Antar Banik
What would you do to make transit service in Winnipeg more functional, reliable and safe? What plans do you have, if any, to reduce car dependency in the city?
I think Winnipeg transit needs to be more reliable, safe and convenient. If someone is waiting for a bus, they should be able to trust that the bus will arrive close to the scheduled time.
I would like to see more focus on the routes and areas where people actually need better service. We should use data and feedback from riders to understand where the biggest problems are.
Safety is also important, both for passengers and transit operators.
When it comes to reducing car dependency, I don’t think we can simply tell people to stop driving. We need to give people a good alternative. That means reliable transit, better connections between neighbourhoods, and safe walking and cycling infrastructure.
My background is in electrical and instrumentation technology, so I tend to look at problems by understanding the cause and then finding practical ways to improve the system. I would bring that same approach to transit.
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?
I don’t think there is one simple answer to homelessness. Housing is a big part of the issue, but mental health, addiction and other factors are also involved.
The City needs to work closely with the provincial and federal governments because the City cannot solve all of these problems by itself.
I would like to see better use of City-owned land where appropriate, more partnerships with non-profit organizations and a process that allows appropriate housing projects to move forward efficiently.
At the same time, we need to make sure our public spaces are safe and accessible for everyone. We can have compassion for people who are struggling while also listening to the concerns of residents and businesses.
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?
Public safety is very important to me. People should feel safe walking in their neighbourhood, using transit and going to local businesses.
I support properly funding our police and emergency services, but I also believe we have to be responsible with taxpayers’ money.
Simply increasing a budget doesn’t automatically mean we are getting better results. I would want to understand where the money is going, what services residents are receiving and whether we are actually seeing improvements.
I also don’t think every problem can be solved by police. Some situations require police intervention, while others may require outreach workers, addiction services, mental health support or housing.
For me, it is about having the right response for the right problem.
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 has a role to play, but we also need to recognize what is actually within municipal responsibility.
The Province has major responsibilities for healthcare, addiction treatment and income assistance. I think the City needs to work with the Province, federal government and community organizations instead of everyone working separately.
The City can support outreach, improve public spaces and help coordinate services.
I would also like to see more focus on results. If taxpayers are funding a program, residents should be able to understand what that program is accomplishing.
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?
For me, this comes back to responsible spending.
I understand that the City has to pay for roads, transit, police, water, snow clearing and many other important services. But taxpayers also have their own bills to pay.
I don’t think affordability means simply cutting important services. We need to look for efficiencies first and make sure we are getting good value from the money we already collect.
My professional background is technical, and I’m used to looking at systems and finding where things can be improved. I would bring that mindset to City Hall.
Jasmine Brar
What would you do to make transit service in Winnipeg more functional, reliable and safe? What plans do you have, if any, to reduce car dependency in the city?
Transit only works if it shows up when people need it. In Waverley West, that means reliable service on routes residents actually depend on, better winter maintenance so buses and stops stay accessible, and real accountability when service is cut or delayed.
I’ll push at council for transit investment to be treated as core infrastructure, not the first thing trimmed in a budget crunch. On car dependency, growth in this ward has outpaced the roads and intersections serving it.
Fixing failing intersections and building complete, walkable neighbourhoods as new development goes in matters as much as adding bus routes.
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 move faster on the levers it actually controls: zoning approvals, permitting timelines, and using city land for affordable and missing-middle housing. Waverley West has seen rapid growth without enough attention to whether housing is actually affordable to the people who work here.
I’d push for faster approvals for purpose-built rental and non-market housing, and closer coordination with the province and non-profits on the outreach and shelter side, since the city can’t solve homelessness alone but shouldn’t wait for someone else to move first.
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?
Public disorder is one of the top concerns I hear at the door. My platform is built around real investment in community safety, not just police spending, but things like lighting, park maintenance, and community programming that prevent disorder from taking hold. On the police budget, residents deserve to see what that money buys in outcomes, not just headcount.
I support tying police funding to measurable service commitments and response times, with regular public reporting, so voters can judge value for money themselves.
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?
These are largely provincial responsibilities, but the city isn’t powerless. Winnipeg controls things that affect people’s daily stability: recreation access, libraries, transit affordability, and how welcoming public spaces are.
I’d like to see the city be a better partner to community organizations already doing this work, rather than duplicating or getting in their way, and use its convening power to push the province harder where the province is falling short.
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-controlled costs, like property taxes, utility rates, and fees, add up fast for families already stretched thin. I’m running on a 48-hour response guarantee and full public reporting of ward spending because residents deserve to know their tax dollars are being used well before council asks for more.
Keeping snow clearing, road repair, and basic services running properly also matters. When the city fails at the basics, residents pay twice: once in taxes, once in the cost of doing it themselves.
Yuanchao Li
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?
