Settling in at City Hall

Elmwood – East Kildonan

Since being sworn in as your new city councillor for Elmwood-East Kildonan at the end of October, it’s been an ongoing flurry of activity at City Hall. Beyond the logistics of getting my office set up, I’ve spent the past several weeks meeting and starting to build relationships with my council colleagues, as well as members of the public service – from the front lines of public safety to transit, community services to planning and development, to public works and more.

On a practical level, building these relationships helps me address the questions and concerns of residents more quickly and effectively. From a wider perspective, this relationship-building is important because addressing our community’s biggest challenges needs all the city’s departments working in tandem with the community. That can only be achieved on a foundation of trust, co-operation and mutual respect.

One of the major highlights of these first few weeks for me has been attending several pancake breakfasts and seniors’ holiday meals around the ward in December and January. My assistant, Charity, and I have also spent time meeting with groups around the community, learning about their goals and needs, and how the city could help supercharge their impacts.

Groups such as Valley Gardens Community Connections, Rahma Community and Youth Centre, Latinas Manitoba, Elmwood Community Resource Centre and Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal, to name but a few, are working hard to provide programming and support to youth and seniors, to improve housing, to address food insecurity, and to reduce social isolation. These are preventative, “upstream” efforts that have been proven to work in reducing poverty and crime, by ensuring everyone in Elmwood-East Kildonan has their basic needs met.

Even though we’re already at the end of January, there is still plenty of winter left to enjoy. After a brief closure for repairs in December, I’m happy to report that the Terry Sawchuk arena re-opened on Jan. 7. If you’re looking for free places to skate, there are pleasure rinks at Abdo & Samira El Tassi Park, Elmwood (Roxy) Park, Hap Hopkinson Memorial Park, as well as outdoor rinks at all six community centres in the ward.

February also offers opportunities to enjoy the cold, as Elmwood Winter Fun Day will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 7 at Clara Hughes Recreation Park (281 Henderson Hwy.) This event brings together groups and volunteers from throughout the ward – and the city – to offer lots of family-friendly outdoor activities, including sleigh rides, milk jug curling, fat biking, snow shoeing, a free hot dog lunch and hot chocolate.

Finally, I’ve also been working on getting a website and email newsletter up and running so you can stay updated on the latest goings-on in the community. I plan on sending out an email newsletter in the first week of February. You can sign up for these ward and neighbourhood updates by visiting www.emmadurandwood.ca, or by contacting my office at 204-986-5195.