North Kildonan candidates are off and running

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This article was published 29/09/2022 (819 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NORTH KILDONAN

Two candidates have been nominated in the North Kildonan ward: Jeff Browaty (the incumbent) and Andrew Podolecki.

Jeff Browaty (incumbent)

First elected in 2006, Jeff Browaty is seeking re-election as city councillor for North Kildonan. Over the years, he has served and chaired many committees, as well as sitting as city representative on a number of boards.

“The biggest challenge facing the city is homelessness, addictions, and mental health,” said Browaty, 45, a lifelong resident of North Kildonan. “Should police be responding to all these crisis calls, or should social workers? Police might not have the skills to deal with these calls, but they are the people you call in a crisis. We’re not the level of government that will deliver those services, though we do play a role. We need to work with the province. I think the mayor and council need to be better advocates to other levels of government to provide those services and partner where we have jurisdiction.”

Browaty said he is proud of the work he’s done to advocate for the ward during his time on council. Among other projects, he lists the expansion of Chief Peguis Trail from Henderson Highway to Lagimodiere Boulevard as a big win.

“I support it going further, around to Route 90 from Main Street,” Browaty said. “It’s not a cheap project but it’s a major economic driver that will open up more areas of Winnipeg for development. Do we prefer those tax dollars to come to the city or go outside of it, as people move out past the Perimeter?”

Along with such major projects, Browaty said is committed to smaller “clean and green” projects, like adding garbage cans alsong major routes, and to protecting the city’s trees. However, top of the priority list is maintaining the city’s roads.

“When you don’t invest in roads, you get a bad winter, look what happened this spring,” he said. “This year was a bad year for spring potholes, so continuing our investment in roads is absolutely necessary.”

Visit jeffbrowaty.com for more information.

Andrew Podolecki

A nearly lifelong North Kildonan resident, Andrew Podolecki may be a familiar name to residents after running for city council in 2014 and 2018, earning approximately 12 and 20 per cent of eligible votes, respectively.

“I felt that there have been many critical issues that have not been taken with seriousness, or I feel the city’s priorities have been incorrect,” said the 30-year-old University of Winnipeg alumnus, who also ran as a New Democratic Party candidate in Portage la Prairie in the 2019 provincial election.

Public services are a top priority for Podolecki.

“Libraries, community centres, wading pools (should be) open,” Podolecki said. “So that people can access services they pay for, and have the knowledge that their taxes are being used for improvements.”

While Podolecki has pledged to maintain road repair budgets — a “big issue in the ward” — he would also like to improve public transit ridership, to help take cars off the roads.

“I’d like to see Transit fare for everyone under 18 and over 65 be free,” he said. “For everyone else, it would be $1, for a way to help people with inflation, reducing their carbon footprint, as well as the implementation of the Winnipeg Transit Master Plan.”

If elected, Podolecki would also like to push city council towards supporting a safe injection site.

For more information, visit electandrewp.com