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FW: [WestCentralConnect] Focus Groups on Bicycling in Winnipeg
by Kristine Hayward 08 Feb '19

08 Feb '19

Hi AT folks – see information below regarding focus groups on cycling in Winnipeg. Kristine Kristine Hayward Physical Activity Promotion Coordinator Winnipeg Regional Health Authority 2nd floor - 490 Hargrave Street Winnipeg, MB R3A 0X7 Cell 204 232-7546 Fax 204 940-2690 Email khayward(a)wrha.mb.ca Bike racks are available in front of the building at the corner of Hargrave and McDermot. Plan your Winnipeg Transit trip: http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo Metred street parking and pay lots in the area – please note designated loading zones and spots requiring a disability permit. Follow Winnipeg in motion on Twitter - @wpginmotion Check out our videos on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/Winnipeginmotion Hey friends, Participants are needed next week for two focus group sessions on bicycling in Winnipeg. The objective of the focus group is to better understand public opinions about bicycling. The first session, Tuesday February 12, is for people who ride their bikes often. The second session, Wednesday February 13, is for people who do not ride a bicycle or people who do not ride a bicycle often. Both sessions are 6 PM to 8 PM; refreshment will be served and participants will receive $25 as compensation upon completion of the session. This study is being conducted by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF), a non-profit charitable organization in Ottawa, Ontario and the Spatial Pattern Analysis and Research Lab at the University of Victoria (SPARlab), with funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada. Please see attached posters for more information, including contact information if you are interested. Please share widely and generously, Joseph Joseph Stothers, Community Liaison & Communications Coordinator Pronouns: He/Him/His Spence Neighbourhood Association 430 Langside Street | Winnipeg, MB | R3B 2T5 Treaty 1 Territory, traditional territory of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene Peoples and Homeland of the Metis Nation 204-783-5000 ext. 109 www.spenceneighbourhood.org<http://www.spenceneighbourhood.org> Donate<https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/spence-neighbourhood-association-i…> | Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/SpenceNeighbourhoodAssociation> | Twitter<https://twitter.com/SNAcommunity> | Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/SNAcommunity/> <https://www.instagram.com/SNAcommunity/>The Spence Neighbourhood Association works with the people of Spence to revitalize and renew their community in the areas of Holistic Housing, Community Connecting, Community Economic Development, Environment and Open Spaces, and Youth & Families. CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The information contained in this message is intended solely for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged information. Any use, dissemination, distribution, copying or disclosure of this message and attachments, in whole or in part, by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and permanently delete the complete message and any attachments. Thank you. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "West Central Connect" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to west-central-connect+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com<mailto:west-central-connect+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com>. To post to this group, send email to west-central-connect(a)googlegroups.com<mailto:west-central-connect@googlegroups.com>. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. This email and/or any documents in this transmission is intended for the addressee(s) only and may contain legally privileged or confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, distribution, copying or dissemination is strictly prohibited. If you receive this transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately and return the original. Ce courriel et tout document dans cette transmission est destiné à la personne ou aux personnes à qui il est adressé. Il peut contenir des informations privilégiées ou confidentielles. Toute utilisation, divulgation, distribution, copie, ou diffusion non autorisée est strictement défendue. Si vous n'êtes pas le destinataire de ce message, veuillez en informer l'expéditeur immédiatement et lui remettre l'original.

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Calgary winter cycling numbers stay strong, city says
by Beth McKechnie 06 Feb '19

