Dear City of Winnipeg invest in sustainbiility sign the open letter

As you know, broad and immediate action on climate change is required from all levels of government, including the City of Winnipeg.

The 2022 City of Winnipeg budget did not reflect the need for investment.

Based on an assessment of the City’s operations, three things have been identified that could increase the City’s impact:

  1. The Office of Sustainability should report to the highest level possible within the city. This will ensure that a climate action lens is applied to all decision-making. Suggest they report to the Chief Administrative Office.
  2. To be successful in meeting its climate targets, and to reflect the importance of climate action and other matters of environmental stewardship, the Office of Sustainability needs substantially more personnel and an increased budget.
  3. Create a Community Advisory Council on sustainability and hire a coordinator position within the Office of Sustainability to manage it.

The City of Edmonton has 37 people in their Office of Sustainability, Toronto over 100 and Saskatoon around 10.  Winnipeg has 5.

AN OPEN LETTER OUTLINING THESE ASKS WAS SIGNED BY 62 ORGANIZATIONS AND SENT TO CITY HALL THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18th 2021 PRIOR TO THE RELEASE OF THE 2022 BUDGET’S RELEASE.

In a recent energy efficiency assessment done by Efficiency Canada, Manitoba came 8th out of the 10 provinces. There is lots of need and opportunity for action and that needs investment.

The Office of Sustainability is currently buried within the Department of Water and Waste and has significantly fewer staff than other, similarly sized Canadian cities.  A key part of the Climate Action Plan that was adopted by the City in 2018 is the establishment of a Community Advisory Council. This council has yet to be created and there are no current plans to do so.  These investments do not have a big price tag.

On Friday, December 10th starting at 9:30AM there was the “Executive Policy Committee to hear public delegations on budgets” and a number of speakers supported these asks.  Here is the recording of the hearings.

Budget was voted on Wednesday December 15th 2021 and passed

On July 21 2022, Council voted to adopt the Community Energy Investment Roadmap.  This roadmap recommendations reflect what was asked for in the open letter.  Read the Council Minutes where motion was carried.

You can see here who in City of Winnipeg’s 2020 election supported these asks.

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS

1 Just City Logo
ace art inc logo
A koncan and accociates logo
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505 Logo
Art City Logo
bike winnipeg Logo
Biz for Climate Logo
Botanical PaperWorks Inc. Logo
Caisse Financial Group Logo
CCPA Manitoba Logo
Canadian CED Network Manitoba
Canadian Federation of Students Manitoba
cpaws manitoba logo
Climate Action Team Manitoba logo
can sustain logo
Climate Change Connection Logo
Communities Not Cuts Logo
Consumers Association of Canada Manitoba
Council of Canadians Winnipeg Logo
Council of Women of Winnipeg logo
Curry Industries Ltd logo
Dehydration Nations Logo
Dueck Builders logo
Duxton Windows & Doors logo
emerge knowledge logo
fireweed food co-op logo
Food Matters Manitoba logo
Footprint logo
functional transition Winnipeg logo
Gardon Construction Ltd logo
Green Action Centre Logo
heart land international english school logo
integrated designs logo
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) logo
ioAirFlow logo
Manitoba Eco-Network logo
Manitoba Building Trades
Manitoba Council for International Cooperation logo
Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition logo
Manitoba Harm Reduction Network logo
Manitoba Public Health Association logo
National Farmers Union logo
Oh Doughnuts Logo
Osborne Village BIZ logo
OURS-Winnipeg logo
pico ARCHITECTURE inc logo
prairie architect logo
prairieHOUSE Performance Inc logo
Provencher Boulevard Biz logo
Purpose Construction logo
Relish New Brand Experience logo
Richard Rosin Funeral Director Ltd logo
Safe Speeds Winnipeg logo
Save Our Seine Inc logo
SEED Winnipeg logo
Social Planning Council logo
Sustainable Building Manitoba logo
Sustainable South Osborne Community Cooperative logo
Video Pool Media Arts Centre logo
Wa Ni Ska Tan logo
West Central Women's Resource Centre logo
West Broadway Community Organization logo
North Point Douglas Women's Centre Inc logo
SEEFAR Buildings Analytics logo
Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg Logo
Green Key Builders logo
Solar Solutions Canada logo
Spence Neighbourhood Association Logo
Resource Assistance for Youth logo
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba
Marianne Cerilli Change Agent logo
Evolve Green Logo
Prairie Climate Centre logo
ARP Books logo
The Park Theatre Logo
Police Free Schools Winnipeg logo
North End Women's Centre logo
Manitoba Islamic Association logo
Daniel McIntyre St Matthews Community Association Inc logo
SMS Engineering logo
Citizen Climate Lobby Winnipeg Logo
Winnipeg architect foundation logo
Corydon Osborne Residents for a Healthy Community logo
Sun Certified Builders Coooperative Limited logo
mediation services logo
River East Church logo
Demand Side Energy Consultants logo
Young Lungs Dance Exchange logo
Mennonite Central Committee Manitoba logo
Interchurch Council on Hydropower logo
BUILD Logo

You’d be joining;

ORGANIZATIONS

1JustCity

Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg

A Koncan & Associates

aceartinc.

