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WFP: Santa, cyclists brave nasty weather to spread cheer (Dec20'25)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Dec '25

20 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Santa, cyclists brave nasty weather to spread cheer https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/12/19/santa-other-cycli… THE weather was frightful — at times undeniably dangerous for cycling on city streets — but that didn’t stop more than a dozen riders from braving heavy snowfall and blustery winds for the 14th annual Cycle with Santa on Friday. Equipped with thick tires built for winter riding, goggles to shield their eyes from blowing snow and dressed in an array of festive Christmas outfits, the cyclists pedalled through Winnipeg’s inner city with more than 1,000 pieces of clothing strapped to their backs, delivering warmth and cheer to those in need. Event organizer Kerry LeBlanc donned his best Santa Claus suit to lead the pack as they rode through the city searching for people who could use a lift in spirit — or supplies. “Cycling with Santa is just going for a ride out in the community and trying to bring some love and joy to the streets through humour, through just riding our bicycles,” LeBlanc said. “It originated with me just going for a ride one year, wearing a Santa suit, and it’s grown to a 14-year now annual event, where we have as many as 25 riders come out and understand the need for joy and love in the streets at this time of year.” LeBlanc was adamant that the event would go ahead, snow or shine. “We’re going to be out on the road for 90 minutes,” he said. “The folks that we visit, the charities are doing it every day, 24-7. We think it’s a little bit of a challenge for us for 90 minutes, but just think of our people living in the streets every day, and the charity groups that are working in the homeless sector every day fighting the fight.” This year, the Brothers of the Fork crew — a casual group of philanthropic cyclists and humanitarians — also came bearing cash. The group donated $20,000 to five charities, including Resource Assistance for Youth Inc. and Inner City Youth Alive, which received their donations during a small gathering at True North Square before riders set out. “We’ve got plenty of youth that are sleeping outdoors,” said Kate Sjoberg, CEO of RaY Inc. “We don’t have enough housing in the city for the folks that really need it. “This is going to continue to be an issue for a little bit longer, and it’s really our privilege to work with people every day who know how to survive and trust us enough to help them a little bit along the way here and there.” Victoria, a young woman who accessed RaY more than a year ago while experiencing homelessness, said the organization has played a crucial role in her life. “RaY’s helped me quite a bit and not just in finding a new home, but getting to be more out there and more socialized, and I always feel like I have a safe place to go when I need to,” she said. “There’s counselling. There are people I can talk to, and the best part is they make me friends. So it makes me feel included, and I feel safe.” From True North Square, riders made stops at city hall and Centennial Concert Hall before heading to N’Dinawemak, their first major destination of the afternoon. “Every shelter has a closing time for cleaning, and people get stuck out on the street for that hour to hour and a half every single day,” said Nicholas Candaele, one of the N’Dinawemak directors. “So, what Kerry and his crew is doing out there is amazing. It’s really showing effort… and what our relatives go through every single day.” Each night during the winter months, roughly 200 people access N’Dinawemak’s Disraeli Freeway shelter, with daytime numbers more than doubling as people arrive for meals, outreach and other services. Those inside the building Friday received an added boost of holiday cheer, as the Downtown Community Safety Partnership dropped off dozens of blue backpacks filled with treats and essential winter clothing. “It’s never too much,” Candaele said. “We also get quite a bit of backlog stuff for the rest of the winter, which is awesome.” scott.billeck(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Judge convicts man who switched seats with driver after collision that killed cyclist (Dec19'25)
by Beth McKechnie 19 Dec '25

19 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Judge convicts man who switched seats with driver after collision that killed cyclist https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/12/19/judge-decides-pas… A Winnipeg man who admitted taking the driver’s seat following a high-speed collision that killed cyclist Rob Jenner has been found guilty of leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Lyle Barker-Young, 19, remains free on bail and will be sentenced at a later date following the completion of a court-ordered pre-sentence report. Co-accused Beckham Severight, 20, was behind the driver’s seat of Barker-Young’s leased 2013 BMW sedan the morning of June 6, 2024, racing along Wellington Crescent when he rounded a curve near the intersection at Cockburn Street and collided with Jenner, who was cycling to work in the same lane. Police arrested the two roommates at their Elmwood apartment later that day. In a police statement, Barker-Young said he told Severight to keep driving after hitting Jenner. They drove a short distance, pulled over and switched seats before Barker-Young drove away without checking on the 61-year-old critically injured cyclist. “The comments Mr. Barker-Young made in his statement… support that (he) would have known this was a violent collision that must have resulted in at least bodily harm to the cyclist,” provincial court Judge Catherine Carlson said Friday, reading from a 24-page decision. Severight had only a learner’s permit. Barker-Young had a valid licence and accompanied Severight but did not qualify as a supervising driver. “So (the collision) happened and (Severight) didn’t know what to do,” Barker-Young told police. “Told him to keep driving up a bit. We stopped and I told him to get out and we switched… ’cause I knew he couldn’t f—king drive anymore.… It was my idea to go.” Prior to the collision, “we were going too much… like, we were going fast, like, too fast,” Barker-Young, said. Witnesses in the area at the time said they heard a loud bang and saw Jenner fly three metres into the air before landing on the ground. Witnesses said the car did not slow down or stop after hitting Jenner. One witness estimated the BMW was travelling 120 km/h when it hit Jenner, which would have been 70 km/h over the speed limit. Defence lawyers Debbie Buors and Melissa Serbin argued Barker-Young could not be convicted of leaving the scene of an accident because the offence was complete when Severight continued driving after hitting Jenner. By that time, any subsequent direction from Barker-Young to Severight to keep driving was too late to be considered aiding or abetting the offence, they said. That argument “imposes a narrow and artificial time limit on the decision not to stop that is not present or contemplated by (the Criminal Code),” Carlson said. “Mr. Barker-Young’s comments (to police) are consistent with him getting into the driver’s seat a short distance from the collision site,” she said. “Once he took over driving, he could have returned to the scene, stopped, provide particulars and rendered assistance. He did not.” Jenner’s death sent shock waves through the city’s cycling community and led to calls to reduce the speed limit along Wellington Crescent between River Avenue and Academy Road to 30 km/h. Severight pleaded guilty last March to dangerous driving causing death and was sentenced to three years custody. dean.pritchard(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Transit planner tacked on to 2026 budget (Dec17'25)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Dec '25

17 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Help needed to streamline new bus network: mayor Transit planner tacked on to 2026 budget https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/12/16/epc-adds-transit-… THE mayor’s cabinet wants to hire a full-time transit planner to chart out adjustments to the controversial spine-and-feeder network that’s been the source of persistent complaints since it was rolled out in June. The executive policy committee voted Tuesday to add the permanent planner to the proposed 2026 budget. The full council must vote on it. “We knew there would be adjustments needed this (coming) year. And, so, to expedite the work that is needed to make the system better requires a transit planner. We want to give our staff the resources they need, so that citizens see the ongoing improvements,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. The network overhaul, which took effect June 29, affected virtually every local bus route. The concept includes direct spines along major corridors that are supported by a network of feeder routes throughout the city. The changes were designed to increase bus frequency on main routes, but many riders have complained they now require more transfers and much more time to reach their destinations. Some have been stranded at work or school due to reduced night-time service. In some cases, passengers have reported buying vehicles to avoid frustrating delays. The city added more late-night service to some on-request zones on Dec. 14, while the budget proposes to extend hours on some fixed routes in April. Winnipeg Transit’s On-Request operates in some areas when feeder bus routes are not in service. The mayor said the new transit planner would help guide additional changes next year. “I’m confident it was the right decision to go with the new transit network. I’m not entirely thrilled, to be honest with you, at the number of adjustments we’re having to make, but we’re making them,” said Gillingham. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of the public works committee, said the new position should help speed up Transit’s response to common complaints. “We’re really happy about all the feedback we’re getting and we really want to accelerate the changes,” said Lukes (Waverley West). A transit activist said he’s pleased the city is planning ahead for additional network changes. “Having somebody in place to help ensure that the city is thinking long term and also helping recognize the urgent need for specific infrastructure is very exciting,” said Kyle Owens, president of Functional Transit Winnipeg. Owens said the city must add more buses and drivers to ensure its network can meet riders’ needs. “What we’re seeing is that the years of lack of investment (in the past) mean that this one change is not enough. They are going to need to offer real improvements in service and investments. The (network) changeover was emergency foundation repair,” he said. Other new additions to the city’s proposed 2026 budget aim to pursue a new crime-prevention pilot project and expand needle cleanups at parks. One would seek federal funding to support an “inter-agency crime and incident prevention pilot” project. Gillingham said that would be part of the Safe Winnipeg Initiative he announced in March, which aims to increase collaboration between safety related organizations. “I’ve talked about co-ordinating our public safety agencies to provide a blanket of safety in the downtown. Crime rates have shown a drop in the last few years in the downtown, but there’s more work we have to do,” he said. The mayor listed the Winnipeg Police Service, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, Downtown Community Safety Partnership and the Community Safety Team as agencies that could participate. Details of the project itself are still being determined, he said. EPC also wants to expand a program that clears needles, weapons, drugs and other dangerous debris from parks. City staff removed thousands of needles and more than 150 weapons from 16 “high-risk” downtown parks and green spaces between April 14 and Oct. 3 via the seasonal program, according to a recent report. An amendment would see staff clean up six additional sites two to three times per week, including Vimy Ridge Park, Jacob Penner Park, Cornish Library, Alderman John O’Hare Park, Broadway Neighbourhood Centre and the Dynasty Building, if council approves. “We have seen a significant impact (from) our needle cleanup initiative. It’s making parks safer for families,” said Gillingham. The change is expected to cost $28,200 more each season, once the program resumes next spring. Another budget amendment would ensure three temporary full-time staff continue to be devoted to the unsafe conditions response team, allowing their work to continue throughout 2026. The team, made up of bylaw officers and building inspectors, expedites the city’s response to hazardous properties, included rubble-filled sites left behind after fires. That change is expected to cost $267,000 in 2026. The city could use the revenue from vacant and derelict building fees to help fund those positions in 2027, 2028 and 2029, pending future budget approvals. City council will cast a final vote on the 2026 budget today. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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Changing Lanes | Save The Date!
by Beth McKechnie 11 Dec '25

11 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Greetings, Green Action Centre is thrilled to bring Todd Litman to Winnipeg in February 2026 for Changing Lanes: Better Value From Winnipeg Transportation Investments. This keynote address will take place on February 25th. Please save the date! [Speaker Event Save the Date.jpg] Changing Lanes: Better Value From Winnipeg Transportation Investments with Todd Litman of the Victoria Transportation Policy Institute North American cities are trapped in a wasteful cycle of more driving, reduced travel options and more costly public infrastructure. Cities need better solutions to traffic problems. Roadway expansions are expensive, and only provide temporary relief until additional traffic fills the added capacity. “Win-win” solutions reduce congestion and help achieve other community goals including affordability, equity, public health and safety. Applying these solutions requires a shift to accessibility-based planning that recognizes the many benefits provided by multimodal planning and compact neighborhoods. In this keynote address, Todd Litman shares insights from his research, Smart Congestion Relief, Affordability as a Transportation Planning Goal and The Mobility-Productivity Paradox. Todd’s up-to-date research will provide practical guidance for more efficient infrastructure spending, increasing financial savings for families, and how to create more inclusive and livable communities. Tickets for this event will go on sale early in the new year. We hope to see you there! Mel Marginet | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 300-286 Smith Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 1K4 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> *Note: I work two days a week at Green Action Centre and it may take a few days to respond to you. We are located on Treaty 1 Territory and the homeland of the Métis Nation. The water we drink comes from Shoal Lake First Nation. [https://mail.google.com/mail/images/cleardot.gif] 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/> [https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4xnHIzg-oNAxItLMxFnB1HS5HGb…]<http://gomb.ca>

