Strong Neighbourhoods, Housing & Community Pride

Strong neighbourhoods are the foundation of a strong city.

When neighbourhoods begin to decline, everyone feels the impact. Homes sit vacant. Businesses struggle. Families move away. Community pride begins to disappear.

We cannot accept that as the future of Winnipeg.

Every resident deserves to live in a neighbourhood they are proud to call home.

Whether you rent or own your home, everyone deserves a neighbourhood that feels safe, welcoming and full of pride.

Residents have shared the same concerns with me over and over again.

• Vacant and boarded homes sitting for years.
• Homes damaged by fires remaining vacant for years.
• Empty lots that remain undeveloped.
• Manitoba Housing properties sitting empty while families need housing.
• Graffiti, garbage and neglected lots.
• Responsible homeowners struggling to afford repairs.
• Responsible landlords frustrated by rising costs and difficult tenants.
• Families worried about the future of their neighbourhoods.

People aren't asking for excuses.

They're asking for action.

Neighbourhood revitalization is about accountability and support.

My goal isn't simply to identify problems. It's to help remove the barriers that prevent good people from improving their properties while holding accountable those who refuse to do so.

Responsible homeowners and landlords shouldn't have to fight government just to improve their properties.

At the same time, owners who allow buildings to become unsafe, abandoned or magnets for crime must be held accountable.

Revitalization is not just about buildings. It's about restoring pride, encouraging investment, supporting families and creating neighbourhoods where people want to stay and build their future.

Not every vacant or boarded property exists because an owner doesn't care. Some owners face insurance delays, fire damage, probate issues, financing challenges or costly repairs. Before pointing fingers, we need to understand why a property is sitting vacant and work toward practical solutions.

No single level of government can solve these challenges alone.

The City, Manitoba and Canada all have a role to play.

As your City Councillor, I will work with residents, the Mayor, City Council, the Province of Manitoba and the Government of Canada to bring investment, accountability and pride back to our neighbourhoods.

• Listen to residents and investigate neighbourhood concerns.
• Conduct regular neighbourhood walks throughout the ward.
• Identify vacant, boarded and neglected properties.
• Report publicly on issues raised by residents.
• Advocate for consistent property standards enforcement.
• Support responsible homeowners and landlords.
• Identify barriers residents face when trying to renovate or improve their properties.
• Advocate for improvements to neighbourhood improvement programs.
• Work with community organizations and businesses to improve neighbourhood pride.

• A ward-wide review of vacant, boarded and neglected properties.
• Faster action on dangerous buildings.
• Improved enforcement against chronically neglected properties.
• Expansion of neighbourhood improvement and beautification programs.
• Better coordination between City departments.
• Review City processes that unnecessarily delay redevelopment.
• Greater transparency regarding City-owned vacant properties.
• Ensure residents know how neighbourhood revitalization funding is being spent and whether it is producing measurable results.

• Greater accountability and transparency for Manitoba Housing properties, including reducing the number of publicly owned homes sitting vacant while families need housing.
• Faster repairs and occupancy of vacant public housing.
• Expanded home repair assistance programs for homeowners in older neighbourhoods.
• Partnerships to revitalize older neighbourhoods.
• More supportive housing connected with addiction recovery and mental health services.

• Increased federal investment in affordable housing.
• Funding partnerships to redevelop vacant properties.
• Infrastructure funding that supports neighbourhood renewal.
• Indigenous housing partnerships.
• Encourage federal programs that help restore older housing stock.
• Support programs that encourage affordable home ownership opportunities.

• Fewer boarded and vacant properties.
• More vacant homes returned to productive use.
• More homes repaired and occupied.
• Reduced property neglect.
• Increased investment in older communities.
• More residents participating in neighbourhood improvement.
• Greater public confidence through regular reporting.

Trees are more than decoration.

Trees are neighbourhood infrastructure.

Healthy trees provide shade, reduce extreme summer heat, improve air quality, absorb stormwater, support wildlife and make our streets, parks and neighbourhoods more comfortable and welcoming.

Shade matters when a senior is walking to the bus, when children are playing outside and when families are using parks and sidewalks during hot summer weather.

Many Mynarski neighbourhoods were built around mature tree-lined streets. When those trees are lost to age, disease, storms, construction or pests and are not replaced, residents notice the difference.

Winnipeg's Urban Forest Strategy provides a long-term plan to protect, preserve and grow the city's tree canopy. City Council adopted the strategy in December 2023. The City also operates the Home Grown Grant, which supports eligible registered non-profit and incorporated community groups undertaking larger tree-planting projects on public land.

These programs are important, but residents deserve to know whether older, lower-canopy and underserved neighbourhoods are receiving a fair share of tree planting, replacement, maintenance and investment.

My approach will focus on protecting healthy mature trees wherever reasonably possible, replacing public trees that are lost where planting conditions allow, planting strategically in the areas that need trees most and making sure public investments are distributed fairly.

Planting a tree is only the beginning. New trees need proper watering, pruning, protection and follow-up care if they are going to survive and benefit future generations.

Neighbourhood Food Forests & Community Orchards

Trees can also help improve food security and bring neighbours together.

Where appropriate, I will support carefully planned pilot community orchards and neighbourhood food forests on suitable public land.

These projects would depend on community partnerships, long-term maintenance, accessibility, volunteer support, City approval and available resources.

