Make healthy eating Winnipeg’s business

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This article was published 28/09/2010 (5485 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

More farmers markets and fewer french fries at recreation centres will make Winnipeg a healthier city, mayoral challenger Judy Wasylycia-Leis said as she elaborated on a plan to add food to city hall’s responsibilities.

Expanding on the “green plan” she announced last week, the former Winnipeg North MP pledged to create a local food-policy council that would develop more links between farmers and restaurants, promote more urban garden plots and promote agricultural businesses.

More city neighbourhoods need farmers markets because too few Winnipeggers have access to Manitoba produce and grains, she said. And city recreation centres need to be encouraged to serve more than fries, she added.

“Food goes to the heart of who we are as a people and as a province,” she told reporters on the patio outside the Gas Station Theatre, home to Osborne Village’s weekly farmers market.

“By tapping into the resources we have to produce locally, grow locally, eat locally, we not only create stronger, more vibrant communities, we contribute to the environment and support local economies.”

A council comprised of experts in the field could achieve her food-policy goals at “minimal expense,” Wasylycia-Leis said. Asked why a city would take responsibilty, she said there is no reason it could not.

“This is close to the heart of what this campaign is all about,” she said, claiming she wants to foster a sense of belonging in Winnipeg. “This proposal may seem small to some, but it’s integral to that vision.”

Incumbent Mayor Sam Katz’s campaign dismissed this pledge as old news for Winnipeg.

“Once again, the NDP candidate is just reiterating from the mayor’s playbook,” Katz campaign manager Marni Larkin said in a statement, claiming the city’s new long-term planning blueprint already covers food policy.

“Developing new community gardens and enhancing community food opportunities were recommendations coming out of the extensive Our Winnipeg public consultation process, which was voted on by city council in July.”

Wasylycia-Leis also pledged Monday to create a pedestrian mall and expand the “community corridors” that allow people on foot or on bikes to travel between neighbourhoods on selected Sundays during the summer and fall.

There are few things more enjoyable than strolling down the street with a cup of fair-trade coffee in your hand, she said.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca