Thread by @Teddier

So please excuse me for a bit of a rant....

There’s a lot in common with #bruceoake recovery, #PortageandMain and other initiatives in Winnipeg. I remember moving here 16 years ago and experiencing it and was caught off guard.

At my arrival or shortly after Glen Murray was mayor and he was trying to get public support for user fee based trash collection. He did public meetings and more expousing on the benefits of user fee systems- something very common & with economical sense

It went nowhere, which is unfortunate in my opinion. But things carried on in Winnipeg and good things happened. A new arena was built but that too came with controversy and issues. A world class human rights musuem too, but not w/o issues.

Eventually a new stadium for the Bombers was built it was necessary albeit poorly planned by people ill-equipped for a project of that level of significance. Then there was the level of road repair to be addressed, an improved floodway and other things

At all stages there was public expressions for and against many things that have happened. Now though Winnipeg find itself in a place where many cities come to- a growing pains crossroads.

Wpg is a city where you can live in your own little mini-city in your ward or neighbourhood. Whether it be Charleswood, Garden City, EK, Transcona or St. Vital. You never have to leave them if you choose not too. That’s due to historical city planning and it what the city is now

When initiatives like #bruceoake come up or #PortageandMain it’s easy to sit back and look at $$ and effort and say this doesn’t affect me because I don’t go there or my house is not there. Here’s where he crossroads part comes in...

Wpg is on the cusp of being a big city with over 700,000 people. Expanding out with residences and industry is going to mean less people can ‘stay’ in their communities in some form of comfortable isolation. It’s forcing the city to expand where we live and how we live

With big cities come bigger problems and they manifest in different ways: traffic, crime, construction, public space, accessibility, and more. These can’t be ignored. They have to ave addresses in tandem with other issues.

Wpg is a city that really is a result of not adapting for the future well. Road transport is poor for a city of this size and space and population. Public transit is barely keeping up with being efficient and let’s not start with our taxi situation.

Now with critical mass and action happening in Wpg the city has to grapple with many things it has shoved away before. This is the crossroads and citizens need to see the bigger picture. Demographically 35% of Wpg is over 50 15% over 65...

Frankly I’m almost in that group and we need to get the hell out of the way. We had our chance, we did what we thought was good but we also have to take ownership of what we did that wasn’t that great. If we care about the city we need to think about the 65% under age 50...

To them #bruceoake recovery matters. They know people affected by additiction who need help. The want a downtown that is accessible and safe because they identify with urban lifestyle more than a suburban one.

These are 2 hot topics but they are the micro examples within the bigger picture. Imagine if no one changed the city 40 or 50 years ago and kept it like it was then? What if development for seniors housing was never made? What about hospitals and clinics?

The point is that Wpg is growing & has had it’s biggest growth since 1976 so change has to come to address needs that come with growth. Some of that change is necessary infrastructure but also things for mind, spirit, soul and contentment.

When I see #teamopen for Portgae and Main it’s more than opening an intersection it’s about opening our minds to change for he better and to address the not so good. The city, people and problems have changed we need to be #open about how to address it.

But most importantly we can’t keep using the same logic and process that has got us here. We’ve been passed by and some of our Canadian counterparts are lapping us. Change is scary but it’s totally necessary and if done openly with communication and transparency it can be great!

There’s far too much fighting about some really minor things that are designed to improve our city, experience and lifestyle. They come with cost and risk but is the status quo any better?

This is Wpg’s opportunity to step forward on so many fronts. Why do we keep fighting to make this city better? In some ways that’s the one thing I wish would change the most. Not the public spaces or roads or health resources but the mindset that exists saying Wpg can’t be better

End rant and back to normal programming.

Get Morrissey locked up now Chevy!
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