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WFP Editorial: The traffic disaster that failed to arrive (Dec11'25)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Dec '25

11 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. EDITORIAL The traffic disaster that failed to arrive https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2025/12/11/the-traffic… FOR pedestrians and motorists who have traversed Winnipeg’s most iconic intersection during the past six months, a quick upward glance would have confirmed what proponents of reopening the windy interchange to foot traffic have predicted all along: The sky has not fallen at Portage and Main. After years — perhaps decades — of doomsaying by those opposed to reintroducing aboveground pedestrian activity to the intersection, data collected since the June 27 reopening show the controversial change has actually had negligible impact on vehicular traffic flow. Adherents to the keep-it-closed school of thought had long argued that allowing foot traffic across Portage and Main would create varying degrees of gridlock-induced chaos and regrettable vehicle/pedestrian carnage. Instead, the transition back to a pedestrian-accessible intersection has been seamless and without any incidents of note. The study, undertaken by the City of Winnipeg, involved data collected from GPS-enabled vehicles travelling on four specified routes leading in and out of the Portage and Main interchange during peak traffic times in November. That information was then compared to data collected in November 2024, before pedestrian traffic was reintroduced. Morning travel on two of the routes was unchanged, while traffic on the other two experienced a delay of less than one minute. Afternoon travel time on three of the routes increased by less than two minutes, while the fourth actually experienced a one-minute decrease. The analysis did not account for nearby construction or other factors that might have affected traffic flow during the data-collection periods. Meanwhile, the analysis also showed that an average of 3,750 pedestrians have crossed Portage and Main daily since Sept. 1. Mayor Scott Gillingham summed it up this way: “Everybody heard the doomsday predictions about gridlock and accidents that would happen, and the data proves that those predictions were wrong. Ultimately, I don’t have a good answer as to why this was debated for so long.” He doesn’t have a good answer because there isn’t — and wasn’t — one. The recent wrangling over Portage and Main dates back more than a decade, to when then-mayoral candidate Brian Bowman made reopening the intersection one of his key campaign promises. After encountering resistance to his pledge, Bowman relented and said he would abide by the result of a plebiscite on the issue — which in 2018 ultimately showed a majority of Winnipeggers opposed reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians. A breakdown of that vote, however, showed the strongest opposition came from outlying suburban areas of the city, meaning most of the people who voted on the “no” side had likely never actually travelled through the intersection in question. But the politicization of the Portage and Main question by a few naysaying councillors kept the intersection closed, and it likely would have remained inaccessible to pedestrians had not the looming failure of the waterproof membrane protecting the underground concourse — the repair of which would have cost almost $60 million and created four to five years of traffic disruption — forced city council to reconsider the issue as a practical matter, rather than a political one. The newly reported numbers speak for themselves. The return of pedestrians has not affected traffic in any meaningful way. And the simple fact of the matter is that nothing catastrophic was going to happen at this intersection simply because pedestrians crossed the street there. Despite its local-icon stature, Portage and Main is no more complicated than thousands of other intersections in hundreds of other major cities that are traversed safely by millions of pedestrians every day. The wind will always blow at Portage and Main, but the sky was never going to fall.

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WFP: Free bus rides for all might be what’s needed to save Transit (Dec11'25)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Dec '25

11 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Free bus rides for all might be what’s needed to save Transit DAN LETT https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2025/12/10/free-bus-rides-for-all-m… WHEN one looks at the multitude of problems facing Winnipeg Transit — declining ridership, increasing costs and chronic concerns about safety — it becomes increasingly clear that new and even radical ideas need to be embraced. One such idea is eliminating fares. That might seem like a pipe dream until it’s acknowledged just how critically important public transit is for the future of all cities, including Winnipeg. Robust transit ridership not only helps reduce carbon emissions — desperately needed to slow climate change — but also reduces the wear and tear on municipal infrastructure, adding years to the lifespans of roads, bridges and other transportation assets. Transit is also a tool that creates socioeconomic opportunities for even the poorest of citizens, enabling them to move about the city. Unfortunately, following the worst years of the pandemic, ridership has dropped in just about every city, threatening the viability of public transit. Winnipeg is an excellent case in point. This week, a City of Winnipeg committee was told Transit would earn $8.5 million less than budgeted for the current year, as nearly five million fewer rides were taken. Transit finance manager Laurie Fisher told the committee “the erosion of fare revenue” is a problem that has no easy explanation and, thus, no current solution. The city is working to improve transit services with last summer’s launch of a redesigned network and improved schedules. Although city officials believe the new system will, ultimately, be better for most riders, there are concerns the transition — combined with ongoing concerns about safety — has discouraged some people from taking the bus. And that is making Winnipeg Transit less viable. It will cost roughly $264 million this year to operate the service. Fares and provincial grants contribute about $140 million, but the balance — about $124 million — has to be taken out of the city’s general revenues. Despite the lost revenue from fewer rides, Winnipeg Transit is expected to end the year with a small surplus, thanks to lower costs of fuel and carbon taxes. However, unless paid ridership increases substantially in the next few years, it will find itself trapped in a revenue death spiral. Fewer riders every year, against a backdrop of increasing costs. It may seem counterintuitive to address the problem by eliminating fares. However, the broader analysis suggests the benefits would far outweigh the overall costs. Increasingly, we’re seeing other cities, faced with the same dilemma as Winnipeg, taking that bold step. In 2023, Iowa City, Iowa, decided to eliminate bus fares for two years on a pilot basis. Ridership rose above pre-pandemic levels by nearly 20 per cent. The city’s residents put 2.9 million fewer vehicle kilometres on city streets, reducing carbon emissions by 778 metric tons. Of course, with close to 80,000 citizens, Iowa City might not make the best point of comparison with a city such as Winnipeg that is 10 times bigger. Thankfully, we are also starting to see larger jurisdictions launch similar initiatives. Luxembourg, the landlocked western European nation bordered by Belgium, Germany and France, has a population of about 680,000. It made buses, trams and second-class train tickets free in 2020 and has experienced around a 12 per cent increase in ridership over pre-pandemic levels and around an eight per cent drop in CO2 emissions. What about bigger jurisdictions? When he was a member of the state assembly, New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani helped launch a one-year pilot project that provided a free bus line in each of the city’s five boroughs. Service was faster, ridership on the free lines increased by as much as 38 per cent and — perhaps more importantly — around 38 per cent fewer assaults were reported. After he is sworn in on Jan. 1, Mamdani has promised to expand his “fast and free” vision for bus service within the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, arguing that increased revenue from vehicular-congestion pricing will help him cover the cost of citywide free bus service. For advocates of free transit, there is a lot of excitement focused on Belgrade, a Serbian city of around 1.7 million that eliminated fares at the beginning of 2025. No results have been made public yet, but the net impacts on ridership, infrastructure, emissions and safety will be of enormous value in determining the viability of free public transit. Could Winnipeg jump on the free transit wave? It would take an enormous amount of support from the federal and provincial governments, as the city on its own would be unable to cover the nine figures of lost fare revenue. If a deal could be cobbled together, however, the benefits to the city could be limitless. Along with non-financial benefits such as lower CO2 emissions, there would be millions of fewer vehicle miles crossing city streets and bridges. Increased ridership could free the city from wasting billions of dollars on expanding over-burdened commuter routes. For residents, it would mean faster commutes and greater safety by reducing injuries from vehicle collisions. That, in turn, would also bring down the cost of automobile insurance. Unless something radical is done, Winnipeg will be faced with a transit system that is increasingly more expensive and less appealing to riders. This is most definitely one of those situations where the cost of doing nothing is ultimately much larger than the cost of doing something bold. dan.lett(a)winnipegfreepress.com<mailto:dan.lett@winnipegfreepress.com>

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WFP: Riding the bus ‘unbearable and stressful’ (Dec11'25)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Dec '25

11 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Riding the bus ‘unbearable and stressful’ Transit system’s frustrating flaws amplified by cold, says committed customer shopping for car https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/12/10/taking-the-bus-ju… BUS rider Juan Fernandez has had enough of Winnipeg Transit’s new spine-and-feeder network after just five months and the onset of wintry weather. Fernandez, a Transit customer since he moved to the city three years ago, said he’s going to buy a car because his work commute times are double what they used to be, when buses are on time. “I’m looking at (a car) today because I’m done with the transit system,” he told the Free Press Wednesday. “Winnipeg had a very reliable transit system and now it doesn’t. Now, it’s just unbearable and stressful.” The return of freezing temperatures and snow hasn’t helped. While it hasn’t officially started yet, this is the first winter since the new network was introduced June 29. Fernandez said the switch means he spends more time waiting for buses in the cold. The mild start to the season was manageable, but last week’s -30 C wind chills were unbearable, he said. Many passengers complained about the decision to replace the decades-old hub-and-spoke model because it significantly altered their routes or travel times. Some riders now have to take one or more additional buses. The network change eliminated one of two buses Fernandez could take from a stop near his home to downtown, where he transfers to a different bus to complete his trip to work in the morning. He now has to take an extra bus to get to or from the downtown transfer and his commute has doubled to about 70 minutes each way. His travel times to the gym, stores and other destinations are longer. “I don’t want to go anywhere now because it’s taking too long,” Fernandez said. “I feel very angry. I feel we’re just being pranked.” He said buses on the F6 route are often so packed at peak times that people waiting at stops cannot board and have to wait for the next service. Fernandez said the scenario happened to him one night at Isabel Street and William Avenue in the inner city, where he ended up being chased by a man, who appeared to be a drug user, while he waited for the next bus. After the system overhaul was revealed in June, Mayra Manishigaki had to rethink her routes. Basic trips — going to the supermarket, for example — suddenly went from travel on a single bus to what she describes as “almost impossible.” Five months later, the self-described lover of public transit was bundled up in winter gear, waiting for her bus in Osborne Village. She said the cold was making a difficult change worse. “It’s just terrible. You have to plan ahead and usually in the winter, there are more late buses,” she said. “It’s kind of a bummer.” Many of the stops Manishigaki uses during the day don’t offer weather protection from bus shacks. Helping riders stay warm while getting used to the changes would go a long way, she said. “I just wish you could feel a little bit better, more comfortable,” she said. “Having a shack would mean a lot, especially during winter.” Transit is making some changes, based on complaints or requests, when its winter schedule begins Sunday. Fernandez, who reported concerns to 311, doesn’t think his experience will improve. Late-night service is expanding to most on-request zones, some schedules are being rewritten and trips are being added to some busier routes. “I really hope it makes a significant difference, but there are many different issues that people have,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, chair of the city’s public works committee, which oversees Winnipeg Transit. “For certain people, this is going to be fantastic. For certain people, it’s not yet what they want.” Lukes (Waverley West) said Transit has never undergone such a fundamental change. She encouraged riders to continue to submit feedback because it will help to improve the network. More changes are expected in the spring. “We know there are issues because no change is perfect, but we are working to resolve it,” she said. “The spine-and-feeder system is a much better system to make changes and adjustments to.” Transfers are an integral part of the new system and that’s not going to change, she added. Lukes, a Transit user, said she has received positive feedback from riders alongside the negative and she expects good results in the long-term. She said bus shelters will be added next year based on customer feedback and an analysis by staff. Transit had shelters at 705 of 3,825 stops as of Wednesday, compared with 880 at 5,170 stops at the end of 2024, spokesman Brandon Logan said. The total number of stops was cut when the new network launched. Logan said Transit is assessing the condition of 150 shelters that were removed from cancelled stops to find out which ones can be installed at an in-service stop as soon as possible. Chris Scott, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505, which represents the city’s bus drivers, said members are happy with the new master plan because it is designed to help them remain on time and take breaks, barring delays caused by construction or weather. It appears most of the frustration among riders has been directed at department heads or council members, rather than front-line Transit staff, he said. “Understandably, humans as a species are averse to change but we are very adaptable and I think that will be the case here as time progresses,” Scott said. “Provided that the elected officials and department heads continue to respond to the issues that the riding public face, I think this system can grow to be far better than what the old system ended up being.” The Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone recently launched an online survey to find out how the network is affecting people who live, work or visit the area. “We’ve heard anecdotally that changes to the Winnipeg Transit network have increased commute times and are making it more challenging for people to get to and move through downtown,” spokeswoman Olivia Billson said. “We hope to gain further insights and ideas where improvements could be made to the system in the future.” Survey results will be shared with the city, she said. — with files from Malak Abas chris.kitching(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca>

