Mark your calenders, folks, because we’ve got a mayoral debate coming. The five major post-secondary students’ associations (the UWSA, UMSU, UMGSA, AECUSB, and RRCSA) along with CBC Manitoba are hosting a mayoral debate on October 11 at 12:30 pm in the University of Winnipeg’s Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall (3rd Floor, Centennial Hall).
More details to follow.
A comment piece appeared in the University of Winnipeg’s student weekly last week entitled “Stepping on Winnipeg’s Spirited Energy“. In it, its author James Patterson argues that youth issues have, once again, been largely being ignored in this year’s election – which would no doubt mean that the coming civic government would be equally youth-unfriendly – and have only been brought to the table by the youths themselves engaged in what many in this city have deemed to be unacceptable: a 75-minute bike through downtown and the inner city on the last Friday of each month at 5pm. Of course, this has ride sparked enormous debate in the city about cyclists, motorists and the rights to the road, but what has remained throughout is the condescension and skepticism that has remained with much of Winnipeg’s establishment views on the city’s youths. But, as Mr. Patterson points out,
“Critical mass is a perfect indication that Winnipeg’s youth are willing to step up and be part of this city. It shows a vested interest by youth for their community in a society that preaches that youth do not care, because they don’t vote.”
Has any official, elected or running, recognized this? If they have, I have yet to hear anyone come out and say “you know what, Critical Mass, while I may not agree with their tactics, they at least they’re out there making a point and showing that they care about the future of this city and I’m going to seriously get to work on that when I’m elected.”
Like it or not Winnipeg, those youth and many others like them (talk to people around one of the university campuses in the city), represent much of this city’s future. Ignoring them in this election campaign or, more critically, once the civic government is formed will be so at a risk to this city’s future. Mr. Patterson sums up his article quite succinctly:
“With a hype-filled civic election unfolding and given that in the last three years the city has gone from a sense of renewed optimism to having to defend itself against Globe and Mail articles that portray Winnipeg negatively, it seems like a good time to realize that Winnipeg’s future is at a very real crossroads. The question is: Are our supposed leaders going to simply continue the romantic prose of a dynamic, creative and progressive city found in their think tanks, focus groups, branded idioms and election platforms or will they move to the hard part? Action. The City’s youth have started to figure this out. Hopefully our appointed leaders can find a way as well.”
I hope so too.
(For alternate forms of media in this city, I urge Winnipeggers to pick up copies of many of the free weeklies that abound such as The Uniter or listen to radio such as CKUW, KICK or UMFM. The Free Press, Sun and CJOB have their places, but reporting on ‘the other side’ of things isn’t one of their strong suits. Hence this viewpoint not having an outlet until now.)
I made mention a week or so ago that everyone’s ‘favourite’ city, Toronto, was holding its own civic election a mere three weeks after Winnipeg’s will have taken place. I also talked about Chicago’s Bike 2015 Plan, the comprehensive alternative human-powered transportation plan that the City of Chicago was implementing to make the metropolis an attractive place to cycle (and walk, and take public transit).
Put the two together and add some more progressive organizations (including the Sierra Club and Mountain Equipment Co-op) and what do you get? TCAT, or the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation, a group aiming
“to make cycling and pedestrian issues a major factor in the upcoming municipal election. (from the spacing.ca/wire)
Furthermore,
it has developed a platform of important issues that should be addressed by the city, and will be conducting a candidate survey.”
Funny how the issue of sustainable transportation is rearing its head both in Canada’s largest city as well as in Winnipeg just before their respective civic elections. It would do the candidates in Winnipeg’s election (though some would be well aware of them already) well to pay attention to the questions and issues being raised in Toronto, because similar issues have been and will continue to be brought up here as long as there seems to be little action on Council to cater to forms of transportation other than the private automobile.
Just a few days ago I bemoaned the fact that the upcoming Winnipeg civic election what sorely lacking in interest, candidates and, ultimately, democracy. Today, things are a bit different, and my faith in the state of the city a bit more buoyant.
This morning, the relatively new Winnipeg Green Party announced that it was running a slate of six candidates in various wards around the city in an effort to bring various issues, including the Olywest Hog Processing plant and Rapid Transit, to the campaign trail. (For the record, they’re for rapid transit and against the Olywest plant).
Also, the six ridings they’ve chosen to run candidates in—St. Vital, Elmwood, Mynarski, St. James Brooklands, Transcona, and St. Norbert—include the four that were previously uncontested, bringing an element of grassroots democracy to those wards, and, most importantly, ensuring that the councillors in Transcona, Elmwood, St. Norbert and St. Vital will be kept honest and won’t be as easily acclaimed. The people have choices now when they approach the voting booth on October 25.
The Greens represent a significant leap in Winnipeg civic politics: One, they’re running openly as a party with the same essential platform (other councillors may be endorsed by a particular party – the NDP, the Conservatives, etc., but that’s usually more hush-hush). And, two, their platform focuses on Winnipeg as a whole, as one entity that can not simply be split up neatly into wards where one ward’s problems suddenly end at their boundaries. The challenges facing Winnipeg as we move forward—environmental, social, economic—can only be solved by taking the entire city into account and working together for the good of the whole. Like a particular human health problem, if one ward, one piece of the puzzle is faltering, then this living organism that is the City of Winnipeg as a whole suffers.
In less than two months now, on October 25, Winnipeggers will go to the polls to elect the mayor and 15 councillors who will lead Winnipeg for the next four years, bringing with them the new ideas, vision and energy that elections toend to bring to governments everywhere.
Or not.
As was written in the Saturday, September 2 edition of the Winnipeg Free Press:
“On Oct. 26, the day after the election, Winnipeggers could wake up to a city council with only one new face, the rookie rep for St. Charles, a seat vacated by the retirement of two-term Coun. Peter De Smedt.”
And how telling that is. For a city that seems to be lacking an identity and a vision, we, its citizens, we’ll likely be getting what we ask for come the late fall election.
Four councillors out of 15 total are likely not going to face any opposition—Lillian Thomas in Elmwood, Gord Steeves in St. Vital, Russ Wyatt in Transcona and Justin Swandel in St. Norbert—and the culture of incumbancy that exists at City Hall means that there may only be four real races to mention: the aforementioned St. Charles, Daniel McIntyre, River Heights and St. Boniface.
Democracy doesn’t seem to be alive and kicking in Winnipeg.
For a point of reference, Toronto’s civic election set for November 13 this year sees all of its 44 city wards being contested, and, amazingly (from a Winnipegger’s point of view), 38 out of the 44, or 86.3% being contested by three or more candidates. A legacy, perhaps, from the tenure of Mayor David Crombie, elected in 1972, who had a clear vision for his city and left the attitude of a grassroots democracy in Toronto (if any Torontonians are reading this, I apologize for if I’m taking liberties and making assumptions that may be somewhat contentious).
John Lorinc’s view of the current Canadian city as presented in his 2006 book The New City describes this as
“a generation of idealistic, urban-minded reformers—spurred on by the likes of Jane Jacobs and … Crombie—infused new energhy into local politics.”
So where in Winnipeg is something like this “new energy” that Toronto saw thirty years ago (and ostensibly still seems to retain at least in the number of different voices and visions being heard (and actually debated!))? While the beginning of such a vision may be there with Mayor Sam Katz’s main competitor, Kaj Hasselriis, the rest of the election is turning out to be a matter basic civic duties that should be taken care of no matter what.
So why is there such a lack of enthusiasm in the City of Winnipeg to run or to for the populace to demand change?
