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? 

Buses have to show up on time and feel safe, or people won’t ride them. I’d put money into frequency on the busiest routes, so you don’t need a schedule, and into more visible transit staff and better lighting at stops. I’d keep pressing the province to restore 50-50 funding, because Winnipeg shouldn’t carry the load alone. To reduce car dependency, I’d build a connected network of protected bike lanes and safer sidewalks, and let more homes and shops go up along good transit routes, so people can choose not to drive.

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? 

We can’t fix this with shelters alone. I’d speed up approvals for new housing, especially affordable and supportive units, and use city-owned land and vacant buildings. I’d also work with non-profits and Indigenous-led organizations, who often know best how to reach people. What I’d change is the piecemeal approach: one clear housing plan, with targets we report on publicly.

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? 

People deserve to feel safe downtown, on transit, and in their neighbourhoods. I’d keep police focused on serious crime and add trained crisis teams, outreach workers, and paramedics for mental health and addiction calls. Are we getting value for money? Policing is one of the biggest items in the budget, so I’d ask for an independent review with clear results: response times, clearance rates, and public trust. Money should follow what works.

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?

The city can’t run health care, but it can do a lot. It can keep recreation centres, libraries, and warming spaces open, fund community groups on the ground, and make sure city services aren’t a barrier for people in crisis. It can also press the province and federal government to do their part instead of pretending it isn’t our problem.

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? 

City hall can’t fix inflation, but it can stop making it worse. I’d keep property tax increases predictable, find savings in how the city operates, and keep transit fares, pools, and recreation programs affordable. And building more homes is one of the best ways to slow rent increases.