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People are waking up to the fact that new vehicles are the Great Canadian Money Suck
by feaver＠mts.net 09 Dec '25

09 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. <https://www.theglobeandmail.com/authors/rob-carrick/> [Rob Carrick]<https://www.theglobeandmail.com/authors/rob-carrick/> Rob Carrick<https://www.theglobeandmail.com/authors/rob-carrick/>Personal Finance Columnist Special to The Globe and Mail Published 10 hours agoUpdated 4 hours ago Open this photo in gallery:<https://www.theglobeandmail.com/resizer/v2/B5LSGINOJVB4RD7MRSJ3BTB644.JPG?a…> [cid:image002.jpg@01DC691F.50427EB0]<https://www.theglobeandmail.com/resizer/v2/B5LSGINOJVB4RD7MRSJ3BTB644.JPG?a…> High payments for new vehicles can kill cash flow.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press 450 Comments<https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/article-new-vehi…> The triangle of sadness in personal finance is houses, groceries and vehicles. Nothing in the outlook for 2026 suggests major relief is coming on any of those fronts, which leaves you to take action yourself. After five years of oppressive inflation, you've likely pared down your grocery spending as much as possible. Selling your home to cut living costs is no real option, either; it's a last resort and opens up a new set of problems. This leaves us with new vehicles, the Great Canadian Money Suck. The average new vehicle selling price was almost $45,000 at mid-year, and the average monthly loan payment was around $850, according to J.D. Power. Canadians have been amazingly open to carrying this load, but there are signs that is changing. Looking back over his 16 years as a bankruptcy trustee, Scott Terrio recalls how normal it was to point out to clients that high payments for a new vehicle were killing their cash flow. With monthly payments over $1,000, auto loans are increasingly like car mortgages<https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/article-car-auto…> "The difference now is that I have spoken to at least five or six people who have actively said to me, before I suggested it, that they'd like to give their car back," said Mr. Terrio, the manager of consumer insolvency at Hoyes Michalos & Associates. "And that's never happened." You can see the burden of vehicle payments in the latest numbers from credit reporting agency Equifax. In the third quarter of this year, the number of borrowers who missed three or more payments on their auto loans increased 10.8 per cent, to a total of 1.9 per cent of borrowers. Mr. Terrio lays out the savings of getting rid of a car as follows: A monthly payment of, let's say, $700, plus $300 for insurance and another $300 for gas. "That's $1,300 per month - what other lever in your budget can you pull with that extent of savings?" he said. "Nothing. It's so glaring." Let me preface the coming rant on vehicle spending by saying that I have owned 16 cars and one SUV in the past 47 years. I have economized and overspent on vehicles, mostly new ones because I appreciate the improvements in performance, fuel consumption, safety and comfort. In my early 30s, having just bought a home, I sold a fairly expensive two-seat sports car to clear some space in our household spending. One vehicle-buying rule I always followed was to limit loan terms to five years rather than give in to six- and seven-year terms that would shrink monthly payments. Another rule was to put a $400 ceiling on monthly payments, which I'll now inflate to $500 to reflect higher vehicle prices. More stories below advertisement The unspoken consensus that it's fine to pay hundreds of dollars more per month for a vehicle was partly built on clever marketing by the auto industry, which got us hooked on higher-cost SUVs over cars. To ease the shock of higher costs, dealers and lenders commonly offer loan terms of up to seven or eight years and present financing deals by showing weekly or biweekly payments instead of monthly ones. Another explanation for our acceptance of high vehicle payments is that we're more than ever using cars and SUVs to manifest our best selves. Driving a fully loaded SUV says we're active people with busy lives who appreciate finer things. Mr. Terrio sees vehicles as a classic example of the conflict between needs and wants. "People will say to me, 'But I need my car,' and I say back to them, 'You need a car - you don't need that car.'" Rob Carrick: Four questions to help you navigate the personal finance challenges ahead<https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/article-personal…> Rob Carrick: Eight lessons learned in 27 years of covering personal finance and investing<https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/article-rob-carr…> The types of vehicles his clients drive is worth noting. Expensive German brands are common. Also, some Teslas and fully loaded pickup trucks owned by young men. Mr. Terrio noted how common it is for renters to own vehicles like these - he's heard a theory that people are buying luxury vehicles as consolation for being shut out of the housing market. The reason why we may be at a breaking point for the acceptance of high vehicle costs is the layering of generational levels of inflation on top of economic disruptions caused by the pandemic and then the trade war with the United States. If you're under maximum financial stress and see your car or SUV payments as part of the problem, Mr. Terrio says you can notify the lender or dealer that you're walking away from your loan. Any shortfall between the sale proceeds for your vehicle and the amount owing can be added to the debts that are part of your insolvency. Mr. Terrio believes Canada is "over-vehicled," which is to say we spend too much on cars and SUVs relative to income. "I'm not anti-car," he said. "I'm anti-broke."

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WFP: Transit loses millions in ridership revenue (Dec9'25)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Dec '25

09 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Transit loses millions in ridership revenue New network, safety concerns cited as ridership declines; surplus still forecast https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/12/08/transit-loses-mil… WINNIPEG Transit expects to earn $8.5 million less in fares than its budget predicted this year as fewer people have been taking the bus. During a public works meeting on Monday, committee members were told the number of riders fell to 89 per cent of 2019 levels as of Nov. 30, this year. That’s down from 95 per cent of 2019 (pre-pandemic levels) throughout 2024. Annual ridership reached 48,770,208 in 2019, the city’s website says. “The issue that we continue to struggle with is the erosion of fare revenue and this year’s forecast is to be under budget by $8.5 million… We did not anticipate the extent to which we have realized lower ridership numbers,” Laurie Fisher, Winnipeg Transit’s finance manager, told the committee. Fisher said riders who refuse to pay also affect revenue. Due to savings in fuel and carbon tax costs, Transit still expects to end the year with a $400,000 surplus. The service doesn’t have clear data to determine the exact reasons why ridership declined. However, a Transit official believes the bumpy start to a new primary transit network implemented on June 29 is partly to blame. “After the launch of the new network, we were expecting that we would have a bit of a decline in ridership, because… it’s going to take people a while to learn the new network. Some people are just going to not take transit anymore and there’s going to be a bit of a lag until people who have better service (due to the changes)… start taking the bus,” said Bjorn Radstrom, Transit’s manager of service development. The new primary transit network triggered many complaints from riders, with some reporting longer travel times, inconvenient stops and added transfers. Transfers are a key feature of the new spine-and-feeder system, which uses community feeder routes to connect to more central ones and aims to make many buses more reliable. Radstrom noted the decline in ridership began late last year, months before the new network was implemented. He said similar reductions have been experienced by other transit systems, though the reasons are not clear. “We’re all a little bit confused as to why this is happening,” he said. The chairwoman of council’s public works committee said she suspects reduced ridership may be linked to repeated security issues. “I’d have to say people are not maybe taking transit as much because they’re concerned about their safety,” said Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West). Crime has been a persistent concern for Transit for several years. In September, the Winnipeg Police Service announced a “targeted safety strategy” in and around buses. Police noted 325 violent crimes were reported at Winnipeg Transit locations in 2024 alone, including on buses and near bus shelters. Lukes stressed the city and Transit have taken several steps to reduce public transportation risks, including adding community safety officers who patrol buses and bus stops. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505 president Chris Scott called the loss in revenue “a bit of a surprise and a bit of a concern.” Scott suggested changes made by the Transit overhaul, namely the reduction in late night service, could be a major factor in ridership decline. Safety issues could also be a factor. “The two of them combined should put the city on notice that something is going to have to be done, and going to have to be done soon,” he said. Ridership has slowly gone up since the pandemic, Scott said, but the drop in revenue has him concerned about a potential “death spiral,” where a reduction in ridership could result in cuts in service from the city, then spark further reductions in ridership. “I do hope that this is just a hiccup in our increase in ridership.” Harleen Deol, a University of Winnipeg student, said she bought a car around three months after the Transit routes changed in June. Overnight, the trip from her home in Amber Trails to the U of W nearly doubled, to an hour or more from 35 minutes, and she had to walk over half an hour to get home some days because her bus did not run at night. “I can guarantee that if the bus routes had not changed, I would have never got the car,” she said Monday. Taylor Reisdorf said he used to catch the bus twice a day or more. Now, he uses the bus about one day a week. He also bought a car in response to the Transit overhaul after his commute from River Heights to his downtown office became 40 minutes or longer, in comparison to his original 15- to 20-minute commute. “I no longer rely on the transit system… I’ve lost faith in their ability to run the system properly,” he said. As the temperature continues to drop, he said he worries about Transit users who may be waiting outside more often and for longer periods, without additional shelters at stops to help them stay warm. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> malak.abas(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: WRENCH’s Cycle of Giving provides bikes to children in need (Dec8'25)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Dec '25

