As you know. Winnipeg’s trees are dying at an alarming rate from pests, disease, construction, effects of  climate change, and lack of funding.

If we continue at our current pace of investment in our urban forests, half of Winnipeg’s 3,000,000 trees may be gone by the year 2040.

But you and your friends neighbors and association members can make a difference!

Trees Please Winnipeg Coalition* is asking all levels of government to re-think funding models for urban forests. We want to classify urban forests as “assets”, and treat trees like the valuable infrastructure they are. We call on all levels of governments to invest for the long-term.  You can help make urban forests a priority for all governments, starting with the Government of Canada, who wants input from YOU on their Pre-Budget Consultations.

Spend a few minutes of your time to tell the Government of Canada you care today!  Here is how you can do this:

1. One Minute:  READ the one-page submission Trees Please Winnipeg Coalition submitted to the Federal Government’s Pre-Budget Consultation so you can learn more.  (Click below)

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​2. Five Minutes: FILL IN the Federal Government’s Pre-Budget Consultation questionnaire - By February 18th. *Question #1 asks you to identify 3 priorities from a long list. Please select “Invest in Communities through public transit, affordable housing, and green infrastructure”  as one of your choices.

​3. Fifteen Minutes: EMAIL the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Finance (and copy your MP) -- download sample wording and contact information  by clicking below. Due: as soon as you can! ​

Thank you for your valuable time — every voice counts in helping our governments hear we care about our trees. 

** Please forward this email and attachments to your friends and neighbours who also care about trees. 

If you wish to stay informed about Trees Please Winnipeg activities, follow us on Facebook. 
The Trees Please Winnipeg Coalition is a citywide association of resident and community groups, working together with Tree Canada, The David Suzuki Foundation, Trees Winnipeg, OURS Winnipeg, the Manitoba Urban Forest Council, The Ontario Urban Forest Council, LEAF Ontario, The Manitoba Eco-Network, Reforest London, REEP, Green Ventures and The Oakvillegreen Conservation Association Inc. to secure long-term sustainable funding for Winnipeg’s urban forest and those across Canada.

On Jan. 14, 2021, the City of Winnipeg Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works concurred in the recommendation of the Winnipeg Public Service, as amended, and approved the following:

1. That the changes to transit service on Route 10 St. Boniface/Wolseley be implemented, as shown in the attached Figure 1, at a date to coincide with the start of construction of the Wolseley Walk Bike Project. The route change is anticipated to go into effect when the Spring 2021 transit schedule goes into effect, tentatively scheduled for April 11th, 2021.
2. That the Proper Officers of the City be authorized to do all things necessary to implement the intent of the forgoing.

See the proposed route change below:  

It’s been a fantastic journey, consulting with the community, getting permission from the City and applying for grants and fundraising for the community garden build! Now that everything in place, we’ll be organizing volunteer builders and constructing the garden in May, in adherence with COVID restrictions.
 
Community support for the project has been overwhelming. In the fall of 2019, 279 residents, from across the neighborhood, responded to our door-to-door and in-person questionnaire as well as our online survey.  The vast majority of respondents, a total of 267 households, supported the idea of a community garden on the old bowling green in Vimy Ridge Park. Only 12 opposed the idea, primarily due to concerns about possible vandalism, and sustainability. We’ve taken those concerns seriously and addressed them in our site plan, future signage, and by designing what we hope will be a beautiful, welcoming and inclusive space for everyone.
 
The indication of broad community support, a strong community vision and site plan were the main reasons that Parks and Open Spaces agreed to provide an agreement in principle for the building of a community garden. 
 
The garden will be located in the northern portion of the old bowling green, and features twenty, 4 foot by 8 foot allotment beds, and two 4 foot by 16 foot communal beds. There will also be a native plant pollinator garden that will feature perennial flowers and fruit-bearing shrubs. The community beds will apply the “grow a row” principle, with half the produce going to food banks or those in need.
 