06 Feb '19

*Calgary winter cycling numbers stay strong, city says* https://livewirecalgary.com/2019/02/05/calgary-winter-cycling-numbers-stay-… More than 280 cycling advocates, engineers, academics and planners from around the world will be in Calgary over the next couple days as the city hosts the 2019 Winter Cycling Congress. It’s the seventh annual international event, which discusses opportunities and best practices for cycling in cold climate cities, and Tom Thivener, active transportation projects coordinator with the City of Calgary, said it’s the perfect time for the event to be held in Calgary. “It’s a privilege to host it – the first time in Western Canada,” said Thivener. Thivener said the city has come a long way in providing alternative modes of transportation over the past few decades. Starting with the CTrain in the 80s, the extensive pathway system through the early part of the new millennium and now the extension of that system to the on-street cycling network. “Low and behold we have 90 kilometres that have been created or modified since the cycling strategy took hold,” he said. “If you look at where we’ve come from and where we’re headed, it definitely a good time to bring the Congress to Calgary.” The city’s fickle winter climate does pose challenges other cities don’t face – Chinooks melting snow, creating ice patches that can be tough for city crews to track down – but it also provides the benefit of being able to ride year round, often in milder temperatures. Thivener said when you compare it to a place like Finland, where they often ride on packed snow, avoiding frequent icy conditions, Calgary is a unique place to cycle in winter. Other cities deal with icy rains and freezing temperatures which make winter riding uncomfortable and wet at the best of times. When diving into Calgary’s winter cycling data, Thivener said the one thing that stands out to him is the fact that there are more cyclists using the on-street network in the winter now than there were cycling on Calgary streets during the summer prior to the cycle track. “It’s a really a credit to the infrastructure, but also the determination of riders to want these transportation options and want them to be available year-round.” He did note that winter trips are 30 per cent of those on a typical summer day but attributed that to the likelihood that the same riders were still out there, just limiting their trips by bundling outings together. “In the winter it’s a fair number of the same people. Only a certain number are fair weather cyclists out there,” he said. Still, Thivener acknowledges ongoing challenges with maintenance, especially in areas where they can’t respond immediately, or where there are gaps in snow clearing. One area in particular they’re addressing is in clearing bike boulevard connectors on some of the city’s dead-end streets where larger equipment can’t turn around. He said a recent boost to the operations budget for pathways and the cycling network should help them address some of the shortcomings – hopefully in time for next winter. “The river pathway system stays busy year round and the on-street stuff is no different. We’re trying to level the playing field by getting similar quality maintenance protocols on each so people can predict them,” he said. While some may question the need for cycling infrastructure given Calgary’s northern climate, Thivener said the city’s made major strides in providing more transportation options. We have to step back and see how far we’ve come. We can debate about how fast we’re moving, and that’s healthy debate, but in the end, we’ve made a lot of progress in the last couple decades around sustainable transportation.” The Winter Cycling Congress runs from Feb. 6 to 8 at the new Central Library.

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WFP Editorial: Tap the brakes on electric scooters (Feb4'19)
by Beth McKechnie 04 Feb '19