08 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. WRENCH’s Cycle of Giving provides bikes to children in need Hundreds of bicycles brought back to life https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/12/08/hundreds-of-bicyc… THE same thing that motivated Gerry Hagglund to participate in a bike-building marathon 14 years ago brought him back to the event on Sunday. “It just seemed like the right thing to do,” he said. Hagglund was one of more than 100 volunteers who participated in the WRENCH’s 15th annual Cycle of Giving, which sees the organization take bicycles bound for the landfill, restore them and give them to children in need. More than 350 bicycles were brought back to life during the 24-hour event, which started Saturday at noon. A retired dental supply company executive and avid cyclist, Hagglund arrived at the event at 6 a.m. on Sunday. Five hours later, he’d already repaired 10 bikes. “It’s kind of nice to see something like that get all fixed up and go off to a new person who will really enjoy it,” the 68-year-old said. “I can remember when our son got his first bike. It’s an amazing sight to see.” There were 16 repair stations set up at Lord Roberts Community Centre for the event, plus one corner where participants made sure each bicycle was equipped with reflectors. At the quality control station, two senior mechanics double-checked everyone’s work and gave each bike a test drive. “One of the joys of Cycle of Giving is watching large adults ride tiny bicycles — and usually pull it off pretty well,” Geoff Heath said, cracking a smile. Heath was one of the first employees at the WRENCH, which stands for Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub, when it was started in 2010. While he’s since moved on to other work, he still volunteers at the charitable non-profit. Taking a short break from his work at the quality control station on Sunday, the 42-year-old recalled pulling all-nighters during the first few Cycle of Giving events. “At some point, around 3 a.m., you really don’t want to fix bikes anymore,” he said. “It’s a marathon. To those that do it, kudos.” It’s a worthwhile cause, he added. “(For) so many kids in the city who might not have access to a bike, at the holiday season they’re getting a pair of wheels,” he said. “That’s pretty amazing.” After making it through quality control, every bike went to the washing station to undergo cleaning. Maren Tyc and Lauren Purves were set up there Sunday morning. It was the lifelong best friends’ first time participating in the event. “Maybe in future years we’ll be at the level to work at one of the mechanic stations,” Tyc said. “I’d be really excited about that.” Tyc and Purves decided to get involved after doing a cycling trip in Norway this past summer. The 26-year-olds rode more than 1,000 km on a tandem bicycle from Oslo to Tromsø, where Purves is studying urban planning. Both were impressed by the event. “There’s a lot of energy in the room… and so much generosity,” Tyc said. “It’s just really cool to see this many people come together for one cause.” The WRENCH aims to make the event accessible to participants of all abilities and skill sets, Heath said. At a final station, volunteers were creating homemade holiday cards that will be distributed with each bike. According to its website, the WRENCH offers community bike programming aimed at educating youth, empowering volunteers and providing people with affordable, sustainable active transportation options. It’s headquartered on Logan Avenue. Cycle of Giving is important because it gives the organization an opportunity to fix and distribute a large number of bikes in a short amount of time, said Anders Annell, bike shop co-ordinator. The WRENCH will distribute the bikes to about a dozen community partners who will give them to children who are nine years old and younger, he said. Staff and volunteers go to great lengths to make sure children receive something that works well and is clean, he added. “Any bike can be awesome if it’s free, but a bike that looks great and works great is even better — and it’s safer,” Annell said. Bruce W.J. Miller, executive director at the Manitoba Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Council, said he feels fortunate his organization will be receiving some of the bikes repaired during Cycle of Giving. “We’re very thankful for the generosity of the WRENCH program,” Miller said. “As you can imagine, a bike can mean a world of difference to a young person.” aaron.epp(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Data shows opening Portage and Main to pedestrians has minimal impact on rush-hour travel times (Dec8'25)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Dec '25

08 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Data shows opening Portage and Main to pedestrians has minimal impact on rush-hour travel times ‘Doomsday predictions’ proven ‘wrong’ https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/12/08/doomsday-predicti… FOUR months after the intersection of Portage and Main opened to pedestrian crossings, traffic data shows there has been almost no impact to commuting motorists. It’s news that comes as little surprise to proponents of taking down the barricades that once held foot traffic at bay — and one that some hope will end a contentious debate that has raged in the Manitoba capital for decades. “Before the intersection was open to pedestrians, everybody heard the doomsday predictions about gridlock and accidents that would happen, and the data proves that those predictions were wrong,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said Friday. “Ultimately, I don’t have good answer as to why this was debated for so long.” The City of Winnipeg undertook a study to analyze travel-times for motorists crossing Portage Avenue and Main Street. It involved data collected from GPS-enabled vehicles travelling on four key routes leading into and from the intersection during peak traffic hours in November. That data was then compared to data collected from November of last year, before pedestrian traffic was introduced. Morning travel on two of the routes was unchanged year over year, while travel time for the others increased by less than a minute. In the afternoon, travel time on three of the routes increased by less than two minutes, and the remaining route saw a one-minute decrease. “Generally speaking, there has been minimal impact to travel times,” city spokesperson Julie Dooley said in an email. “These changes are all considered relatively negligible when looking at impacts to daily commutes.” Meanwhile, the data found the intersection has been crossed by tens of thousands of pedestrians, with foot traffic averaging 3,570 people per day. Dooley noted the analysis did not account for nearby construction, or other issues that could cause congestion. “I’m not surprised. It’s a modern intersection and we are employing modern techniques to manage traffic flow,” said University of Winnipeg urban geography professor Jino Distasio. “My hope is that, in the end, the average Winnipegger just sees the opening of Portage and Main as nothing more than a routine cleanup of an intersection that could have always allowed pedestrians to cross.” Despite its reputation as Winnipeg’s most iconic intersection, Distasio said Portage and Main is fundamentally no different from crossings in other major urban centres. “On any given day now, if you asked a tourist, ‘Is there anything distinctive about this intersection?’ Most would look at you and say, ‘What?’” he said. “I think today, we’ve just moved on. The issue is closed and the intersection is open.” Arguments over whether at-grade crossings should be permitted at Portage and Main have ebbed and flowed since it closed to foot traffic in 1979 and pedestrians were redirected to an underground concourse. Reopening the intersection was a key plank in former mayor Brian Bowman’s 2014 election campaign, but he encountered resistance from some on city council. The debate reached a fever pitch with the results of a 2018 plebiscite, in which the majority of respondents voted against reopening. Opponents cited concerns that pedestrian crossings may cause traffic congestion and compromise safety. It is unclear whether the reopening has resulted in an increase in collisions; Manitoba Public Insurance could not immediately provide such data on Friday. Winnipeg Police Service spokesperson Const. Claude Chancy said pedestrian crossings have not caused issues for officers. Coun. Janice Lukes, who at first opposed opening the intersection to pedestrians, later reversed course and was among the first people to cross during a grand-opening ceremony in June. She travels the route by car almost daily, and has noticed no difference to her commute in the months since, she said. “At the time, I didn’t support it. But, you know what, society changes, things change, life changes, people change,” she said. “I think back then, there was a lot of political drama about it. This current mayor said, ‘Look, it’s an intersection. We want to get it done, let’s do it.’ And we did, and I’m fine with it.” Adam Dooley was a key member of the citizen-led Vote Open campaign during the plebiscite. He said the decision became unnecessarily politically charged, and should have instead focused on improving accessibility downtown. “It was a feud between a couple of city councillors and the mayor of the day, and I hope that we can all learn that that kind of behaviour just poisons politics and leads to bad decision-making,” he said. “It’s very nice that it’s working out the way it is; it’s frustrating that it took us this long to get here.” Coun. Jeff Browaty, who also once opposed opening the intersection, agreed that doing so has not had a dramatic effect on travel times. He said the change coincided with other traffic improvements surrounding the intersection, including the addition of a new turning lane and an overhaul of the Winnipeg Transit network. “I think these are all real factors,” he said. “I think this does end the debate, and we will have to monitor things. I do believe there is still a segment of the population that is still anti-car… the vast majority of trips Winnipeggers take are by vehicle, and I think we do need to continue to recognize that fact.” tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Mayor sees solution to housing at curling club site (Dec4'25)
by Beth McKechnie 04 Dec '25

04 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. [This article is a bit outside the boundaries of the AT Network's purpose but I thought many of you would be equally interested.] City report says provincial board lacks authority to impose parking condition on development permit Mayor sees solution to housing at curling club site https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/12/03/city-proposes-roc… MAYOR Scott Gillingham says the city has a solution to advance the controversial housing project slated for the Granite Curling Club parking lot, although the club alleges the city doesn’t have the power to put it in place. “I believe there’s a win-win situation here to get the housing built that we need… and also to address the parking matter in a new lease,” said Gillingham. In February, city council approved an 11 storey, 110-unit residential building for the city-owned land. Half of the suites would have affordable rent for 99 years. But the Granite Curling Club appealed the decision to the Manitoba Municipal Board, arguing the location would eliminate 45 of its 80 parking stalls, rendering the operation no longer viable. In November, the municipal board directed the city and club to develop an “adequate” parking plan “to the satisfaction of the Granite Curling Club” and city, which the mayor opposed, arguing that would give the club veto power over the project. Since provincial legislation prohibits city council from passing a zoning bylaw that doesn’t conform to the municipal board’s recommendations, many considered the directive binding. However, in a new report released Wednesday, city staff conclude the parking plan condition is “not in respect of the proposed bylaw” and the provincial board has “no authority” to impose a condition on a development permit. That means city council is not legally bound to follow it, the report states. The staff report recommends council instead approve its original motion to allow the project. “We have the public service recommendation here, in consultation with the city’s legal team, that this is the way we should proceed and I’ll be supporting that,” said Gillingham. The mayor noted he is also calling on city staff to negotiate a new long-term lease with the board of the curling club, which includes an expanded leased area and dedicated on-site parking options. “I believe there’s parking space available in the area. This problem can be solved,” said Gillingham. The city has long deemed the proposed housing at 22 Granite Way as key to creating much-needed affordable homes near transit and other services. On Wednesday, a member of the Granite club’s board said he remains convinced the city would violate provincial legislation if it doesn’t follow the entire municipal board recommendation. “Although the city was unhappy with the decision, it doesn’t give the city the right to ignore the provisions of the city charter and the municipal board’s recommendation,” said Christian Pierce, the board’s secretary. “(This) is in clear contravention of the city charter provisions.” Pierce said the club doesn’t oppose the housing development itself but must have sufficient parking to ensure it can continue operations. He said the board is considering “all options” to oppose the city’s decision, which could include a legal challenge. “We’re just absolutely baffled that (the city is) taking the position that they don’t have to follow legislation,” said Pierce. When asked if the provincial government will take any action to ensure the city follows the board’s directions, Manitoba Municipal Relations Minister Glen Simard did not directly answer. While he urged the city and curling club to “continue to work on compromises,” he also noted repeatedly that his government respects the authority of its municipal counterparts. “We’ll continue to look forward to having legislation in place so these types of incidents don’t happen in the future… The city has decisions to make. We respect them as a local and mature order of government to make those decisions,” said Simard. The provincial government is reviewing legislation that controls the municipal board’s powers. Winnipeg City Council’s executive policy committee will vote Tuesday on the plan to move the project forward. — with files from Carol Sanders joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Transit heeds ‘direct feedback,’ adds late-night hours to most on-request zones (Dec2'25)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Dec '25

02 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Transit heeds ‘direct feedback,’ adds late-night hours to most on-request zones https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/12/02/transit-heeds-dir… WINNIPEG Transit will soon add late night service to most of its on-request zones, allowing riders to hail buses until 2 a.m. most days. The city made the announcement in a news release Monday, saying the changes are a “direct result” of feedback that riders have submitted since June’s launch of the new spine-and-feeder bus network. “Winnipeggers have been clear about what’s working and what needs improvement,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said in the release. “Winnipeg Transit is using that feedback, along with what they see on buses and at transit stops every day, to keep improving the new network.” The city cut more than 1,000 bus stops when it overhauled the transit system, but expanded the on-request bus service that allows riders to request a bus pickup online, via an app or by calling 311. There are now 12 zones around the city where riders can request a bus to take them from where they are to a bus stop on the primary network. Ten of those zones will benefit from the changes, with zones 104 (St. Boniface Industrial Park) and zone 110 (St. Boniface) the only two unaffected, All zones that currently operate after 7 p.m. will extend service until about 2 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. On Sundays and holidays, those zones will operate until about 12:45 a.m., the release said. The boundaries for zone 103 (North West) will also expand so passengers can take on-request rides to Garden City Shopping Centre and Walmart. “We’ve also rewritten schedules for buses that were regularly late and added capacity to routes that were regularly full,” the news release said. Other changes include a full rewrite of schedules for buses D12, D13, D16 and F8. In total, those routes will see 49 service hours added on weekdays. New trips will also be added to six school-serving routes that are experiencing capacity issues, the release said. Routes 557, 649 and 678 will see new trips added before and after school hours. Routes 442, 694 and 885 will see an extra trip added before school hours. A list detailing those schedule changes, and more, is available on the Winnipeg Transit website. The changes will take effect Sunday to coincide with the launch of Transit’s winter schedule. tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Que. coroner calls for better pedestrian safety after death of girl (Dec1'25)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Dec '25

