Winnipeg mayoral candidates promise money for trees, addictions relief, crime prevention

Winnipeg mayoral candidate Glen Murray promised Wednesday to plant more trees in Winnipeg by selling carbon offsets and accessing money from foundations and social-investment funds.

Elaborating on a promise announced at a mayoral forumon Sept. 26, Murray said if he's elected in three weeks, he would create a "natural capital budget," and funding for trees would be the first program in that budget.

Murray said a portion of the money the city spends every year on construction projects using concrete and pavement would be devoted to funding for trees.

The precise amount of spending willdepend on how much money the city spends on conventional construction and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions the city eliminates by protecting or planting trees, he said.

"It would be flexible based basically on the amount of concrete we are pouring," Murray said during a campaign announcement on Broadway, near the Fort Garry Hotel.

"The more carbon credits we create, the more revenue into the program. So essentially, the idea is to make this, over time, a self-financing program."

Murray also promised Wednesday to allow people and businesses to designate their neighbourhoods a "tree restoration zone," where new levies would pay for additional improvements to the urban forest.

Murray, along with other mayoral candidates, promised on July 4 to plant two new trees for every tree removed in Winnipeg and to speed up the city's tree-pruning to once every seven years, instead of once every 27.

Those changes would cost the city an additional $22 million a year, according to city budget documents.

Ouellettepromises addictions crisis relief

Mayoral candidate Robert-Falcon Ouellette, who spoke about Winnipeg's addictions crisis the day he registered his campaign in May, laid out a plan Wednesdayto handle the complex problem.

Ouellette said if he's elected mayor, he would push for a supervised consumption site and work with provincial health authorities to ensure people addicted to non-medical drugs have access to pharmaceutical alternatives.

Ouellette also said he would work with the provincial,federal and Indigenous governments to offer immediate addictions treatment and ongoing services.

Earlier in the campaign, Murray also promisedhe would ensure addictions treatment after consulting with other levels of government, while candidate Rick Shone promised a supervised consumption site.

Adelakunannounces crime-prevention plan

Mayoral candidate Idris Adelakun announced a crime-prevention plan on Wednesday. He said if elected,he would restructure the Winnipeg Police Board, encourage the police to engage in more foot patrols, andrequest federal funds to create more mentoring and recreational opportunities for youths.

He also said Winnipeg must do more to alleviate homelessness and poverty.

Adelakun, Ouellette, Shone and Murray are among 11 candidates running for mayor. Rana Bokhari,Chris Clacio, Scott Gillingham, Kevin Klein, Shaun Loney, Jenny Motkalukand Don Woodstock are also on the ballot.

• More from CBC on the 2022 Winnipeg election

Advance polling is open in Winnipeg until Oct. 21.

Election day is Oct. 26.