04 Feb '19

*Tap the brakes on electric scooters * MAYBE it’s a movement — a forward-surging trend that seeks to embrace a more carbon-friendly style of commuting. Or perhaps it’s just a fad — a kooky cyber-age craze that’s destined to disappear as quickly and mysteriously as it materialized. Whatever the case, the suggestion last week by Coun. Matt Allard that Winnipeg should ready itself to become part of the electric-scooter wave that has swept through many cities in the United States and Canada is sure to generate as much controversy as it does conversation. “We want to be ready for electric scooters because this is happening across North America,” the chairman of the city’s public works committee said Wednesday. “They’re coming, so let’s get it right.” While Mr. Allard is to be commended for imploring a proactive approach to what might become an issue of public concern, one surely hopes he is mistaken in suggesting that Winnipeg will have no say whatsoever in deciding whether thousands of pay-per-ride motorized scooters suddenly roll into its streets. A clutch of California-based companies, including Lime, Bird, Skip and Spin, last year put tens of thousands of electric scooters into service in major urban centres around the world. The concept is simple: riders download a smartphone app, input credit card information and then use the app to unlock a scooter for pay-as-you-ride use. The cost is typically around $1 to start, and then about 30 cents for each minute of ride time. In other cities in which they’ve been introduced — suddenly, and in great numbers — the scooters have proven quite popular. But within the first year, the electric-scooter concept has also experienced significant backlash from municipal leaders who view them as some combination of a nuisance and a menace. San Francisco issued cease-and-desist letters to the scooter companies, resulting in the two-wheelers being temporarily removed from that city’s streets (their reintroduction carried numerous conditions). One California community instructed its police department to enforce traffic laws to the letter, requiring scooter operators to wear helmets and carry valid driver’s licences. Other cities have banned them from certain areas. The mayor of Boston declared they would be immediately impounded if they showed up there. At issue for many civic lawmakers is the manner in which the scooter craze has been unleashed — seemingly overnight, and without any permission sought from the communities in question. Also of concern, of course, is the safety issue — the scooters are capable of speeds approaching 25 km/h, which means novice riders thinking they’re jumping aboard a children’s toy often find themselves careening toward a catastrophic injury. Electric scooters are motor vehicles, and should be regulated as such. And that means the scooter trend’s arrival in Winnipeg should not be treated as a foregone conclusion. City council and civic administrators — and, for that matter, the province, which oversees the Highway Traffic Act — should treat very seriously the suggestion that any company can turn up unannounced with a few truckloads of motorized scooters and declare they’re ready to ride on Winnipeg’s streets. Of course, hereabouts there are also the issues of five months of frozen streets, a woefully inadequate and often pothole-impeded cycling infrastructure and an alarming rate of theft of two-wheeled conveyances to be considered. In Winnipeg, that’s how we roll. In other words, while it’s always best to be ready, there’s a whole lot that needs to be made right before anyone declares, “They’re coming.”

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Wolseley to Downtown Walk Bike Project - Phase 1 Public Engagement Report
by Beth McKechnie 31 Jan '19

31 Jan '19

The City is currently undertaking the Wolseley to Downtown Corridor Project <https://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/pedestriansCycling/walkbikeprojects/wolsele…> to identify options to improve travel choices, accessibility and connectivity. When completed, the corridor will provide improved connections to the Omand’s Creek pathway, the protected bicycle lane on Assiniboine Avenue and Sherbrook Street, the bike lane on Maryland Street, and the planned neighbourhood greenway on Ruby Street <https://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/pedestriansCycling/walkbikeprojects/wolsele…> . Input from the community is an essential component of the study process. The first round of public engagement for the Wolseley to Downtown Walk Bike Project took place in November, 2018 involving a variety of in-person events, school travel planning and opportunities to participate online. The input received has been summarized in the Phase 1 Public Engagement Report and will be used to inform the development of concepts, alongside technical information. Phase 1 reports are available at the links provided below: - Phase 1 Public Engagement Report <https://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/pedestriansCycling/pdf/wolseleytodowntown/2…> - Phase 1 Public Engagement Summary Report <https://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/pedestriansCycling/pdf/wolseleytodowntown/P…> Phase 2 of public engagement is expected to begin in late winter 2019. This phase will provide members of the public and area stakeholders the opportunity to review and provide feedback on the preliminary design options and alternatives. Phase 3 of the public engagement is planned for late spring 2019 and will focus on sharing the final design recommendation and highlighting where public input influenced the design of the project. More information For more information visit winnipeg.ca/walkbikeprojects <https://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/pedestriansCycling/walkBikeProjects/default…> .

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WFP: City aims to ride e-scooter wave (Jan31'19)
by Beth McKechnie 31 Jan '19