01 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Que. coroner calls for better pedestrian safety after death of girl MONTREAL — A Quebec coroner is recommending strengthened measures to protect pedestrian safety after the hit-and-run death of a seven-year-old Ukrainian refugee in 2022. Coroner Éric Lépine said in a recent report that the girl’s death was accidental, caused by the driver’s failure to stop fully at an intersection as well as the blinding morning sun. “My analysis of the facts leads me to conclude that the driver never saw (the victim) and that (the victim) never saw the vehicle,” Lépine wrote. “The collision resulted from a lack of vigilance on the part of the driver, due to an incomplete stop of his vehicle combined with poor visibility caused by glare from the sun.” However, he called on the city and province to take steps to improve safety at intersections, including adding sun glare as a criteria to consider when deciding which measures to put in place. Seven-year-old Mariia Legenkovska was walking to school with her brother and sister on Dec. 13, 2022, when a Jeep Grand Cherokee fatally struck her. The driver drove away without stopping but turned himself in to police later that day. He pleaded guilty in 2024 to failing to stop after an accident, and was later sentenced to a year of house arrest. Mariia and her family moved to Montreal in 2022 to escape the Russian invasion of their country. Her father, Andrii Legenkovska, was fighting for Ukraine’s territorial defence forces when she was killed, and he travelled to Montreal from the front lines to bury his daughter. Lépine’s Nov. 12 report redacts the victim’s name but notes that her death affected all of Quebec and prompted calls to better protect children in city streets. The report notes that the driver slowed down and looked both ways at the intersection where the girl was struck, but did not stop. The driver did not see the girl, but felt a bump under his tires, it states. He turned himself in to police a few hours later. The coroner noted that physical modifications such as bollards, speed bumps and curb extensions are the best way to improve pedestrian safety at intersections, and advised the city to continue adding them wherever possible. — The Canadian Press

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WFP: Child struck by vehicle Friday (Dec1'25)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Dec '25

01 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. CHILD STRUCK BY VEHICLE FRIDAY A YOUTH was hit by a car while crossing the street on River Road near St. Mary’s Road just before 5 p.m. Friday. The child was sent to hospital as a precaution and is in stable condition, the Winnipeg Police Service confirmed Saturday. The driver remained at the scene and was co-operative with police.

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WFP: Pernicious cycle - Is there any strategy that can shift bike-theft crisis out of high gear? (Nov29'25)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Nov '25

29 Nov '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. PERNICIOUS CYCLE Is there any strategy that can shift bike-theft crisis out of high gear? https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/11/28/pernicious-cycle THERE’S perhaps no crime Winnipeggers are more likely to complain about. The hefty amount it costs Winnipeggers every year is impossible to calculate precisely, since the phenomenon goes as under-reported as it is seemingly omnipresent. Yet talk to local universities’ sociologists and criminologists, and they’ll tell you the crime — bike theft — isn’t particularly well-studied in Canada. The public’s picture of this “black market” is filtered mostly through aggravating personal experiences and news reports, which lately in Winnipeg have offered especially eye-catching headlines. Earlier this month, the Winnipeg Police Service told the public stolen bikes are being stripped down for parts that can be turned into weapons. And not just knives and sharp objects, but improvised shotguns. “We have concerns not only for the theft of bicycles that are being traded for money… or for drugs, but we’re also concerned about bicycles that are being taken apart and then used to create weapons,” said Insp. Helen Peters, adding a bike tube casing can be the right size to hold a shotgun shell. In August, city police shut down a bike chop shop at a riverbank homeless encampment in Point Douglas, charging two men with possession of stolen property and seizing dozens of bikes and hundreds of bike parts, as well as a gas generator, pressure washer and other materials. It’s believed to be the first time Winnipeg police secured and executed a search warrant for an encampment. The WPS also reported that people at the approximately 900-sq.-ft. camp — consisting of tarps on four sides, with multiple “rooms” — were working in shifts and did not necessarily appear homeless. Fabricating shotguns, engaging in shift work, stockpiling stolen goods in hidden dens, being thwarted by warrants — all this may at first give an impression that actors in Winnipeg’s black market for bikes are essentially, to use a loaded term, “organized” criminally. But talk to local outreach workers and to some of the actors themselves and a different picture emerges, one of a chaotic milieu driven by desperation, poverty and addiction. “What the police found (in Point Douglas) was more the exception than it is the rule… Generally, it’s very disorganized. It’s part of the flailing behaviour of drug addicts,” says Marion Willis, executive director of the non-profit St. Boniface Street Links, which works with people experiencing homelessness and addiction. Willis points to the hoarding tendencies of methamphetamine addicts, attributing some bike theft and chopping to the compulsive behaviours the drug can trigger. In fact, she says she’s lobbied city council for policies differentiating between hoarding disorders and meth addicts’ collecting behaviours so city workers don’t address the two with the same tactics. “People are attempting to frame (bike theft) as organized crime because there is, I think, at least a limited degree of consciousness around the idea of crimes of poverty,” says Bronwyn Dobchuk-Land, an associate professor in the University of Winnipeg’s department of criminal justice. Yet, she says, this doesn’t mean bike thieves aren’t “rational” or “organized” in other senses. “People organize to make the encampment safe for themselves. They steal bikes and organize (in ways) that arise from a shared set of problems in a particular context,” she says. “People are making choices based on a scan of their options…And that goes right down to choice of drugs. People take meth because they have to stay awake when it’s cold outside.” Point Douglas community activist Sel Burrows suggests there is often criminal co-ordination involved with bike theft, observing that a division of labour — between stealers, choppers and sellers — sometimes exists. But he agrees that it mostly falls well short of “organized crime” in the conventional sense. “There’s the professional bike thief who goes out looking for high-end bikes and has a battery-powered grinder… (and there’s) the two or three poor souls who definitely need their meth hit or whatever and they will chop up whatever bikes they can and take them down to the junkyard,” he says. ●●● Burrows and Willis, speaking from decades of experience working with underserved urban communities, both say bicycle theft is an important part of the economy fuelling the purchase of meth and fentanyl in Winnipeg, with bikes and bike parts often serving as currency. Illicit currencies can be laundered and in an informal sense this appears to be one of the roles chop shops play: a site not just for stripping bikes, but for spray-painting them, scratching off serial numbers and mixing and matching parts so that when bikes are resold, they can’t be easily identified. “(Stealing and chopping bikes) is part of the inner-city gig economy. You can’t get a job, you don’t have a car, so you can’t go delivering food and stuff like that… this is something you can do with very little skill,” says Burrows, who has held senior advisory roles with the provincial government. “It’s all about getting money to buy drugs or having something they can trade for drugs. That’s what it is. That’s the underground economy,” Willis says. Sellers of stolen bikes are known to offload their wares by a variety of means, such as online via Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji, or by selling them to passers-by on the street. James Audy, an outreach worker with Street Links, says dealers sometimes accept bicycles from customers, not to re-sell them, but for parts to tune up the look and function of their own bikes. He speaks candidly based not only on his experience with outreach, but as an ex-gang member who ended up homeless for a decade. “On the streets, the nicer bike you have, then the better the status you have, right?” he says. “If I was dealing drugs and if I seen a nice part, I’d buy it just to put it on my bike.” When vehicles are too expensive — and in a car-centric city with a floundering public transit system — Audy says bikes substitute as objects of pride and as means of transportation. So those drawn to using stolen bikes for lack of an affordable alternative ideally want to get around on something that doesn’t offend the eye and also provides a smooth ride, like virtually everyone else. ●●● “Someone’s always using a bike, it’s the hood… They use bikes — they don’t have money for transportation,” says Marty. He lives in one of downtown Winnipeg’s encampments and runs a makeshift bike shop outside his tent. He says he resells the bikes he works on usually for around $40 and sometimes services others’ two-wheelers in need of repairs. “You could just as easily throw them out,” he says of the old, loose parts scattered outside his tent. With a hint of humour, he describes his work as a form of recycling. Lee, who ran a makeshift bike shop in his yard before police intervened this summer, is hurt by the negative perception neighbours had of his family. He says he provides a kind of service for people wanting cheap bicycles and bike parts while making ends meet after an injury left him unable to work. “I had a couple people stop by — I give them a tire or nut… (later) the cops showed up and tried to say we’re drug dealers… People look at us like we’re bad people. But we’re trying to provide… (and) everyday is a struggle,” he says. “Everyone’s not perfect: the kids want to be tough. The kids and friends bring parts… and I go through them,” he adds. Lee says his family are not thieves, but if a few stolen parts mix into the piles he has on hand, “I don’t find it that big of a deal.” Marty’s attitude is similar. “People just drop them off, I don’t ask,” he says. “I know some parts are stolen, but… I’m against stealing. I think about if someone was hurt.” He says he has often been the victim of theft, himself. “Sometimes people steal from me. It’s my fault, it’s in the open,” he says. “It could be the same people who ask me to fix the bike… People act like children, stealing each other’s toys: they’re mad at something, I can’t put my finger on it.” Audy isn’t surprised by this and describes the underground market for bikes in downtown Winnipeg as a sort of warped circular economy. “Everybody’s in survival mode,” he says. “Everybody steals off everybody. It’s a greasy environment. The next generation is seeing all these older guys … stealing and thinking it’s cool, so now they’re trying to step it up a little bit, right?” ●●● Bike theft is not just a “crime of the poor.” Petty thievery can tempt people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and, unsurprisingly, there’s hardly a unified social-scientific explanation for bicycle theft. Dobchuk-Land says studying bike theft is also complicated by the fact there exists a rift between crime reporting and crime itself. Certain neighbourhoods and demographics are policed more, skewing perceptions of crime. However, there is no shortage of studies highlighting how low socioeconomic status — including poverty, unemployment and inequality — correlates in complex ways with certain forms of street crime, like petty theft. The sociologist is often drawn toward thinking about social systems and structures, and how these might be reformed, when it comes to addressing “crimes of survival” including petty thievery. This could mean not solely improving social opportunities but also reforming how such crimes are policed in the first place, sparking heated debates and a range of policy possibilities. But for the Winnipegger who enters their garage to find their brand-new city cruiser lifted, often the first and last thought is simply: “What a f—-ing pest!” If this is close to the average Joe’s conception of the bike thief, one of cinema’s most celebrated films offers a more ambivalent image. In Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves (1948) a struggling family in Italy’s economically desperate first years after the Second World War scrimps and saves for a bicycle needed for the father’s new job posting advertising bills around Rome. That bicycle is lifted from him by a thief on his first day of work, so he too, after much indecision, gives in to the temptation to steal a bike from a stranger, likely just as destitute as him. With a guilty conscience, he perpetuates a vicious circle. The social context is obviously very different: in Winnipeg, the meth and fentanyl addiction crises combine with forces like systemic poverty as factors encompassing bike theft. But the film highlights what academics less poetically term “victim-offender overlap,” a construct studied in fields like urban sociology. But recognizing the victim status of many thieves doesn’t make bike theft, particularly for poor and working families, any less vexing when it happens to them. “I mean, I use the example of one young woman who called me in tears. She finally had a job so… she bought her five-year-old a Princess bicycle at Canadian Tire for 100 bucks. And two days later, it was in the shed, and it was stolen,” Burrows says. Dobchuk-Land adds: “The impact of a low-level property theft will necessarily impact somebody who’s poorer — it’s more of a dent, literally, in their lives and their wealth.' ●●● The City of Winnipeg says about 3,000 bikes are reported stolen every year. It’s impossible to know what the actual number is, but Project 529, North America’s largest bike registry, estimates that only 15-20 per cent of bikes stolen in Canada are reported. If we assume a low average price of $150 per bike, that’s about $2.5 million in damages in Winnipeg, annually. Last year, as the Free Press reported, only 681 bikes were recovered and just 105 returned to their owners. This includes 64 returned by the city’s bicycle recovery officer, with help from Project 529’s free-to-use bike-registry app called 529 Garage. In April 2024, the City of Winnipeg began promoting the app to cyclists, and between April and December, residents registered 6,325 bicycles. In an interview with the Free Press earlier this month, Ins. Peters urged Winnipeggers to register their bikes, or at least take photos and record the serial number, and then report them when stolen, otherwise it becomes difficult for police to lay charges. “We know that bike chop shops can be linked to the creation of weapons — weapons such as zipguns — so obviously, it’s not just a theft concern then, it’s even more so a public-matter.” She added police have received an increasing number of calls about chop shops in the past year. Burrows has argued at crime-prevention conferences that bike registration should be mandatory at point of sale, with collaboration from retailers like Walmart and Canadian Tire, placing greater risk on thieves and making it easier for police to investigate and return stolen bikes. He’s not the first to float ideas like these, though they’ve rarely been implemented. Burrows also believes some working- class families are often reluctant to report stolen bikes and property because they mistrust police or fear reprisal. He emphasizes the need for a more “eyes on the street” approach, where communities feel empowered to monitor their own neighbourhoods and anonymously report crimes to a trusted liaison who, when need be, calls on law enforcement. (This is much like the approach of Burrows’ tip-line initiative, Point Powerline, which helped earn him induction into the Order of Manitoba in 2017.) “People feel powerless. They feel that nobody gives a shit about them and they’re mostly right,” he says. ●●● Because Willis, Burrows and Dobchuk-Land situate bike theft broadly in relation to more systemic issues of inner-city poverty, homelessness and addiction, punitive measures aren’t the first thing they talk about when they discuss bike theft-prevention strategies. “This whole idea of ‘broken windows’ policing has really effectively made its way into public consciousness,” says Dobchuk-Land. “We’ve got this association between disorder, low-level crime and danger to us that makes us feel violated… when really, assault and interpersonal violence are not correlated with low-level poverty crime.” In a similar vein, Willis is also troubled by what she sees as an overly punitive approach being taken in dealing with homeless encampments. She’s particularly critical of the city’s new encampment policy, introduced this fall. It prohibits camps in certain areas including near schools, playgrounds, seniors’ facilities, bridges, piers and transit stops, or where “life safety” issues exist. “I think it is an infringement of basic human rights to take something away without offering them either a shelter or a housing option that is real,” she says. Willis says we should be realistic and realize creating more social housing for people living in encampments wouldn’t solve all associated issues of theft and addiction. But she thinks it’s time Winnipeggers reflect more about the bigger picture surrounding nuisances like bike theft, which means more seriously acknowledging and addressing Winnipeg’s addiction and homelessness crises. “We normalized bike theft, we normalized homelessness, we normalized drug use, we’ve normalized encampment living — we normalized it all,” she says. conrad.sweatman(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:conrad.sweatman@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Pedestrian deaths can’t be ‘business as usual’ (Nov29'25)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Nov '25

