What would you do to make transit service in Winnipeg more functional, reliable and safe

for its users? What plans do you have, if any, to reduce car dependency in the city?

I supported updating Winnipeg’s transit network because multiple community groups came forward to advocate for a system that better reflected how our city has grown. I expected the changes to bring more frequent, reliable service. For too many riders, the result has been longer waits, less convenient trips and connections that do not work well. More funding is needed to improve the experience of transit users. I would use rider and community feedback to fix routes and schedules, invest in more frequent service, and advocate for the Province to restore a 50/50 transit funding partnership.

Safety must include both riders and drivers. Transit operators deserve effective safety shields, clear ways to report threats and a prompt response when incidents occur. Riders need well-lit, accessible stops and a safe experience on buses and while making connections. I would work with drivers, their union, riders and community groups to identify where improvements are needed.

To reduce car dependency, we need to make other ways of getting around practical. That means dependable transit, safer walking and cycling connections, and neighbourhoods where people can reach everyday services without needing to drive. When these choices work year-round, more Winnipeggers can choose to leave the car at home.

What do you think the city should be doing to ease the housing and homelessness crisis?

What specifically would you change about the city’s current approaches?

The City needs to work with the federal and provincial governments, Indigenous organizations and community partners to build housing that people can actually afford, including supportive housing across Winnipeg. We should not concentrate it all in one neighbourhood, especially when that leaves people close to the same streets and pressures they are trying to leave behind.

We are seeing some people move into housing, only to end up back on the street. That tells us a housing placement alone is not enough for everyone. Addiction does not disappear when someone gets a key. People need to be assessed, connected with treatment and other supports, and helped to prepare for housing so they have a better chance of staying housed and moving toward recovery.

That is why I support developing a managed encampment strategy as a temporary step. It would provide a safer, staffed place where outreach and health workers can build trust, assess individual needs, connect people with services, and help them move into appropriate housing. It must have clear standards for safety and sanitation and a clear path out of the encampment.

I would change the City’s approach so we measure whether people stay housed and receive the support they need, rather than counting a placement or the closure of an encampment as the end of the work. We need to address safety in our neighbourhoods while giving people a genuine chance to recover and move forward.

Public disorder has become a major concern among surveyed voters. How should the

city best deal with it? The police budget is a major expense for the city, are people getting

value for money?

I believe much of the public disorder residents are seeing is connected to the drug crisis and the growing number of people living without a home. People deserve to feel safe in their neighbourhoods, and people in crisis deserve a response that can actually help them. Police have an essential role when there is violence, a threat or a crime, but they cannot resolve addiction and homelessness on their own.

I support a managed encampment strategy as a temporary step toward housing. A properly staffed place could give outreach and health workers a consistent way to reach people, assess their needs, connect them with treatment and help them prepare for housing. I believe this could reduce some repeat calls to police, but I would want the City to measure the results rather than promise savings before we have them.

We also need to invest in prevention: community centres, recreation, sports, arts and safe activities for young people. These are places where youth can build connections and find support before they reach a crisis point.

Residents are right to ask whether they are getting value from the police budget. I would look at response times, repeat calls and whether people feel safer, while making sure trained crisis and outreach teams handle the situations they are equipped to address. A great deal has been placed on the City’s shoulders, but the City cannot solve the drug and homelessness crisis alone. Municipal, provincial and federal governments must work together on treatment, housing, prevention and community safety.

While poverty and addictions are largely another government’s responsibility, are there

ways that you see that the City of Winnipeg could be doing more to solve these issues?

Yes. While the Province and federal government must lead on housing, health care and addictions treatment, the City can do more to respond to what is happening in our neighbourhoods.

I support a managed encampment strategy that would offer people living outside a safer, staffed place away from residential areas, schools and playgrounds. It would have washrooms, regular garbage pickup and basic safety measures. Outreach and health workers could meet people there consistently, assess their needs, connect them with treatment and help them prepare for housing. Those basic services are a matter of human dignity.

A managed site would also give the City a practical place to offer people when responding to encampments affecting neighbourhoods. The City’s bylaws allow it to restrict encampments in certain locations, but enforcement alone cannot solve the problem if appropriate shelter or housing is unavailable. We need to address residents’ safety concerns while giving people living outside a real option and a path forward.

I would also invest in community centres, recreation and youth programs that help prevent people from reaching a crisis point. Lasting progress will require all three levels of government to work together.

Voters are concerned about the rising cost of living and affordability. What do you see are

ways the City of Winnipeg could make life less expensive for residents?

The rising cost of living is putting real pressure on Winnipeg families. The City cannot control every expense, but it can make the services people rely on more accessible and affordable. I have a history of supporting and fighting for community centres, pools, parks and recreation programs because families need affordable places to go and young people need opportunities to participate.

I will fight to increase the recreation fee assistance line in the City budget so more residents can afford to use these facilities and programs. I also want to make assistance easier to find and apply for. A program only helps if the people who need it can access it.

Reliable transit is an affordability issue too. When buses are infrequent or connections do not work, residents can face extra costs getting to work, school and appointments. I would push for better service and advocate for the Province to restore a stronger transit funding partnership.

Housing is another major pressure on household budgets. The City must work with the provincial and federal governments to create more housing people can actually afford and move suitable projects through City approvals efficiently. I would also examine City fees, property taxes and water rates with affordability in mind, while protecting the services residents depend on.