WINNIPEG – June 25, 2008 – Summer has finally arrived and Winnipeg Transit is providing its customers with a cooler way to travel.

With the addition of 33 new air conditioned buses this summer, Winnipeg Transit customers will enjoy a cooler, more comfortable ride. Winnipeg Transit intends to order approximately 30 new, air conditioned buses each year.

"The Government of Canada is proud to support public transit initiatives that increase ridership, take more cars off the road, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions," said the Honourable Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board. "It is gratifying to see these air-conditioned buses on the road and serving the people of Winnipeg."

"The province is pleased to help flow funding for this initiative in addition to the 50/50 funding we now provide Winnipeg Transit," said Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Steve Ashton. "These new air conditioned buses should help increase ridership and show benefits throughout the city."

“As Mayor and council, we have worked hard to reinvest in Winnipeg Transit and continue to build positive and viable methods of transportation,” said Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz. “Winnipeg is known for its wonderful summers, and I am sure our citizens will appreciate the addition of air-conditioned buses to make their ride more comfortable.”

Air conditioned buses are just one of the many transit improvements approved by Winnipeg’s City Council, including upgrades to major bus stops, on-board security cameras, transit priority measures, automated bus stop announcements and more.

There are currently 10 air conditioned buses on the road and that number will increase to 33 in the coming weeks. The air-conditioned buses will not be assigned to specific routes. Instead, they will be rotated on various routes throughout the city.

Funding for the air conditioned buses is provided by the Federal Public Transit Capital Trust (FPTCT). Manitoba received $32.6 million through the FPTCT for projects that enhance transit service in communities across Manitoba.

WINNIPEG - June 25, 2008 - Today, June 25, 2008, the City of Winnipeg’s Insect Control Branch is providing 48 hour public notice of an adult nuisance mosquito fogging program for the city of Winnipeg. This adult nuisance mosquito fogging program will be carried out in the entire City, respecting buffer zones, and prioritizing for areas with the highest nuisance mosquito populations.

The program is scheduled to begin Friday, June 27, 2008 at 9:30 p.m., weather permitting. A Public Service Announcement will be issued on Friday, a minimum of 8 hours prior to the commencement of fogging, to advise which residential areas will be fogged that night, based on current surveillance data.

The city-wide Adulticiding Factor Analysis (AFA) rating has now moved from MEDIUM to HIGH, based on an analysis of today’s AFA factors, which includes trap counts. A high AFA means that there are significant populations of adult mosquitoes as well as other factors that indicate that these conditions are expected to continue.

In order for a nuisance mosquito fogging program to be carried out, there are three requirements that must be met:

1. A minimum trap count of 25 female mosquitoes for three consecutive nights;
2. The Adulticiding Factor Analysis (AFA) which is one city-wide rating, must be HIGH; and,
3. One or more of the quadrants of the city is in the range of 100 female mosquitoes.

At this time, all of these conditions have been met.

Until further notice, fogging will be carried out on a daily basis between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. Daily public service announcements will be issued to the media at least eight hours in advance of fogging to identify fogging activities for that evening. These announcements will also be available on the Insect Control’s Web site at Winnipeg.ca/bugline. It is important to note that fogging will not occur when temperatures are below 13 degrees Celsius and/or wind speeds are not conducive to fog.

Information on all fogging activities will be provided by referencing the specific Insect Management Area in which they are being carried out. All Winnipeg neighbourhoods have been grouped into 51 Insect Management Areas.

Citizens can find out in what Insect Management Area they reside by going to the Insect Control’s Web site at Winnipeg.ca/bugline or by calling the Bugline at 311. Residents can type in their address and click on “Find your insect management area” to find out in what Insect Management Area they reside. Copies of this map, including buffer zone registration forms are also available in the back of the 2008 MTS white pages. They are also available at your local library.

The Adulticiding Factor Analysis (AFA) is based on a combination of key environmental factors that are used to determine whether or not conditions are conducive to continued mosquito emergence, including trap counts. Information on current AFA factors is available on the Insect Control Branch’s Web site at Winnipeg.ca/bugline.

The insecticide Malathion 95ULV® for Ultra Low Volume (ULV®) applications will be used. This insecticide has been approved for use in Canada by Health Canada (PMRA – Pest Management Regulatory Agency). Malathion will be used in accordance with federally approved label directions by licensed pesticide applicators.

All buffer zones will be respected. Crews will ensure that the ULV® insecticide sprayer is turned off 100 meters on each side of a registered property on the front street, side street, and rear lane. Residents are reminded that, if they wish to have their primary residence excluded from the adult nuisance mosquito fogging program, they can register in writing by contacting the Insect Control Branch at 3 Grey Street, Winnipeg, MB, R2L 1V2, by email or by fax at 311. Visit our Web site at Winnipeg.ca/bugline for more information on how to register for buffer zones. Up to 72 hours may be required for processing.

In addition, the Insect Control Branch offers an automated telephone and e-mail notification system. Residents who register for this service will receive daily phone or e-mail notification during any fogging for adult mosquito control. To register for the automated email notification system, citizens can go to Winnipeg.ca/cms/bugline/notification and click the online form. To register for the automated telephone notification system, citizens can call the Bugline at 311.

To find out where City crews will be fogging, citizens are encouraged to visit the Web site at Winnipeg.ca/bugline or call the Bugline at 311 daily.

To date, the City of Winnipeg has utilized a combination of larviciding and residual treatments in order to reduce mosquito populations. In the last week, residual treatments were implemented as soon as the female adult mosquitoes began to emerge in increasing numbers. An aggressive larviciding program is also continuing.

Due to environmental conditions, these measures alone are no longer able to control current adult nuisance mosquito populations, and adult mosquitoes have become intolerable. Therefore an adult nuisance mosquito fogging program is now being implemented.