2018 Municipal Election Question – Portage Avenue and Main Street

Jul 19, 2018

Please see the Motion brought forward.

My comments on the floor of Council today regarding the Portage and Main Plebiscite:

I rise to speak to this motion.

Mme. Speaker – four years ago I put my name on a ballot and asked the citizens of South Winnipeg – St Norbert to elect me to be their representative at City Hall – and

the current governance model we operate under – gives citizens the power to select the person they want to represent them make decisions on their behalf at City Hall.
good or bad – it is the model we’ve been operating under for almost 20 years. And I want to be clear – I am speaking to this issue here today as their representative – not as Janice Lukes, a private resident, but as Councillor Janice Lukes, representative of the South Winnipeg – St Norbert ward.

Mme. Speaker –

I represent a vast growing suburb – of citizens who are new to Canada – citizens who’ve lived in Winnipeg a long, long time – and many who commute to work downtown and pass through Portage and Main.
I represent the largest and the fastest growing ward in the City of Winnipeg and I am very active in the ward – I am very accessible to the citizens, attending events every week – talking to people – hearing issues, opportunities and ideas.

And you know Mme. Speaker – everyone in the ward wants to see Winnipeg be a growing, thriving, more modern city to live, work and play and raise their families in – without a doubt .
They want this – and have elected me to work towards that goal – and many citizens in South Winnipeg elected the Mayor to work towards this same goal –

And Mme. speaker – for the record –

while I currently live in the suburbs – I have worked and lived downtown for a timeframe of 20 years –– Adelaide St. / Cumberland Ave. across from Central park – Sherbrook and Furby St. – that was my residential and working neighbourhood

And Mme. Speaker – I’ve travelled and walked and biked many great cities in the world – in their downtowns – London, Ho Chi Min, San Jose, Kathmandu, New York and more
And Mme. Speaker – I’ve invested over 15 years working on active transportation

I am not an urban planner –

but I absolutely understand the importance of a City focusing on revitalization of the downtown –
and I recognize – like Mr. Grande stated – that there are many, many aspects required in revitalizing a downtown. Not just one – but many many – and yes – revitalizing Portage and Main would surely be one of many.

So now – as a representative of a suburban ward– and as an active Councillor engaged with the citizens – and as someone who has been educated on urban issues – and who has lived downtown –

I have to say what’s happened on this file over the past four years – is absolutely a textbook example of an epic public communication & leadership failure

Public Consultation 101 says –

Go to the people – reach out to them to listen – hear their concerns – and work with them to address their concerns
Has this occurred over the past four years on the Portage and Main file?
Has the Mayor – worked hard on his campaign commitment – and used the office of public engagement to reach out to the public in any way whatsoever for meaningful conversation?
No – Not once
No formalized consultation process – no reaching out – no engagement at all – no listening to concerns – in any way whatsoever with the public.

And do you know Mme.Speaker what’s even more important in the Public Consultation process ?

the real value of public consultation is the opportunity to Educate Educate Educate citizens on the project – whatever project it is – to educate the stakeholders
so with no public consultation – there has been very, very limited opportunity to educate those who do not – who have never and may never live and experience downtown
There has been none – zero – absolutely no presentation – and no urban education done on this file.

So when a new idea is presented – and it represents tremendous change – a change to something new – and when no meaningful data and conversations occur to support this change – other conversations rise up.

Conversations that say – Why change? Why?
Why would we change –
We don’t’ understand – so let’s not change –

and the flames are fueled to stay the same – people default to what they are familiar with – and close their minds –

And any public relations expert will tell you – once people reach a certain point in their decision making process – or understanding of a project – often only the passing of time allows the vision to rise up again and be logically discussed again.

Having worked in the field of active transportation for 15+ years – I am well aware of the polarizing issues that can surface regarding cyclists and pedestrians – and am quite surprised the Office of Public Engagement – and the Mayor and his advisors were not more savvy in how they approached the communication around this polarizing issue.

C. Orlikow is an expert on conversations around round abouts – ask him
C. Gerbasi is an expert on conversations around protected bike lanes on Assiniboine – ask her

And probably the most shocking part of this handling of this file – is that none of the recommendations set out in the 2011 Audit which focused on Active Transportation Public Communications – were adhered to in any of the Portage and Main discussions.

I’ve spoken in great detail with the leaders at The Forks, at the Chamber of Commerce – and with urbanists over the past four years – about reaching out to suburban communities – and the importance of reaching out –

Reaching beyond downtown to speak about any grand vision related to downtown and the need to educate suburbanites on urbanites issues
and the need to educate urbanites on suburban issues at the same time.

Matter of fact – if I am elected for another term I will commit to having a series of urban meets suburban discussions.

I will have a ward half the size and will be able to do this. Currently – I do not have the resources to deliver this kind of conversation that I thought would be coming from the Mayor’s office with the Portage and Main file –

So here we are today –

Mme. Speaker –

Mr. Mayor had four years to reach out and share the vision
To listen to residents who don’t live in downtown and probably do NOT have the knowledge of urban planning / and details around the many initiatives it takes to make a downtown safe and vibrant –
And to listen to those concerns and address their issues and educate why this aspect of revitalizing downtown is an important part of the bigger picture.
And did you hear this morning – even today we heard from the Diana Wiesenthal, Chair of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ stating even she was unsure about the opening of Portage and Main – until she educated herself

And Mme. Speaker – again – representing the largest suburban ward in the city of Winnipeg – I find this astounding:

one would think the leader – the Mayor – would have reached out to the representative of the largest suburban ward in the City of Winnipeg – to me – someone who is a passionate active transportation advocate, to gather feedback / insight – thoughts on what citizens are thinking and what their concerns are.
But not one request. Not one.
Mme. Speaker – I have to say I’ve not had one request – on any issue – to meet with the Mayor over two years
Not one meeting request to meet with the mayor over two years on any issue in South Winnipeg – and there’s been a few worthy of discussion – Recreation Deficit / Building Cap / Water Fountains / managing growth and maintenance
And that style of leadership is the key contributing factor as to why we are here today.

So – Mme. Speaker –

Many, many, many people that I speak to still have no idea WHY the Mayor wants to open Portage and Main to pedestrians

And

the people want to speak and be heard
and now – its reached the point where we are having to a plebiscite to let them speak and to be heard –

and in closing – what I think that is very very disappointing is:

the absolute fumbling – missed communication and education opportunities on this file – by the Mayor and his advisors –

Because the suburban residents will speak – without any ‘urbanist’ or ‘downtown city building’ education and understanding – and they will speak from their perspective – of passing through.

And this is all a result of very, very disappointing leadership & advice on this file.