The arrival of summer means one thing – lots of community events! Happy Days on Henderson was a great success, with roughly 1500 people coming out despite the drizzly weather. My assistant Charity and I had a community table where we gave out free popcorn. Big thanks to Leslie from the City’s Community Development team, who joined us to share information on summer recreation programs and bike theft prevention. Happy Days is a collaboration between dozens of community groups and hundreds of passionate volunteers. After many years of volunteering as a community member, it was really neat to participate in a different way, as City Councillor.
I was also happy to bring greetings from the City to the Canada Day Party at Prince Edward Legion #81. A great crowd turned out to celebrate Canada with good music, games and more. Thanks to Legion President Tracy Wynnyk and all the board members and volunteers who put together such a fun and memorable party.
Just ahead of National Indigenous Peoples Day, I was honoured to sign Winnipeg’s Indigenous Accord alongside other new Accord partners! Signing the accord means I will share annual progress, commit to action, and uphold the principles for meaningful change and reconciliation. Thank you to the City’s Indigenous Relations Division, Elder Carolyn Moar for her opening prayer, and all the incredible musicians and dancers who made the event so special and meaningful, even dancing and singing through a downpour!
Charity and I have also spent time out in the ward meeting with residents to see their concerns first-hand, whether it’s drainage issues, by-law concerns, poor road conditions, etc, and ensure they are brought to the attention of the City. The extreme weather over the past few weeks has been very challenging, and drawn attention to the need to keep prioritizing investment in our municipal drainage and sewer systems. Read on for tips on how you can reduce the risk of overland and basement flooding in your home.
Speed and traffic volumes continue to be of major concern to many residents across the ward. I will be bringing forward a motion at City Council this month to ask the City to identify ways we can address these problems more quickly and inexpensively, to improve safety and better meet resident expectations.