The allotment gardens will be assigned via a lottery so please get your applications in by March 15th. At this point we’ve reserved five beds for people in living multi-unit dwellings, two for our funding partner, Klinic, and the remaining beds will go to interested residents. We encourage anyone interested in gardening to apply! We will announce the results of the lottery on March 30th. (link to application form here)
 
For more information, please copy the Zoom link below and come to The WRA Community Garden/Tree Townhall on Feb. 8th If you can’t make it to the meeting, please do not hesitate to forward your questions to: wracommunitygardens@gmail.com
 
Zoom Link: Topic: WRA Town Hall meeting
Date: Feb 8 2021 7pm
Time: Feb 8, 2021 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89202079421?pwd=ci9yZVpCL2w5WG5JdEpJRU8yQUdrUT09
​
So let’s get growing Wolseley!  And huge thanks to everyone who has helped to make Wolseley’s community garden possible including: 
Genny Funk-Unrau, Nicole Chammartin and Holly Banner at Klinic, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Grant; Cindy Gilroy, City Councilor; The Land Dedication Reserve Fund; Parks and Open Spaces; City of Winnipeg Allotments; Yoko Chapman and The Anthologie Project and the Wolseley volunteers and supporters!  

Thanks for your interest in the Vimy Victory gardens! We’re excited for the 2021 growing season – our first ever. Please review the responsibilities of the gardeners and the Community Garden Committee before filling out the application. If you know someone interested in gardening, please encourage them to apply. 

Click on the link below to access a Garden Application.  Applications are due no later than March 15th, 2021. Successful applicants will be notified by March 30,, 2021.
 
Priority will be given to:

1. People living within the boundaries of Wolseley neighbourhood (Between Portage Ave. and the Assiniboine River N/S and Sherbrook and Omand’s Creek E/W);
2. Community residents that don’t have access to yard space;
3. Community residents that would like more garden space. 

The Wolseley Residents’ Association Community Garden Committee (WRA CGC) agrees to:
●     Improve, protect and maintain the community gardens;
●     Host workshops to provide education and training for all community gardeners;
●     Communicate regularly with gardeners to identify assets and needs;
●     Promote community events held in the gardens in our newsletter and on Facebook;
●     Inform community members of City requirements for use of the land.
●     Note: The WRA CGC is not responsible for any theft or vandalism that may occur in allotment plot

I, the Community Gardener agree to:
●     Be respectful to other gardeners and their families;
●     Plant my 4X8’ allotment plot by June 15th, 2019;
●     Weed my plot and keep paths clear;
●     Pick up garbage and litter in the community gardens;
●     Help to maintain the overall appearance of the garden;
●     Refrain from using chemicals (pesticides/herbicides) in the allotment and community gardens;
●     Attend community garden meetings and work parties;
●     Encourage and welcome new folks to become involved and refer them to the WRA CGC to register;
●     Clean up my plot by the second week in October and make it tidy for winter and
●     Report any incidents of theft or vandalism it to the committee.
 
Additional rules and conditions pertaining to Allotment Gardeners and our Mission Statement can be found on the Greenspace Committee Page (click on the Community Gardens tab) on the WRA website.
 
Garden Description:
Each individual allotment garden is a 4’X8’ raised bed, and the community plots feature two 4’X16’ raised beds. The garden will also feature a native plant and fruit shrub pollinator garden, a composting station and a locked chest for garden tool storage. Water access and hoses will be provided.
 
Questions? Contact the Community Garden Committee at wracommunitygardens@gmail.com or call 204-775-7560

If you are interested in reserving a garden plot, fill out a garden application (available in either Word or Adobe format) and then send a completed application to us via email.