31 Jan '19

*Councillor wants to amend bylaws so Winnipeg is prepared when craze hits* * City aims to ride e-scooter wave * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/allard-wants-city-to-prepare-gettin… THE latest craze to hit urban streets across North America is poised to roll into Winnipeg, and Coun. Matt Allard wants to be prepared. “We want to be ready for electric scooters because this is happening across North America,” Allard said. “They’re coming, so let’s get it right.” The scooter craze that swept up young people almost 20 years ago has gone high-tech. Several companies, including Lime, Bird, Skip and Spin, have put thousands of electric scooters on the streets in major cities around the world. Even ride-hailing pioneers Uber and Lyft have e-scooter operations. “There have been problems in other cities and I see this as an opportunity to put the rules in place before the industry gets here,” Allard told the Free Press. Allard, chairman of council’s public works committee, has authored a motion for Tuesday’s committee meeting. It directs city administration to prepare a report in 180 days about bylaw changes to facilitate dockless electric scooter and electric bike-sharing. While billions of dollars are being invested in e-scooter and e-bike ventures across the globe, the headlines are dominated by the nuisance the scooter industry is creating for many municipalities. They’ve become so common in many downtown neighbourhoods that they’re considered litter. People who dislike them have thrown them into garbage bins, rivers and lakes and collected them in piles and set them on fire. “We don’t want to see that happening in Winnipeg, so we need to get the rules in place,” Allard said, adding a representative from Lime has approached him. The introduction of dockless electric bikes and scooters into Winnipeg is inevitable, said Anders Swanson, CEO of the Winnipeg Trails Association, adding that developing policies to regulate them should be a simple process for city hall. “Any new technology comes with questions, but the era of electric bicycles is here already,” Swanson said. “Electric bicycles have become extremely popular around the world and I’ve seen electric scooters in Austin and hundreds of people using them. Anything that gets people out and active is a really good idea.” Dockless electric bikes and electric scooters are rented via a smartphone app, which allows the renter to locate the nearest bike or scooter, unlock the device, then lock it when the ride has ended. The first authorized use of dockless electric scooters in Canada began in October at the University of Waterloo. It’s a pilot program between Lime, the City of Waterloo and the university. The scooters are restricted to a 6½-kilometre set of trails linking the Waterloo campus with its nearby technology park. News reports indicated the pilot, which was suspended for the winter but will resume in spring and end in August, will be used by the city to determine if and where it can be expanded. Chris Schafer, Lime’s representative in Canada, said the company wants to work with municipalities to put rules in place that deal with the number of scooters and bikes that can be deployed, and where they can be parked. “This is a phenomenon that is happening globally and in Canada. It’s a good time for Winnipeg to take a look at it,” Schafer said. “This is another option for active transportation.” In October, Calgary gave Lime the go-ahead to operate a fleet of 375 rental electric bikes for a two-year trial period. A second operator will put its fleet into operation this spring. Schafer said administrations in Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria and Windsor, Ont., are studying how dockless electric scooters can be put in place. This month, Edmonton instructed its administration to have dockless electric bikes and electric scooters operating on city parkland by June. Council is asking the Alberta government to allow electric scooters on its active transportation network. Schafer said electric scooters are designed for short trips, as an alternative to a private car or taxi. Lime charges $1 to “unlock” the electric bikes and scooters and 30 cents per minute. “They’re designed to be the first-kilometre, last-kilometre mode of transportation, to get you in and around the city,” Schafer said. “You’re not taking a scooter from Winnipeg to Brandon.” The bikes are powered by swappable batteries, which are replaced as needed by independent contractors, known as “juicers,” or local Lime staff, Schafer said. The electric scooters are charged overnight, he said, collected either by local Lime teams or juicers, who are responsible for placing them back onto the street the following morning. Ideally, Schafer said, electric scooters would be allowed on all shared active transportation networks: roadway bike lanes and dedicated AT path networks. “Electric bikes and scooters tick all the sustainable boxes for cities. It’s not a car, it’s shared and people can access it when and where they need it,” Schafer said. Allard believes minimal change is required to accommodate electric bike-sharing since e-bikes are permitted on city streets. But scooters — whether manually driven or the electric variety — are not permitted on Manitoba roadways and will require changes to the Highway Traffic Act and city bylaws. Allard said he wants the administration to consider how the e-scooter and e-bike businesses can be regulated and where scooters and bikes can be parked while waiting for customers to use them. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Improving UK cycling rates could save NHS £319m, says report
by Charles Feaver 28 Jan '19

