Category: Uncategorized

Neighbourhood Safety

Michael Thompson

Having lived in Winnipeg the majority of my life, I understand and appreciate the need for safe neighbourhoods in all parts of our city. Personal safety and property crime are areas that I plan to address to work towards a safe community for everyone.

I support more local foot patrols, cadet programs, and community involvement in working towards long term solutions. Through the use of technology, we can now report crime online to the police department. Our closest police station for reporting crime is on Grant Avenue.

You are not alone in your concerns for our safety. Vote Micheal Thompson  in October to make a positive difference within our ward.

Folklorama Youth Week

Michael Thompson

I visited the India and First Nations Pavilions, both held at the RBC Convention Centre, as well as the Korean Pavilion at the Masonic Temple, during the second week of Folklorama. Both of these great community buildings, one downtown and one at confusion corner, are inside the ward of Fort Rouge – East Fort Garry. I was delighted to see the number of youth present at all three pavilions.

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Michael with Buffy, organizer for the First Nations Pavilion

At each and every Folklorama pavilion I attended, I must say that the energy from the performers, audience and volunteers was simply inspiring. It was interesting to see the ways that different cultures live, express themselves, and adapt to the changes in their communities and countries. I was extremely impressed with all of the shows. You could see the enthusiasm and pride in all of the performers’ eyes. Folklorama, with its many tireless volunteers, organizers and performers, is one of the great festivals that makes me proud to call Winnipeg home. To everyone involved with the pavilions, as they say in Korea, Gamsahamnida (Thank you).

Winnipeg Municipal Golf Courses

Michael Thompson

Golf courses are a great way to get back to nature, to exercise, and to have fun. Walking on green space such as a golf course, I also appreciate the value of access to fresh air and quality outdoor recreation in our city.

Michael Thompson
Michael Thompson at the City of Winnipeg Municipal Men’s golf tournament.

Here in Manitoba we are very fortunate to be the home of some phenomenal golf courses. After playing courses in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and New Brunswick, I would say that we have extremely reasonable and inclusive golf courses for every type of golfer and price range. As an Ironman curler, as you would expect, I am no fair weather golfer. If you dress for the weather and pace yourself you can do anything!

One of my favorite golf courses in the area is Windsor golf course. Windsor carries many memories for me as it is where I first played golf with my high school friends. Since then I have been a frequent attendee at the course whether suiting up to play at six in the morning or bringing my nephews to golf lessons. Over the years changes have been made to the course to add more contours. Like many golf courses in the city, in the winter Windsor becomes a place to cross country ski. In my opinion this course is one of the best golf courses in the city.

In addition to the regular golf leagues offered at golf courses in the area there is also an annual municipal tournament for men and women. I look forward to this tournament every year for a variety of reasons. The tournament allows me to connect with not only my friends who are golfers but to meet new and like –minded individuals. The City of Winnipeg golf course also has a software app that allows you to make reservations. Though this is a well designed and useful app I would like to see changes so you can make a payment for your reservation over the app as well.

If elected Councillor for Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry, I would protect our active municipal golf courses; Windsor, Kildonan Park, Crescent Drive and Harbour View. I believe these courses are important to the communities and we should continue to maintain and improve their quality for generations to come. One day I hope to walk down the 10th fairway with my son at Windsor and say, “nice drive son”.

We are All Family At Folklorama

Michael Thompson

Folklorama is a spirited celebration of communities sharing their unique cultures. The festival is a wonderful asset to our city. I was fortunate to take part in the Brazilian, Mexican, Italian, and First Nations pavilions.

Michael Thompson, First Nation adult ambassador, Cindy Lamoureux MLA and elder Winston Wuttunee

At the pavilion I had the honour of meeting the Shawnee Handel adult ambassador for the First Nations Pavilion, as well as elder Winston Wuttunee. Winston shared his experiences at Pembina Trails school, as an official Elder in Residence; he is making a positive difference in the lives of aboriginal youth throughout the area.

The RBC Convention Centre, home to three pavilions, has become an impressive asset to our downtown. The central location is convenient as it allows for the use of green transportation such as walking or biking, as well as relatively easy public commuting options.

Folklorama, as well as the many individual festivals Winnipeg, help tourism not only within the city, but by extension, throughout Manitoba as well. All of the shows that I attended started with a warm welcome to the guests attending from outside of Winnipeg. It was great to see people coming together and making the trip to Winnipeg to enjoy a pavilion or two.

Overall, each of the pavilion’s shows, food and cultural displays were amazing. The festival is an accessible and affordable way for the family to learn about culture and it provides an opportunity for positive conversation. We should be proud of the cultural appreciation and community spirit that we foster here in the city. I encourage everyone not only to take part in the Folklorama celebration, but to remember that it represents respect and acceptance of different cultures. To quote a particularly memorable speaker at the Italian pavilion, “We are all family”.

Water Parks and Splash Pads

Michael Thompson

The area of Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry has some great community water features.

Wading pool West Broadway

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Ice Cream BDI

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As a family, we’ve visited many amazing splash pads, waterslides and outdoor pools.  Our summer is so short, so please take advantage of this incredible +30 weather by hitting up one in your neighbourhood.  It’s a chance to cool off and meet others in the community.

