Food security, crime top voter concerns in core city area
Words and photos by Zach Nolan
Elmwood-East Kildonan is a densely populated ward with an estimated 49,000 people living in it. Its located between five municipal wards, North Kildonan to the north, Transcona to the east, Point Douglas to the west, St. Boniface to the south and Mynarski to the northwest across the Red River.
The area is primarily residential but also has many businesses scattered near its two busiest streets of Henderson Highway in its west and towards Lagimodiere Boulevard in the east which is where the ward terminates.
It has a reputation of being a rougher part of town: Chalmers neigbourhood reported 1,022 crimes in the last 12-month period, though crime is trending downwards, according to Winnipeg police online data.
The current ward councillor is Emma Durand-Wood who won a byelection a year ago with 31 per cent of the vote following the the death of long-time councillor Jason Schreyer.
Kham Chommany, 45, roofer
How long in ward: Three years
What’s life like in the ward?
It’s a pretty chill place, there’s some bad people that go through the garbage all the time, so we get some strangers there and we have to clean that up. Get a recycling job, something like that, a lot of people are collecting cans.
What are some local needs that you notice?
Other than the recycling bins, the homeless people that’s pretty much it. If they do more work to get jobs, at a recycling center would be a good place for them to go.
What’s your take on the Oct. 28 election?
I don’t know. I haven’t really checked into it. There’s like over ten candidates for mayor or something like that.
Lexiss Jefferson, 66, Retired Locksmith
How long in ward: 48 years
What’s life like in the ward?
Well, we live in the Glenelm, so it’s a little bit different than the deep dark Elmwood. There’s a real great sense of community here. We have neighbourhood association, the Glenelm Neighbourhood Association, there’s a lot of cooperation. We do movie nights in the park, we do snow sculptures in February, we do potluck suppers and we do a lot as a community.
What are some local needs that you notice?
It’s a very beautiful place in the city to live but like everywhere else in the city there’s also a lot of downsides. There’s a criminal factor, that’s plagued everywhere in the city. I think there’s a lot more food security issues than we would like to admit. We have a food pantry at ‘Big Red Church’ (Gordon King Memorial United Church), and it is filled and emptied daily.
What’s your take on the Oct. 28 election?
I have no idea about school trustees because I haven’t got mail or received anything. I don’t see signs out for school trustees, really up in the air about that. There are a number of people running for city council, I know my choice. The mayor candidates, there’s so many, I’m a little awash at that as well.
Brayden Penner, 29, Personal Care Home Chef
How long in ward: 29 years
What’s life like in the ward?
It depends on how far north or south you are, the further south the sketchier the neighborhood gets while further north where the elementary schools are is nicer.
What are some local needs that you notice?
An issue would be the people who go down the back lanes searching peopled recycling for empty cans.
What’s your take on the Oct. 28 election?
I’ve only had one candidate come to my door or leave information. That was Abel Gutierrez. Beyond that I haven’t done any thinking about it.
Mike Bergmann, 52, Owner of Lower Level Sports Cards
How long in ward: 28 years
What’s life like in the ward?
My wife and I moved here way back when for the affordable housing. I think it still is affordable if you want to own a house. You can do most things that you need to do to live here. I think like every other area of the city, I think it’s a suburb now. We had church in the area, schooling, business, everything for us is walking distance except the supermarket. It could be everything, but I don’t think it is anymore.
What are some local needs that you notice?
Personally, I don’t pick issues or look at them anymore. If I see a concern, it’s what can I do about it. There’s lot of non-profit work, it’s been a social riding for years, there’s pros and cons to that along with any other type of political slant. I try to do my part to make the community better.
What’s your take on the Oct. 28 election?
Anyone that runs, you can’t just understand it by just talking to people and going door to door. You have to live in the area and live as the people that live there. You walk around and you will see issues that need fixing by being there yourself.
Leilani Esteban-Villarba, 52, Executive Director of Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation
How long in ward: 20 years
What’s life like in the ward?
The people here are friendly and welcoming. They are true believers in community, they see the benefits of knowing each other as neighbours and there’s a whole lot of capacity building in this community.
What are some local needs that you notice?
I know that crime and safety is a huge topic. People who are addressing crime, safety, homelessness and food insecurity are addressing the top priorities in this community.
What’s your take on the Oct. 28 election?
I am non-partisan, CNRC is non-partisan, but I do believe that in our ward of Elmwood-East Kildonan, we have some fantastic candidates. We have an incumbent who is very supportive of the community, and we hope anyone who comes into that role continues to be supportive of community, community building and capacity of what’s already here and creating more opportunities for the community to access programs and services and addressing the concerns.
Brittany Main, 39, Owner/Operator of Neatsweep Cleaning Service
How long in ward: One year
What’s life like in the ward?
I come from the North End, so it’s been quite a significant change for the better. Here you’re not worried, or watching your back as hard as you would so it seems more peaceful. I mean obviously there are a few things like late night kids kind of come out and you’ll sometimes hear noises but I feel like that’s everywhere.
What are some local needs that you notice?
You know there’s nothing that I have really seen so far that is super important. Honestly, if I had to be picky about something, it’d be garbage day. They always seem to leave the bins right in front of the driveways and all over, but you know there’s also sometimes people walking around in the back lanes and things like you know you always wonder what they’re doing.
What’s your take on the Oct. 28 election?
Well, I’m a pretty negative person so I don’t feel like there’s going to be much of a change but honestly there’s always hope that somebody’s going to come in and make the place better.
For information on how to vote and where, head to the official City of Winnipeg election website.
The staff of Winnipeg Better can be reached by email at jmajorrrc@gmail.com