Gillingham lays out plan to help lower bike thefts in Winnipeg
To combat theft, Mayor Scott Gillingham wants to make the city’s bike registry free and make use of technology.
A news release says as many as 2,000 bikes are reported stolen every year.
Right now there is a voluntary online registry which costs bicycle owners $7.35.
Gillingham wants a study done to make the process free as well as use technology to better track bikes once they are stolen.
The mayor says registries like 529 Garage and Bike Index in other cities have been successful.
Gillingham says this would allow police to track bikes that end up in other provinces.
He also says owners could use the app-based system to report a stolen bike immediately.
Winnipeg Police told the police board Friday many stolen bikes go unreported and when some are found there is no way to know who owns them if they are not registered.
Numbers from Winnipeg police show there 1,665 bikes stolen in 2022, which is down from 2018 and 2019 when there were 2,049 and 1,823 thefts respectively.
The news release says 1,000 bikes are recovered annually, with less than 10 per cent returned to their owners.
Gillingham says the free registry would be voluntary like the current setup because he says a mandatory one would require enforcement.
Gillingham is planning to bring forward a motion at next week’s Executive Policy Committee meeting for the public service to consult with police, Bike Winnipeg, and the WRENCH on the plan.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Potentially toxic chemicals hide in our drinking water and countless household objects, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
'It was violent': Police tear down U of A pro-Palestinian encampment Saturday morning
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Election deniers: West Virginia voters must pick from GOP candidates who still dispute 2020 election
When West Virginia Republicans vote in Tuesday's primary, they will have a hard time finding a major candidate on the ballot in any statewide race who openly acknowledges that U.S. President Joe Biden won the 2020 election.
Adopted daughter in the Netherlands reunited with sister in Montreal and mother in Colombia, 40 years later
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
'Reimagining Mother's Day': Toronto woman creates Motherless Day event after losing mom
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.