ARP Books

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505

Art City Inc.

Bike Winnipeg

BizforClimate

Botanical PaperWorks Inc.

Caisse Financial Group

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – Manitoba

Canadian Community Economic Development Network – Manitoba

Canadian Federation of Students – Manitoba

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) – Manitoba chapter

CanSustain

Citizens’ Climate Lobby – Winnipeg

Climate Action Team

Climate Change Connection

Communities Not Cuts Manitoba

Consumers’ Association of Canada (Manitoba) Inc.

Council of Canadians-Winnipeg Chapter

Council of Women of Winnipeg

Corydon Osborne Residents for a Healthy Community

Curry Industries Ltd.

Daniel McIntyre/St Matthews Community Association Inc

Dehydration Nations

Demand Side Energy Consultants

Dueck Builders

Duxton Windows & Doors

Emerge Knowledge

Evolve Green

Fireweed Food Co-op

Food Matters Manitoba

Footprint

Functional Transit Winnipeg

Gardon Construction Ltd

Green Action Centre

Green Key Builders

 

Heartland International English School

Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba, Inc.

Integrated Designs Inc.

Interchurch Council on Hydropower

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

ioAirFlow

Manitoba Building Trades

Manitoba Council for International Cooperation

Manitoba Eco-Network

Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition

Manitoba Public Health Association

Manitoba Harm Reduction Network

Manitoba Islamic Association

Marianne Cerilli Change Agent

Mediation Services

Mennonite Central Committee Manitoba

National Farmers Union—-in Manitoba

North End Women’s Centre

North Point Douglas Women’s Centre Inc.

Oh Doughnuts

Osborne Village BIZ

OURS-Winnipeg

pico ARCHITECTURE inc.

Police Free Schools Winnipeg

Prairie Architects Inc.

Prairie Climate Centre

prairieHOUSE Performance Inc.

Provencher Boulevard Biz

Purpose Construction

Relish New Brand Experience

Resource Assistance for Youth

Richard Rosin Funeral Director Ltd.

River East Church

Safe Speeds Winnipeg

Save Our Seine Inc.

SEED Winnipeg

SEEFAR Buildings Analytics

 

Social Planning Council

Solar Solutions Canada Inc. (Winnipeg Head Office)

 

Spence Neighbourhood Organization

Sun Certified Builders Co-op

Sustainable Building Manitoba (SBM)

Sustainable South Osborne Community Cooperative

SMS Engineering Ltd.

The Park Theatre

Video Pool Media Arts Centre

Wa Ni Ska Tan

West Central Women’s Resource Centre

West Broadway Community Organization

Winnipeg Architecture Foundation

Young Lungs Dance Exchange

 

INDIVIDUALS

Sergei Broeska

Steven Ens

Durdana Islam

Dennis Cunningham

Shamailah Islam

William Dowie

Kayla Atwood

Jessica Piper

Sandy Marohn

Sadie McTavish

Anne Lindsey

Meghan J Mast

Louis A Rondeau

Robyn Dyck

Henry j Rempel

Mavis Hicks

Melanie Dennis Unrau

sean scammell

Sheila Matsubara

Irene Bindi

Cynthia A Drebot

Devlin Hinchey

Colin C Crolly

Kaari Landry

Emma Power

Michael Zajac

Susan Algie

Julia Schroeder

Deb Kelly

Owen Campbell

Tatiana Friesen

Dr Heather Ashdown

Matthew Litke

Nolan De Leon

Sherry Toews

Daniel Block

Eman Lee

Sara Jane Schmidt

Esther Redekopp

Rick Schmidt

Sharon Wall

Reynold Redekopp

Pauline Ripat

Zoe Matties

Corinne Ratuski

Laurel Howard

Jill Cooper

Darren Osadchuk

Stephanie Voyce

Amy Richmond

Lindsay Robinson

Karin Erhardt

Robert Neubauer

Sylvie Hébert

Joel Rash

Kelly Kuryk

Jackie Avent

Jocelyne Scott

Alex Deneka

Megan Krohn

Zorya Arrow

Jack MacAulay

Brandy George

Kinsey Donald

Jean A Paterson

Lisa Forbes

Jory Thomas

Stephanie Ross

Jennifer Morin

Justine Spearman

Wesley Toews

Stuart Eco Stu Irvine