Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - April 13, 2005, Winnipeg, Manitoba The free press surveyed All eight candidates running in tomorrows thursday april 14 by election to fill St. Norbertus vacant Council seat. The responses have been printed two per Day. Today is the final Day. 1. The City is facing at least a $ 16 million shortfall next year Money from the new Deal has been slow in coming and theress a $ 2 billion infrastructure deficit. How would you balance the City s budget next year Justin Swan Del the current mayor has said he can balance the budget by finding efficiencies in current operations and by seeking out new Revenue sources. I will work with the mayor and other councillors to hold the line on property taxes. This City is far too reliant on property tax and we cannot go to that Well again and again. New revenues from other Levels of government must be confirmed and dedicated to infrastructure. My budget priorities would include increased fire paramedic and police funding. We have watched these critical areas try to operate with strained budgets for far too Long. Catriona younger i would ask the City finance department for an analysis of the options it sees for covering the projected budget shortfall including the following specifics. Limit senior staff compensation to same Levels As the province. Turn the City property tax assessment department Over to the province. Seek provincial support to Stop Lake Winnipeg pollution. Defer planned cuts in business taxes 2. What kind of suburb would you like to see built in Waverley West Justin Swan Del we must be out in front of any development to make sure that issues like transportation schools and Community centres Are addressed. I would like to see a linear Parkway along existing drainage Coulee instead of retention Ponds. Any development must provide immediate solutions to transportation issues. We must Start with twinning Waverley South of Bison drive and we must get All three Levels of government working immediately on the Extension of route 90. Catriona younger none. Turning 3,000 acres of Green Fields into a housing development without seriously looking at other alternatives is not sustainable development. The City of Winnipeg residential land Supply study which was released in october 2004, identifies sufficient Greenfield acreage within existing neighbourhood policy areas for up to 20,000 More lots without the Waverley West proposal. 3. Mayor Sam Katz says he is committed to some form of rapid transit and a task Force is now pondering options. What is your vision for the Cit yes transit system Justin Swan Del whatever system we ultimately decide on for rapid transit must serve our University students and seniors. If our students have Access to fast convenient transit with warm comfortable stations they will become mass transit users for life. The work i did on the original rapid transit plan tells me that the Best fit for this City is bus rapid transit. This must be done with new corridors and not with Patchwork options like Diamond lanes on Pembina Highway. Any option must include infrastructure for cyclists. Catriona younger the bus rapid transit Brt plan for Winnipeg was excellent. Council should renegotiate the financial commitment made by All three Levels of government and look at implementation of the already Well researched Brt plan. Our Cit yes transit plan should emphasize walking cycling bus ridership and cars in that order of importance. 4. What Are the challenges if any facing Community centres in St. Norbert and what would you do to address those Justin Swan Del the biggest concern for residents in the Ward and the South end in general is getting an indoor soccer facility built right now. We have had a lot of talk about it and everyone agrees there is a need. In addition the Public use facilities study has identified Margaret Grant Pool As surplus. The report is a very mechanical document and does not consider the social dynamics and Impact on our families. This Pool is used by Many seniors for Aqua Cise and it is also surrounded by a great Deal of Manitoba housing providing much needed recreation. Moving a facility like this would greatly affect accessibility. Catriona younger having spoken to three of four Community Centre representatives the major Challenge is getting and keeping volunteers. Id offer our Board members targeted workshops to enhance their Volunteer management skills. Lack of support for new initiatives especially relating to an indoor soccer facility was expressed. Id secure the financial guarantees to allow the construction of a sustainable South end indoor soccer Complex. Infrastructure maintenance could be addressed by developing More realistic sweat equity contracts. W Winnipeg f ree p Pressw wednesday pril 13, 2005 City / District b3 Fargo grand Forks & More destinations Mobile clinics april 13 Morden april 14 Warren april 18 Glenboro april 18 St. Timothy Parish april 19 Selkirk april 19 Vincent Massey High school Brandon april 20 Miles Mac collegiate 1 888 2 donate 1 888 236 6283 for appointments or clinic information Call toll free every wednesday the Winnipeg free press in co operation with Canadian blood services publishes the current blood Levels and blood donor clinic information. Winnipeg blood Supply units 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 of a Bab o a b a patient needs current Supply As of monday april 11, 2005 in 2004, 31 Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario blood donors reached the 50 donation level. 25 made their 75th donation 10 reached the 100 donation level and one donor achieved 150 donations. Congratulations and thank you violence & abuse prevention by Josiah Thiessen drive in moviegoers should learn the Fate of Winnipeg Gas last outdoor screen this week. Cine Lex Galaxy cinemas has promised to announce within a Day or two whether the Gates to the Odeon drive in will open again for another summer or remain closed. Last Spring 40 years after the theatres opening a grassroots Campaign that produced a petition bearing More than 11,000 signatures in support of keeping the drive in theatre open convinced the company to show another season of films. But once the initial excitement had subsided a Rainy summer contributed to another season of Low attendance. Pat Marshall vice president of Cine Lex Galaxy cinemas which owns the drive in said that though attendance was up from the previous summer it was still lower than the summer before that. The heading Ley theatre has room for 1,000 cars. Ron fast president of the heading Ley chamber of Commerce said he does not know of any efforts being made this Spring to ensure the theatres continuation. By Kevin Rollason Horst Angeleas Felt doubly Lucky when both he and his wife were separately drawn As winners of a Florida and Caribbean trip in a contest held at the recent Winnipeg health and wellness expo. But when Angeleas was asked for his visa number and the cards expiry Date to pay for incidentals which added up to a third of the nearly $ 2,900 Cost of the entire trip and the caller give him a phone number he could Call Back on he Hung up. If its legit Why not just give us the information Angeleas said yesterday. And when he said of i need your visa card expiry Date and number a thatus when the red flags went up Why would i give my visa number Over the phone it made me suspicious. Angeleas said before he Hung up the caller also said airfare was not included but other things were part of the trip including accommodations a rental car for a week and a two night cruise to the Bahamas. Gloria Desorcy executive director of the Manitoba Branch of the Consumers association of Canada said Angeleas did the right thing. I know people who have gone on these types of trips and they have been Able to Call Back Desorcy said. Dont give your credit card number. Put the phone Down and Call them in two Days once you have verified who they Are. Rick Thiessen who owns the Winnipeg health and wellness expo and is currently running for City Council in St. Norbert said he wont invite the company Back to next years show. Thiessen said he does not believe the company in charge of the promotion is doing anything illegal but he knows Many people who filled out the ballot at the expo did not expect to receive the hard sell phone Call. A person at fam marketing who said he was the sales manager but give his name said the form people filled out for the vacation getaways promotion spelled out in detail they were giving his company permission to Call them. If you want to take it you can and if you dont you can decline he said. Kevin. Rollason free press. My. Ca the Fate of the Odeon drive in is expected to be determined this week. The c Ivic b selection s t. N Orbert bus rapid transit is supported by candidates differing views offered on Waverley West Justin Swan Del Catriona younger Phil Hossack / Winnipeg free press archives decision on drive in expected this week fishy Call alarms trip winners credit card request raises the red flags ;