This post is from the draft Call to Action and is now archived. The final version of the Call to Action is now available. Click here to read more about it.
Through SpeakUpWinnipeg, we’ve identified some actions that can be completed over the next 24 months. These actions respond to community priorities and bring us closer to our vision. While we continue to work as a community to complete OurWinnipeg, the City will work with partners to start taking action right away:
The design of these actions is based on an understanding of social (including cultural), environmental and economic sustainability. While the actions in this section may seem most closely aligned with the social “pillar” of sustainability, economic and environmental considerations have also been made. Additional actions in the City Competitiveness and Sustainability sections speak more directly to these other pillars.
Action
Description
Aboriginal Youth Strategy: Programs
Expand City of Winnipeg youth programming to include Aboriginal cultural topics and nutrition education, involving community residents and Aboriginal organizations as facilitators and partners where possible.
Accessible business cards
Follow accessibility best practice by adding Braille to business cards for City staff who are most involved in community outreach.
Taking Action on Derelict Buildings
Review process and report publicly on options for addressing derelict and vacant buildings where by-law compliance steps have not been successful to bring the property into compliance.
Explore urban Agriculture
Through OurWinnipeg, and as a partner in a community-led initiative, explore opportunities for urban agriculture.
A community-based service delivery model that better aligns services with local needs.
Winnipeg’s Community Services Department will transition to a further integrated neighbourhood service delivery model. The enhanced model will have a dedicated focus on the assessment of community needs and priorities utilizing recreation, library services, and neighbourhood by-law enforcement as primary community development tools in contributing to building healthy communities. A key component of this model will be Neighbourhood Integrated Service Teams (NISTs) which will provide a coordinated approach that supports a community vision.
Integrated teams of City service providers will partner with community organizations, to develop and implement strategies to revitalize neighbourhoods to levels defined in the Neighbourhood Liveability By-law.
Aboriginal Youth Strategy – Measurement Plan
In an effort to monitor and ensure the effectiveness of the Aboriginal Youth Strategy, create and implement a measurement plan for AYS activities.
Community Indicators System Pilot Project
Partner with the United WayWinnipeg, Province of Manitoba, International Institute for Sustainable Development and others to develop and pilot a transparent community measurement system. These measures indicate the well being of the community as a whole; identify priority areas for multi-sectoral collaboration; and measure progress as a community. The pilot project will establish indicators and measure the area of poverty and income security.
Involve Aboriginal Winnipeggers
Ensure opportunities for the involvement of Aboriginal people and organizations in the OurWinnipeg planning process and other civic initiatives. This includes continuing the strong Aboriginal community partnerships developed through SpeakUpWinnipeg.
Newcomer Welcome Package
Develop a “Newcomer Package” to invite new Winnipeggers to participate in the opportunities their community offers and to connect them to City services and community resources. Supporting the integration of all of our newest citizens, whether they are from northern Manitoba or the other side of the world, is important to social and economic sustainability.
Age-friendly Winnipeg
Pursue Winnipeg’s designation as an age-friendly city with the support of Provincial funding. This action would include adoption of the World Health Organization’s Global Age-friendly Cities: A Guide; changing planning practices to improve access and participation by Winnipeggers of all ages, but especially children and older adults.
Take action on accessibility of City-owned buildings
Complete research and development to update accessibility design standards and to audit the accessibility of City-owned buildings – critical to priority-setting and effective and coordinated action on accessibility.
Community Recreation Fee Assistance Program
Develop, in partnership with the community, a complete program to assist low-income families to participate in recreation, cultural and physical activity opportunities.
I was excited when I saw urban agriculture in the title of this blog. In my opinion, planning for gardens, farmers markets and maybe even looking into safe/healthy ways to keep a chicken or two should be an important part of the overall approach to planning healthy communities and dealing with poverty. It's one small step, but an important one. And all of these small steps add up; nice to see some action.
