Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - March 21, 2024, Winnipeg, Manitoba NOTICE OF DIRECTOR ELECTIONS ELECTRONIC VOTING AND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (the “AGM”) MEMBERS OF ACCESS CREDIT UNION LIMITED (the “Credit Union”) TO: ALL MEMBERS OF THE CREDIT UNION VOTING FOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS TAKE NOTICE THAT voting for the Board of Directors is open to all members who have a share at any Credit Union branch. Voting will be done by electronic ballot and will be tallied electronically by a third party provider. Voting will be open from 9:00 am CDT on Monday, the 8th day of April, 2024 until 5:00 pm CDT on Friday, the 12th of April, 2024. Members of the Credit Union are invited to vote online at www.accessvotes. ca. Each member may vote on a personal electronic device or should any member prefer, devices for the purpose of voting will be available at all branches of the Credit Union during operating hours. VOTING FOR BYLAW CHANGES TAKE FURTHER NOTICE THAT Voting will take place during the AGM held on the 16th day of April, 2024 to consider the approval of the amendment of the Credit Union’s Bylaws. Instructions on registration, authentication, voting process, and technical support are available on our corporate website at www. accesscu.ca/AGM. Immediately preceding the meeting opening, and at the beginning of the meeting, members will be given instructions on how to ask questions during the meeting. SUMMARY OF PROPOSED BYLAW CHANGES The proposed Bylaw changes align the document with Credit Union Central of Manitoba’s model and includes several amendments, a summary of which can be viewed at www.accesscu.ca/AGM. The proposed amended and restated by-laws are available on request. At the meeting, a presentation will be made explaining the changes and their purpose. Members will have the opportunity to ask questions during the presentation, although not all questions may be answered if there is insufficient time. The Members will be asked to vote on the following motion: to approve the amended and restated by-laws as presented to the Members. Each member may vote on a personal electronic device. Voting will end during the AGM and results will be shared. RIGHT OF DISSENT TAKE FURTHER NOTICE THAT, under the provisions of Section 127 of The Credit Unions and Caisses Populaires Act, you have the right to dissent to the proposed amendment. If you wish to dissent, you must send a written objection to the amendment to the Credit Union at or before the meeting of Members referred to in this Notice. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The AGM of the members of the Credit Union will be held on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. CDT via virtual means, for the following purposes: 1. 2023 Audited Financial Statements and Auditor’s Report 2. Board of Directors Report 3. Appointment of Auditors 4. Announcement of Member Rewards 5. Director Elections Voting Results 6. Bylaw Changes Voting and Results All eligible members wishing to participate in the AGM are required to register online at www.accesscu. ca prior to April 16, 2024 at 4:00 P.M. CDT. Instructions for voting processes and how to ask questions will be displayed on the screen commencing at 6:45 p.m. CDT. These instructions will also be reviewed at the opening of the meeting. More information can be found at: www.accesscu.ca. DATED this 21st day of March, 2024 ACCESS CREDIT UNION LIMITED By Order of the Board of Directors THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024 A4 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM NEWS I TOP NEWS Winds of change blowing through Portage and Main T HE most disappointing aspect about the 2018 plebiscite on reopening Portage and Main to pedestrian traffic was the extent to which suburban Winnipeggers — many of whom have only a casual connec- tion to the iconic intersection — got to determine its fate. Sixty-five per cent of all those who participated in the plebiscite (in an election with historically low turn- out), voted to keep pedestrians out of the intersection. Post-plebiscite analysis showed that the ‘no’ vote was overwhelmingly driven by voters in suburban areas; the closer one lived to downtown and Portage and Main, the stronger the support for reopening it. It is that kind of analysis that made Mayor Scott Gillingham’s recent pledge to take down the barricades at Portage and Main so odd and potential- ly risky. Why would Gillingham, who received such strong support in subur- ban wards, want to poke his supporters in the eye and bring up one of the most divisive issues in the city? Perhaps the mayor knew something we didn’t know. A Free Press-Probe Research poll re- vealed that six in 10 Winnipeggers now support reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians. More than one-third (34 per cent) expressed strong support. More impressively, one-quarter of all those who voted ‘no’ in the 2018 plebi- scite have changed their minds. That’s almost a reversal of the pleb- iscite voting trends. To