Archive for the 'events' Category

WTA ready to begin work on government’s active transportation strategy promise

Published on November 21, 2011 in events. Closed

Winnipeg Trails Association will begin work on getting the government to initiate action on its promises to develop a provincial active transportation strategy and to construct a pedestrian /  cycling crossing over the north Perimeter Hwy.  The WTA is extremely pleased with Premier Selinger’s and the New Democratic Party’s commitments to active transportation.

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The NDP commissioned a report asking for recommendations on expanding active transportation options for all Manitoban’s. In June 2010, the report Greater Strides; Taking Action on Active Transportation was released. Greater Strides; Taking Action on Active Transportation was created as a condition under the Climate Change and Emissions Reduction Act. Greater Strides contains 25 recommendations on expanding active transportation options for all Manitobans. The WTA has recommended the government take immediate action on the following recommendations:

  1. Establish a Provincial Active Transportation Policy:
    • A written policy on active transportation clearly state’s Manitoba’s commitment to walking and cycling.
    • The policy provides direction, guidance and sets the foundation to integrate active transportation in strategic funding decisions throughout the province.
    • See recommendations #1 & #13
    • See a couple examples of what we are facing related to large investments of public funding because we have no policy:
  2. Establish a Director of Transportation with staff responsible for improving active transportation:
    • There are over 3000 staff in government developing motorized vehicle transportation routes and infrastructure, but there is not one staff person solely responsible for improving walking and cycling.
      See recommendation #2
  3. Maintain public input through a Provincial Active Transportation Advisory Board:
    • Bringing together representatives from community organizations and provincial departments to share learning opportunities and valuable information
    • An advisory board assists in ensuring the integration of transportation planning and programs throughout the Province.
    • The City of Winnipeg has made significant progress in the development of active transportation due in large part to the guidance of its Active Transportation Advisory Committee.
      See recommendation #24
  4. Develop routes so CHILDREN can SAFELY walk and bike to school.
    • Virtually every school division in Manitoba has a transportation planner focused on bussing children to school and yet there is not one staff person dedicated to ensuring children can safely walk or bike to school
    • Is 31% of Manitoba children are overweight or obese, higher than the national average
      See recommendation #21
  5. Educate ALL road users on how to safely share & use the roadway system.
    • Manitoba’s driver training programs do not cover educating motorists and cyclists on how to share the road, and there are no provincial bicycle training programs for children or adults.
      See recommendations #20 & #22
  6. Fund the development of walking, trails and cycling routes
    • Manitoba is 4 years into an unprecedented $4 billion roadways investment commitment that includes absolutely no dedicated funding for active transportation infrastructure.
      See recommendations #12, #14, #15 & #16

CentrePort’s Impact on Active Transportation

Published on August 22, 2011 in events. Closed

Millions of dollars are being spent to develop Manitoba as a global multi modal (air, rail, roadways) transportation centre called CentrePort Canada. As part of the transportation component of CentrePort Canada, roadways THROUGHOUT the Province are being heavily funded to support trucking routes in the creation of CentrePort Canada’s distribution centre. This is great – if CentrePort Canada turns out to be the ‘road to riches’ and a ‘road to success’ for Manitoba and Canada as elected officials believe – fantastic! Notable quotes printed in the Winnipeg Free Press:

  • “Toews said that once complete, CentrePort will increase Canada’s opportunities on the world stage. CentrePort Canada is definitely a key component of Canada’s economic prosperity as we emerge from the recession,”
  • “CentrePort …has the ability to do what nothing else can accomplish for our city (for) economic impact and creating phenomenal jobs,” Katz said. “This is the beginning of something very wonderful and very special.”
  • Selinger said the road projects will link CentrePort with the port of Churchill and Hudson’s Bay, continental U.S. and Mexico and Canada’s east and west coasts

The Winnipeg Free Press is doing a brilliant job covering the development of CentrePort. We have provided links to various Winnipeg Free Press articles on CentrePort that provide further insight. We encourage you to read them for a broader understand of the CentrePort project, investments governments are making and the impact on our transportation system.

MEDIA REPORTS on CentrePort’s impact on active transportation

FAST FACTS on CentrePort:
CentrePort Canada is an inland port and Foreign Trade Zone focused on turning 20,000 acres of land around the Richardson International Airport into a hub for the manufacture, distribution and warehousing of goods in North America. Access will be by road, rail and air. CentrePort Canada was created by the province in 2008. Three levels of government are supporting the development of CentrePort Canada – currently over $300 million has been invested to launch the initial phase of CentrePort’s development.
For detailed information on the corporation, see the CentrePort website. Diane Gray is CEO and President. CentrePort Canada’s Board of Directors consists of representatives from organizations through the Province. CentrePort Canada was recently named as one of Canada’s top 100 infrastructure projects in Canada.