HubcapDiamondStarHaloNov 13, 2009 at 1:51 PM
The following comments were e-mailed to the OurWinnipeg group, and permission to post them was granted:
Seems like a good idea on many fronts, but one does have to consider that our city is shrinking in land availability, and one will have to look at developed areas for new birth etc. I would still start with the downtown area, build some apartments there, reduce the surface parking lots, have a few cultural events over the summer, and it would be a great beginning. I know it is not that simple.
As for the derelict and vacant building if that process could be sped up that would help with the appearance of a community. With the number of new immigrants coming to this province, time will be a big factor here.
As the Exchange District is a vital community to this city, helping it flourish would be most valuable. Just as a note, when the PSB is not required, I had mentioned to you that the city should put in a 20 story apartment building in its place, but I have now changed my mind. I still think an apartment block would be great there, but it would be more fitting to have it fit into the community history and heritage wise for the area. It wouldn't have to look the 70's, but could even be in the early 1900's vintage, and I'm sure that would attract some residents. As for the height of it, 20 stories out of character, but 9 or 10 stories might do. No balconies though, as that wouldn't fit the character.
Also, start looking at smaller industrial areas for new residential areas. One area on Munroe Avenue and it is close to 3 schools, and this land sat for the longest time. It has a major bus route as well.
Ian HallNov 26, 2009 at 2:41 PM
When I am in the suburbs of Winnipeg and taking transit inbound, howcome it doesn't say Inner City on the bus? It says Downtown. Why isn't Inner City just blanked out on maps of Winnipeg and called the DMZ (de-municipalized zone or Neighbourhoods Alive Zone)? Apart from keeping the streets clear so the fire department and ambulances can get here, the city is not too involved, except when the employees of NA go to City Hall and tell the Councillors that they represent the community, then the Councillors nod their heads and smile. City Administrators though, seemd to know that NA agencies do not represent the communities, no one ever voted for them, they have no legislated or delegated authority. What they do have though is the ability to control small funds, they get millions of dollars from the Province to manage and control communities for political agendas. Speak up Winniepg initially gave a bit of hope to residents who live in the NA Zones. NA is a censor of community, insisting that they are the voice. That they are the service providers and the people who live here are the clients. This mindset has produced alot of Thesis in the planning department at U of M. Because the students want jobs and they won't get them if they don;t know the words to the NA song. Very disappointing to hear that Community Services now accepts the NA agencies as the voices in theCommunity...
karenJan 2, 2010 at 10:58 AM
It might be helpful if Administrators could define 'community'. The word is currently used in a very loose way. But lets take a look at it. We know that the City is currently administered under Community Plans, Neighbourhood Plans and Secondary Plans. And that the Community Areas are dominated by a Provincial Agency called Neighbourhoods Alive and that these agencies recieve core funding close to half a million each year from the Provincial Government. We also know that these agencies represent the institutionalized cabinet in our communities. In the parlance of the street they are called parachute artists and they parachute out of the Community Economic Development Committee of Cabinet into our communities.We also know that CEDC consists of party members appointed by Order in Council. We are aware, that at City Hall, these agencies are aknowledged as 'community organizations'. While residents disagree with characterization of these as community organizations, it is easy to see that, the city can do little else than agree, because these agencies have the approval of, and funding from, the Provincial Government to manage what politicians call, the Inner City, but what most of us, who live here, call Downtown.
West Broadway Development Corporation, an Inner City Agency funded by the Provincial Government, for example, makes no bones about it, they are the Planner in West Broadway. The City is not the Planner. The last 'community plan' that WBDC produced was prepared by Dunaggenon Consulting. In consultation with 'the community' which means that WBDC beat the bushes to find 30 or so clients willing to support the agenda. So, how the City uses the word, community, and how the people who live in the community use the word are very different. If we plug in the City's definition into the terminology below, which is taken from your account of action plans.....
