John Orlikow

More funding to grow, protect tree canopy

We know that trees create greener, more vibrant neighbourhoods. Prioritizing investments in our tree canopy and supporting passionate community members who understand where the most help is needed makes the benefits of our trees accessible to more Winnipeggers.

Six ways to soak in summer

After such a challenging Winnipeg winter, summertime is a great season for us to get outdoors and enjoy our neighbourhoods. Gardens are blooming, people out in their yards, houses are being renovated and new local coffee shops and restaurants make great destinations.

Making Wellington Crescent even more beautiful

Wellington Crescent is arguably one of the most popular routes in our city — and I am so proud it brings Winnipeggers from all corners to River Heights-Fort Garry.

From the stunning homes to the towering trees to the well-worn curves of the road and path, there is history in around every turn.

From those exploring on foot for the first time, community members who make it a part of their daily bike ride or finding a quiet spot along to enjoy a conversation with a loved one or read a good book, it’s beautiful way to get outside, stay active and appreciate a historic part of our neighbourhood.

Already beloved, I was pleased to help make it even more attractive through supporting a Winnipeg Wildflower Project initiative along the crescent this year.

Outcroppings: Our newest public art

Have you noticed the new illuminating public art south of the Waverley underpass, along the active transportation path?

Outcroppings is an installation by Jyhling Lee, a local artist committed to socially enabling the role of public art and design in placemaking within the built environment.

With her regional and national experience, Lee was inspired by the region’s geologic and cultural history to create these seven, large, powder-coated aluminum projective sculptural forms that range in height from five to 10 feet and a span of 165 feet as an acknowledgment of the mineral abundance and heritage of this land.

As she shares on the Winnipeg Art Council website, the art is, “to be experienced as a discovery emerging from the land, elemental in geometry and shaped like mythical Ordovician clams. The sculpture suggests outcroppings of a new type of mineral inspired by the ancient fossil impressions we see in locally-sourced Tyndall stone today. This land, like the people who have travelled and lived on it, has experienced diversity in its people and foundation.”

City develops $90 million recovery program

Winnipeggers have done an excellent job working together so we could all best manage our way through the COVID-19 pandemic. It was not easy but now is the time to look forward as more and more of us are getting vaccinated, allowing restrictions to be loosened or lifted and our day-to-day lives return to more normalcy.

As deputy mayor, I’ve been proudly working with my council colleagues to draft a COVID-19 response and recovery program for Winnipeg.

The proposed program includes $70 million in tax incremental financing (TIF) which we will use as a tool to reduce homelessness and promote economic growth as well as $20 million to invest in our shared spaces throughout Winnipeg.

One of the areas of the city hardest hit by COVID-19 is downtown. A healthy and active downtown is important to all Winnipeggers and it has been seriously affected by office closures, lack of events and lack of people needed to support businesses in the area.

Saving basements and attracting butterflies

I believe that it’s incredibly important to take any opportunity we can take to incorporate improvements to our priceless environment through major civic infrastructure projects in our ward.

Since 2014, I have been proud to advocate for the Cockburn and Calrossie Sewer Relief Project, which has been a shining example of how it’s possible to complete needed upgrades to our key systems while looking beyond the immediate project to find unique ways to protect against climate change and add options for Winnipeggers to get active with friends and family.

This project in particular was needed to help reduce combined sewer overflows from entering local waterways, lowering water treatment costs by preventing rainwater and snow melt from going to the treatment plant and minimizing the risk of property damage due to basement flooding in the neighbourhood.

In River Heights-Fort Garry, changes to the Cockburn West and Calrossie sewer districts were also required to reduce the release of diluted wastewater into local waterways due to overflows. The project had two major components - the complete sewer separation in several areas and the creation of the Parker Storm Retention Basin.

Caring for our trees this summer

The heat wave we continue to experience this season has meant more days spent by the pool and evenings at the beach for Winnipeggers but it has also brought an extreme drought throughout the province.

The City of Winnipeg will be planting 435 trees in the River Heights-Fort Garry ward this year, 300 originally allocated and 135 though a grant I provided through the councillor’s office.

Sadly, the reality of the drought has had dire consequences for our established trees and these new additions to our boulevards and public spaces. If you have a tree you have planted on your private property or if you see one struggling on public grounds, we all have a role to play in keeping our urban trees healthy.

