Winnipeg, November 16, 2009 – In an annual ceremony to kick-off the holiday lighting throughout Winnipeg’s downtown, Mayor Sam Katz, joined by the Winnipeg Children’s Choir and citizen tree-donor family, hosted the lighting of the City Hall Christmas Tree. During the ceremony, Mayor Katz donated $2000.00 from the Mayor’s Office along with dozens of new toys to the Salvation Army/Winnipeg Fire Department Retirees “Toy Mountain” campaign for the third consecutive year.

“Thanks to this generous donation from the Mayor’s Office, we will be able to purchase nearly 1000 toys and, along with the generous donations from citizens across the province, build an even bigger mountain to meet our goal this year and build a toy mountain with more than 12,000 toys,” said Toy Mountain coordinator Mark Young, chaplain for theWinnipeg Fire Department and the Salvation Army.

The Toy Mountain campaign was launched by retired and current firefighters in support of the Salvation Army. All fire stations in Winnipeg, as well as the Training Academy on McPhillips and the Fire Prevention Branch on St. Mary’s Road, will be collecting toys for children aged newborn to 14 years until December 18th.

This year’s tree comes from the yard of John Klassen of 563 Sharron Bay, where he and wife Lydia have resided for 43 years. The tree was selected from 54 candidates and is a 10.7 m (35’) Colorado Blue Spruce. The tree was arrived at City Hall by flat-bed truck on Tuesday morning and was decorated by with over 5,000 white LED lights in preparation for tonight’s ceremony.

Winnipeg, November 16, 2009 – The City of Winnipeg’s Executive Policy Committee (EPC) today tabled the Preliminary Capital Investment Plan for 2010 to 2015. The six-year plan authorizes $2 billion in investments in priority streets and bridges, water and sewer infrastructure, and parks and community facilities.

Highlights of the 2010-2015 Preliminary Capital Investment Plan include:

• $812 million for sewage disposal projects, due in part to the cost of complying with provincial environmental requirements
• $498 million for roads and bridges, with $183 million to be spent in 2010 alone – a 90% increase over total street projects authorized in 2009
• $147 million for the water system
• $156 million for parks, community infrastructure and amenities – including $72.4 million for community and recreation facilities
• $79 million for land drainage and flood control
• $62 million for public safety infrastructure

The Plan will now be considered at a variety of public meetings held at City Hall. Members of the public who wish to appear as a delegation to one of these meetings should call 311 to make the necessary arrangements. Meeting times include:

• Monday, November 30, 2009, 9:00 a.m. – Standing Policy Committee on Protection and Community Services
• Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 9:00 a.m. – Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works
• Thursday, December 3, 2009, 10:00 a.m. – Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development
• Thursday, December 3, 2009, 1:00 p.m. – Special meeting of the EPC

Following the public consultation process, the EPC will table its final recommendations on Friday, December 4, and a special meeting of City Council will be convened to consider these recommendations on Tuesday, December 15.

“This year’s capital budget continues to meet the priorities of Winnipeggers and offers solid investment in our roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects,” said Mayor Sam Katz. “This budget works hard for Winnipeggers and ensures that we are taking care of the basics. Although we continue to face the challenges of a growing infrastructure deficit, our budget team has worked diligently to address priorities while effectively using our available resources.

“This budget carries on last year’s commitment to improve project delivery methods and make sure we are getting the biggest bang for taxpayers’ dollars,” said Councillor Scott Fielding, Chair of Finance. “By offering significant investments into our priority roads, active transportation, and community amenities and facilities, we are determined to get shovels in the ground to keep our economy strong and our community prosperous. I look forward to engaging all members of Council and Winnipeggers over the coming month to hear their feedback and ensure we continue to meet the priorities of all our citizens.”

