where he lived at the time. A rider on Wayne's home-insurance policy allowed him to recover $600 of the original $1,000 cost and, perhaps fearing the seemingly inevitable next theft, he used some of the money to buy a less-expensive model. But, just as if he were a little boy and that was his first bike, Wayne never got over the loss, or the feeling of riding it. Even though he was 54 when it was stolen and now he is 61. Even after all those years. As I was saying, the columns on bike theft brought that feeling shared by so many victims of bike-theft crime. But, it was the timing of what police would soon bring back to Wayne that prompted a less common feeling. And outcome. Within a matter of days after he had finished reading that last column on how little police seem to care about recovering stolen bikes, Wayne received a phone call. The voice on the other end of the line belonged to Det.-Sgt. David Clayton, the head of the police pawn shop detail. Later, Wayne recalled how Clayton started the conversation. "He said, 'Did you have a bike stolen on June 5, 2005?' I said, 'I sure did.' " Then the detective asked if he wanted it back. "I said, 'Absolutely.' " What Wayne doesn't remember is exactly when Clayton added the bonus that made a great story into an amazing one. The bike had been brought into the Atlas Pawn Shop on June 5. Seven years to the day after Wayne had reported it stolen. "I was thrilled," a still thrilled Wayne Selby recalled week. So was Clayton, and constables Glenn McConnell and Glen Zelenewich, who comprise the rest of the police pawn shop detail. I suspect it's a story Atlas Pawn Shop owner Jason Schinkarik is proud to tell, too, because of his own part in the remarkable recovery. Pawn shop owners are required by a city bylaw to take a photo of all items received and provide police with a full description, including the serial number. Clayton explained how it works. "These reports are electronically sent to our unit every day, loaded into our computer system, and then checked against the CPIC system and the WPS computer system. Serial number hits are then investigated by the pawn unit." It was because Wayne had recorded his bike's serial number he got it back. Although it wasn't quite as simple as that. The insurance company that had paid him $600 when it was stolen was the legal owner of the bike, and they wanted Wayne to pay $150 for it in its depreciated state. It was Clayton who told him that sounded like too much. Try $100. So he did. And with the extra effort of police property evidence technician Tim Mikolash -- who expedited the filling out of forms -- the insurance company accepted the $100 and Wayne was able to take his bike home, all in one day. "I was very impressed with our police service, Sgt. Clayton, the property evidence department and with our system of justice," Wayne said. He was also impressed with the shape the bike was in, given all the years they spent apart, because as soon as he got it home, he took his long lost companion for a ride. Like a little boy with his first bike. Which brings me to why I'm so pleased Wayne contacted me. It's a wonderful feeling when that bike wheel of fortune lands on your space. Especially an extra lucky seven years to the day, later. But it's also a wonderful feeling to be able to give police the credit they deserve, when they deserve it. And they deserve it way more often than any of us will ever know. gordon.sinclair(a)freepress.mb.ca Being wheel careful with your new bike Things people should do when buying a bike to protect it from being stolen and help with its recovery if it is: -Record the make, model and serial number. -License your bike through the City of Winnipeg. -Take a picture of the bike and a second picture of the serial number. -Buy a good "U" lock. -Don't leave your bike unattended, even for a minute. -If the bike does get stolen, report it to the police immediately. -- source: Winnipeg Police Service http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/beloved-bike-brought-back-164727946.…

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Webinar - Wednesday, August 15, 2012, 2-3pm, Ecocentre - Transforming Streets into Inviting Public Spaces
by Jessie Klassen 07 Aug '12

07 Aug '12

Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a local viewing of the upcoming APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) followed by group discussion.* *Detailed description provided below.* **Transforming Streets into Inviting Public Spaces* *Wednesday, August 15th | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CST* RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! Thanks, Jessie 925-3772 * * * * * Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) presents: *Transforming Streets into Inviting Public Spaces* *Wednesday, August 15 | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CST* Innovative thinking can transform auto-centric streets into inviting public spaces. This webinar explores projects and programs in three communities that reclaim areas in the public right of way for people-friendly uses. Attend this webinar to learn how to turn transportation challenges into projects that build community and contribute to pedestrian and bicyclist safety, public health, and economic development. Speakers will discuss the barriers to implementing these projects, issues of planning, design, maintenance and cost, and lessons learned. Please note: this is a 75-minute webinar. Featured projects include: • The Uptown Roundabout in Normal, Illinois; • San Francisco's Pavement to Parks Program; • Portland's Intersection Repair Projects. Presenters: Mercy Davidson, Town Planner, City of Normal, Illinois; Greg Raisman, Traffic Safety Program Specialist, Active Transportation Division, Portland Bureau of Transportation; and Ilaria Salvadori, Project Manager, San Francisco Planning Department. ** ** *Jessie Klassen* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca>| Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3772 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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New Complete Streets, Complete Networks design manual
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jul '12