It stems from a lack of confidence in the power of City Council to accomplish much and serve their constituants, and more imporantly the entire city. It comes from staleness of council as a result of no term limits when it seems to be something that—through a cursory (and admittedly unscientific) poll—the populace of Winnipeg seems to want, yet won’t stand up to the politicians and demand. It comes from a lack of real ideas and courage eminating from City Hall, touching the citizens they represent to make the changes needed to bring this city into the 21st century. It comes from a small Council where the promise of a promotion to the Mayor’s Executive Policy Committee (and its subsequent pay raise)—which in the end makes all the real decisions—overrides quality debate and conflicting, real visions for the city. And it stems from being a city that simply doesn’t take itself seriously anymore. No one’s shown Winnipeggers how their city can once again be a force nationally and beyond, so they don’t believe it’s possible or worth it.
Hopefully Winnipeg City Council will realise that real changes need to begin with them before the citizens of their city can and/or will be actively be engaged and made to be interested partners in the all around success of Winnipeg.
Too bad it likely won’t be this version of City Council. But prove me wrong, please prove me wrong.
I’ve been quite busy lately with other things, so until I’ve got time to put together another full-length entry, I’ll leave this to mull over.
Anything wrong with these “nailbombs” (this particular pole is on Adelaide between McDermot and Bannatyne Avenues), small pieces of plywood or cut-offs from 2×4s that have been brilliantly painted and then nailed to wooden structures around the inner city of Winnipeg, usually on telephone poles that desperately need some brightening up? If you see any painted-over nailbombs around, you’ll know that various graffiti removal teams think there’s something wrong. Unsanctioned public art, sure, but vandalism? I think not – at least thought (and premeditation) went into these, and they do provide a welcome diversion and may even provoke some thoughts by the viewers. Isn’t that what art is supposed to do?
While browsing various urban and alternative transportation blogs, I came across this post at Toronto cycling blog TorontoCranks.com. Most of the post is dedicated to a City of Chicago press release from June of this year, entitled “Bike 2015 Plan features 150 strategies to encourage bicycling”. In light of the craziness in Winnipeg surrounding Critical Mass that has permeated the media and local message boards and blogs, polarizing the population on both the issues of Critical Mass and cycling in general, this is especially interesting and, from some Winnipeg perspectives, depressing. Chicago seems to actually be encouraging cycling as a viable and attractive alternative transporation option with the adoption of Bike 2015 Plan, as its Executive Summary and two main goals indicate:
“The Bike 2015 Plan is the City of Chicago’s vision to make bicycling an integral part of daily life in Chicago. The plan recommends projects, programs and policies for the next ten years to encourage use of this practical, non-polluting and affordable mode of transportation.
The Bike 2015 Plan has two overall goals:
- To increase bicycle use, so that 5 percent of all trips less than five miles are by bicycle.
- To reduce the number of bicycle injuries by 50 percent from current levels.”
Most impressive are the recommendations for a “500-mile bikeway network” that reaches to within a half-mile of each and every resident, the identification of cyclists’ needs with all new and restorative infrastructure development, thousands of additional bike racks and longer-term storage spaces, using rapid transit stations as bikeway hubs, and many more. [full Plan available here: 4.5 MB pdf file] Very ambitious, but, given the right dedication, funding and commitment of the city’s leadership, there doesn’t have to be much doubt that it’ll happen.
Which is in stark contrast to Winnipeg. There’s little reason why Winnipeg can’t follow suit with a vastly scaled-down, yet thorough version of this plan save for leadership. And we haven’t had it on the topic of cycling for 13 years. The now-outdated, yet still valuable 1993 Final Report entitled “Winnipeg Bicycle Facilities Study” (of which an online link seems to be lacking) has now seen a third mayor essentially ignore it, prompting cyclists and all who strive for viable alternatives to the private automobile to say on the topic something akin to what the initial TorontoCranks.com post is entitled: “Chicago’s mayor proves Toronto’s Mayor Miller SUCKS!”
