Winnipeg woman takes pothole repairs into her own hands

A woman in St. Vital put her green thumb to work after she was frustrated with potholes on her street.

Dawna Smith had become frustrated with the holes, so she started to plant flowers in them.

“I think I reached my maximum, just frustration,” said Smith.

She said she had made several calls to 311 but the holes weren’t being fixed.

“I know the city is busy. I know it’s hard for everybody. I feel that I was ignored a little bit and just not having a voice is difficult.”

So, she took that frustration and turned it into flowers.

“I saw an image on the internet with flowers and a pothole and I thought that’s a pretty powerful image. So on Monday, I took my wheelbarrow and soil and some flowers and I planted up and down the street. I thought, well, it’s worth a shot. I had no idea it would have such a quick action.”

Dawna Smith working to fill in a pothole on her street with soil and flowers. (Aug. 9, 2023. Source: Jamie Dowsett/CTV News)

Quick is exactly what she got, as city crews showed up in the area on Wednesday and started repairing the road.

A city spokesperson said the road was repaired earlier in the year with a cold-mix asphalt, but crews were called back Wednesday in response to 311 reports.

Coun. Brian Mayes said the whole situation has brought attention to the pothole problem in the area.

“Yeah. This past month, there have been a lot of complaints. I can’t really blame people for being upset,” said Mayes.

“It’s kind of a good reminder that we still have issues with potholes and we got to put more money toward that. But no, I wouldn’t be encouraging people to start putting flower in the road.”

Whether it was Smith’s green thumb or just good timing, she said she is grateful for the fix and made sure city workers knew it. She was handing out coffee and snack to those filling the potholes.

A thank you sign left out for crews who were working to repair potholes on Dawna Smith's street. (Aug. 9, 2023. Source: Jamie Dowsett/CTV News)

The city said it has been made aware of pavement concerns in the area and the road has been added to the city’s list of potential future reconstruction candidates, but that won’t be decided until 2026 at the earliest.

For those who still need potholes filled, the city said contacting 311 is still the best option as crews work year round to report them.