A successful transit system has to be reliable, safe, convenient and affordable. If people cannot depend on a bus arriving when they need it, or do not feel safe using the system, they will understandably choose other forms of transportation when they can.
I support continuing to improve Winnipeg’s redesigned transit network while measuring its performance based on actual rider experience. That means focusing on frequency and reliability, better connections between routes, safe and comfortable bus stops, improved winter maintenance around stops, and appropriate service in rapidly growing neighbourhoods such as Waverley West.
Safety is equally important. Transit operators and passengers should not be expected to deal with serious safety situations alone. I support appropriate safety personnel, better coordination with police and social-service agencies, and responses that distinguish between criminal or threatening behaviour and people experiencing homelessness, addictions or mental-health crises.
Reducing car dependency should be about providing residents with practical alternatives rather than making driving unnecessarily difficult.
If transit is fast, reliable and safe, and if walking and cycling infrastructure connects people safely to schools, businesses, workplaces and transit, more residents will voluntarily choose those options. I support expanding safe active-transportation connections where they make sense and integrating transportation planning with new residential development.
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?
Winnipeg needs both more housing and a more coordinated response to homelessness. These are related issues, but they are not identical and require different solutions.
On housing supply, I support reducing unnecessary delays in permits and approvals, making better use of suitable City-owned land, encouraging a range of housing types, and concentrating additional density in appropriate locations, particularly around major transit corridors and areas with the infrastructure to support it.
The City has recently made substantial progress in approving new housing, and I would build on that progress rather than start over. At the same time, approving units is not enough. We need to pay attention to whether housing is actually being built and whether Winnipeg is producing housing that people at different income levels can afford.
Homelessness requires cooperation among the City, Province, federal government, Indigenous organizations and community agencies. The City should focus on the areas where municipal government can make a real difference: facilitating supportive and transitional housing, making suitable City land available, improving coordination of services, maintaining safe public spaces and helping people connect with appropriate services.
I would like to see clearer measurements of results. Governments should be able to tell taxpayers not only how much money was spent, but how many people were successfully moved from encampments or shelters into stable housing and how many remained housed.
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?
Residents have a right to feel safe on their streets, on public transit, in parks, around businesses and in their neighbourhoods. At the same time, policing cannot by itself solve homelessness, addictions and mental-health problems.
I support a balanced approach. Police resources should be focused on crime, violence, repeat offenders and situations where there is a genuine threat to public safety. At the same time, appropriately trained community safety personnel, outreach workers, paramedics and other services should respond to situations that do not necessarily require an armed police response.
The police budget represents a major commitment of taxpayers’ money, and every major City department should be expected to demonstrate results. I would look at measures such as response times, crime trends, frontline staffing, overtime, administrative costs and how effectively resources are deployed.
The question should not simply be whether the police budget should be larger or smaller.
The question should be whether every dollar is being used effectively to improve public safety. I support adequate resources for frontline policing together with strong accountability and transparent reporting.
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. Municipal government cannot solve poverty or addiction by itself, but it deals with many of their consequences every day.
The City can help through affordable and supportive housing partnerships, recreation and youth programming, accessible public transit, community centres, libraries, outreach programs and cooperation with organizations already working directly with vulnerable residents.
I believe prevention deserves particular attention. Providing young people with safe places, recreation, mentorship, employment opportunities and connections to their communities can help address problems before they become crises.
The City should also insist on stronger coordination with the Province because health care, mental-health treatment, addictions treatment and income supports largely fall outside municipal jurisdiction. Winnipeg taxpayers should not be expected to fund provincial responsibilities indirectly through policing, emergency services or other municipal systems.
Most importantly, programs should be evaluated by outcomes. We should identify approaches that actually help people move toward stability and independence and direct resources toward those that demonstrate results.
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 cannot control grocery prices, mortgage rates or many of the other costs families face, but it does control property taxes, fees and the efficiency of municipal services.
My approach would be to focus first on value for taxpayers. Before asking residents to pay more, the City should continually review spending, reduce unnecessary administrative costs, improve procurement and project management, and ensure that major capital projects deliver value for money.
Affordability also means getting the basics right. Poor roads cost residents money through vehicle repairs. Unreliable transit costs people time and limits employment opportunities. Housing shortages increase pressure on rents and home prices. Delays in permits increase the cost of construction. These are all areas where better municipal performance can reduce costs for residents.
I would prioritize core municipal services—roads, public safety, transit, infrastructure, parks and community facilities—while carefully reviewing new spending commitments.
I do not believe the answer is simply to cut services or simply to raise taxes. Winnipeg needs disciplined budgeting that protects essential services while recognizing that residents, families and small businesses are already under significant financial pressure.
Editor’s Note Oct. 5, 2026: Responses pending from candidates Uche Nwankwo and Nafiya Naso.
Compiled by Carlo Capobianco
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