29 Nov '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Pedestrian deaths can’t be ‘business as usual’ https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/11/28/we-cannot-treat-p… A CANDLELIGHT vigil held to remember a Winnipeg woman who died while crossing an Osborne Village street drew more than 100 people Friday, demanding safer streets in her memory. Dozens gathered at the intersection of Roslyn Road and Osborne Street, where Rosalie Tennison was struck while crossing the street on Nov. 21. The 67-year-old was hospitalized after the collision and was awaiting surgery on broken bones in her leg when she had an unexpected medical event and died the next day. “She was an incredibly outgoing and dedicated person,” said Matthew Bowman, rector at the Parish Church of St. Luke on Nassau Street North, where Tennison was a member. Although Bowman only knew the author and communications professional for six weeks, it was long enough for her to make an impression on him. “(She was) an incredibly organized and driven person, an incredibly generous spirit that genuinely tried to live out her faith and bring joy to others,” Bowman said. The church organized the vigil with advocates for safe streets and the Osborne Village BIZ. Steve West, who has lived in Osborne Village for more than 25 years, said he was shocked and saddened by Tennison’s death but not surprised. He is an avid cyclist who has had close calls with motor vehicles. “When you’re on a bike or walking you have a very different perspective of what’s going on in traffic,” said West, who volunteers with Bike Winnipeg and has long been an advocate for making Winnipeg’s streets safer. “Drivers are not only going very fast but they seem distracted.” Tennison is the ninth pedestrian killed on Winnipeg streets this year, and the 16th person killed in a vehicle collision, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release earlier this week. “Think of the cascading effect of that,” West said. “There’s her family and her church community and her condo community and her friends — for each person that’s killed or seriously injured in a traffic collision, there are so many people that are affected directly or indirectly.” Downtown resident Mandalyn Unger said she attended the vigil because it’s important to commemorate the deaths of pedestrians killed in collisions. “We cannot treat pedestrian deaths as business as usual or expected collateral damage from having such a car-centric city or such a car-centric corridor there on Osborne,” Unger said. She called on Mayor Scott Gillingham and Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, to invest in infrastructure to make Winnipeg’s streets safer for pedestrians. The City of Winnipeg is undertaking numerous initiatives to improve road safety, Lukes told the Free Press Friday afternoon. They include introducing traffic calming curbs and providing dedicated infrastructure for walking and biking. Lukes empathized with Tennison’s family and friends, and said that her father was killed in a car crash when she was 18. “When life is taken in a second, everything changes, nothing stays the same and it’s with you the rest of your life,” Lukes said. Parish Church of St. Luke held a service prior to the vigil to remember Tennison, said Susan Roe-Finlay, reverend deacon at the church and a friend of Tennison’s. “The service was to remember her and to remind people to respect life, and this (vigil) is to remind people that we need safer streets,” Roe-Finlay said. She added that with the advent season beginning Sunday, the church recently hung four advent-themed tapestries that Tennison made last year. “She was very much part of the church fabric,” Roe-Finlay said. aaron.epp(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Local author, beloved church member dies after being hit by car in Osborne Village (Nov25'25)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Nov '25

26 Nov '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Local author, beloved church member dies after being hit by car in Osborne Village Ninth pedestrian to die after being hit on Winnipeg streets in 2025 https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/11/24/local-author-belo… A local author, beloved by her church and community, has died after a motorist struck her while she was crossing the street in Osborne Village Friday afternoon. Rosalie Tennison, 67, was hospitalized after the collision and was awaiting surgery on broken bones in her leg. She had an unexpected medical event and died early Saturday, her sister Lynette Tennison told the Free Press. She is the ninth pedestrian killed on Winnipeg streets this year, and the 16th person killed in a vehicle collision, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release. “Rosalie was a person who was always thoughtful of people’s challenges, always thinking about the other (person) first,” said Dolores Tjart, a close friend who is president of the condo board at the Roslyn Road building where she lived. Police said the collision occurred at the intersection of Roslyn Road and Osborne Street around 1:20 p.m. The victim was crossing Osborne when she was hit by a 2014 Ford Fusion that was travelling west on Roslyn. She was taken to the hospital in stable condition, the release said. Police have not indicated whether criminal charges are being considered. The 32-year-old man driving the vehicle remained at the scene. The investigation continues. News about the tragedy shocked those who knew and loved Tennison, said Susan Roe-Finlay, reverend deacon at the Parish Church of St. Luke on Nassau Street North, where Tennison was a member. The close-knit congregation of about 50 people learned about her death Saturday night, and dedicated the Sunday morning church service to their late friend. “At church yesterday, they were just reeling; people were just overwhelmed. We were encouraging them at coffee to share, and I think some of them — they just couldn’t put words together,” Roe-Finlay said. “She is very much part of the fabric of our church. She is amazing.” Roe-Finlay said Tennison joined the church around six years ago, where she quickly developed a reputation for being “welcoming and warm.” Tennison was an active member of the congregation who participated in services by reading, taking collection and greeting parishioners. “She’s been part of our fundraisers. She often appeared at church with crafts and things that she would sell. She loved books and reading,” Roe-Finlay said. “She just seemed to be able to latch on to what people would like or need.” Most recently, she was organizing a fundraising event for the church that included a private screening of a Christmas movie partially filmed there. That event is set to continue in her honour on Saturday, Roe-Finlay said. The church is considering hosting a tea party in her honour next spring. “People will have to wear hats because Rosalie loved hats.” Ev Strong, who was friends with Tennison for 45 years, said she last spoke with her around 8:30 p.m. Friday, while Tennison was in the hospital awaiting further exams. “She said… she saw (the motorist) coming,” Strong said. “She was almost at her curb and she waved at him and he wasn’t paying attention, and then she said her arm hit his car and the next thing, he hit her.” Strong described her longtime friend as “intrepid” and “an inspiration.” “Everything that scared her, she went and did,” Strong said. “For her whole life, she wanted to write a book, and she did it.” Tennison’s debut book<https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/books/2025/05…>, Naomi’s Houses: A Memoir, launched with Heritage House Publishing last spring. It chronicled her childhood in rural Manitoba, where her family battled poverty, overcame tragedies and sought solace in one another. A biography on the publisher’s website noted Tennison was a longtime agricultural journalist whose career spanned weekly newspapers, agricultural trade magazines and a stint at a small-town radio station. She also worked in the communications department of the faculty of agriculture and food sciences at the University of Manitoba. Tennison earned a gold citation from the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation and was a gold-medal winner of a 2022 Canadian Online Publishing Award, the biography said. A spokesperson from the publishing house called Tennison a “lovely and enthusiastic woman” and said they were deeply saddened by news of her death. Tennison contributed to the pages of the Free Press, including sharing her thoughts in letters<https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2025/07/09/…> to the editor<https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2022/09/09/…>, and writing a 2019 opinion column<https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2019/02/23/rediscovering…> detailing her love for Manitoba winters. She was raised in Manitoba’s Swan Valley region, and later moved to Ontario where she was married and lived for about 25 years, her sister said. She returned to Winnipeg after her husband died about seven years ago. She did not have children, Strong said. Tennison will be buried in a family plot in Bowsman, a small community around 15 kilometres north of Swan River, in the RM of Minitonas. She is the second pedestrian killed by a motorist in Winnipeg this month. A 68-year-old man died after he was hit by a pickup truck at Salter Street and Selkirk Avenue at about 12:45 p.m. on Nov. 15. The driver was co-operative with police, and the investigation is ongoing, WPS said. Manitoba Public Insurance issued a warning last month to alert people to the vulnerability of pedestrians on the roadway. It said there has been an average of 19 pedestrian deaths in the province annually since 2019. As of Nov. 23, 16 pedestrians have died on Manitoba roadways this year, MPI said. In total, the data shows five people have been hit by vehicles at the intersection of Osborne Street and Roslyn Road in the past four years — including two people this year, one person last year and two more in 2022. Nobody was struck at the intersection in 2023. tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Bike memorial for couple killed in crash vanishes, investigation underway (Nov22'25)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Nov '25

