Manitoba premier-designate discusses addictions, other issues with Winnipeg mayor

A number of issues were brought to the table in the first meeting between premier-designate Wab Kinew and the mayor of Manitoba’s capital city.

Kinew sat down with Mayor Scott Gillingham on Tuesday, discussing a shared agenda to tackle issues faced by residents in Winnipeg — from figuring out strategies to dealing with homelessness to broaching upgrades to the city’s North End Treatment Plant. Key to the discussion, according to the mayor, was collaboration.

Gillingham said he and Kinew would work together as partners, “for the sake of growing our city and having a healthier Winnipeg.”

“I’m looking forward to working with the new premier and his cabinet,” said Gillingham. “His success is really our city’s success. Our goal is mutual success for the people we collectively serve.”

For the two leaders, the main priority is working on addressing the city’s homelessness concerns. This, said Gillingham, is coupled with the issues people face with addictions and mental health. A shared collective of information and resources between both levels of government would help to tackle this, he said.

He also noted that all levels of government, as well as even the private sector, have a part to play. An alignment between each agency would help, he added, to focus on the “individuals we are trying to serve.”

“We owe it to the people who are struggling,” said Gillingham.

That sentiment was shared by Kinew who, at a press conference following the meeting, said homelessness is at the top of the shared agenda.

“I think everyone in Manitoba recognizes that we can do better than we’re seeing right now. We drive by bus shelters; we drive by people living in tents. Nobody in Manitoba wants to see that. Nobody in Winnipeg wants to see that,” said Kinew.

“We want to see dignity. We want to see a downtown for Winnipeg — which is also Manitoba’s downtown — that everyone’s proud of. And we’re going to work together on that.”

For Kinew, cracking down on drug trafficking is also high on the list. He noted that addressing this would go hand-in-hand with fixing the homelessness crisis, along with improving security in communities across Winnipeg.

Touching on other topics, Kinew mentioned that any upgrades to the North End sewage treatment plant would be part of investments made to infrastructure across the city. It’s something, he said, that would benefit society in all forms.

“We share a vision of building our economy together for Winnipeg and Manitoba. And for you, the people, who’ve invested your support in us,” said Kinew. “We’re going to hit the ground running.”

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