A sad day has come

Transcona

Reading in print is my preferred method for news or novels. Reading on a screen is OK for short periods of time, but is hard on the eyes after a while. Unfortunately, the end has come for the print version of the Community Review. It was a great way to keep all our communities informed of local happenings and offered feel good stories in a time of world despair.

The first issue I need to touch on in this column, hoping that the second time around is the charm: Dugald Road is a major roadway dividing North and South Transcona from each other. It connects Winnipeg to surrounding communities to the east, such as Dugald, Anola, and Oakbank, Man. It is a high speed roadway that handles thousands of vehicles daily. \

When the residents of South Transcona feel like venturing out of the neighbourhood, they do so by driving a motor vehicle, riding a bicycle, or walking. To walk or ride a bike out, we must cross Dugald Road to get to the other side. Lately, it’s been a nightmare, because of construction and increased traffic eastbound. I liken it to the game Crossy Road, where you must look both ways constantly and wait for a slight opening to hurry across. Once across, the only option is to head west on the asphalt path that resembles something out of a horror movie. We don’t have the option to head eastward to Ravenhurst Street, which will allow access to local high schools or friends and family. Anyone who has attempted this risks their lives trying to travel on the two foot wide gravel shoulder. There have been some horrific accidents while attempting this feat.

We have asked our local politicians, the trails association, and developers to help us put in an active transportation path for years. It never happens. I have recently contacted all levels on this very subject and have received two responses out of five. Meanwhile, money is being spent like water on major expensive projects all over the city. Seems as though safety is a non-issue for those of us south of Dugald Road, though it should be at the top of everyone’s list.

The second issue is how our beautiful community is about to be destroyed by the colour of money.

The City of Winnipeg, the Province of Manitoba, and the elected officials we have entrusted to act in our best interest seem to have one agenda as of late — to overlook who chose to settle here, to work here, to support their communities with tax dollars and who take pride with care and compassion for where they live.

Instead, they do not listen to our voices, they make life altering decisions that devastate families, they push people out of homes they’ve worked a lifetime to obtain, approve high density housing developments that don’t fit with the current neighbourhoods and create traffic nightmares within these communities, all while increasing taxes for the people who have resided there since it was nothing but farmland.

Something is really messed up with this whole scenario. It’s wrong to treat people like this. All I can say is I’m so glad there is an election in October, and I hope we see a turnover of new representatives who actually care about people and less so about money.