All new trees planted by the City of Winnipeg receive five to six watering cycles over the planting season depending on soil moisture levels. But you can help by watering new trees in your neighbourhood during this extended dry period if you notice the soil infiltration rate isn’t adequate.A few tips to keep in mind are: • If the soil below the wood chips is very dry, pour two to three pails of water slowly around the outer part of the wood chip mulch;• Allow the soil to dry somewhat between applications. Do not overwater the tree;• The proper amount of wood chips has been provided around the base of the tree. Do not add to, remove, or modify the wood chips;• Do not pile wood chips against the trunk of the tree. The stem of the tree needs to be open to the air to allow for air exchange;• Do not remove the weeping tile placed around the trunk of the tree. Weeping tile protects the tree from grass cutting damage and animal feeding.

Restoring our tree canopy

Even with the need for our collective focus to be on COVID-19, we know that climate change continues to be yet another crisis we must tackle together. While we hear about the impacts of climate change all over the world, many in River Heights-Fort Garry need not go any further than their boulevards to see it.

Year after year, cottony ash psyllid, Dutch elm disease, or general mortality forces the City of Winnipeg urban forestry branch to remove hundreds of trees from our neighbourhood streets. The affect on our tree canopy is significant and while the branch works as quickly as possible to replant these trees, at the rate we must remove them it’s challenging to replace them in a timely way.

Because of this, and many other impacts, there has never been a more important time to invest in our environment.

With this in mind, I was proud to work to ensure a grant of $200,000 over the next two years from the land dedication reserve fund will be used to replace approximately 270 trees on boulevards in River Heights neighbourhoods of the River Heights-Fort Garry Ward in 2021 and 2022.

Simple light, big difference

Protecting our families and our properties has always been of the utmost importance in River Heights-Fort Garry.

Over the years, I’ve been proud to support a variety of community-led initiatives with the goal of educating residents on how to best ensure their homes, yards and vehicles are as safe as possible.

And we have seen amazing work done in the community, by the community for the community.

From increased communication in the neighbourhood on Facebook groups, to block parties (when it was safe to gather together) to get to know our neighbours, to the River Heights Patrol and Vehicle and Theft Prevention Program with yellow reminder cards on our dashboards, our volunteers and community members should be commended as all these activities work to make our area less attractive as a target for crime.

Your tree canopy, priorities for future

I know you care deeply about Winnipeg’s tree canopy and its future, just as I do. I have seen first-hand how many passionate Winnipeggers there are who understand the importance of trees to the safety of our climate and the countless benefits they add to our communities.

In order to secure a long-term future for our city the City of Winnipeg is hard at work developing an urban forest strategy. To ensure we are effectively planning for the challenges that the current canopy faces from disease and climate change.

Survey results from Phase 1 of the City of Winnipeg’s public engagement initiative on the strategy were just released. You can read the full report at winnipeg.ca/urbanforest

Over 1,700 residents, including a large number from our ward, took the opportunity to have their voices heard between October and December 2020 by responding to survey questions, in addition to participating in online presentations, self-guided walking tours and discussion forums.

First Winnipeg Wellness grants announced

As I told you back in December, I’m so proud that city council has made Winnipeg Wellness grants available to ensure that we are all able to support one another during this challenging time of change, isolation and heightened stress for so many.

Approved as part of the 2021 budget, the $600,000 Winnipeg Wellness grant will provide funding of up to $40,000 per ward to support community-driven ideas that promote community mental health initiatives.

I am thrilled at the interest and creativity we have already seen in the applications that have been submitted. I’m also happy to say that three applications have already been approved. They include:

• $2,000 for the Fort Garry Women’s Resource Centre’s community fun nights - FGWRC is a non-profit organization that supports women in engaging in healthy choices for themselves and their families. They applied for a grant with the goal of offering a free virtual bingo event to women, and a free paint night to women and their families. Dads are welcome to attend the paint nights with their children. They will be using their grant funding to purchase and deliver supplies for paint nights and to have a facilitator lead the session online.

Delivering results in the 2021 balanced budget

I was elected to deliver results to the residents of the River Heights/Fort Garry Ward and I’m honoured to serve all Winnipeggers as deputy mayor.

I’m proud to say that the 2021 preliminary budget that was adopted on Dec. 16 means I’m able to do both, as it provides additional funds to protect and enhance our tree canopy, record investments in community safety and to fix our roads, while adding millions to recreation facilities in our ward.

• Trees — Our successful advocacy resulted in an additional $3 million of operating funding to the $37 million budgeted, for a total of $40 million over the next three years. Directing ward funds to replanting trees is having a positive impact on protecting and enhancing our tree canopy.

We all know that trees are a big part of what makes Winnipeg beautiful and they contribute to the character of our community. Working together and continued investment in trees will make sure our urban forest is here today and for generations to come.