what can we attribute this shift? It’s tough not to give Gillingham most of the credit for changing some minds by making a simple yet compel- ling case to reopen the intersection. On March 2 without much warning, Gillingham announced that based on new cost estimates to repair the city-owned underground concourse that connects the four major commer- cial properties at the intersection, he would seek to return pedestrians to the intersection. The roof of the concourse is leaking and must be replaced. The work is estimated to cost at least $70 million and would disrupt traffic for up to five years. However, re-enforcing and clos- ing the concourse, on the other hand, would cost about $50 million — and the city would be off the hook for $1 million a year in operating costs. Thus, the mayor landed on a close- the-concourse/remove-the-pedestrian barriers solution based on the idea that if you could no longer go underground, you have to give people the option of crossing the intersection above ground. Gillingham also used the opportu- nity to amplify other incontrovertible facts about Portage and Main that were lost in the hyperbole of the plebiscite debate: it is neither the largest, nor the busiest, intersection downtown and that reintroducing pedestrians would have little or no effect on traffic flow. The mayor was able to provide information that had been missing from the 2018 debate, while amplifying important facts that never took hold. ‘Yes’ supporters loudly warned city council that it was asking citizens to vote on the intersection without having all the information about the cost of repairing the concourse and replacing the current pedestrian barriers, which are crumbling. Once Gillingham injected numbers into the debate, opinion began to shift. The Free Press-Probe poll was in the field talking to respondents from March 5 to 18, just as Portage and Main dominated the news cycle. That bit of good timing seems to have had a profound effect not just on the opinions Winnipeggers have about reopening the intersection, but the extent to which they now understand the issue. A remarkable 87 per cent of respon- dents said they were aware Portage and Main was back in the news. Only seven per cent of respondents said they hadn’t heard about the recent developments. It should be noted that although Gillingham’s initial argument was a masterpiece of simplicity, the path to reopening the intersection has grown a bit more complex. Gillingham initially indicated he had the support of the four principal commercial properties at the inter- section that are connected via the underground concourse. That changed on March 15 when councillors received a letter from the Building Owners and Managers Association of Manitoba, acting on behalf of those property owners, protesting against the closure of the concourse. In short, they want the intersec- tion reopened to pedestrians and the underground concourse to be fully functional. The mayor didn’t initially offer that option, and thus it wasn’t considered by most of the Probe survey respondents. Will this development change minds back to the ‘no’ side? It’s unclear, as are the strategies the mayor might use to meet some of the expectations of property owners while still making his plan to reopen the intersection a reality. It still feels more likely than not that the intersection will open to foot traffic again, even if the path to that outcome has become rockier in recent days. What is most gratifying is that the poll shows Winnipeggers are more en- gaged and more knowledgeable about the issue. Regardless of whether you’re underground or above ground, that is a good place to be. dan.lett@winnipegfreepress.com The Free Press-Probe Research poll suggests 28 per cent of those who voted “no” are now strongly or somewhat in support. “We have seen a pretty significant chunk of sub- urban Winnipeggers think this is the right thing to do, given the cost and the support (on council),” said Probe Research principal Curtis Brown. “There hasn’t been as much vocal opposition com- pared to six years ago.” Support outpaced opposition in four of five areas of the city. The strongest support is in the city’s core (72 per cent in favour), followed by the southwest (61 per cent), northwest (60 per cent) and southeast (58 per cent). Northeast Winnipeg had the highest propor- tion of opposition (53 per cent). Potential traffic impacts and negative attitudes toward downtown were probable factors, said North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty. The finance committee chair said he is open to al- lowing pedestrians only at off-peak times. He said a full reopening should be trialled for 12-18 months — to assess traffic pattern changes and economic impacts — before a final decision is made. A 2017 study by a consulting firm suggested a few minutes would be added to most commutes. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed work and commuting patterns for some Winnipeg- gers, the mayor has said. Browaty said council shouldn’t consider closing the underground concourse until it sees a complete study. He fears property and rental values could decline if the concourse is closed. At a March 12 executive policy committee meet- ing, Browaty was the lone member to vote against a motion to reopen Portage and Main to pedes- trians by July 1, 2025, and proceed with an eventu- al concourse closure in consultation with affected businesses and property owners. Council is scheduled to vote today. “It seems like the mayor has the votes for it,” said Brown. “No matter what happens, there defin- itely will be people who are not happy.” Gillingham believes the motion has enough sup- port, but he is not expecting a unanimous vote. If approved, an external engineering study will help to determine the design and cost of a pedes- trian-friendly intersection. The vote is taking place less than three weeks after Gillingham announced he is now in favour of reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians. The U-turn was prompted by a report from the city’s acting urban planning manager, who said it could cost $73 million and disrupt traffic for up to five years to replace a leaking membrane under the concrete that protects the concourse. “I could see why that could sway people’s deci- sion,” said Coun. Vivian Santos, who supports ped- estrian access to the intersection, which is in her Point Douglas ward. Decommissioning the concourse, meanwhile, could cost between $20 million and $50 million, subject to further study. Gillingham has said it costs the city about $1 million annually to operate and maintain the concourse. The Building Owners and Managers Associ- ation of Manitoba has spoken out against the pro- posed closure, describing it as “short-sighted” and “based on incomplete information.” The city said about 72,000 vehicles pass through Portage and Main on a weekday, which is 10 per cent less than in 2016. It is Winnipeg’s sixth busiest intersection. Last year, a study counted more than 2,100 ped- estrians in the underground circus during a two- hour period at midday on a weekday. More than 1,500 people walked by the intersection on adja- cent sidewalks during counts in mid-January. Probe Research said its survey comprised a ran- dom and representative sampling of Winnipeggers. Live operators, an automated phone system and an online panel were used to recruit respondents. The polling firm said the survey has a margin of error of four percentage points, 95 per cent of the time. Margins of error are higher within sub-groups, such as gender, age and education. chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca POLL ● FROM A1 DAN LETT OPINION Minister asks why Smyth went public with child-welfare concerns Heads-up would’ve been nice, Fontaine says of chief F AMILIES Minister Nahanni Fontaine said she wishes Winnipeg’s police chief had con- tacted her before holding a news conference last week to raise alarm about youth in care com- mitting violent crimes. “He could’ve called me,” the minister said in an interview Wednesday. “I would’ve liked to have had a conversation with him first,” said Fontaine, who noted they have each other’s personal cellphone numbers because they’ve worked together for years. “He didn’t necessarily have all of the informa- tion available to him,” Fontaine said in her office. Smyth held a news conference to discuss at- tacks involving underage accused who were liv- ing in group or foster homes, where caregivers don’t have the means to give them a stable life. “The violence that we’re seeing is remarkable,” Smyth said at the time. “They’re wielding ma- chetes and using them almost at what appears to be indiscriminately,” the chief said. Fontaine, the minister in charge of the child welfare system, was in New York at the United Nations last week and not available. During question period Wednesday, the Pro- gressive Conservative critics for families and justice called out Fontaine for being absent and failing to address the issue. Fontaine didn’t respond to their questions but agreed to a media interview in her office. “My concern and my caution is that, when we make blanket statements, that we’re painting all youth with the same brush,” Fontaine said. “I think that there’s some intrinsic harm that can happen in that it certainly does contribute to anti-Indigenous sentiment. At the end of the day, we’re taking about children,” said Fontaine, who was the former NDP government’s special advis- er on Indigenous women’s issues until she was elected in 2016. “We should be very mindful and cautious when we’re attaching a particular narrative to children without all the information,” said the minister. She said that if they were asked about which children are in care, “99.9 per cent” of Mani- tobans would identify them as Indigenous. While there are “pockets” of violent incidents, “the vast majority of kids in care are not in con- flict with the law,” Fontaine said Wednesday. “They’re navigating the system, they’re being cared for. They’re being loved.” After Smyth’s extraordinary news conference, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and