22 Nov '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. ‘Feels very disrespectful’ Bike memorial for couple killed in crash vanishes, investigation underway https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/11/21/feels-very-disres… A GHOST bike memorial that honoured a Winnipeg couple killed in a collision involving an alleged impaired driver has gone missing, leaving their loved ones distraught and police investigating. The two-seat bicycle was chained to a metal pole next to Kenaston Boulevard’s southbound lanes, near Enterprise Drive, in memory of Kerry Bonner, 25, and Egor Popov, 31, who died Sept. 13. “I started crying. Who could do something like that?” Bonner’s sister, Julia Bonner, said of when she learned the bike was removed. “I was just in the moment of missing my sister and to hear that, I was devastated.” It’s not yet known who removed the bike or why. With the blessing of Bonner and Popov’s loved ones, the ghost bike was set up by members of Winnipeg’s cycling community during a vigil Sept. 26. The bike was gone when Samantha Beiko, a cycling community member, checked on it Tuesday night. “It just feels very disrespectful. It’s sort of like removing a grave marker,” Beiko said. A couple of severed chain links and a plastic flower, previously attached to the bike, were all that remained at the base of the pole. Painted white, the bicycle was welded together and non-functional. “For now, pretty much the working theory is somebody pulled up, cut the chain and took the bike for scrap,” Beiko said. “It just shows that this is how people view vulnerable road users.” She called the Winnipeg Police Service’s property crimes unit Wednesday morning to report the bike missing. Police spokesman Const. Claude Chancy confirmed an investigation is underway. The memorial was not removed by city staff, spokesman Adam Campbell said. Beiko posted appeals on social media in a bid to track down the bike, which was on a route used by tens of thousands of drivers per day. She contacted scrap yards in case someone tries to exchange the bike for cash. Bonner and Popov — survived by a young child — were on Kenaston’s southbound shoulder when the driver of a speeding pickup truck crashed into them and then fled the scene, police said in September. Police charged Kuldeep Singh Gill, 41, with two counts each of dangerous driving causing death, impaired driving causing death and failing to stop at the scene of an accident. He was granted bail in October. Court records show Gill was arrested for driving while impaired by alcohol in July 2016. After pleading guilty in provincial court, he was barred from driving for a year and fined $1,500. The cycling community and Bonner and Popov’s loved ones are discussing whether to put up a new ghost bike or a different memorial. Beiko said there are worries that a new ghost bike, if installed, would be removed, as well. Ghost bikes have been set up in cities around the world to remember cyclists killed in collisions. The memorials are intended to raise awareness about the risks cyclists face. Before it vanished, Beiko said advocates heard from some people who didn’t know what the bike on Kenaston symbolized. She said that demonstrates a need for more education. After the double fatal collision, Bike Winnipeg said Kenaston between Sterling Lyon Parkway and McGillivray Boulevard lacks safe infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, forcing them onto unprotected shoulders. Earlier this month, a driver crashed an SUV into a ghost bike — damaging a plaque — that was next to Wellington Crescent, near Hugo Street, and drove off, Beiko said. It happened the day after the city invited people to weigh in on a proposed temporary bike lane for Wellington between Academy Road and Stradbrook Avenue, she said. The bike paid tribute to Rob Jenner, 61, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver while cycling to work at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in June 2024. Beckham Severight, then 19, was driving at least 159 km/h in a 50 km/h zone immediately before the crash, court heard in March. He received a three-year sentence and five-year driving ban for dangerous driving causing death and leaving the scene of a collision. chris.kitching(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP Analysis: Finding a better option than bigger roads (Nov20'25)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Nov '25

20 Nov '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Finding a better option than bigger roads MEL MARGINET https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2025/11/20/finding-a-bet… “IF the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.” When facing complex problems, governments often reach for the simplest and most familiar solutions. In Winnipeg, that tendency shows up in how we plan for growth of our transportation network. For decades, our go-to transportation investment has been roads for personal vehicles. Before disinvestment in public transit, Winnipeg had a robust, electrified system. Neighbourhoods, like mine in South Osborne, once saw streetcars gliding along the high street every few minutes. An everyday convenience that feels unimaginable today. Swoon! Many civic leaders appear unable to imagine growth without increasing car dependence. The proposed widening of Route 90 is the clearest example. No one disputes that Kenaston from Academy to Taylor and the St. James Bridge needs major repair. Less known is that the city froze its maintenance budget for this stretch of Kenaston from 1993 to 2023. That has had clear consequences. It is strange that a corridor now labelled as “critical” was allowed to suffer such neglect. I digress. This project isn’t just a repair. Tacked on to the budget is a plan to take on significant new public debt to add lanes to Kenaston, reconfigure and add a new span to the St. James Bridge and dramatically expand the intersections at Grant, Corydon and Academy. Does this portion of Route 90 experience congestion? Of course. But does it get significantly more congested than other parts of Route 90 or Henderson, Pembina, St. Mary’s, (insert your local road here)? Nope. And traffic counts show that volumes over the busiest stretch — the St. James Bridge — are roughly the same as they were 30 years ago. On top of that, truck traffic on Route 90 is only about four per cent of the total. Most travel is by personal vehicles, the vast majority being single occupant. We must move people and goods efficiently, not just on Route 90, but everywhere. With this project, the city argues that adding road capacity is worth increasing the project cost for two main reasons: maintaining traffic flow during construction, plus supporting trade and development, especially at Seasons of Tuxedo and Naawi-Oodena. The construction challenge is real, but hardly unique. Cities across North America routinely manage major reconstruction projects without permanently widening the roadway afterwards. Had this project been properly studied, councillors would today be reviewing other viable options and their respective returns on investment. Instead, no serious studies of transportation demand management strategies, that would be less costly and potentially more effective, were undertaken. Councillors are being warned of “traffic chaos” and an “Arlington Bridge scenario” if they don’t approve this widening. This is ironic given that 41 per cent of the project’s stated benefits come from travel-time savings only during construction. Nearly half of the benefits disappear after just two years. The second issue, car-oriented development, is something we have to solve, not just in southwest Winnipeg, but in all areas. We need to add affordable housing everywhere to meet current and future demand. But where and how we build it is of equal importance. We can no longer afford to make the personal vehicle the default mode of choice in new developments. We need to build fast and frequent transit as the centrepiece, with communities that make it easy for kids to walk to school and seniors to walk to appointments and services. Naawi-Oodena’s own master plan identifies the current and proposed infrastructure on Route 90 as a barrier to the walkable development envisioned. The mayor has said, in regards to induced demand, that in the case of Route 90, “demand isn’t being induced, it’s inevitable.” Building new development with no way to get in or out without a personal vehicle is, you guessed it: induced demand. Rather than endlessly adding more lanes, the city needs to explore the full toolkit of transportation demand management measures used elsewhere to reduce congestion. How do we solve congestion on Route 90 as well as on other major regional streets in Winnipeg? Reduce the number of people who drive alone, especially at peak periods. The city has plans and strategies, already approved and sitting on shelves at City Hall, that point the way forward. And there are proven carrot-and-stick measures implemented in other cities like ours that help manage congestion without exploding long-term debt. Winnipeg already has more kilometres of roadway per resident than many comparable cities in Canada, and far more than we can afford to maintain. The multi-billion dollar civic infrastructure deficit we are leaving to future generations is staggering. We owe it to those who come after us to live within our means by taking better care of our existing infrastructure and using it more efficiently. That will ensure that future Winnipeggers inherit a city that is more affordable, healthier and more sustainable than it is today. Mel Marginet is a sustainable transportation specialist at Green Action Centre and the publisher at Great Plains Press, which publishes The City Project. She contributed to Route 90 Expansion: Balancing on a House of Cards, which can be found at anatomyofapothole.ca.

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WFP Analysis: Federal funding cut derails better transit (Nov17'25)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Nov '25

17 Nov '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Federal funding cut derails better transit https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2025/11/17/federal-fundi… THE Government of Canada has cut funding for transit agencies across the country. For all the talk of investment in the federal budget, the $3-billion annual Canada Public Transit Fund has been subsumed into the new Build Communities Strong Fund and weakened the federal government’s support for public transit. Transit agencies know they cannot fund capital projects without support from higher orders of government and will now operate in limbo. Rather than work on improving operational levels, tendering projects, or procuring new equipment that would be manufactured here in Canada, the cut and change to the federal funding model effectively derails transit expansion plans. Much of Canada’s transit capital assets are in a state of condition akin to the infamous Sea King helicopters. Montreal’s Metro cars have been in service since the 1976 Olympics; Edmonton and Calgary are running LRT trains that are more than 40 years old; and Toronto’s Line 2 subway cars date back to when Canada was navigating the first free trade agreement with the United States. Across the country, thousands of buses are also operating well beyond their design life, creaking away long after their planned life cycle. As of 2024, the country’s eight largest transit agencies faced a growing annual operating budget shortfall of $1.6 billion. That operating shortfall, keeping buses and trains moving, is exacerbated by a capital projects backlog that’s chronic with so much of Canada’s public infrastructure. Cutting federal funding levels is going to make this worse. The slated-for-elimination Canada Public Transit Fund was created to provide certainty for Canada’s transit agencies and end the annual parade of politics for budget allocations that derails prudent planning. By returning to the status quo ante, transit agencies and municipal leaders must now devote more resources to “collaborating” with Ottawa. It is ironic that Prime Minister Mark Carney repeatedly asks transit workers and bus manufacturers to join him for photo-ops. Just last week in touting a budget that cuts transit funding, he brought the Parliamentary press gallery to an LRT yard to promote it. Back in the spring, he held similar photo-ops at the site of bus manufacturers in Manitoba and Quebec. While the transit railcars and bus manufacturing industries in Canada may not get as much of the attention as the auto sector, thousands work building transit vehicles across Canada and have capacity to do more. The prime minister should maintain the dedicated funding stream that supports their work instead of just using them as a backdrop. Each agency could easily tell you today where they could address service deserts or increase service frequency to increase ridership, creating more equitable communities and a stronger economy, if the funding was there to enable it. Each agency also has a list of shovel-ready projects and vehicles they need to order as soon as possible that could get transit vehicle manufacturers working more. The Economic Benefits of Transit study conducted by the University of Toronto last year showed that for every $1 invested in transit, $7 in economic and social benefits are realized in the community. The thousands who make the buses in Winnipeg and Montreal, support the jobs of 65,000 transit agency staff across the country, who empower five million Canadians to get school, work, and support a functioning Canadian society. It is difficult to believe that a $3-billion annual dedicated transit fund turning into a broader annual catch-all fund for all types of municipal infrastructure is going to lead to better outcomes for riders. And worse, a bureaucratic reorganization of how the federal government allocates funding to support transit projects will lead to a lost year of action as they wade through this new state of paralysis. At the very time when Canada’s economy is struggling, this transit funding cut will make things worse. Public transit must not be viewed simply as a line item expense. It is an investment in our economy and communities that enables so much more. It also lowers climate emissions, reduces gridlock, and makes mobility more affordable for families who are already struggling with a rising cost of living on so many fronts. There is still time to fix this mistake. Members of Parliament can amend the budget to restore the Canada Public Transit Fund so transit agencies can reliably plan their work with federal support. If you ask any transit rider or worker if they would prefer better transit or more photo-ops for politicians after another six months of debating plans, the response would be unanimous. Ottawa must act to correct course before it is too late. David Cooper is a professional urban planner, leading transit expert, and principal and founder at Leading Mobility.

