Brandon fights to get green light on photo radar

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This article was published 23/11/2024 (322 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BRANDON — The City of Brandon is spearheading a drive to get the province to allow all municipal governments in Manitoba — not just Winnipeg — to be able to implement red light cameras and photo radar.

Brandon city officials who will attend the Association of Manitoba Municipalities meeting in Winnipeg next week hope the 700 or so delegates will adopt a resolution to amend the Highway Traffic Act to allow for the program.

Brandon Coun. Bruce Luebke has championed the issue since 2021.

“If image enforcement is allowed in the City of Winnipeg, why wouldn’t it be allowed in the rest of the province? Why isn’t it available to any other municipality?” said Luebke.

Photo radar would help improve street safety in the second-largest city in the province, he said.

The previous Tory government was approached about allowing smaller governments to institute photo radar in 2023.

“Basically, the province said they’d take the request under advisement, which is always a nice way of saying, thanks for your letter, but we’re not doing anything,” Luebke said.

This time around, he hopes the NDP government will be open-minded. “With the change, I thought it would be prudent to make this request again to the new government.”

The strategy has changed, too.

Luebke said rather than having the request only from the City of Brandon, council adopted a resolution in May to go to the AMM convention and present it there as a resolution.

That means it would be lobbied for by the AMM on behalf of 137 municipalities in the province, he explained.

Nick Krawetz, policy and communications director at the AMM, couldn’t say whether Brandon’s resolution would be adopted at the convention, which runs Monday to Wednesday.

“They’ve already gone through one or two steps prior to making it to the convention,” he said. “On the convention floor, all resolutions are debated and voted on by delegates from across the province, not just from their districts.”

Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett is behind the idea.

“I commend (Luebke) for coming up with the resolution and for wanting to put that discussion forward, because I think all ideas are good,” said Fawcett, adding he would like more information about the benefits of installing the cameras, and what type of equipment would be required.

“I don’t have any preconceived notions about it. It was council that put this resolution forward,” Fawcett said. “If it does pass, then it does give the opportunity to have further discussion. I’m all in favour of doing that.”

If passed, the association would notify the government.

“We can make progress rather quickly, but sometimes it takes much longer. We have some of our resolutions dating back over 10 years, for example,” said Krawetz. “It’s just a matter of continuing to advocate and push on things to make a case for why change is necessary in accordance with the resolution.”

A government spokesperson said it would be premature to comment on the situation before a formal motion is introduced.

— Brandon Sun, with file from Maggie Macintosh