Brian Mayes

Proud to carry the baton for St. Vital

I once heard the baseball announcer Tim McCarver talk about his playing career, when he served as the catcher for the great pitcher Steve Carlton. McCarver said that by the end of their years together, it no longer mattered who the batter was, the two men knew each other so well that they were essentially playing a “sophisticated game of catch.” I told that story to then-St. James city councillor Scott Gillingham a few years ago, as an example of how I wanted to relate to the people of St Vital — that I could relate directly to the people without concerns about social media or outside influences.

Collaboration with LRSD improves facilities

One of the highlights of my career as a councillor has been the collaborative work I have done with Louis Riel School Division. The most recent project to be approved is a replacement play structure at Victor H. L. Wyatt school. Funded with St. Vital ward funds, a contribution from the province and the LRSD, it is to be installed this summer. Why is there a city play structure on school division land? It’s a long story, but luckily the three levels of government worked together to find the funds to replace the aging structure.

On one of my long runs, I thought about the list of projects I have worked on with LRSD in the past four years and came up with 27 different projects. The list includes:

• Grants for all seven of LRSD’s high schools; including a new basketball court at Glenlawn Collegiate, new tennis courts at Dakota Collegiate and $500,000 in city funds towards the new community theatre space at Collège Jeanne-Sauvé;

• Grants for other LRSD K-8 schools in the St. Vital ward, including new play structures at Victor H.L. Wyatt and Dr. D. W. Penner, basketball upgrades at Lavallee, Minnetonka and Windsor and a new running track at Victor Mager;

Renewing St. Vital Park

Growing up in the Pulberry area, I took St. Vital Park for granted. I didn’t appreciate the fact that not every neighbourhood has access to a large, natural green space. I now realize how important the park has been for me as a child, as a runner, and as a parent. I am very proud of the many improvements that have been made in the park over the past 12 years.

The first two projects — a modernization of the boat launch and resodding of the soccer field, were started by my predecessor, Coun. Gord Steeves. In 2014, I had the honour of opening the new $1.2 million pavilion next to the duck pond, a project I had championed in my 2011 campaign; along with a public art project (the Ecobuage fire pit) funded by the Winnipeg Arts Council.

The upgrades continued in 2016, with the new shipping container washroom building next to the play structure. In 2017, I was proud to open the new $750,000 toboggan slide complex, along with Riel MLA Rochelle Squires, who had contributed some provincial funding. In 2018, I provided ward funding to upgrade the park entry with better, lighted signage and new gardens.

This term of office at City Hall has featured one small budget project in the Park — new accessible swings near the play structure — as well as a $1.6 million road paving job in 2020.

Upgrades at the St Vital Arena

The St Vital Arena recently “celebrated” its 50th anniversary, though unfortunately COVID-19 was in full swing and no formal celebration could be held.

This arena is in better shape than many of the city’s indoor arenas, and the St. Vital Minor Hockey Association deserves credit for its management of the facility for many years. Though I can barely skate and never actually played hockey at the arena, I am proud of the financial support I have worked to get for St. Vital Arena.

The most recent project is a $180,000 condensing unit which will be installed sometime later this year (subject to supply chain issues), replacing the aged condensing unit now in place. The condensing unit is a major component of ice making equipment. Funding for this project comes from the City of Winnipeg, but I want to thank Winnipeg South MP Terry Duguid who worked with me last summer in the hopes of getting federal funding — without those efforts I don’t think city staff would have endorsed the plan.

Earlier this year, the city provided about $30,000 to update internal ice-making controls at the arena. This project uses infrared sensing for energy efficiency and to reduce the risk of losing ice due to equipment failure. The city should be looking at energy efficiency work in all of its aging fleet of arenas (I am working on this). In 2020 I was pleased to approve $20,000 from my ward’s land dedication funds to help with exterior upgrades at the arena, with provincial funding help from Riel MLA Rochelle Squires.