THE CHALLENGE:
There is NO PROCESS set up to assess the IMPACT on pedestrians and cyclists – as roadways THROUGHOUT Winnipeg and Manitoba are being developed into ‘expressways’, ‘ring roads’ and ‘primary access’ trucking routes.

  • There is NO PROCESS to look at the impact on active transportation in conjunction with the development of CentrePort.
  • No studies, no transportation impact analysis, no provincial active transportation policy that considers pedestrians and cyclists in the development of the roadways targeted to support CentrePort development.

When the Province set up the Manitoba Floodway Authority to oversee the $600+M floodway expansion, 13 community consultations and four in depth studies occurred looking at how to incorporate recreation into the project. As CEO Ernie Gilroy stated “The result is an improved project design that is sensitive to local concerns and protects the environment.”

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED:
The City of Winnipeg, Province of Manitoba and Government of Canada are investing significant funding to develop CentrePort Canada. Please tell any elected official from government that:

  • we must have a process to consider active transportation when developing the roadways to support CentrePort Canada.
  • we must have broader community consultations and studies which consider active transportation related to roadway development supporting CentrePort Canada.

The Province of Manitoba and Government of Canada did this during the Manitoba floodway expansion and needs to do this in the development of CentrePort Canada.

CLARITY:
Pedestrians and cyclists do NOT want to travel beside major trucking routes - BUT there needs must be considered for pedestrians and cyclists in any roadway development. Many of these routes are WITHIN Winnipeg. When millions in public funding is being spent on developing roadways, pedestrians and cyclist’s needs must be considered at intersections and along the routes.

PUBLIC MISCONCEPTION:
The CentrePort Canada project is NOT limited to development of roadways solely in west Winnipeg.
To develop Winnipeg as a global transportation hub/distribution centre – ACCESS must be developed for trucks coming from the north, south, east and west. This map on this page indicates the transportation routes accessing CentrePort. This public misconception that CentrePort is solely in west Winnipeg occurs for many reasons:

  • The concept of the CentrePort project is new to Manitobans
  • All maps / discussions primarily focus on the LAND being used in west Winnipeg to develop the distribution centre for companies
  • There are no public maps showing specific roadways in Winnipeg or Manitoba that will be primary routes used to ACCESS CentrePort’s distribution centre in the west area of Winnipeg other than 2 slides shown in Winnipeg in the Winnipeg Master Transportation Plan

Roadways THROUGHOUT the City of Winnipeg and Province will be developed to support ACCESS to CentrePort’s distribution centre. See SOME roadway being improved and facing challenges related to the development of CentrePort:

‘Short Notice’ Hiking Adventures

Published on March 27, 2011 in events. Closed

Join Meetup – the social networking site for people of like minded interests -  and be privy to exclusive free hikes offered by the Prairie Pathfinders!

There are many great hiking opportunities that arise on short notice that the Prairie Pathfinders are unable to include their annual walking schedule but would love to share with you!

Meetup allows us the spontaneity to add new hikes and invite you to join them  – on short notice! By signing up as a Prairie Pathfinder Meetup member, you will receive email notices updating you with timely information on new hiking adventures e.g. -

  • the crocus are in bloom at the Living Prairie Museum – let’s go for a hike this weekend!
  • the floodwaters are high in St. Norbert – let’s check out the primary dike trail this Friday!
  • a brand new trail has just been completed in St. James – let’s check it out this Sunday!
  • oh oh! the Riverwalk is under water again and the walk we had planned for next week is now postponed!
  • ‘Doors Open Winnipeg’ dates have been finalized and we’d like to hike to a few of the buildings and tour them!
  • the tulips have burst open at the Leo Mol Sculpture garden, let’s hike Assiniboine Park on Friday evening and check the blooms out!

To find out more about the Prairie Pathfinder’s Meetup Group meetup-logo1

–click here to join!

Explore Winnipeg and Manitoba Trails

Published on July 26, 2010 in events. Closed

Explore Winnipeg and Manitoba Trails

July, August – or ANY time of year!

Not sure what trails to explore? Check out local
best selling guide books by renowned Winnipeg adventurers!

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Bartley Kives and Leone Banks, St. Norbert Farmers Market, July 2010

Not sure what trails to explore this summer? Check out two local author’s guide books on trail adventures in Winnipeg and throughout Manitoba: