New Winnipeg councillors set priorities on transit, housing and communication

WINNIPEG · Nine new councillors elected in Winnipeg have outlined their initial priorities, with transit funding, housing and constituent communication emerging as common themes. The next city council meeting will see more than half of the seats occupied by new faces. The Winnipeg Free Press contacted each of the nine councillors-elect the day after the municipal vote to ask about their first order of business. Several provided specific timelines for community engagement and advocacy efforts.

Lora Meseman, elected in Transcona, plans to host a public forum within her first 30 days. "There are plenty of issues to be addressed, but the most critical one, in my opinion, and from what I heard from folks at the door is that they want representation to be there for them to answer the phone calls, to answer the emails, and to report back to them," she said. Sara MacArthur, the new councillor for River Heights-Fort Garry, committed to holding a neighbourhood forum on crime and safety within her first 90 days. "I’ve committed to holding a meeting with the police, the province, community safety organizations and residents to talk about crime and safety in our ward and address some kind of practical steps going forward," MacArthur said. Natalie Smith, the councillor-elect for Mynarski, said her first priority is listening to residents and researching improvements to Winnipeg Transit. She plans to advocate for a return to a 50-50 provincial funding partnership for operating costs.

Ray DuBois, who won the St. Norbert-Seine River race, also listed transit as a key focus and plans to consult constituents on needed changes. "I’m going to make some noise," DuBois said. "I don’t know what powers a city councillor has, having never been a politician, I don’t know, but I’m certainly going to unpack that." Jeff Palmer, the new representative for Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry, said he wants the city to have a stronger voice in housing and homelessness strategies. "It’s an issue that people throughout the ward recognize as critical, and it’s something that I think we can make some progress on sooner than later," Palmer said. Kelly Ryback, elected in St. James, said his immediate focus is on fostering collaboration with other levels of government to address homelessness and addictions. "We just can’t rely on the province to address the homelessness and the addictions (issue), it is every government’s responsibility," Ryback said.

Greg McFarlane, the new councillor for Old Kildonan, said his top priority is improving communication and accessibility with residents. "The thing that I heard the most on the doorstep was to figure out how communication aligns with the community where they can feel heard and I can be accessible to them and be more responsive to them," he said. Chris Sigurdson, elected in St. Vital, said infill housing, traffic and transit are his tied top priorities aimed at improving quality of life. Jasmine Brar, who will represent Waverley West, did not respond to the request for comment.

With files from Winnipeg Free Press