WINNIPEG – Brown water, no water, water main breaks, frozen pipes and potholes: Winnipeg’s recent infrastructure woes might shape how the city votes this fall.
Probe Research polls 600 Winnipeggers quarterly and says crime is no longer the top issue, it’s been replaced with infrastructure.
“That’s going to be priority one for anyone running in a campaign here,” said Curtis Brown of Probe research. “Yes it’s been bad (winter), it’s been abnormally bad, but you have brown water, you have frozen pipes and now you have really big potholes and I think the public is really concerned about this.”
Winnipeggers go to the polls October 22nd to vote for mayor and council.
Gord Steeves is the only candidate to officially declare his intentions to run for mayor.
He believes the issues will be decided after Sam Katz decides whether or not he will seek re-election.
“If the current mayor is running again, I think the issues of governance will be big. If not, if the current mayor is not running than I think it comes back to infrastructure,” said Gord Steeves.
Katz has said he will not publically announce his intentions until June. But he did say Friday he has been advocating for more dollars dedicated to infrastructure for years.
“It was yours truly who has been leading the charge,” said Katz, “Investing more money, which is what we are doing.”
Other potential challengers for Winnipeg’s mayor’s chair have already jumped on the infrastructure band wagon.
Political newcomer Mike Vogiatzakis showed off an alternative method for filling pot holes in a Winnipeg parking lot last week, in front of a sign saying “Mike for Mayor”.
City Councillor Scott Fielding launched a petition Thursday suggesting the city abandon a costly rapid transit plan and use the money to fix roads instead.
“Residents are telling me we need to fix our existing and needed roadworks first, before we look at a new $600-million-plus transit mega project,” Fielding said.
Fielding hasn’t confirmed he will run for mayor. Candidates can’t officially start campaigning until May.
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