The benefits of cycling abound for both the individual, his/her pocketbook and health, and for society as a whole. The Critical Mass movement in Winnipeg, with all their faults, alleged or true, likely don’t realistically believe a bicycling system akin to Chicago’s comprehensive Plan will come through (though I’m sure they won’t complain); they, and all other cyclists simply want cycling as a valid commuting and transporation choice to at least be taken as a priority by the leadership of this City. With the amounts of money going towards highways and roads built decidedly for cars, is asking for a fair share too much these days? If we have never become the “Chicago of the North” as far as our economy (and size) has been concerned, then perhaps, with the right leadership, we can one day follow in their path as a cold-weather, midwestern alternative transportation hub.
On a warm early August afternoon in downtown Winnipeg, Mayor Sam Katz finally officially threw his hat into the ring to face reelection as Mayor of Winnipeg, several weeks after main rival Kaj Hasselriis had done so. All issues regarding his waiting so long to register aside, Mayor Katz’s early election promises to prune trees, cut grass, clear snow and pick up litter are, to put it mildly, uninspiring. I’d be willing to grant Katz the benefit of the doubt for a more-than lacklustre half-term in office thusfar, preferring to save the big promises for an election for a full four-year term, but, not surprisingly on my part, Katz is preferring to stick to the basics then, and is preferring to stick to the basics now. For a politician who wants the city—Winnipeg—under his charge to be “a vibrant city that attracts young people”, he’s going to have to do more than ensure basic civic services are met to not only attract new young, ostensibly educated and creative, people, but to keep its own creative, educated young people.
Where’s the long-term vision for an exciting city that is not merely a place to grow up in and move on from; for a city that will grow sustainably, smartly and in a way that is attractive to not only its often loyal residents but to those from elsewhere. As one of those young people who has grown up in this city, I am seriously doubting Winnipeg’s future at this point, and especially my future here. I don’t want a city whose mayor’s first priorities are to provide basic services—I can get that anywhere—but a city where the leadership from the top on down gives some civic inspiration for its residents. For a mayor who has a separate “Youth” page on his website, I’m not sure who of my peers Sam is listening to. But listening to those who have actually seen what cities can be—what Winnipeg can be—might upset the city’s large Lowest Common Denominator population from where Sam seems to draw a lot of his supporters. He may have won in a landslide in 2004 based on his name, but there’s thankfully a growing body of public sentiment that’s beginning to think otherwise. And they’ve now got a mayoral candidate to thinks he can lead them—one of those creative, educated and enthusiastic young people who will make people who truly care for a vital urban centre take take a close look at in Kaj Hasselriis. Look him up and compare the election platforms: who has the more interesting, creative and forward-thinking ideas, leading to a better Winnipeg in the long run?
Sam, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do with Kaj, not least of which is catching up with the city’s most valuable asset, the younger and forward-thinking people who really will have a say in how this city grows into the future. Unless, of course, we have too many more years of visionless leadership.
(note: This is not a direct endorsement of Kaj Hasselriis per se – official platforms, debates and discussions have yet to be revealed and proceeded with, but first impressions do count, especially in love and politics.)
Which way will Winnipeg grow as we become fully entrenched in the 21st century? Will we return to the urbanity of a hundred years ago that propelled Winnipeg to be dubbed ‘The Chicago of the North’ or will we stand idly by, persisting in our thoughts that the open prairie that surrounds us is simply virgin land to be conquered and developed? Or perhaps we’ll simply continue to find ourselves locked in this seemingly never-ending struggle as can only exist here, in the ‘world’s biggest small town’?
Stay tuned for the answer.* In the meantime, as the issues, people and ideas in this city present themselves, enjoy this interesting, informative and opinionated slice of urbanity where the classic love/hate relationship many Winnipeggers have with their city will necessarily come to the forefront.
(*author’s note: Answer likely won’t be readily forthcoming; expect to have to deal with being caught in this game of tug-of-war for a long, long time. It’ll keep things interesting, if nothing else…)
