With less than two weeks to go until the municipal election, several mayoral candidates were out on the campaign trail, revealing more platform planks on Friday Mike Vogiatzakis zoned in on “Our Winnipeg 2045,” the city’s official development plan, saying it doesn’t best represent the everyday needs of Winnipeggers. The plan is used to help the city guide development for 25 years and includes growth objectives, including for land use, environmental stability, and social and economic impact. Vogiatzakis is questioning if the plan is helping city residents. “Winnipeg is living in 2026,” he said. “They are not living in 2045. They are dealing with real potholes today; they are dealing with buses that you have to wait for, buses that don’t show up. They are paying taxes today. They are facing construction delays on the way to work today.” Vogiatzakis said if elected, the plan will be reviewed to see where it can be improved. “If a policy is working, we keep it,” he said. “If a policy needs improvement, we fix it. If a target is unrealistic, we revise it.” Kevin Klein said if he was elected, he will scrap the city’s current accelerated housing regulations, instead prioritizing projects working with nearby infrastructure, traffic and housing limits. “We will accelerate approvals for projects that meet clear standards, so legitimate housing moves faster,” he said. Klein said if elected, he would also prioritize development approvals for vacant lots near downtown and what he calls “distressed neighbourhoods.” Umar Hayat focused his announcement Friday on addictions and homelessness. He said instead of policing drug use, he’d focus on enforcement against drug traffickers, organized crime, and violence. “Stop targeting vulnerable people instead of the root cause,” Hayat said, adding that those struggling with addiction need better access to mental health, harm reduction and long-term recovery programs. If elected mayor, Hayat said he will work with all levels of government and police, along with Indigenous and community leaders, to find a practical solution. Finally, Don Woodstock said if elected, he would rebuild the Arlington Bridge, which closed in 2023. Demolition work started this summer. In a news release, Woodstock said the rebuild could be completed between 12 and 18 months at a fixed price of $109 million. To help defray costs, Woodstock said he would advocate for the provincial and federal governments to each pay one-third of the total price. Winnipeggers head to the polls on Oct. 28.
