WINNIPEG - April 30, 2010 - Committed to building a City of Opportunity for all our citizens, Mayor Sam Katz today announced the City of Winnipeg’s Youth Week, from May 1-7, to celebrate young people who actively participate in our community and encourage more youth involvement in municipal issues through a variety of events across Winnipeg.

Youth Week, which will take place from May 1-7th across Winnipeg, will focus on the accomplishments of youth in athletics, art, volunteerism, drama and advocacy and other municipal issues through various fun and interactive community celebrations that build on existing connections between young people and the community.

Throughout April, The Mayor’s Office has invited high schools, businesses, non-profit agencies, community and faith-based organizations to build a week-long celebration of events for youth and by youth occurring city-wide during Youth Week. A complete list of events and their coordinators is available on samkatz.ca.

As a commitment to Youth Week, Mayor Katz will also host the Mayor’s Youth Forum, a roundtable event for student representatives from high schools across the City, on Monday, May 3rd, as an opportunity to hear ideas and perspectives directly from youth themselves on how to engage in and participate at City Hall.

“One of Winnipeg’s greatest assets is our youth and I believe that through the youth forum and Youth Week, we can get a fresh new perspective on how we can encourage and invite our young people to become more involved and informed as tomorrow’s leaders,” said Mayor Sam Katz. “I am also immensely proud of the incredible commitment we see every day from our city’s youth actively engaged in the community and Youth Week will certainly shine the spotlight on their hard work and creativity which is much deserved.”

The United Nations proclaimed 2010 The International Year of the Youth, commencing August 12th, 2010. The Mayor’s youth recognition and celebration events will launch into the Year of the Youth and include events early to accommodate the school year and summer holidays.

More youth recognition events will be held in June – details will be announced later in May.

WINNIPEG - April 30, 2010 - Winnipeggers are reminded the Jubilee Overpass will be closed beginning Sunday, May 2, 2010 to undergo extensive repairs and renovations.

For approximately four months, the entire overpass and approach roadways connecting the over pass to Pembina Highway and Jubilee Avenue will be closed during construction.

Limited road repairs will be done on Jubilee Avenue east of Pembina Highway. At least one lane of traffic along Jubilee Avenue will remain open throughout construction. At least two lanes of traffic will be open in both directions on Pembina Highway.

The $8.5 million project, identified in the City’s 2010 Capital Budget, is required to repair deterioration, enhance safety and extend the service life of the 41-year-old structure by up to 50 years with routine maintenance and periodic renewal.

Rehabilitation on the structure will include reconstruction of the overpass deck surface, construction of new bridge rails and median slab and repairs and modifications to the bridge supports. The approach roadway pavement connecting the overpass to Jubilee Avenue and Pembina Highway will also be replaced.

Winnipeg Transit bus route 95 will be re-routed during construction. For re-route information, visit www.winnipegtransit.com

The Overpass is scheduled to re-open mid September 2010.

For more information about the project, visit: www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/MajorProjects/JubileeOverpass/

WINNIPEG - April 30, 2010 - Biweekly spring yard waste collection begins next week (starting Monday, May 3) for residents in the northwest area of the city on automated garbage collection. Each property will receive two collection dates in May for the biweekly spring collection program and two dates in October for the biweekly fall collection program. The collection dates do not follow the regular garbage and recycling calendar.

A brochure with the spring and fall collection dates was mailed to every home in mid-April. Residents can call 311 if they are unsure of their collection dates.

Residents should place their yard waste out by 7:00 a.m. where they normally place their garbage (i.e., curb or lane). Any of the following are acceptable yard waste containers.

• any reusable container without a lid (e.g., plastic tubs, metal or plastic garbage cans)
• cardboard boxes
• paper yard waste bags
• any certified compostable bag

However, yard waste placed in plastic bags will be accepted for the May collection dates only.

The following items are considered yard waste and accepted in the program.

• grass clippings, leaves, plants, flowers
• tree/hedge prunings
• brush or tree trimmings placed beside the yard waste container (less than 100 millimetres in diameter, cut and tied together into lengths no longer than one metre and weigh no more than 34 kilograms)

Information on the biweekly yard waste collection program for the northwest area is available via 311 or at winnipeg.ca/waterandwaste/recycle/leaf.stm#northwestwinnipegres

WINNIPEG - April 30, 2010 - Due to the wet conditions, the Fire Paramedic Service, Fire Prevention Branch has lifted the recent ban on open air burning,

Permits will again be issued for open air burning within the City of Winnipeg.