After Wednesday’s marathon council meeting, Winnipeg city councillors are not set to meet again for nearly eight weeks.
"I think they should still be working because they have important issues to be talking about right now,” said landscaper Daryn Giesbrecht, who says he’ll be working all summer.
Transcona councillor Russ Wyatt said he’d like the summer break reduced. Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) also said the current break is too long.
"It seems that over time, the so-called summer break has been growing in length,” said Wyatt.
The City of Regina holds regular council meetings in the summer.
Saskatoon crams council and committee meetings into one week of each of July and August.
Even Brandon holds one council meeting a month in the summer.
But in Winnipeg, after July 17, there are no council or committee meetings until the second week of September.
"I don't know what they do with their time off but probably not too much. And I'm sure the city could use some looking after during the summer,” said Kyle Bauman, from behind the counter of a food truck on Broadway.
Bauman says he’ll work 12-14 hour days all summer long.
Although councillors won’t be required to attend meetings at city hall over the next several weeks, many said they do plan to still keep office hours and will also use the time to do community outreach.
"Until the end of July, I've got meetings scheduled that I couldn't fit in prior, and then I'm in the community for the first two weeks of August,” said St. Norbert Coun. Janice Lukes.
"I was out door-knocking, talking to people yesterday and I'll try to continue that through to the end of August,” said Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital).
Still, seven weeks between meetings is enough to make some working Winnipeggers jealous.
Interior designer Gina Thurston won’t be taking any time off this summer.
“Zero. Zero,” said Thurston. “I'm new in the career world so I can't. Can't afford it."
If Coun. Wyatt gets his way, the summer break will begin after the August long weekend in 2016.