Where appropriate, they could include fruit trees and other edible plants that residents can harvest from at no cost, while following clear community guidelines for fair access, maintenance and food safety.

The purpose would be to:

• Improve food security.
• Provide fresh food at no cost.
• Create educational opportunities for children, youth and families.
• Encourage volunteerism.
• Build stronger connections between neighbours.
• Create welcoming neighbourhood gathering spaces.

A free-harvest program must be properly planned. Fruit must be shared fairly, the site must be maintained, residents must understand how harvesting works and the project must remain sustainable over the long term.

I am not promising an orchard or food forest in every neighbourhood. I am proposing practical pilot projects where the location, partnerships and resources make them possible.

What I Can Do As Your City Councillor

• Listen to residents about tree loss, damaged trees, missing boulevard trees and neighbourhood planting needs.
• Work with residents and City forestry staff to identify streets, parks, boulevards and public spaces where additional planting would provide the greatest benefit and where planting conditions allow.
• Track recurring tree maintenance and replacement concerns.
• Request updates when public trees are removed and replacement is delayed.
• Help residents understand how to report tree concerns and follow up on unresolved service requests.
• Work with community centres, schools, non-profit organizations and resident groups interested in tree planting, community orchard and food forest projects.
• Help eligible local organizations prepare for future Home Grown Grant opportunities.
• Review publicly available urban forestry spending and planting information affecting Mynarski.
• Report back publicly on tree planting, removals, replacement, maintenance and neighbourhood investment.

What I Will Advocate For At City Hall

• Protection of Winnipeg's urban forestry and tree-planting investments.
• A fair share of tree planting, replacement and maintenance for Mynarski and other lower-canopy and underserved neighbourhoods.
• Timely replacement of public trees that are removed where planting conditions allow.
• Protection of healthy mature trees during road, sidewalk, utility and development work wherever reasonably possible.
• Strong disease and pest monitoring, including continued action against Dutch elm disease, emerald ash borer and other threats to Winnipeg's urban forest.
• Greater species diversity so the urban forest is more resilient to disease, pests and changing climate conditions.
• Priority planting in lower-canopy neighbourhoods, areas exposed to extreme summer heat and locations with high pedestrian use.
• Strategic planting near sidewalks, transit stops, parks, playgrounds, schools, community centres and other heavily used public spaces.
• Better coordination between urban forestry, roads, sidewalks, utilities and development projects.
• Proper watering, pruning and early maintenance so newly planted trees have the best chance of surviving.
• Continued support for the Home Grown Grant and other community-led planting opportunities.
• Clear information and support for community organizations interested in applying for tree-planting programs.
• Carefully planned pilot community orchards and neighbourhood food forests where suitable land, community support, maintenance plans and available resources make them practical.
• Clearer neighbourhood-level reporting showing where trees are planted, removed, replaced and maintained and how urban forestry funding is being distributed.

How We'll Measure Success

• More suitable public planting locations filled in Mynarski.
• Public trees replaced more consistently after removal where conditions allow.
• Fewer suitable boulevard and public planting locations left vacant for long periods.
• Better survival rates for newly planted trees.
• Improved watering, pruning and early maintenance.
• Stronger protection of healthy mature trees during construction and infrastructure work.
• More planting in lower-canopy and underserved areas.
• Greater species diversity in new planting.
• More community organizations participating in planting and neighbourhood greening projects.
• Successful pilot community orchard or food forest projects where appropriate.
• Clearer public reporting on planting, removals, replacement, maintenance and urban forestry spending by neighbourhood wherever the information is available.
• Long-term improvement in shade and canopy coverage near parks, sidewalks, transit stops and community spaces.

Tree Canopy Commitment

I believe strong neighbourhoods need healthy trees.

Trees make our streets cooler, our parks more inviting and our neighbourhoods more resilient.

Residents deserve to know that tree-planting money is being spent fairly and that older neighbourhoods are not being left behind.

If elected, I will work with residents, community organizations and City departments to protect healthy mature trees, replace those that are lost, expand the neighbourhood canopy and support practical community planting projects.

I will also follow the money and report back publicly on where trees are planted, where replacement is delayed, how new trees are being maintained and whether Mynarski is receiving a fair share of urban forestry investment.

Trees are neighbourhood infrastructure.

They deserve long-term planning, proper maintenance and accountable investment.

As the founder of Mr. Bones Pizza, a Registered Nurse with more than 20 years of experience, a Realtor, homeowner and proud North End resident, I've spent my life serving people in different ways.

As a Realtor, I've seen firsthand how strong neighbourhoods attract families, investment and opportunity, while neglected neighbourhoods affect property values, confidence and quality of life.

Whether building a local business, caring for patients, helping families find a home or volunteering in the community, I've always believed strong neighbourhoods are built by people who care.

I understand the pride people have in their homes, and I understand the frustration residents feel when they watch neighbourhoods decline while governments point fingers at one another.

If elected, I won't simply drive past these problems.

I'll ask the hard questions.

I'll follow the money.

I'll report back.

And I'll keep pushing until we see results.

Listen.

Report Back.

Follow the Money.

Build Solutions.

If elected, I will publicly track neighbourhood concerns brought to my office, report on the progress being made, identify barriers that remain, and continue providing regular public updates on housing, neighbourhood revitalization, community improvement and urban forestry initiatives.

Let's Make Change Together.