(partner in a community-led initiative, involving community residents, community outreach. , Winnipeg’s Community Services Department will transition to a further integrated neighbourhood service delivery model,assessment of community needs, supports a community vision.service providers will partner with community organizations,a transparent community measurement system.opportunities their community offers and to connect them to City services and community resources, Develop, in partnership with the community)
we can expect further erosion of municipal responsibility and input, further erosion of the Downtown as it becomes more and more simply a venue for a political agenda, an opportunity to write a thesis for a planning degree, an opportunity to further delinate the 'client/ service provider model', a nursery for aspiring policy analysts to cut their teeth, and a hub of activity for those who wish to be employed in what is becoming a burgeoning industry, that of the 'client service provider' profession, and a black hole that money goes into.
Projects of these agencies are typically called initiaves and receive millions of dollars via Federal Transfer payments. An example of this is the West Broadway Lan Trus (their spelling) which absorbed millions of dollars of public funds and resulted in zero social housing. With no accountability. A Municipal Corporation, like the City of Winnipeg, can do little to change this course of action.
Of course, this state of affairs is disheartening for people who like to live Downtown. We question the ability of the NA agencies to plan in sustainable manner, to spend considerable amounts of Public Funds in an unaccountable way, and to work with the community in a manner which results in solid outcomes that can be built on for the future. We also recognize that the City of Winnipeg, through the Winnipeg Charter Act, is under the thumb of the Provincial Government.Compare the Brandon Charter Act which is 2 pages, the Winnipeg Charter Act is 202 pages. Look at Section 212 of The Winnipeg Charter Act concerning the Water Utilities, this is why the extension of water services to the Rural Municipalities was rushed through Council. In the face of opposition by the residents of Winnipeg. It is something the Provincial Government wanted.
To change these kinds of things so the residents of Winnipeg have a voice is a Herculaean task. One that cannot be achieved politically at a municipal level.
Clearly, a political party busily seeking , or maintaining itself in, power, can discern nothing in these voices except a noise. Its reaction will be different according to whether the noise interferes with or contributes to that of its own propaganda. But it can never be capable of the tender or sensitive attention which is needed to understand its meaning. The same is true to a lesser degree of organizations contamintated by party influences; in other words when public life is dominated by a party system.
When a political party primarily concerned with keeping itself in power dominates public life, as it does in the Neighbourhoods Alive Zones, what results is a form of governance which debilitates people, the environment and the economy. Citys, like Winnipeg, under these conditions, become less and less desirable places to live. People will do what they have done for eons, they emmigrate. Notable among recent emmigrants; former Premier and former Mayor. Both seeking greener pastures. Neither has shown jurisdictional loyalties which healty cities must depend on. The provincal answer to increased emmigration? Increase immigration. The question now, for the city, is can immigration numbers replace emmigration numbers? That remains to be seen, but it looks like not.
The question for many community members, to stay or to leave for greener pastures, can be reworded as 'should we stay and devote our volunteer time to lobbying unsuccessfully for a sustainable Winnipeg? The Speak Up Winnipeg Process has helped to answer that question. The answer is, that if you live Downtown (aka Inner City) it looks like not.
In the meantime, real community organizations like Friends of Assiniboine Conservatory, the Bonsai Society of Winnipeg and many others have had the door shut on them. An organization which has won the Mayors award for Community Service is looking for a place to meet, having been told by Community Services that they will be charged hundreds of dollars each year to meet at the local library. Unlike the NA agencies with attitudes of presumptive entitlement, these self-supporting, volunteer organizations who raise their own funds through things like membership fees, silent auctions, pot-luck suppers, donations, fund raising drives etc. are not standing in direct line with their hands out waiting for the provincial government to 'turn on the funding taps. Composed of capable, and committed citizens who work during the day and volunteer on weekends and evenings, Community Organizations like these work towards achieving many of the goals which the City says it supports. It is unfortunate that they receive little support from the City. It is quite clear that they will be receiving even less in the new Plan Winnipeg. We are heading down a road that will require more and more Federal Transfer Payments to keep our city afloat. The unfortunate thing is, that it need not have been that way.
karenJan 10, 2010 at 10:54 AM
Comments now closed
Call to Action for OurWinnipeg: Visions & Directions for the OurWinnipeg Plan Released!