City budgets include money for St. Vital

In December 2021, I voted in support of the City of  Winnipeg’s capital and operating budgets for 2022. Here are some of highlights that will affect the city as a whole, as well as St. Vital:• The budget maintains property tax increases at 2.3 per cent, the eighth straight year at this level. Funds for road resurfacing increase to a record $160 million, more than five times the amount being spent when I was first elected in 2011. There are several streets scheduled for repaving in St. Vital, as well as the $45 million modernization of the St. Vital bridge connecting Dunkirk Drive and Osborne Street; with most of the work taking place in 2023-24.• The city continues to increase its support for fire, police and ambulance services, though the annual increase for police is not as high as levels recorded prior to Mayor Bowman’s election. Transit service is being maintained at a level about 6 per cent lower than pre-COVID-19 service levels, owing to the drop in ridership during the pandemic. Once the pandemic is finally behind us, I look forward to an expanded role for Transit, and the city is planning a major purchase of electric buses in the next few years.• I am very proud of a breakthrough in sewer funding, which I championed. The city’s efforts to reduce sewage spills into the rivers have been funded at $30 million per year for some years. I was pleased to win a $15 million per year increase for four years, a new $60 million environmental expenditure to improve the health of our rivers (and eventually Lake Winnipeg). There are still many years of work left on combined sewers, but this new funding is a step forward!• The budget also funds a new recreational amenity for St. Vital — a new rubberized basketball court to celebrate Glenlawn Collegiate’s 100th anniversary in 2023. This court will be located on city property at Memorial Park, next to the school. The city funded a similar court at Dakota Collegiate in 2017, so I am pleased to “even the score” in the decades-old Dakota/Glenlawn rivalry.• One project from last year’s budget has not yet broken ground is the new $2 million staff building/garage at St. Vital Park. This is the latest project of the more than $5 million invested in St. Vital Park over the past 10 years. There is federal support for the new building and I look forward to having Dan Vandal, MP for St. Boniface-St. Vital and my old council colleague, there for the groundbreaking.

In December 2021, I voted in support of the City of  Winnipeg’s capital and operating budgets for 2022. 

Here are some of highlights that will affect the city as a whole, as well as St. Vital:

• The budget maintains property tax increases at 2.3 per cent, the eighth straight year at this level. Funds for road resurfacing increase to a record $160 million, more than five times the amount being spent when I was first elected in 2011. There are several streets scheduled for repaving in St. Vital, as well as the $45 million modernization of the St. Vital bridge connecting Dunkirk Drive and Osborne Street; with most of the work taking place in 2023-24.

Helping St. George School serve its community

During my first two terms as a city councillor, there were no St. Vital ward-funded announcements for St George School a kindergarten to Grade 8 school in the St. George area of the St. Vital ward.

 This term we have been making up for lost time with three projects. In early November, I joined Louis Riel School Division trustees Chris Sigurdson and Robert Page to celebrate the new community kitchen facility at the school.

St. George School is a very culturally diverse school with students from over 38 different countries. Many of these students are from economically challenged backgrounds and reside east of St Anne’s Road, in a part of St. Vital that has been identified as having the lowest median incomes in the city outside of the core area. Part of the school administration’s mandate has been to connect these students and their families to the school through its family centre and community kitchen.

In 2018, I was pleased to contribute funding for anew hydrology table, which St. George School uses to educate its students about the Seine River eco-system and about waterways in general. In spring 2021, I provided $10,000 in funding to upgrade the crumbling outdoor basketball court at St. George — where I was again joined by trustee Sigurdson, my former Hastings School and Dakota Collegiate basketball teammate.

Working to preserve our tree canopy

As I approach the 10th anniversary of my election to city council, I am struck by the evolution in thinking on certain items which periodically come before council. One of these subjects is the importance of protecting Winnipeg’s tree canopy.  

When I was first elected, there was considerable pressure to sell off city green spaces. Recent debates now highlight council’s desire to protect and enhance our tree canopy.

Mayor Bowman deserves credit for starting up the Million Tree Challenge and my colleague, Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) has, for many years, been a leader in fighting for greater budget allocations to protect the city’s trees.

I am proud of the financing I have provided over the years to support tree planting initiatives in St. Vital. In 2015, Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) and I arranged funding to deal with the Schubert chokecherry scourge that affected large parts of River Park South.

Tunnel mural rooted in reconciliation

I want to take a moment to celebrate a project my office funded in conjunction with Take Pride Winnipeg - the creation of a 120-foot-long mural (two-sided) spanning the length of the pedestrian tunnel which connects the YMCA, Glenlawn Collegiate and the St. Vital Library.

This mural, which not only beautifies the tunnel, also pays tribute to the area’s Indigenous history and is a step on the path towards reconciliation.  

Take Pride Winnipeg’s press release said “the artwork features many larger-than-life species and plants found in Manitoba, that are used as medicines by Indigenous healers.”  