28 Jan '19

About 34,000 incidences of type 2 diabetes, stroke, breast cancer and depression would be prevented in seven key cities between 2017 and 2040, if cycling increased at the same rate as in London since the millennium, according to analysis from Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity. <https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/cycling> Cycling levels in London have more than doubled since 2000 but have remained largely static across the UK, where public transport is worse and car culture reigns. Just 34% of men and 42% of women do 150 minutes of physical activity each week, which is the minimum amount recommended by Englands chief medical officer. Physical inactivity <https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng90/chapter/Context> costs the NHS about £1bn each year, rising to some £7.4bn each year when costs to wider society are included. The Sustrans report, Transforming Cities: The potential of everyday cycling, estimates that more than 1bn cycling trips would take place in 2040 in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Greater Manchester and Newcastle if those cities followed Londons lead. .. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jan/28/improving-uk-cycling-rates-c ould-save-nhs-319m-says-report?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVS19X ZWVrZGF5cy0xOTAxMjg%3D <https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jan/28/improving-uk-cycling-rates- could-save-nhs-319m-says-report?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVS19 XZWVrZGF5cy0xOTAxMjg%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Guardia nTodayUK&CMP=GTUK_email> &utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUK&CMP=GTUK_email Charles Feaver

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UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends AT
by Charles Feaver 28 Jan '19

28 Jan '19

The National Institute for <https://www.theguardian.com/society/health> Health and Care Excellence (Nice) is recommending that cars come last when new roads are built or old ones upgraded. Not just cyclists but also pedestrians and those who use public transport should be prioritised, it says. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jan/04/uk-health-body-calls-for-cop enhagen-style-bike-friendly-streets Physical inactivity is responsible for one in six UK deaths, which is as many as caused by smoking. It is estimated to cost the UK £7.4bn annually, which includes £0.9bn in NHS costs. People can feel less safe when they walk or cycle compared with when they drive. Weve got to change this. So asking planners to prioritise pedestrians, cyclists and those who use public transport when roads are built or upgraded can ensure they are safe, attractive and designed to encourage people to get out from behind their wheel. .

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Fwd: Submit Your Safe Routes to School Conference Proposal by February 22
by Anders Swanson 24 Jan '19

24 Jan '19

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Safe Routes to School National Partnership < info(a)saferoutespartnership.org> Date: Thu, Jan 24, 2019 at 09:15 Subject: Submit Your Safe Routes to School Conference Proposal by February 22 To: <andersswanson(a)gmail.com> See you in Tampa! View this email in your browser <https://mailchi.mp/saferoutespartnership/free-webinar-using-pop-ups-to-prom…> <https://saferoutespartnership.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=88edfd25ae9…> Like us. <https://saferoutespartnership.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=88edfd25ae9…> <https://saferoutespartnership.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=88edfd25ae9…> @SafeRoutesNow <https://saferoutespartnership.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=88edfd25ae9…> <https://saferoutespartnership.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=88edfd25ae9…> Our Website <https://saferoutespartnership.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=88edfd25ae9…> *Reminder: Submit Your Proposal for the Safe Routes to School Conference By February 22* Showcase your community’s innovative and creative approaches to creating equitable, healthy, active communities and exchange ideas with leading Safe Routes to School and active transportation professionals at the Safe Routes to School Conference in Tampa this November. Program proposals are now being accepted through February 22, 2019! <https://saferoutespartnership.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=88edfd25ae9…> Proposals may be submitted for panels, presentations, hands-on workshops or trainings, round table discussions, and other formats. Proposals should align with one of these conference themes <https://saferoutespartnership.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=88edfd25ae9…> : - What’s Next for Safe Routes to School and Active Transportation? - Context Matters: Safe Routes to School in YOUR Community - Funding and Sustainability: Keep your Program Walking and Rolling - Safe Routes Everywhere Submit a Proposal <https://saferoutespartnership.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=88edfd25ae9…> *What makes a successful proposal?* Strong presentations are interactive and engaging, and showcase innovative and creative approaches to creating equitable, healthy, active communities. We strongly encourage proposals to describe how the session will incorporate equity, diversity, and inclusion in active transportation, and to feature a panel of speakers that includes people of color, people with disabilities, and people of different religions, nationalities, genders, and sexual orientations. *Visit our website for more information about the conference, program themes, and application.* <https://saferoutespartnership.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=88edfd25ae9…> Thank you to our sponsors and partners <https://saferoutespartnership.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=88edfd25ae9…> <https://saferoutespartnership.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=88edfd25ae9…> <https://saferoutespartnership.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=88edfd25ae9…> *Copyright © 2019 Safe Routes to School National Partnership, All rights reserved.* You're receiving this message because you have expressed interest in improving walking, bicycling, and Safe Routes to School. If you no longer wish to receive emails like these, please unsubscribe. *Our mailing address is:* Safe Routes to School National Partnership PO Box 44328 Fort Washington, MD 20749 unsubscribe from this list <https://saferoutespartnership.us3.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=88edfd25ae9…> update subscription preferences <https://saferoutespartnership.us3.list-manage.com/profile?u=88edfd25ae92304…>

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Bike 2019: Call for Abstracts
by Beth McKechnie 24 Jan '19

24 Jan '19

2019-01-23 02:12:53 PM - Centre for Active Living's monthly E-Newsletter - Unsubscribe <http://trk.cp20.com/form?x80uy--shw8-5kokoyq6&sl=r3&t=1&ac=cfcb>| Printable Version <http://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/cfcb-x80uy--j6gmn-5kokoyq4> <http://trk.cp20.com/click/cfcb-x80uy-i3hg9w-5kokoyq6/> <http://trk.cp20.com/click/cfcb-x80uy-i3hg9w-5kokoyq6/> <http://trk.cp20.com/click/cfcb-x80uy-i3hg9w-5kokoyq6/> *Call for Abstracts* Deadline: February 22, 2019 The Centre for Active Living is pleased to issue a Call for Abstracts for Bike 2019, a key conference for cross sector exchange between researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners around cycling as a mode of active transport. The suggested areas of focus are: - Policy - Environment - Health Benefits - Emerging Trends and Technologies (e.g. e-bikes, bike share) - Bike Culture - Year-round Cycling - Infrastructure - Awareness and Education - Wayfinding - Liability Visit www.centre4activeliving.ca/bike2019/abstracts/ <http://trk.cp20.com/click/cfcb-x80uy-i3hg9x-5kokoyq7/> for details about submissions. ------------------------------ *Connect with us!* <http://trk.cp20.com/click/cfcb-x80uy-i3hg9y-5kokoyq8/> <http://trk.cp20.com/click/cfcb-x80uy-i3hg9z-5kokoyq9/> <http://trk.cp20.com/click/cfcb-x80uy-i3hga0-5kokoyq5/> <http://trk.cp20.com/click/cfcb-x80uy-i3hga1-5kokoyq6/> <http://trk.cp20.com/click/cfcb-x80uy-i3hga2-5kokoyq7/> [image: Share this page] <http://trk.cp20.com/click/cfcb-x80uy-i3hga3-5kokoyq8/> Supported by: <http://trk.cp20.com/click/cfcb-x80uy-i3hga4-5kokoyq9/> <http://trk.cp20.com/click/cfcb-x80uy-i3hga5-5kokoyq0/>

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WFP: Winnipeg Foundation offer another wild card for city (Jan16'19)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jan '19

