New blood in St. Vital

Candidates to fill the wide-open St. Vital city council seat are sharing their plans to ease traffic, tighten up development rules, protect trees and improve Winnipeg Transit.

Coun. Brian Mayes led the ward since 2011 but is not running for re-election, guaranteeing a new city councillor will be chosen.

Chris Sigurdson, a Louis Riel School Division trustee and criminal defence lawyer, is competing for the job with Mayes’ endorsement.

Sigurdson said his trustee work over the last 16 years provided a valuable education in local government that he could apply at city hall.

“I’ve had a lot of experience with helping people and I think the city council job is basically helping and responding to people,” he said.

He hopes to speed up the process to consider requests for speed bumps and other traffic-calming measures, as well as construction projects, if elected.

“When we have construction on the main roads, people tend to zip through the residential roads to save time. We’ve got kids playing, we’ve got families. It’s very disruptive and dangerous, quite frankly,” said Sigurdson.

Tougher bylaws, with increased enforcement, are needed to ensure all infill developments are suited to their neighbourhoods, such as by adding stronger protections for mature trees, he said.

“We have to make sure that any new builds fit the character of the community and follow strict guidelines,” said Sigurdson.

He would also push for a new community centre to serve Island Lakes/Bonavista and a new police station in southeast Winnipeg, which he believes would make it easier to report crimes.

Season Kirkwood, whose business provides Red River Métis history and culture programs to schools and others, is also competing for the seat.

Kirkwood promises to push the city to enhance bus service in the ward, including restoring the former Route 55, deeming it a critical transportation link for a densely populated area.

“They have to take two buses to the mall now. It’s not accessible,” she said.

Improving efforts to combat climate change, partly by increasing the city’s tree canopy and using permits to protect established trees, and ensuring any mature trees that are cut down are replaced, are also among her key priorities.

Kirkwood also wants to partner with community organizations to create an “urban garden” with fruit trees and berry bushes, ideally at the Awasisak Mēskanow Greenway Trail (which runs along Abinojii Mikanah Boulevard.)

“We have to start thinking about our food sovereignty. The focus here is all families. I think we’re all struggling with the increase (on) water (bills), the increase in our property taxes, the (price) of gas that we’re paying. All families are struggling. I think that the urban food forest will be available to everybody,” she said.

Resident participation in the ward is also critical, she stressed, promising to create an advisory committee with a representative from every neighbourhood association in the St. Vital area.

She also hopes to offer internships for people facing employment barriers, so those staff can help residents access city services.

“A lot of concerns that I had come from senior constituents. They’re unable to navigate the City of Winnipeg website and everything has an app. They don’t have cellphones,” said Kirkwood.

The candidate plans to offer a fresh new voice for voters.

“If we really want to see our community blossom and grow and combat crime, mischief and climate change, they need to vote different. I think I’m changing minds at doors,” said Kirkwood.

Doug Reimer, a director at a gas company, is also competing to become St. Vital’s next city councillor.

Reimer promised to be accessible to residents, promptly returning phone calls and emails.

“It’s a people position. You are a public servant,” he said.

Adding a local police station is a key priority for residents, said Reimer.

“I am absolutely committed to having that serious conversation and, if we can’t, being very transparent with the public on why it isn’t possible. Not actually having that brick-and-mortar building is a big deal,” said Reimer.

He would also support a neighbourhood watch system.

“It (addresses) crime but it also builds community,” said Reimer.

The candidate said he’s “passionate” about protecting trees, especially within popular forest destinations, like the Louis Riel Sr. trail in Royalwood.

More consultation is also needed to ensure infill developers hear neighbourhood concerns, such as through town halls, he said.

“Growth is necessary but I think it’s got to be done where everybody feels that they’re being heard,” said Reimer.

He’d also push city hall to review Winnipeg Transit routes, with a goal to address concerns about lengthy bus waits and added transfers.

“People are now needing to take two buses or wait 20 minutes or so. When it’s -40 (C), this starts to become a pretty big problem,” said Reimer.

All three candidates said they live in the ward year-round.

Election Day is Oct. 28.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

X: @joyanne_pursaga