Mayoral candidate Rana Bokhari promises to spend more money to replace Winnipeg’s combined sewer system.
Bokhari pledged Monday to increase the annual cost of replacing combined sewers with dedicated sewer and stormwater pipes from $45 million each year to $60 million.
Combined sewers, which lie beneath older parts of Winnipeg, carry both surface runoff and sewage from homes and businesses. This mixture is pumped to one of three treatment plants in the city.
When heavy rains exceed the capacity of the city’s pumps, the stormwater-diluted sewage overflows into the city’s rivers. This, in turn, leads to more nutrients – mainly phosphorus and nitrogen – flowing through the Red River into Lake Winnipeg, where they promote algae growth and change the lake’s ecology.
Bokhari said he is aware that the city of Winnipeg is just one source of nutrient loading into the lake, but said the city still needs to do more to reduce sewage overflows.
“Pointing the finger at another level of government, that doesn’t let us off the hook as the City of Winnipeg,” Bochary told the North End Water Pollution Control Centre, where $473 million worth of upgrades are underway to the plant’s catchment facility .
Bokhari pledged to speed up the completion of the next two phases of work at the plant, the largest of the city’s three wastewater treatment facilities, as Winnipeg is a decade away from running out of capacity to treat more wastewater.
The next phases of work at the North End plant include a $553 million biosolids processing plant, which is awaiting funding approval, and an $828 million nutrient removal facility, which has not been funded at all.
Bohari said he would convince the provincial and federal governments to fund the remaining upgrades. She did not say whether she would raise water and sewer rates to make that happen.
Lowney says Winnipeg needs a ‘nightlife mayor’
Mayoral candidate Sean Lowney says Winnipeg needs two mayors — a regular, elected mayor who does political duty and what he calls a “nightlife mayor.”
Lowney, the author of two books on public policy, pledged Tuesday to create a new position of nightlife mayor to help revitalize downtown Winnipeg and boost the arts and cultural industries.
Edmonton, Ottawa, New York and Austin, Texas, are among the cities with similar positions, he said.
Mayoral candidate Sean Loney says Winnipeg needs a mayor and a nightlife mayor. (Bartley Kives/CBC)
The nightlife mayor will be responsible for streamlining the event permitting process and dealing with noise issues, among other duties, Lowney said, adding that he can’t get food trucks to attend his own performance at The old market square because the bureaucracy is so heavy.
“The food trucks said it’s not worth going through the permitting process,” Lowney said. “How to facilitate the sector so that there can be pop-up establishments?”
Some of the duties Lowney described are already being handled by an existing position with the city, a film and special events manager who earns $126,000 a year to troubleshoot problems on behalf of the entertainment industry.
The name nightlife mayor is reminiscent of Night Mayor, a 2009 short film by former Winnipegger Guy Maddin.
Murray makes a promise about the library
Mayoral candidate Glenn Murray has promised to extend Winnipeg’s library hours.
“It’s time to reopen our libraries on the weekends,” the former Winnipeg mayor tweeted Sunday, suggesting in a later tweet that he would commit up to $2.2 million to make that happen, using funds from the shutdown the Winnipeg police helicopter.
It’s time to open our libraries again on the weekends. Children deserve safe places to learn and grow when and where they need it. Families need them. Together we will do this! pic.twitter.com/r6cSeY3Ima
—@Glen4Wpg
Grounding the helicopter will require the cooperation of both the police and the Winnipeg Police Board, as the mayor of Winnipeg does not have the authority to direct police operations.
Murray said in a statement that he would follow through on the promise later in the campaign.
In 2004, during Murray’s final months in office, he considered closing and consolidating some libraries in Winnipeg.
Shawn promises help to the newly arrived locals
After Murray’s announcement, mayoral candidate Rick Schon pledged to open libraries seven days a week. He did not pay the bet.
Shone, the owner of outdoor retailer Wilderness Supply, also pledged Friday to do more to help newly arrived locals in the city find housing and jobs.
He said he wants the city to work with nonprofits and local governments.
“We need to be a willing partner with any organization that offers support … so that the transition is as successful as possible,” Sean said outside the former downtown Winnipeg Bay building, which was transferred to the Southern Chiefs Organization.
Sean said he came up with this pledge with the help of Edna Nabes, a Winnipeg craftsman. He said the pledge would require the city to hire two full-time employees for the job.
Sean, Murray, Lonnie and Bokhari are among the 12 registered mayoral candidates. The remaining eight candidates are Idris Adelakun, Chris Clacchio, Scott Gillingham, Jenny Motkaluk, Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Jessica Peebles, Desmond Thomas and Don Woodstock.
The civic elections are on October 26.
Add Comment