Katz kicks Orlikow from meeting

Mayor Sam Katz kicked out River Heights Coun. John Orlikow during a recent city council planning session regarding long-term plans for the city, reports the Winnipeg Free Press. Katz asked Orlikow to leave only half an hour into the meeting, when the councillor had attempted to discuss his concerns in regards to the city’s consultation process. When Orlikow questioned Katz, the mayor told the councillor to just trust the process. In the beginning of the new year, the mayor and six councillors on the executive policy committee had a planning retreat, which non-Executive Policy Committee councillors were not informed about.

Arrest made over sale of stolen Jets tickets

Winnipeg police located and arrested a man connected to the sale of stolen Winnipeg Jets tickets, reported the Winnipeg Free Press. The 21-year-old man, who is in custody, has been charged with 11 counts of fraud and possessing goods obtained by crime. Two weeks ago, a 19-year-old man was arrested and charged with two counts of fraud of under $5,000. Six victims of stolen Winnipeg Jets tickets paid a total of $4,240 for tickets, which they had believed to be legitimate but were later refused entrance to the Jets game.

Katz talks pulling $7M grant for water park off the table

Mayor Sam Katz is planning to withdraw from a city plan to award a $7-million grant to a private water park. The grant was announced in 2008 for a private developer to build a private, indoor water park with possibilities for public access. Later that same year it was awarded to the Canad Inns hotel chain, but was withdrawn in 2009 when no progress was made. If no proposals come forth by the end of March this year, the city will use the $7 million to fund other projects.

Crime prevention up to par?

Applications for funding community-based youth gang prevention programs will be accepted nationwide, reports the Winnipeg Free Press. The national funding, which is questionably low, has caused some people - such as Jamil Mahmood, executive director of the Spence Neighbourhood Association - to question how serious the Harper government is about being tough on crime. Mahmood believes the mere $7.5 million a year that is currently set aside towards the prevention of youth gangs is “just scratching the surface.”

Winnipeg elm cut down, homeowner blames city maintenance

A homeowner in Wolseley is using the death of an elm tree in her yard to pressure the city to better control the spread of Dutch elm disease. The city cut down a century-old elm tree on Wendy Land’s Wolseley Avenue property last week, reports the Winnipeg Free Press. Land plans to lobby city council to increase funding for tree maintenance and pruning in order to better control outbreaks of Dutch elm disease throughout the city. In 2010, 5,600 elm trees were lost to the disease. Only 1,500 trees were planted to replace them.

Published in Volume 66, Number 21 of The Uniter (March 1, 2012)