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WFP: Pedestrian killed in north end after being hit by truck (Nov17'25)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Nov '25

17 Nov '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. PEDESTRIAN KILLED IN NORTH END AFTER BEING HIT BY TRUCK A 68-year-old man is dead after he was hit by a pickup truck at Salter Street and Selkirk Avenue Saturday afternoon. It happened at 12:43 p.m. Saturday. Police and Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service personnel responded and the pedestrian was taken in critical condition to hospital, where he died. The driver was co-operative with police, and the investigation is ongoing. The Winnipeg Police Service is asking anyone who has any information on the collision, including dashboard camera surveillance, to call the WPS Traffic Division at 204-986-7085<tel:204-986-7085> or leave a tip anonymously at Crime Stoppers 204-786-TIPS or winnipegcrimestoppers.org.

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WFP: Close call sparks push for better bike safety (Nov14'25)
by Beth McKechnie 14 Nov '25

14 Nov '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Mother calls for bike lane installation and new green signal after son struck by car Close call sparks push for better bike safety https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/11/13/close-call-sparks… A 10-YEAR-OLD boy needed seven stitches and suffered a chipped tooth after a vehicle collided with his bike and sent him flying at a South Osborne intersection. Crystal Adams said Wednesday her son Jakob, a Grade 5 student at Gladstone School, remained shaken one week after the collision. The mother of two is still processing the phone call she received around 9 a.m. on Nov. 5 and the subsequent events at Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg. “Jakob’s tears were coming through the blood. It was an awful scene,” she said. Jakob was travelling northbound and had the right of way when his bike collided with a vehicle that was making a left off Osborne Street onto Brandon Avenue, Adams said. Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Stephen Spencer confirmed Thursday traffic officers were called to the collision just after 9 a.m. “Officers spoke to both parties at the scene and particulars were exchanged,” said Spencer, adding the child was sent to hospital. “Officers attended to hospital and followed up with the cyclist. The investigation determined there were no criminal offences.” After the collision, Adams said she heard from a handful of strangers who contacted her to share first-hand experience or knowledge about others who had been hurt at the same intersection. Her two sons used to bike to school together until Jakob’s older brother graduated from Gladstone in the spring. Adams said she had insisted the boys always cycle on the sidewalk because there is no bike lane in the area. Adams is now channelling her anger into calling for change, such as the installation of a bike lane and a new advanced green signal, which would allow for a protected left turn. The Free Press has undertaken an ongoing series examining school zone safety, which is enforced by the Winnipeg Police Service and its photo-radar contractor, throughout the 2025-26 academic year. The Winnipeg School Division was made aware of five pedestrian-involved collisions during the 2024-25 school year. A single incident was designated as “in-school,” meaning it either happened on division property or at a school-related event, during instructional hours or during the commute. The remainder were “external.” The board office did not release its current year-to-date tally on Wednesday, but it includes at least one “inschool” event, given Jakob was biking to school. “This was an unfortunate event and WSD is happy that the child is safe and recovering,” superintendent Matt Henderson said in an email. Division administration supports “all advocacy for traffic calming” and is currently studying “traffic hot spots” within its borders, Henderson said. At the beginning of the school year, the board of trustees penned a letter to city hall to request 30 kilometres per hour school zones be enforced 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Dozens of cyclists, parents and children attended a rally at the intersection Thursday as the rush hour began and school let out, to call for safer infrastructure and to support Jakob and his family. Among the attendees was Robyn Dyck, a board member of Bike Winnipeg and mom of a five-year-old boy who rides his bicycle to kindergarten. “If you’ve seen the pictures (of Jakob), I can’t help but see my own kid, and I want a Winnipeg that kids, everyone, can get around without being afraid of being hit by a 4,000-pound weapon,” said Dyck. The attendees held up placards and banners, including one that read “stop hitting kids with cars.” “Our four year old — a bike rider — keeps asking, ‘Are we going to put out a ghost bike?’” Joe Curnow said a day before the rally, referring to memorials that mark life-altering or fatal bike crashes. “It’s appalling he’s so fluent in ghost bikes.” Curnow, who helped organize the event along with the group Safe Speeds Winnipeg, has two young children and researches the evolution of social justice movements at the University of Manitoba. In addition to stitches, Jakob needs dental surgery. He could barely open his mouth in the 24 hours after the collision and an initial emergency visit to the dentist was “traumatic,” his mom said. “He is very, very self-conscious. I’m hoping, once the dental surgery is done, that will help, but he’s said he’s not going to get on his bike for a long time now.” Drawing on more than a decade of road safety advocacy, elementary school teacher Ian Walker said “the tide is changing,” and people like Adams deserve credit. “For the longest time, a child being injured by a car was just the cost of modernity, of having a modern transportation system,” said the father of two, whose resumé includes St. Boniface-area school trustee and Safe Speeds Winnipeg volunteer. Walker noted that near misses and non-fatal incidents are often overlooked. By sharing Jakob’s story, his parents are drawing attention to the serious consequences of road violence and infrastructure gaps, he said. — with files from Erik Pindera maggie.macintosh(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Spur to Icelandic hamlet part of rail relocation talk (Nov12'25)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Nov '25

12 Nov '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Spur to Icelandic hamlet part of rail relocation talk Riding the rails… to Gimli? https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/11/11/commuter-line-pro… PUBLIC discussions have sparked the idea of building a potential commuter rail corridor between Winnipeg and Gimli as Manitoba’s railway relocation talks continue. The former federal Liberal transport minister leading Manitoba’s study on railway relocation says recent talks have raised the possibility of reworking the CP Winnipeg Beach subdivision — a stretch of rail line that runs from Winnipeg to Gimli — to transport passengers and light cargo. The idea wasn’t included in the province’s most recent interim report, released last month. Lloyd Axworthy, who is heading the two-year, $200,000 rail relocation feasibility study announced in October 2024, said the concept surfaced after that report was completed. “We’ve had some quite important meetings discussing rail line development in the Winnipeg region with a lot of the municipalities,” Axworthy said on Tuesday. “We met with the metro commission to talk to them about how we might be able to look at extending some public transit rail lines out of Winnipeg, so that we’re not just captive to the Perimeter Highway.” During six public consultations, Axworthy said residents expressed not only a desire for more green space and housing, but also for improved public transit options. More and more people are looking beyond the Perimeter for housing. The rail line runs parallel with Highway 8, which Axworthy said is becoming an overcrowded highway. He’s scheduled for more meetings in Winnipeg next week and said Mayor Scott Gillingham has shown interest in the proposal. A light-rail transportation line could strengthen Winnipeg’s position as a transportation hub, Axworthy said. The team has also studied European models that use short, electrified rail cars for regional connections, technology that could help spur a new industry in the city. “Winnipeg is on track to be close to one million people by 2030, so we have to take into account that a lot of that development is going to be happening, and you want to have it in a way that it spreads more and more, and instead consolidate around a rail line that’s already there and refurbish it.” City planners were already eyeing a four-kilometre stretch of disused rail lines in Winnipeg’s Brooklands neighbourhood as the first step toward reimagining the city’s rail network, transforming the abandoned corridor into a new green space. The Westland Project near Notre Dame Avenue and Keewatin Street is one of five pilot projects being looked at in the latest interim report, released by the province late last month. A consultant hired to design the Brooklands redevelopment will present recommendations to the province next month, the report states. Another pilot proposal involves relocating a small active section of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line through River Heights. The team is also exploring options in St. Boniface and Point Douglas, and considering converting a spur line that serves the North End Sewage Treatment Plant. Some community meetings have already been held. Axworthy said residents raised concerns about pollution and the transport of hazardous goods in urban areas. A wider public forum could be held next year. “But what we’re finding, the more we get into the study, is that there are some fairly significant issues emerging, such as how do we provide a kind of regional rail system as opposed to just a city-based one,” Axworthy said. He described the study as an evolving process, with new ideas and recommendations emerging each week. An average of 50 trains travel daily along Winnipeg’s 240 kilometres of active rail lines. A previous study found 75 per cent of Winnipeggers live within 800 metres of a rail line, with 240 crossings across the city. The interim report also urges a review of consolidating the 200-hectare (465-acre) Canadian Pacific Kansas City railyard that separates Winnipeg’s North End from the inner city, following the 2023 CP–Kansas City Southern merger. It calls for financial and technical analyses of phased relocations of both the CPKC and CN’s 321-hectare (793-acre) Symington Yards to reduce impacts on nearby neighbourhoods. A final report with recommendations and projected costs is expected to be submitted to the province in October 2026. Axworthy said the study team doesn’t have to wait until then to make recommendations, however. “We’ve been doing a lot of the prep work, meeting with people, holding consultations, looking at maps and engineering studies,” he said. “From now on, it’s really about implementation and how do we get things done.” scott.billeck(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Feedback sought on temporary Wellington Crescent bike lanes (Nov7'25)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Nov '25

07 Nov '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Feedback sought on temporary Wellington Crescent bike lanes https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/11/06/feedback-sought-o… THE City of Winnipeg is seeking feedback on a proposed temporary bike lane design for Wellington Crescent. The lanes, between Academy Road and Stradbrook Avenue, would be built in the spring, if council approves the project. Council had directed staff members to work with residents to find a way to make the road safer and more comfortable for cyclists and pedestrians until funding for permanent changes are available. In July, the public works committee approved a plan to test bike lanes in the 1.2-kilometre area. “This section of Wellington Crescent is one of Winnipeg’s most popular routes for cyclists, but it’s also a busy commuter street,” public works chairwoman Coun. Janice Lukes said in a news release Thursday. “We want to find a design that balances safety with neighbourhood and traffic needs, and that’s why we’re asking for feedback before anything is built.” Traffic measurements done last winter found up to 20 per cent of vehicles driving along Wellington Crescent on weekdays were going at least five km/h above the 50 km/h limit. About eight per cent of drivers were going 60 km/h or faster. Many cyclists have lobbied the city for changes on Wellington since cyclist Rob Jenner was killed by a speeding driver on the street on June 6, 2024. There were at least 10 other incidents in which pedestrians or cyclists were hit by vehicles on that road between 2012 to 2022. The speed limit on Wellington Crescent between Academy and River Avenue will be lowered from 50 km/h to 40 km/h. Wellington Crescent currently has two travel lanes west of Grosvenor Avenue and four lanes between Grosvenor and Stradbrook avenues. The section east of Grosvenor will be reduced to two lanes from four to make room for the bike lanes. The temporary design will include turn restrictions to improve safety. Westbound left turns from Wellington Crescent onto Dorchester Avenue, northbound left turns from Dorchester onto Wellington Crescent and westbound left turns from Gertrude Avenue onto Wellington Crescent would not be allowed under the temporary plan. Roughly 30 parking spots currently available outside of weekday rush hours and on weekends will be removed. They are on the south side of Wellington Crescent between Cockburn Street and Wardlaw Avenue. The intersection of Wellington and Academy is expected to see the biggest traffic changes, the city says on its website. During rush hour, drivers going north or west are expected to experience a delay of about 30 seconds. Eastbound drivers turning left onto the Maryland Bridge will have to wait for a controlled left-turn signal. This change will lengthen the wait time for traffic turning by up to one minute longer during afternoon rush hour and by about 20 seconds during morning rush hour. “These times are dependent on how many eastbound drivers take a different route,” the city’s website states. The westbound lanes will change from separate lanes to one shared lane for traffic continuing west or turning right. “This will make the line of cars longer during busy times for drivers going straight or turning onto the Maryland Bridge,” the city’s website states. The city predicts about 15 to 20 per cent of drivers who currently use Wellington Crescent would choose other routes because of the temporary measures. People can learn more about the draft design online at wfp.to/bikelanes<http://wfp.to/bikelanes> and can complete a survey before Dec. 12. fpcity(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:fpcity@freepress.mb.ca>

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