Shop local, help businesses survive, thrive

Here in River Heights-Fort Garry, we are so lucky to have such a wide range of vibrant businesses and services right outside our doorsteps — and they need our help now.

While many of them have had to close due to COVID-19 health orders, many local stores offer online shopping-and-delivery options. Many are just a phone call away and can help you with a personal service and touch.

Over the years, my team and I, both at the office and at home, have always made it a priority to visit and support area shops. From picking up groceries and gifts to sitting down over a coffee to discuss our latest projects with residents at the local spot or restaurant, to dropping my daughters off at lessons, I’m so proud of the range of offerings available to our community and our city.

As a member of the Academy BIZ board of directors, I get to see and hear firsthand the love and dedication our local businesses have in providing us with the things we need — and now it’s our turn.

Setting the path to protect our tree canopy

Our urban forest matters deeply to me and I know it does to many of you, too.

Our trees are crucial to fighting climate change and protecting our collective future. They have defined our neighbourhoods for decades and they contribute to making our houses and streets truly homes and communities.

Over the years, in speaking and listening to you, I have heard so many good ideas on how we can best tackle this challenge our trees are facing. I am so proud of the strides we have made together — creating working groups, programming and funding opportunities that have made a difference.

To ensure we continue down this path, taking all the lessons we have learned in River Heights-Fort Garry and including all of your voices and thoughts on this important topic, we’re asking that you take the time to participate in developing a city-wide plan for our tree canopy.

Making it easier to protect our tree canopy

Part of my new role as deputy mayor is supporting a cause that has been important to me and many of you for decades — protecting and growing our tree canopy.

It’s our love of trees and what they do for us, from creating a sense of place and community to the significant impact they make on our collective battle against climate change, that inspired the launch of the Million Tree Challenge last year.

The challenge to us all is this — to plant a million new trees as our city’s population grows toward one million residents over the next 20 years.

We know this is ambitious but as someone who has been dedicated to fighting the invasive and devastating forestry diseases over the last decade while working for you as your city councillor, I’ve seen the passion about this cause in our neighbourhoods.

Building our future, honouring our past

Community — including how and where we gather  — has never been more important than it is today.

Civic hubs in our neighbourhoods, such as pools and libraries, have always served Winnipeggers and will continue to do so as we continue to navigate the unknown that comes with a global pandemic.

With new protocols to keep visitors and staff safe, we’ve continued to push ahead where we can with building new projects. 

Despite the recent restrictions in place due to COVID-19, construction on the 14,000-square-foot Bill and Helen Norrie Library has safely continued on schedule and on budget. We are still estimating opening the doors to this state-of-the-art facility in late 2020 or early 2021 as part of the Grant Park recreation campus plan.

Keep cool and stay safe this summer

We have all needed to reimagine what our summer fun would look like this year. But thanks to our care for one another and diligence in following public health guidelines, we are all still able to soak up the sun and cool off in our favourite ways — with a few changes and a little planning.

Our public pools and facilities continue to be a crucial community resource and are even more of a reprieve this summer. You may have heard that some facilities will require pre-booking this year and some do not — I wanted to make sure you know what’s available and how you can take part.

If you’re looking to safely jump into a pool, you’ll need to pre-register for a two-hour slot in advance this year.

Simply check for available blocks at leisureONLINE, reserve a time that works for you, pay for your admission fees and you’ll be ready to relax. New slots are added every Thursday so you plan your week.

Transitway art inspires

While we’re all especially grateful for warm weather and sunshine this year, I’ve been looking forward to spring 2020 since well before COVID-19 became our reality for an entirely different reason — I knew that Phase 2 of the Southwest Transitway would be up and running.

Opened April 12, Phase 2 of the new Blue Line now connects downtown all the way out to the University of Manitoba. Whether you bike, walk or roll, you can experience the active transportation route and public art that runs alongside the entire rapid transit line.

Featuring dedicated bridges over McGillivray Boulevard and Pembina Highway, transitway stations are connected to walk/bike pathways and have bike lockers available. All Blue Line buses are equipped with bike racks and lockers, so you can ride and bike.

To keep our roads safe for everyone who uses them, traffic signals were installed along the corridor at important transitway intersections. These “fully actuated” traffic signals detect vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists approaching the intersection and the lights are triggered to change. At all other times, the lights are set to provide green signals to vehicles on the surrounding streets. The City’s Traffic Management Centre will monitor transitway intersections to evaluate their impact on all road users on an ongoing basis and adjust the traffic signal timing based on observations and feedback.