TikTok banned on city devices

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This article was published 28/04/2023 (891 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TikTok has now been banned for City of Winnipeg devices.

City council cast a final vote to prohibit the use of the social media video-sharing app on city-owned devices Thursday, citing “potential security risks.”

The motion notes the data is stored in China and could be shared with the Chinese government for intelligence and surveillance.

TikTok officials have previously denied the claim data is stored in China.

Biodiversity pledge approved

The city will explore a new commitment to biodiversity.

On Thursday, council ordered a staff report on signing the Montreal Pledge: Cities United in Action for Biodiversity.

If Winnipeg signs the pledge, it will commit to: restore and rehabilitate ecosystems; protect existing natural environments; conserve and recover vulnerable species; aim to reduce pesticide use; and ensure Indigenous participation in the process, among several other initiatives.

City seeks modified muffler crackdown

The City of Winnipeg will seek stronger fines to deter vehicle owners from modifying their mufflers to make them louder.

The municipal government will ask the province for that change to combat excessive noise, following a council vote Thursday. Some councillors have argued the excessive noise hinders quality of life, especially near major traffic routes.

The Highway Traffic Act prohibits vehicle owners from having missing or faulty vehicle equipment, such as excessively noisy mufflers, which can lead to a fine of $174.

Recycled material pothole-filler test

The city will explore a potential pilot project to use recycled asphalt to fill potholes.

On Thursday, council passed a motion to have city staff negotiate a potential test project with the business Recycle Your Driveway.

Supporters of the method argue it would be cheaper and more environmentally friendly than the current pothole-filling process.

Council’s public works committee expects a verbal update on the matter in about a month.

Calming traffic by design

The City of Winnipeg will study ways to calm traffic through design.

Council has approved a motion to order a city staff report on methods to add traffic-calming design elements whenever a street is selected for reconstruction.

The potential changes could include narrowing roads, adding speed tables (sections of raised road) and/or installing curb extensions to create more space for pedestrians.

A report on the matter is expected back in about eight months.

No spent fire trucks donation

Council has opted against a call to donate end-of-life Winnipeg emergency vehicles to war-battered Ukraine.

Coun. Russ Wyatt’s motion called for the city to provide the vehicles once it deems them too old for local use, while also asking the province to do the same with end-of-life ambulances, was defeated at council Thursday.

The vote came after some councillors questioned the feasibility of transporting the vehicles to Ukraine, and suggested there is also a need for more emergency equipment in nearby Manitoba Indigenous communities.