New projects funded in the budget include:

• A new Active Transportation project for over $20 million, bringing the City’s total active transportation investment to $22.2 million in 2010. This project is the result of a partnership with the other levels of government.
• Waverley West Arterial Roads, which will receive funding of $54.7 million over the next two years to improve transportation flow and capacity for growth.
• Assiniboine Park redevelopment, which will receive $8 million in capital investment in 2010, with $5.1 million going to repairs and upgrades, and almost $2.9 million going to attractions like expansion of the Park’s duck pond, and the development of a new Family Centre.

The 2010 – 2015 Preliminary Capital Investment Plan will be finalized over the next several weeks, through a process of review and feedback from Council and the public. The Report is available for viewing on the City’s website, www.winnipeg.ca

Winnipeg, November 16, 2009 – Committed to providing continued transparency and efficiencies of operations of the Winnipeg Police Service, Executive Policy Committee will bring forward a motion recommending to Council that the Winnipeg Police Advisory Board wind up its operations by December 31st, 2009, to comply with new provincial legislation which requires municipalities with police forces to implement a provincially-mandated police board.

The Police Advisory Board, which has provided recommendations since commencing in December 2007, was subject to an 18-month review period that expired in June, 2009, and terms for five of the eleven Winnipeg Police Advisory Board members expires on December 31, 2009.

“I want to thank the Winnipeg Police Advisory Board Chair Gerry Forrest and all board members for their passion and wisdom serving the citizens of Winnipeg on this important board over the past 23 months,” said Mayor Sam Katz. “Accountability and public safety are paramount with the citizens of Winnipeg and on behalf of Winnipeggers and my Council colleagues I thank them for helping ensure City Hall and the Winnipeg Police Service continue making the best decisions to meet those priorities for our community.”

Once the new Police Services Act has been proclaimed by the Province, the provincially-mandated police board, with governance capabilities and a significantly different mandate from the Winnipeg Police Advisory Board, will be implemented pursuant to the Provincial legislation.

The final report from the Winnipeg Police Advisory Board will be submitted to Council by January 2010.

Winnipeg, November 16, 2009 – The City of Winnipeg is encouraging citizens to attend one or more of eight OurWinnipeg Project and Recycling Program Open Houses between November 17 and 26, 2009.

The dates, times and locations for the Open Houses are as follows:

• Tuesday, November 17, 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.
  Red River College
  160 Princess Street
  
• Wednesday, November 18, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
  Sturgeon Creek CC
  210 Rita Street
• Thursday, November 19, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
  Windsor CC
  99 Springside Drive
• Friday, November 20, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
  Access Transcona
  845 Regent Avenue
• Monday, November. 23, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
  Thunderbird House
  715 Main Street
• Tuesday, November 24, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
  Canad Inns Fort Garry
  1824 Pembina Highway
• Wednesday, November 25, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
  Bronx Park CC
  720 Henderson Highway
• Thursday, November 26, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
  Canad Inns Garden City
  2100 McPhillips Street

OurWinnipeg Call to Action

OurWinnipeg, an unprecedented year-long initiative to create a comprehensive plan that will chart Winnipeg’s social and physical development during the next 25 years, has reached the half-way point with a Call to Action document and a new round of public consultation.

• The Call to Action for OurWinnipeg, a draft document that will be presented to the City’s Executive Policy Committee (EPC) early next month, resulted from conversations with more than 30,000 Winnipeggers through a series of public events, roundtable meetings and online postings.
• The City’s OurWinnipeg team is now seeking additional public input at eight Open Houses. The discussions will cover the vision for the city for the next 25 years, key paths that will help the city plan towards this vision, and early actions proposed as starting points. A wide range of issues - from housing to transportation to Winnipeg's overall city competitiveness - are included in the Call to Action.

The public can review the full 55-page report at www.speakupwinnipeg.com

Recycling Open Houses

At the same time, the City’s Water and Waste Department is conducting a city-wide consultation with citizens looking at the current blue box recycling collection, as well two new recycling collection options. The feedback from this consultation will be used to help determine how recyclable materials are collected in the future.

These Recycling Open Houses are being held on the same dates, and at the same times and locations, as the OurWinnipeg Call to Action Open Houses. This is intended to make it more convenient for citizens to participate in both Open Houses.