5 hours Ago By Joyanne Pursaga
A seasonal crew could soon be hired to ramp up the removal of needles and weapons from parks, though some fear the effort will fall short of what’s needed. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * A seasonal crew could soon be hired to ramp up the removal of needles and weapons from parks, though some fear the effort will fall short of what’s needed. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? A seasonal crew could soon be hired to ramp up the removal of needles and weapons from parks, though some fear the effort will fall short of what’s needed.
The City of Winnipeg’s 2025 preliminary budget proposes a $60,000 program that would hire two seasonal staff to proactively clean up 16 “high risk” parks every two to four days between April and October. That’s just a fraction of the funding and staff a previous report proposed to tackle the issue two months ago. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES Earlier this year, a daycare reported its staff found used needles, opioid overdose medication, human waste, garbage, knives, ammunition, broken glass, a variety of weapons and bear-spray canisters at downtown green spaces.
Coun. Cindy Gilroy, who pushed for funding to address the concern, said she fears the scope of the current plan is too narrow. “It’s not really covering what I asked for.
It’s only meaningful if it’s going to be actually doing what we’re wanting it to do. Otherwise, it’s kind of just throwing money out there to make it look like we’re doing something. It has to be (done) with the intent of really improving the conditions of some of these parks,” said Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre).
The October public service report offered two options for cleanups at 36 “priority parks,” after residents complained the dangerous debris makes it tough for kids to play outside some daycares. The first option would have seen the city hire and deploy two crews of four people to monitor parks daily from April to October at a cost of $193,704 per year. The second would have deployed two crews of four to monitor the parks from April to October, as well as one crew of two from November to March, at a price of $262,884.
Since the budget proposal involves fewer staff doing less-frequent cleanups at fewer parks, the estimated price is much lower. Gilroy said she believes the city must at least conduct the effort year-round and ensure daily cleanups take place in the summer months to make parks safer for kids. She plans to push for those changes in budget meetings next month.
“I really feel that our kids really need to be able to go out and play freely, without worrying about weapons, drug paraphernalia lying around...
I’m finding glass at the bottom of slides, broken bottles,” she said. It’s especially important in the inner city, where many residents rely on park space because they live in apartments without private yards. Earlier this year, a daycare reported its staff found used needles, opioid overdose medication, human waste, garbage, knives, ammunition, broken glass, a variety of weapons and bear-spray canisters at downtown green spaces.
“The problem doesn’t go away in the winter time,” Gilroy said. “We’re still going to see these things happen in the parks.” Mayor Scott Gillingham said the seasonal program was recommended because of greater park use during warmer months.
Coun. Vivian Santos, chairwoman of council’s community services committee, said the lower-cost program proposed in the budget reflects what the city can afford. “When we drew up the (earlier staff) report it was about what would the service and policy look like if we were to do it on a daily basis.
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It was kind of a ‘gold standard,’ and we’re wanting to come up with a balanced approach,” said Santos (Point Douglas). The budget calls for council’s executive policy committee to receive a report in November that details how effective the proposed program was and how much debris staff collected. Santos said those results would help determine if it should be expanded in future budgets.
Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. “We’re testing this theory out, seeing how this is going to work,” she said.
Residents who spot hazards in city parks should still call 311 to seek dangerous-debris cleanups, responses that will continue whether or not the proposed cleanups are approved in the budget, Santos said. City council will cast a final vote on the budget Jan. 29.
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ca X: @joyanne_pursaga Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the before joining the in early 2020. .
Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism.
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Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the before joining the in early 2020. .
Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism.
If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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