Summer in the City, Westlands Greenway updates

Notre Dame

Notre Dame constituents regularly prioritize three main issues of concern when I go door-to-door to meet with them: cleanliness, safety and free/low-cost recreational opportunities. Projects like Summer in the City and the Westlands Greenway Proposal are part of my current work as MLA to deliver free recreational opportunities for our community.

Notre Dame experienced a wave of youth property crime last summer in the Daniel McIntyre and Weston area. Together with area school principals, superintendents, leaders from Boys and Girls Club and Rossbrook House, we came up with a plan inspired by former educator Strini Reddy and inner-city community activist, Sel Burrows for free summer recreational opportunities in the afternoon and evenings for kids and youth, from 10 years old to high school age.

We surveyed youth to ask them what activities they would like to do. They responded that they would like to do lots of sports activities, cultural programming (art) and have a lounge space to just spend time with one another. On top of this, educational leaders shared the importance of having healthy meals, mentoring opportunities and homework help.

Armed with all this feedback and with funding of $140,000 from the NDP government, we created Summer in the City for kids and youth in Notre Dame. We held Summer in the City for the first time this summer at General Wolfe School (Banning Street), Prairie Keewatin School (Elgin Avenue West) and provided food for kids attending the Evermore summer camp on Ellice. Together, Summer in the City kids went on outings to Flying Squirrel, Uptown Alley and watch the Sea Bears play basketball. I want to thank the leadership at One Voice, One Team, who ran Summer in the City for Notre Dame constituency for their outstanding care and commitment to our community’s children. I also want to thank the INC church for their food donations to Evermore kids.

Dr. Lloyd Axworthy was tasked with leading the Winnipeg Rail Relocation Study and will be presenting his recommendations to the province this fall. Dr. Axworthy is considering Notre Dame constituency’s Westlands Greenway proposal that we have been working on with Winnipeg Trails since 2021. Dr. Axworthy has met with CN Rail, Weston Brooklands Residents Association, North and South Valour Residents Association and Valour Community Centre (Clifton) regarding our Westlands Greenway Proposal.

For more information on Summer in the City, the Westlands Greenway Project or to raise any questions or concerns, please contact the Notre Dame Constituency Office at 204 788-0800 or by email at Malaya.Marcelino@YourManitoba.ca

To report illegal dumping and other property-related concerns, please contact text Notre Dame Powerline anonymously at 204-588-7111.

I look forward to hearing from you and working together to make our neighborhood clean and safe.