Gillingham talks trash, pledges big bin boost

Scott Gillingham says he would add hundreds of locked garbage bins downtown to prevent unsightly trash piles if re-elected as mayor.

Gillingham led a program that added about 120 locked garbage bins along Portage Avenue and Main Street last fall, after trash was repeatedly strewn around the area. If he wins a second term, he plans to add at least 200 more of the receptacles.

A look at how one locked Main Street recycle/garbage bin in front of city hall fared offers an example of the bins’ success so far, he said.

“Every day, you would see the lids up, and people had been rifling through it, or someone left the lid up and the wind picked up the garbage and (spread) it everywhere. It’s much more difficult now. Once the garbage is in, the garbage stays in,” said Gillingham.

The change isn’t just cosmetic, he said.

“A cleaner city is important to everybody. I believe the way our properties look really reflects how we feel about ourselves. Winnipeg needs to be a cleaner city,” he said.

He also promised to end long waits for new household garbage and recycle carts, setting a target that lost and damaged carts be replaced within one week.

“This is basic customer service,” said Gillingham.

City officials confirmed the average wait time to replace a garbage or recycling cart is now about 20 to 25 business days, though homeowners with unusable bins can call the city to get manual collection during the delay.

Gillingham did not specify exactly how he would meet the new target, though it could involve “realigning” staff.

“I think that we have capacity within the department. That’s the first thing we’ll need to look at,” he said.

The pledge also includes adding a sixth seven-person neighbourhood action team, which would be dedicated to downtown Winnipeg. That would add to five seven-person, cross-trained teams that rotate through the city’s 15 wards to address issues like debris, potholes, damaged signs, sidewalk repairs and tree maintenance.

“There’s real momentum in the core of our city, from residential development to projects like Portage Place. We need also to make sure that the maintenance in the downtown gets tackled, and tackled sooner,” said Gillingham.

The downtown team would co-ordinate its efforts with the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ and Exchange District BIZ.

Gillingham said cost estimates for his election promises will be shared later in the campaign.

Meanwhile, mayoral candidate Don Woodstock is promising to change emergency service budgets, if he’s elected.

Woodstock said the city practice of directing the Winnipeg Police Service and Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service to find millions of dollars of in-year savings in some municipal budgets creates “fake deficits” for their departments.

This year, police are expected to save $7 million. WFPS was directed to save $3 million in 2024 but has not faced such a target since.

Woodstock said the tight budgets have prevented the services from hiring enough staff, leading to excessive overtime and burnout. He promises to eliminate the in-year savings targets in his first city budget, if elected.

“(This) saves money in the long run (because) we are spending millions in overtime, which is at a premium,” he said.

He also promised to have the city take over land it owns and leases for third-party parking lots, as lease terms end, then lower parking fees and claim any revenue for the city.

And he promised to audit city-owned and leased properties, aiming to “reclaim” some at the end of their leases.

Election Day is Oct. 28.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

X: @joyanne_pursaga