Trees, safety, property taxes and addictions supports are the latest topics on the campaign trail

Glen Murray making an announcement for a nature budget on Oct. 5, 2022. (Source: Glenn Pismenny/CTV News)

Idris Adelakun was once again on the campaign trail Wednesday with a pair of announcements of how he would improve the city if he is elected mayor.

His first topic was crime prevention, as he says demand surpasses resources for Winnipeg police.

“Violence in our wonderful city must be stopped before it begins. We need to assist the police strategically in addition to using force,” Adelakun said in a release.

He has outlined a five point plan for preventative tactics, including improving on preventing gang involvement, effective resource management, collaboration with stakeholders, restructuring the Winnipeg Police Board and addressing underlying issues.

As part of this plan, he wants to get youth more involved in initiatives that would engage and empower the community. He also wants to give cadets more opportunities to interact with police and respond to issues, which would give police more time to respond to crime-related matters.

He also wants to increase foot patrols in key parts of the city, call for a review of the police board and address social, family and poverty issues in the city.

Adelakun also unveiled a transit safety plan, so passengers and operators have a better experience on transit.

Firstly, he wants to have eight police officers assigned to monitor neighbourhoods that are prone to violence so they can easily respond to transit concerns.

He also wants more transit supervisors and cadets in these areas.

Adelakun also wants to extend the shield around a bus driver’s seat for enhanced safety.

He wants to see continued training for officers and supervisors as well as collaboration during their day-to-day work.

He also wants to offer offenders services to help them and address the social difficulties in the city.

Lastly, he wants the city to make performance data more available to the public every month and for longer-term goals, he wants to create a Winnipeg Transit Police Force.

Switching to Glen Murray, he unveiled his plan for a natural capital budget, which is designed to provide funding for planting and replacing trees.

“Trees must be treated as our most important urban infrastructure, and the best way to fight climate change and improve urban liveability,” he said in a release. A tree funding program will serve as the foundation of a natural capital budget that will grow over time with new funding sources.”

He said trees provide several benefits to the city such as reducing heating and energy bills to helping during extreme temperatures.

The budget would be funded through the sale of carbon offsets and credits as well as a portion of every dollar used for concrete and pavement-based projects would go towards the budget.

He also wants to develop a national coalition of Canadian cities to fund urban forestry and give residents and businesses the option to vote to make their neighbourhoods tree restoration zones.

“Our trees are invaluable resources that we must take care of now and in the future to ensure the healthy canopy we enjoy now will be there for future generations.”

Don Woodstock wants to tackle property tax problems in the city if he is elected mayor. He said he would freeze residential property assessments for the next eight years and have a 1.5 per cent property tax increase for four years and then freeze it for four years.

“Taxes today are 2.75 per cent plus taxes on utilities plus .8 per cent planned new tax hike equalling 3.5 per cent for the next 50 years – the highest in the nation. This is a corrupt funding model for our operating budget,” Woodstock said in a release.

Last on the campaign trail, Wednesday was Robert-Falcon Ouellette, who is wanting to deal with the addiction crisis in the city.

“To build the city we all want, we need to address one of the root causes of crime and homelessness in our city,” he said Wednesday in a release.

He said addiction is a mental health issue and must be treated as a public health issue, not by the justice system.

For his plan, he wants there to be more harm reduction resources available to “move addictions out of our back lanes and parks.”

He also wants Winnipeg to create a supervised safe consumption site, similar to what Calgary has. He noted a coordinated health services approach would need provincial government support but he said the city could start with a safe consumption site.

On top of the sites, he is calling for pharmaceutical alternatives so those people who are battling addictions aren’t searching for drugs elsewhere.

“If we want to reduce overdoses and overdose deaths there needs to be prescribed pharmaceutical alternatives.”

Ouellette said he would also work with both the provincial and federal governments to help provide more immediate support for people and he wants to see more ongoing support once treatment programs have been completed.

He also noted he would work with Indigenous governments to ensure those who need treatment and support receive it.