16 Jan '19

*Winnipeg Foundation offer another wild card for city * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/winnipeg-foundation-antes-up-in-bid… THE Winnipeg Foundation has made city hall an offer it hopes the mayor and councillors cannot refuse. Fast approaching its centennial year celebrations, the foundation has offered the City of Winnipeg up to $5 million to push two intriguing plans up its priority list of capital projects. One is the construction of a bike-pedestrian bridge over the Assiniboine River near Osborne Street, in an effort to provide a safer, dedicated route for people not taking cars downtown to connect to the Active Transportation Network. The other is the rehabilitation of the former Carnegie Library on William Avenue, the former home of the city archives. The cost for the two projects is estimated at roughly $24 million, meaning the foundation’s contribution would translate to about 20 per cent of the total price tag. It’s a generous offer from an institution that has proven itself time and time again to be a force for good in the city, particularly the downtown. However, the Winnipeg Foundation’s proposal is, in some ways, a bit of a wild card for Mayor Brian Bowman and city council at a time when they have more than a few fiscal wild cards to deal with. Bowman said Tuesday the city will delay the release of its 2019 operating budget in the hopes of getting more information from the province on its grants. The unwillingness of the province to provide details is certainly causing council some sleepless nights. That said, a monetary contribution from a private charity to city infrastructure is hardly unprecedented. The foundation has contributed to more than a dozen high-profile public amenities, including the Forks Market, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Old Market Square, Central Park, Paterson Global Foods Institute at Red River College’s Exchange District campus, Upper Fort Garry Provincial Park, and the Winnipeg Art Gallery’s Inuit Art Centre (now under construction on Memorial Boulevard). Most recently, the Winnipeg Foundation (a public charitable organization established in 1921) provided a $1-million contribution to build a scenic lookout as part of the $10-million promenade along Taché Avenue in St. Boniface. However, it is unusual for a charity to approach council with a request it reprioritize the five-year capital plan. The city is currently focused on basic, core infrastructure. Council is already spending more than $100 million annually on roads. Add to that enormous road-related projects such as the Waverley Street rail underpass and the Chief Peguis Trail extension, and you can see how the gross majority of the available money is focused on repairs and improvements to the hard surfaces motor vehicles travel every day. Meanwhile, efforts to get money for more progressive projects have been met with mixed results. The last council did, to its credit, carve out significant sums to support the still-evolving Active Transportation Network’s dedicated bike lanes and pedestrian paths. However, veteran councillors have, at times, shown a limited appetite for projects that stray from the narrow band of core infrastructure. That was certainly part of the motivation behind successful efforts to stop the redevelopment of the Portage Avenue and Main Street intersection so it could be reopened to pedestrians. A number of arguments drove the ‘no’ side of the 2018 plebiscite campaign. However, the core argument was tax money should be focused on roads, not wasted on what was described as a “pet project” of Bowman and the downtown professionals who spearheaded the ‘yes’ campaign. Where does that leave projects such as the pedestrian-bike bridge and the city archives? Rick Frost, chief executive officer of the Winnipeg Foundation, said he is well-aware there are no immediate plans to start work on either. The archives are languishing in temporary warehouses, while community consultation on the bridge design is still underway. However, Frost said there will be no political efforts made to convince council to get behind the plan to move up civic funding for both projects. Rather, the foundation will ask council to assess whether a contribution of $5 million is attractive enough to reshuffle the capital projects deck. If council balks, he said, the foundation is prepared to stand down its offer. “We’re not going to lobby the city. If (council) does not want to take us up on this offer, then we’ll move on and do other things.” Council does have several strong motivations to take the offer. Both of the projects identified by the foundation are, in fact, part of the long-term capital plans. And there just isn’t enough money in the capital budget to keep feeding the insatiable political desire to fix roads and provide modern public amenities. Just ask the folks in St. Boniface, who have watched the Notre Dame Arena shut down from a lack of funding to replace its ice plant. The city has worked with the foundation before, and the results have been spectacular. The list of assets and amenities that involved public and philanthropic money is testament enough to the value this relationship has for taxpayers. Let’s hope councillors see the value in the foundation’s gesture, and put aside petty concerns about non-road-related infrastructure projects. In local government, as is the case in life, looking gift horses in the mouth is rarely a winning strategy. dan.lett(a)freepress.mb.ca

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