The lead artists were Jeannie Whitebird and Mandy van Leeuwen and the project also involved many young artists from Glenlawn Collegiate, who provided both artwork and poems that now grace the walls of the tunnel.  

Plenty happened in St. Vital during pandemic

As the city re-opens after the COVID-19 pandemic, I wanted to showcase some of the highlights for the St. Vital ward.

This summer, there have been launches of major recreation projects - the $230,000 tennis and pickleball courts in Sage Creek, and the new baseball diamond at Highbury Park in South St. Vital, which was a joint $150,000 project with Coun. Markus Chambers (Seine River) and the Bonivital Minor Baseball Association.

August saw the dedication of the new mural on the walls of the pedestrian tunnel under Fermor, between the St. Vital Library and the YMCA and Glenlawn Collegiate. Last year, I was proud to announce a $300,000 city-funded modernization of the tunnel and this year I used $10,000 in ward funds to partner with Take Pride Winnipeg’s $6,000 contribution for a mural, which celebrates Indigenous themes. This tunnel’s transformation involved several of Glenlawn’s painters and poets.

On Aug. 28, my office is sponsoring a series of six afternoon Curbside Concerts in the Royalwood area, spread across three different venues.

Returning to a public/private Transit Plus model

The City of Winnipeg funds the Transit Plus service for transit users with mobility challenges. At present, it is delivered entirely by private contractors.  

In July, a committee of city council considered my motion from 2019 to bring 30 per cent of Transit Plus (formerly Handi Transit) services back “in house” - meaning the services would be delivered directly by the city rather than contracted out to private operators.  

The city used to deliver 30 per cent of these services itself, so the idea of a model that mixes both public and private operators has been successfully used in the past. My motion has been referred to budget deliberations later this year and I am hoping that council will give a green light to the idea this fall so that the transition to a public/private model can get underway.There are three main problems with the current Transit Plus arrangements:

1. Complaints from Transit Plus users about the quality of these services;

Wellness grants help combat COVID-19 blues

The civic level of government can sometimes seem slow-moving and mired in red tape. However, we have an initiative this winter that was been developed quickly and is getting money out the door to assist with “mental, physical and spiritual wellness” during this depressing winter quarantine.

Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) created the Winnipeg Wellness grant program through which each ward councillor has $40,000 to spend this winter. Applications close Feb. 28, and the money must be spent by April 30.

This is a short-term program that City staff have jumped to implement.  

I have been pleased to announce several grants to date:

What’s up with the St. Vital Bridge ‘pipeline’?

A recent email to my office asked “why is there a pipeline going across St. Vital Bridge” from Dunkirk Drive to Osborne Street?”

The question is actually a pretty good summary of the situation, which has persisted for over a year with the sidewalk on the east side of the bridge being closed due to sewer pipe repairs.  I can provide some background prepared by City of Winnipeg water and waste staff:

• The existing Baltimore force main crossing is a 500 mm diameter steel pipe crossing the Red River along the St. Vital Bridge. The pipe is approximately 200 metres long, suspended on the underside of the east bridge structure. Built in 1988, it conveys wastewater from the combined sewer district on the north side of the Red River along Churchill Drive into the Mager sewer district on Kingston Row on the south side.

• In mid-2018 the force main began to leak and was repaired. After the original repairs, the force main experienced additional leaks, requiring emergency repair.

Norberry-Glenlee opens accessible play structure

On Thanksgiving Saturday — Oct. 10 — a small group of St. Vital community members and elected officials gathered to “give thanks” and to unofficially open the new Norberry-Glenlee Community Centre accessible play structure at the NGCC main campus on Molgat Avenue.

This project included $320,000 for a new play park and $45,000 for a handicapped parking area. The NGCC reports that the “base is a poured-in rubber compound that is great for wheelchairs, walkers and people with walking difficulties” and that the structure “includes many tactile and sound/music stations and many visual features for those with sight issues”.  

The real heroes of the story are the NGCC board members who have pursued this project for almost four years, led by the unstoppable duo of executive assistant Carmelle Remillard and president Sean Fedorowich.

Funding for the project came from many sources — $100,000 from the City of Winnipeg, $100,000 from the federal government, $75,000 from the Province of Manitoba, $11,000 from local donors and businesses, $10,000 from Riverside Lions, $10,000 from Manitoba Tire Stewardship and $59,000 from the community centre.