28 Jul '12

Active Trans publishes groundbreaking design manual http://www.activetrans.org/blog/paul-lippens/just-complete-streets-complete… Active Transportation Alliance is proud to announce the publication of our new design manual, *Complete Streets, Complete Networks*. The manual is a visually compelling introduction to the principles of Complete Streets roadway design and an elegant collection of resources for planners. Over two years in the making, the *Complete Streets, Complete Networks*manual was conceived as a catalyst for new professional practices in urban design. It serves as a comprehensive list of best practices, guidelines, and project delivery processes. But it goes beyond traditional roadway design guidance to include a policy framework that city planners designers and decision makers can follow to create great places to bike, walk and use transit. The manual was funded through the Cook County Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative, which was created to improve access to physical activity and nutrition through changes to policies, systems and the built environment. As part of this project, Active Transportation Alliance was contracted to help 25 local governments and school districts in suburban Cook County develop and enact policies and plans to improve the bicycling, pedestrian, and transit networks in the communities. The *Complete Streets, Complete Networks* manual is a resource to help these and other communities create healthier transportation choices. We have a limited supply of printed copies of *Complete Streets, Complete Networks*. If you are interested in purchasing a copy, please e-mail Dan Persky, Director of Planning and Policy, at dan(a)activetrans.org<http://www.activetrans.org/blog/paul-lippens/%27+String.fromCharCode%28100,…> . A downloadable version of the manual is available here<http://www.atpolicy.org/Design>. We are in the process of uploading highlights from the manual in the form of Word files, Excel tables, photos, and illustrations. We’ll post updates as more of this content is made available.

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AT network expanded in Steinbach
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jul '12

28 Jul '12

Active transportation network expanded in Steinbach Posted on 07/26/2012, 10:09 am, by the City of Steinbach http://www.mysteinbach.ca/newsblog/16527.html Walkers, runners, cyclists, and rollerblading enthusiasts will be happy to note that there is another paved active route in Steinbach. The City reports that the newly paved pathway through L.A. Barkman Park and the Steinbach Soccer Park, all the way to PTH 52 West, was completed on July 24. A second edition of the City’s Share the Road brochure, showing Steinbach’s active walk/cycle routes, will become available early August. [image: Inline image 1] Pathway through Soccer Park connecting to LA Barkman Park – Photo courtesy of City of Steinbach.

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Building bikes, educating youth in Fort Richmond - ITE Bike Build
by Shoni Litinsky 26 Jul '12

26 Jul '12

Hi Everyone, Tomorrow morning we are joining the year long efforts of the University of Manitoba's Institute of Transportation Engineers, The U of M Bike Dungeon, and the WRENCH who have worked throughout the year to build 10 bikes for youth in need in the Fort Richmond area. Through our work in the neighbourhood on a project called Bike Walk Roll Fort Richmond, we were able to support this group to find youth in the community in need of bicycles, an host an education workshop to help build the skills necessary to cycle to school. Here is a great clip, and a story will follow in the Metro as well: http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=728348 Congratulations to all of the people who have made this happen, we are also so excited to be a part of it! -- *Shoni Litinsky* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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PEMBINA HWY - Bike Lanes
by Janice Lukes 26 Jul '12

26 Jul '12

Pembina Update for those of you who don't travel the strip daily - NOT AVOIDING CONSTRUCTION: I confess - I make a point of NOT avoiding construction on Pembina (Plaza to Chevrier) too much excitement - unbelievable really - photos attached. North bound lane is being widened into median. KEY CBC INTERVIEW: An absolute MUST LISTEN TO if you have not heard it - and if you have - listen again - key information for sure. Yesterday am - a conversation with CBC and Luis Escobar, Director of Transportation - City of Winnipeg: CBC Information Radio- http://www.cbc.ca/inforadio/ Scroll down to Winnipeg Major Road Bike Lanes and click on listen button. TWO KEY POINTS TO NOTE: 1. All along many of us involved with the Pembina project were told the poly posts (vertical upright buffered barrier posts) would be REMOVED for the winter season due to plowing challenges- thus removing the visual indication of the bike lane. From this interview - I understand Luis to clearly indicate the poly posts will remain IN DURING the winter season with plowing to occur - brilliant if this is the case with so many cyclists travelling Pembina in the winter 2. NOTE his discussion around STRATEGIC PLAN (see top right corner by volume - 8:29 into the interview) and SPECIFICALLY - Luis comments: " . . . . . until the strategic plan is developed . . . we will still be looking at the needs BASED ON WHAT the city HEARS from cycling and active transportation groups. " - an encouragement to all to 'articulate' AT desires to elected officials for sure - 3. WHAT's NEXT? It's great to hear the question 'what's next' - where is the next strip of this infrastructure going in - wow - The Pembina project is a bold move for the city - for sure there is apprehension - definitely worth a thank you email to your City Councillor for supporting it and enabling it. Janice Lukes