On Tuesday, November 10th, at 7 p-.m.  the Wolseley Residents’ Association will host a free online ZOOM presentation on Energy Efficiency for Existing Older Homes:

• Efficiency Manitoba will begin with incentives and rebates offered to homeowners, with a focus on the Home Insulation and the Income Qualified Programs.
• The WRA Housing Committee will present an overview of how to best tackle efficiency upgrades to our 100 year old homes. This presentation will explore the greatest cost/benefits, with topics including: 
  • air leakage + moisture control
  • insulation, windows and heating systems
  • energy recovery + passive solutions
  • alternative energies + GHG reductions
  • choosing green materials
  • existing hazards and best practices in construction

Zoom Coordinates to Join the Meeting: 
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83554725082?pwd=Q25ac01vZEl2U2x2Z3ZSR2UyKzRyZz09
Meeting ID: 835 5472 5082
Passcode: 119742

One tap mobile
+15873281099,,83554725082#,,,,,,0#,,119742# Canada
+16473744685,,83554725082#,,,,,,0#,,119742# Canada
Dial by your location
+1 204 272 7920 Canada
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kd1Xid6AIW

Join us on Monday Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. for a ZOOM conversation about winter transportation and make your voice heard about the City’s proposed 20 year urban forest strategy.

Meeting Logistics: 

• Time and Date:   Monday Oct 19, 7 p.m.
• Zoom Coordinates: 
  • https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84790339071?pwd=b3JkMzJRdkZZZngxYy84S3kxejZRZz09
    • Meeting ID: 847 9033 9071
    • Passcode: 555762
  • One tap mobile
    • +16473744685,,84790339071#,,,,,,0#,,555762# Canada
    • +16475580588,,84790339071#,,,,,,0#,,555762# Canada​
    • Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/krHbNYtp1

Public Engagement Issues around the City of Winnipeg's 20  Year Urban Forest Strategy
Winnipeg’s Office of Public Engagement just launched an online survey, discussion forums and is also offering activities and presentations as part of an effort to solicit public input on a new 20 year urban forest strategy. The window for participation is short - October 8 to Nov 1. While we encourage all of our residents to participate, we also have some important questions about this public engagement and the strategic planning process, and we’d like to hear your thoughts on how we should address them:

• Why were community based groups like the WRA not given any advance notice about this initiative, so we could alert our residents ahead of time? 
• Why is the window for participation so short - only 3 weeks?  
• Why was there no effort made to conduct public education, informing residents about the threats facing our trees, and the fact that we stand to loose a third of our canopy over the next ten years?  
• Why is community knowledge not being incorporated into the strategic planning process?

Some Quick Urban Forest Facts

• 201 of Wolseley’s elm trees  are scheduled to come down in 2020. Roughly half have already been taken down. Give current budget restraints, we have no idea when those tree will be replaced.
• The City’s Urban Forestry Dept. is still seriously underfunded - their budget is roughly $4-5 million below what was requested and will remain that way for the next 4 years. How can the city implement a 20 year strategy of any meaning when the budget has been set?
• The cost of the October storm tree clean-up topped out at $10 million. 30,000 trees city wide were lost or damaged.
• Much of the October storm damage was caused by lack of pruning.Public trees should be pruned every 7-8 years. Our trees are pruned, on average, every 26 years.

At the September 21st meeting of the Wolseley Residents Association, Wolseley resident Dr. Joe Ackerman, a research scientist and Bio-Systems Engineer shared his research on what is happening with plastic waste in Winnipeg and options to improve our situation. 

The meet was held via Zoom and over 40 residents participated.  A recording of the zoom meeting can be accessed by clicking here.   Enter this password when prompted:  4!UDBPtr

A copy of the powerpoint that Joe presented can be accessed by clicking on the image below:

​Dr. Joe Ackerman, a Wolseley resident, is a research scientist and Bio-Systems Engineer has been examining both ways to reduce plastic consumption as well as ways to recycle and reuse plastic and other waste.  He has lived in Wolseley for over 25 years and has made passive house conversions to his home; eliminating natural gas heat and super insulation relying on scrap wood for heat and his yard is an urban farm.