the Mani- toba’s children’s advocate on Friday echoed his concerns about the lack of resources and support available to youth in the child welfare system and their caregivers. “I understand chief Smyth’s concern and where he was coming from,” Fontaine said Wednesday. She has not spoken to Smyth about his comments, she said. “We are all on the same page in respect of wanting safe communities.” Premier Wab Kinew told the house Wednesday that a public safety summit has been set for April 30, to bring together organizations and commun- ity groups, to come up with a plan to tackle issues such as those raised by Smyth. He responded to opposition questions put to Fontaine by the Tories, including families critic Lauren Stone. She questioned Fontaine’s commit- ment to the families portfolio and was admon- ished by Speaker Tom Lindsey for calling her the “minister of social media vanity.” “The system has failed these children,” said Stone. “The minister is more concerned about likes on Twitter and shares of her Instagram reels than she is about Manitoba children. (She) needs to understand the job she signed up for is vitally important and she needs to start showing up for it.” PC justice critic Wayne Balcaen said Fontaine “needs to stop the jet-setting and start gov- erning.” He asked Fontaine if she has met with Smyth since returning to Winnipeg. “We cannot allow vulnerable youth to fall through the system like this,” said Balcaen, a for- mer police chief in Brandon. In response, Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said he met with Smyth on Tuesday. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca CAROL SANDERS Tories lift blockade, major legislation left on order paper MANITOBA legislators got back to debating bills Wednesday after two days of the Tories blocking the NDP government’s legislative agenda. The PCs ended delay tactics to prevent the introduction of bills until after a deadline to guar- antee passage by the summer break. More than a dozen government bills were stuck on the order paper owing to the delays, including proposed legislation to ban replacement workers and establish an independent seniors advocate. However, just one bill — a private member’s bill from Kirkfield Park MLA Logan Oxenham — was introduced Wednesday. No government bills were brought forward by the NDP. Bill 208 designates March 31 as the Two-Spirit and Transgender Day of Visibility Act in Mani- toba. It will be a day to acknowledge the histor- ical and global presence of those who challenge traditional views of gender and celebrate their existence, Oxenham told the chamber. “It notes the harmful impact of transphobia, discriminatory laws and lack of access to gender-affirming care,” said Oxenham, the first transgender person elected to the legislature. “It is important to recognize the agency of youth in understanding gender identity and ex- pression and the positive impact that gender-af- firming care has on one’s mental health.” The legislation was to be introduced on Mon- day when members of the LGBTTQ+ community were present in the visitors gallery. Interim opposition leader Wayne Ewasko chid- ed the government for failing to bring forward bills despite having the opportunity Wednesday. “Last week, they had ample time to bring for- ward bills,” Ewasko told reporters. “They complained over the last two days to all of you, the media, that they really, really, really wanted to bring forward some very important legislation and bills. “Today they introduced one private member’s bill. If anyone’s holding up legislation, it’s the government house leader.” The government needed to introduce legislation before Wednesday if the bills were to become law by June 3 when the summer break starts. Major pieces of proposed legislation concern- ing labour laws, cannabis, Manitoba Hydro, ten- ants rights and health care that are still on the or- der paper will likely be carried over into the fall. The Opposition can designate five bills to be held over to October. Ewasko said those deliber- ations are ongoing. Government house leader Nahanni Fontaine said bills will be introduced in due course and the Opposition will not dictate the agenda. “Today, we wanted to focus on MLA Oxenham’s first bill, which I think is such a beautiful thing and meant a lot to him but also meant a lot to the community, and a meant a lot to our caucus.” Fontaine also celebrated Bill 8, The Safe Access to Abortion Services Act, passing second read- ing Wednesday. It would create access zones at clinics and other facilities that provide abortions and ban activities that would persuade someone against abortion, express disapproval or con- tinuously observe people within a minimum 50 metres of a designated site. Larger access zones, up to 150 metres, would be determined through regulations. Health critic Kathleen Cook said the Tories will propose an amendment, if it is called for pub- lic input. She said buffer zones should be estab- lished at all health-care facilities. danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca DANIELLE DA SILVA ;