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COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WINNIPEG Thursday, February 25, 2021 The Council met at 9:43 a.m. The Clerk advised the Speaker that a quorum was present. The Speaker called the meeting to order. The opening prayer was read by Councillor Chambers. ROLL CALL Clerk: Madam Speaker Councillor Sharma, His Worship Mayor Bowman, Councillors Allard, Browaty, Chambers, Eadie, Gillingham, Gilroy, Klein, Lukes, Mayes, Nason, Orlikow, Rollins, Santos and Schreyer. INTRODUCTION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Madam Speaker: Thank you. We’ll move onto morning announcements. Mr. Mayor, you have the floor. Mayor Bowman: Thank you, Madam Speaker. And good morning to my council colleagues as well as all of those that are watching these proceedings. Madam Speaker, I want to begin with some opening comments on our community’s ongoing efforts to combat COVID-19. I want to, once again, thank all those on the front lines of battling COVID-19, especially those healthcare heroes in our community and those that are supporting the efforts and working for Manitoba Health. We have had 17,589 cases in the City of Winnipeg as of February 24th. Since our last Council meeting, 890 new cases in the City of Winnipeg. To date, sadly, we have had…we have lost 625 Winnipeggers as of February 24th, 52 new deaths in Winnipeg since our last Council meeting. Our test positivity rate remains at 4%. And I want to take this opportunity to encourage all Winnipeggers continue to be vigilant to protect your safety and the safety of our community, wash your hands, wear a mask and watch your distance. I want to thank our Public Service as well as my council colleagues for all of their efforts to support Manitoba Health and the outcomes that we all desire as Winnipeggers. Since our last Council meeting, I have participated in Big City Mayors council meetings with the Prime Minister of Canada, with the leader of the official opposition, Erin O’Toole, the leader of the NDP Party, Jagmeet Singh, as well as our Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister, Dominic LeBlanc. Also, I had discussions…ongoing discussions, as I regularly do, with Minister Jim Carr. I am looking forward, along with you, Madam Speaker, and members of Council to celebrating International Women's Day on March 8th and recognizing Jessie Kirk, the first woman elected to City of Winnipeg Council. Over the last month, I have had the opportunity to visit the still in construction mode Bruce Oak Recovery Centre with our Finance Chair. And I was really, really pleased to see the progress. This was a, I think, a good example of partnership. When we received the request from the Province of Manitoba, Council acted in support of those that need greater supports for addictions in our community. And I was pleased to tour with local councillor, of course, Councillor Gillingham has been a strong supporter of the project. I have had very productive calls with numerous other leaders including Grand Chief Arlen Dumas and Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Kevin Hart, and had, again, on Zoom and Teams, another successful meeting with my Youth Advisory Council. Also, I had the opportunity on behalf of Council to welcome the new United States Consul and Principal Officer, Mr. Bryan Koontz to Winnipeg. And we’ve also, as a council, we’ve had the opportunity over the last month to recognize World Cancer Day, the Lunar New Year, Louis Riel Day, Pink Shirt Day, the Festival du Voyageur’s events. I know many of us have been participating in I Love to Read events. We’ve recognized Heart Month. And, last but not least, I want to recognize Black History Month. I want to thank Councillor Chambers. He has been leading on some of the shirts that some of our council colleagues are wearing today and some of the other efforts. And I want to thank all those members of Council who have participated and all those community leaders who have been participating including…including even our captain of our beloved Winnipeg Jets who I know donned the same shirts that many of you are wearing. And with that, I want to wish him and the team all the very best tonight against the Habs. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Our next speaker, Councillor Gillingham. Councillor Gillingham: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. I rise today just to acknowledge five Manitoba teams that are playing right now in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts out in Calgary; the women’s curling championship. Manitoba is well represented by Mackenzie Zacharias, Chelsea Carey, Jennifer Jones, Kerri Einarson and their teams. And St. James Team: Beth Peterson, Jenna Loder, Katherine Doerksen and Brittany Tran and Cathy Overton-Clapham. They curl out of the Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club and they’re having a great run as one of the wildcard teams right 2 COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WINNIPEG February 25, 2021 now. So, we just want to wish them all the best and good luck. We are very proud of them in St. James. Beth Peterson actually happens to be the daughter also of the City of Winnipeg’s Heritage Officer. Our City historian, Mr. Murray Peterson, so there is a City of Winnipeg connection there as well. So, anyways, just all the best and good luck to Team Peterson. Madam Speaker: Thank you, Councillor Gillingham. We have a few more speakers that had registered prior. We have a long meeting, so I will remind you of the time limit. Councillor Mayes, followed by Councillor Rollins. Councillor Mayes: Jennifer Jones I think has had some success over at the St. Vital Curling Club. Yes, thanks for Councillor Gillingham knocking off the…all five teams so we don’t all have to do that. I rise to have a good news, bad news announcement. The bad news is our Food Council Coordinator, Jeanette Sivilay is leaving as Food Council Coordinator. The good news is she is joining our somewhat short-staffed Office of Sustainability. So, that is certainly a gain for the City of Winnipeg and the Office of Sustainability. But Jeanette’s been terrific as our Food Council Coordinator. A good sense of humour. Incredible knowledge. Really having to direct herself in all of these actions. I think she has really become the face of the Food Council. And we needed that organization. We needed somebody in there full-time during the pandemic. So, I think…I want to thank Jeanette for the work she’s been doing for the Food Council. When Rob Moquin with Food Matters had said to me before we hired her, I think I got somebody. I think I got somebody who is really good. And a few months later, I saw him up in the lobby here and I strode across the lobby and said to him, you were right on that. That was excellent. So, she has been terrific. So, I want to thank Jeanette for her work. We’ve got our Food Council meeting in this room tomorrow and then we’ll get to work on figuring out how to staff that. But mostly it is unfortunate for the Food Council, but it’s lucky for the City of Winnipeg. She’s going to be one of our folks in the Office of Sustainability. So, my thanks to Jeanette. Madam Speaker: Thank you, Councillor Mayes. Councillor Rollins. Councillor Rollins: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise first on a somber note of residents that are sleeping rough in my ward, Madam Speaker, and some who have sadly passed away in the last couple of weeks. And I want to rise with respect to them and really issue a rallying cry that we can all do better with respect to the displaced people that are in our city. I also want to rise in recognition of Black History Month. It is 24/7 in my house, Madam Speaker. Past, present and future. And I want to acknowledge the very hard work of everyone at Council, but in particular, my council colleague, Councillor Chambers who has been working tirelessly throughout this month and more. And I want to stand and recognize his efforts to really bring a conversation about black inventors this month, but in the future, you know, the inspiration that he’s provided to students in my ward and in wards across the city and really, provincially and national discussion this year. And thank Black History Manitoba. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker: Thank you, Councillor Rollins. MINUTES Councillor Chambers moves that the Minutes of the meeting held on January 28th, 2021, be taken as read and confirmed. Madam Speaker: Thank you. All in favour? Contrary? That’s carried. We’ll now move onto delegations. Our delegates will all be joining us remotely via Zoom today. First, I’d like to invite Ms. Kate Fenske. She is the Chief Executive Officer of the Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone who is appearing in support of Item 11 of the report of the Executive Policy Committee dated February 17th, 2021. It’s regarding the Community Incentive Grant for the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ Improvement Zone. Ms. Fenske, welcome. We have 10 minutes on the clock for you. DELEGATIONS Kate Fenske: Thank you Mayor and councillors. I really appreciate your time today to hear about some of the challenges we are facing in our city's downtown. You know, we hear folks say, well, in a normal year, a lot these days so that is where I’d like to start.

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