Click below to join the meeting by Zoom:  
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87813674386?pwd=cU02Vk5mVlNXelJMR1ZCMGVSYVlTZz09
Meeting ID: 878 1367 4386
Passcode: 860380
One tap mobile
+15873281099,,87813674386#,,,,,,0#,,860380# Canada
+16473744685,,87813674386#,,,,,,0#,,860380# Canada
Dial by your location
+1 204 272 7920 Canada
Meeting ID: 878 1367 4386
Passcode: 860380
​Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdHw13FFQR

Workshop Overview: 
Dr. Joe Ackerman, a Wolseley resident, is a research scientist and Bio-Systems Engineer who has been examining both ways to reduce plastic consumption as well as ways to recycle and reuse plastic and other waste.  He has lived in Wolseley for over 25 years and has made passive house conversions to his home; eliminating natural gas heat and super insulation relying on scrap wood for heat and his yard is an urban farm. 

He will be sharing his research on what is happening with plastic waste in Winnipeg and options to improve our situation.  After the workshop the WRA is open to a working group taking some action to follow-up on the issue.  This session is motivated by the increase in plastic use during the pandemic with more food packaging, back sliding on plastic bags, more take out food, and PPE all using plastic.  
​
Information links from the Green Action Centre: 
Here are some resource links regarding plastic: 
https://greenactioncentre.ca/category/green-your-routine/ 
https://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/break-free-from-plastic/
https://www.storyofplastic.org/
https://www.storyofstuff.org/
https://pollybarks.com/
http://greenactioncentre.ca/plasticfreejuly

Information links from Greenpeace:  
https://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/act/plasticpolluters2019/  
greenpeace.org/canada/en/act/support-complete-single-use-plastic-bans/
https://act.greenpeace.org/page/63162/petition/1?locale=en-US  

Consider running for one of the open position on the WRA executive:   

• Co-Chair, Treasurer 
  
• Communications 
  
• Safety Committee Chair

There will be information about the new WRA Green Space Committee community garden going into Vimy Park. 

Plus, in response to various local issues this year the meeting features a discussion of community input into decisions about green space. The guests confirmed include:

• David Domke City of Winnipeg, Manger, Parks and Open Spaces,
• Pam and Ron from OURS Winnipeg, a group working for a Greens Space Master Plan for Winnipeg
• Morgan Vespa City of Winnipeg Manager, Office of Community Engagement
• Councillor Gilroy

Come to the meeting a find out what the current policy is for various green space changes and discuss how to ensure public green space has public input. 

Come to the Aug. 18 Annual General Meeting of the Wolseley Residents Association (Vimy Ridge Park, Tuesday Aug. 18, 7pm) to find out more about Greenspace issues and opportunities in Wolseley, including a discussion of how we can ensure that changes to greenspace in our neighborhood has public input.

Recent Greenspace Issues:   Recently there was the removal of the tot-lot on Westminster near Ethelbert that caught parents and kids by surprise.  And the loss of green space at Dominion Park when a lease agreement lapsed and the property changed owners. There is currently riverbank stabilization across the creek and tracks and ongoing changes at Vimy Ridge Park.  Over the years Wolseley has had a number of other examples of partnership with the City such as designing Aubrey Park and of course the legendary the proposal for a big bridge across Omand’s Creek.  In all of this the common denominator the desire for more community gardens and green space is the community wants to know about plans ahead of time, and the community wants a say in those plans.

The World Health Organization [36] recommended the availability of a minimum of 9 m2 of green space per individual with an ideal (urban green space) UGS value of 50 m2 per capita. These statistical values correlate with a number of UGS standards, including: (1) linkages between sustainable cities and better health, (2) core health indicators to monitor progress and identify success, (3) expanding indicators values (e.g., governance indicators, access to health and sanitation services, food markets and urban infrastructure for social, recreation and livelihoods), (4) adding value to health indicators and (5) feasibility of data reporting via cross-cutting issues (e.g., equity, governance and climate change). In retrospect to the amount of greenery and relating UGS availability in cities and urban areas we delineate a linkage between the World Health Organization’s UGS values with a reduced amount of social and environmental discontent.

​An example of an ideal compact city is Ljubljana, Slovenia, awarded the 2016 European Green Capital, in which almost 560 m2 of UGS is available per inhabitant and virtually all its residential zones lie within a 300 m radius from public green space [41]. 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6209905/#:~:text=The%20World%20Health%20Organization%20%5B36,50%20m2%20per%20capita.
​