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Thompson youngster pushes pedals and a mower!
by Shoni Litinsky 20 Jul '12

20 Jul '12

A great story for a hot Friday in the summer! This post can be found on the Green Action Centre blog <http://greenactioncentre.ca/2012/pedals-and-a-mower/>and was written by Bruce Krentz (Burntwood Regional Health Authority) in Thompson, Manitoba. We are happy that this entrepreneur is a student at one of the schools we work with up there through School Travel Planning. Go Colin!!! ____________________________________________________ Pushing pedals and pushing a lawnmower Colin Hall is greening up the environment and the yards in Thompson. Being a little too young to take the wheel hasn’t cut in to his earning potential. A mountain bike and a custom built trailer are all he needs to move around to the growing list of homes on his client list. It was a conversation with his Grandfather that got the wheels turning on his little entrepreneurial venture. ”Why would you work for a few dollars an hour when you could work for yourself” he asked Colin, in response queries about where he could find a summer job. Wayne Hall is not only a businessman himself but also a handyman, so before Colin could say “Can you drive me there”, Grandpa’s workshop was buzzing; and so was the kitchen table with negotiations. In the time it took to build a flat deck bicycle trailer, Grandma had signed on as the pro-bono accountant and “Colin Hall Lawn Mowing” was up and running. His rig is right-sized to hold: a lawn mower, weed whacker and a few sundries, like bug spray water and a log book. When he took delivery, the shakedown cruise wasn’t just a chance to test its road-worthiness it was also an advertising stunt. Colin delivered flyers, with his equipment in tow, attracting more attention than the ice cream man. This young peddler has secured numerous private contracts and is also doing work for a local Real-Estate agent. In peak season he is cutting 3 – 5 lawns a day, dependent on all the usual factors like rain, sun and invitations to things more appealing than cutting grass. Colin smiled as he explained that it isn’t all work this summer but the grass never stops growing so if he takes a day or two off, he knows the next ones will be busy. With those full days, Colin is raking in some significant spending money for his upcoming grade 8 year. His accountant will hold all the dollars he piles up, dispersing them equally over the course of the whole year. “He’ll get a pay-check every Friday even after the grass is under a cozy blanket of snow” said Grandma. In addition to monetary benefits, his Phys Ed. teacher will be happy to see that, at least one kid’s mobile device, was a bicycle and not phone. Thompson is a great size for his cycle based transportation. He can pack up and move almost as fast as the competition, without ever gassing up, and there is enough grass around to keep him in business the entire growing season. Although with jobs as far as 4 km apart, he is thankful for a trailer that runs smooth. Greening things up in Thompson more ways than one, the ambitious, Colin Hall is a model and an inspiration for us all. -- *Shoni Litinsky* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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City of Winnipeg News Release - Construction to begin on Pembina Highway Buffered Bike Lanes Project
by Janice Lukes 20 Jul '12

20 Jul '12

This was released to media today - So far - all that is happening on Pembina is the delivery of lots of construction signs and posts. Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: cid:image001.png@01CC88E0.FA0A1B80 For Immediate Release Thursday, July 19, 2012 Construction to begin on Pembina Highway Buffered Bike Lanes Project Project the first-of-its-kind in Winnipeg's Active Transportation network Winnipeg, MB - Beginning the week of July 23, 2012, the City of Winnipeg will begin constructing buffered bikes lanes on Pembina Highway between Crescent and Plaza Drives as part of a rehabilitation project. Over the next four months, the northbound lanes of Pembina Highway will be rehabilitated and buffered bike lanes will be added next to the curb lane on both the northbound and southbound directions. These buffered bike lanes will connect the Bishop Grandin Greenway and the bike route along Crescent Drive. This section of Pembina Highway is unique on the Active Transportation network, as it is the only feasible route to connect two existing Active Transportation facilities. Normally, adjacent streets with lower traffic volumes would be used for establishing Active Transportation routes. However, the properties on the east side of this section of Pembina Highway back onto the Red River and west of this section is an industrial area where there are no residential streets connecting Chevrier Boulevard to Bishop Grandin Boulevard. When complete, this portion of Pembina Highway will accommodate three traffic lanes, a buffered bike lane and enhanced bus stops designed to accommodate larger articulated buses and improved delineation for transit riders, pedestrians and cyclists. This project is another step in applying the Council-adopted Transportation Master Plan as part of OurWinnipeg. These documents outline the vision in which the City should grow in the next 25 years and specifically how the transportation system is to provide mobility options to all Winnipeggers. For more information, visit: http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/MajorProjects/ActiveTransportation/Pembin aBufferedBikeLanes/ -30- Media inquiries should be directed to the City of Winnipeg Media Inquiry Line at 204-986-6000 or via email at MediaInquiry(a)winnipeg.ca Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/cityofwinnipeg <http://www.facebook.com/cityofwinnipeg> Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/cityofwinnipeg <http://www.twitter.com/cityofwinnipeg>

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