Splash pads and wading pools are free of charge for everyone to enjoy, except those enclosed within the following outdoor pools:

Fort Rouge / East Fort Garry

Fort Rouge Spray Pad: 295 River Ave. Mon–Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm May 26–Sept 3 Features: unsupervised spray pad

River Osborne:466 Gertrude Ave. Mon–Sun 11:00 am–5:00 pm July 2–Aug 24 Features: liner pool

Earl Grey CC: 360 Cockburn St. N Mon–Sun 11:00 am–5:30 pm July 2–Aug 24 Features: playground/slide

McKittrick Park: 790 Rathgar Ave. Mon–Sun 10:30 am–6:00 pm July 2–Aug 31 Features: playground/slide

Riverview CC:90 Ashland Ave. Mon–Sun 11:00 am–6:00 pm July 3–Aug 24 Features: playground/slide/spray features S

Fort Garry Lion’s: 969 Dowker Ave. Mon–Wed 11:00 am–5:30 pm July 2–Aug 22 Features: playground

Fort Garry Lion’s Outdoor Pool: 969 Dowker Ave. Mon–Sun 1:00–7:00 pm June 29–Aug 31

Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre: 430 Langside St. Mon–Sun 11:00 am–5:30 pm July 2–Aug 24 Features: spray features

McFadyen Park: 416 Assiniboine Ave. Thur–Fri 11:30 am–5:00 pm July 5–Aug 24
Features: playground

See City of Winnipeg aquatic fun guide for more information.

We made it to 7 of 8 water features, and understand how important these places are for our neighbourhoods and kids. We noticed that some were better then others; the potential to do more is there.

What is a summer day without ice cream?  BDI ice cream is fantastic after a day in the water.

Please help elect me to city council so that I can help our communities with these and other important family activities. Vote for Michael Thompson on October 24 to make a positive difference in everyones’ lives.

Corydon Dancing on the Avenue

Michael Thompson

Summer time in the city is good living.

I took in the Corydon Business Improvement Zone (Biz) concert series on Corydon Avenue Saturday July 28, 2018. Wonderful music, great atmosphere and the weather was perfect.  I enjoyed listening to members of the community while I campaigned and we shared ideas.

Dancing & Music
Corydon Dancing on the Avenue

The venue was family friendly and the support for this concert was quite evident judging by the strong attendance.  Several announcements were made about family members celebrating birthdays and anniversaries.  The whole evening had a wonderful community feeling.  If you haven’t had a chance to attend yet, I encourage you and your family to do so.

The concert series is not only an enjoyable event but also brings foot and bike traffic to the street therefore helping to promote businesses within the area.

My hat goes off to the Corydon Business Improvement Zone team that made this evening and each concert in the concert series happen this summer.  You are a credit to your community.  You make a positive difference.

Sincerely,
Michael Thompson

Downtown Market

Michael Thompson

Friday, July 28th: I visited and campaigned at the Downtown Night Market at the Manitoba Hydro building on Portage Avenue. It was a beautiful night to be outdoors and the market provided a welcoming atmosphere with a variety of vendors present. I support these types of initiatives which help to revitalize our downtown by bringing locals and visitors to the area. When speaking with folks, I met a gentleman that has lived in the city for 27 years and this was about his second time to visit downtown for an event. @DowtownWinnipegBiZ

I was impressed with Bicycle Valet Winnipeg. If you’re not familiar with the group, they set up a protected area in which you can park your bike for free. Therefore you don’t have to worry about parking your car. Just bike down and let someone look after your bike while you mingle and shop. Stephanie, head honcho, was personable and helpful with a can do spirit. @BicycleValetWpg

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During my travels I came across a pop up public toilet, a recent initiative in our city. I strongly support public toilets in our downtown area. If we want to be a successful and welcoming city we need to provide basic services and facilities for local residents and visitors.

With your vote in October 2018, you can help me advocate for the continued revitalization of our downtown area and public washrooms. Together we can make a positive difference for everyone.

Sincerely,

Michael Thompson

World Masters Ultimate Club Championships

Michael Thompson

Warm Canadian welcome to all the travelers around the world to visit our city and playing in the World Masters Ultimate Club Championships.  #WMUCC2018 #aussieskiwiswpg #ultimate

Canada and New Zealand post game. Super close game, New Zealand won by one point

Our family was at the field today to support and cheer on our family member Sara-Jane Milne on the Canadian Women’s team “Mint”.  It was a super entertaining game and we lost by 1 point to the New Zealand Women’s team “Foxes”.  Watching the post game activities of friendship and spirit was inspiring.  The event is taking place at Little Mountain Sportsplex till August 4, 2018, I encourage folks to go if they can.  Good luck to all the teams!  Thank you to all the organizers and volunteers for the amazing setup and your great work.  Great team #spirit by everyone.

Winnipeg Fringe

Michael Thompson

Summer time in Winnipeg means festival season.  My son and I took in the Winnipeg Fringe on Sunday July22nd.  @WinnipegFringe 

It is great to see the exchange district alive and bustling. For those that are not aware, I used to pull a rickshaw in downtown Winnipeg.  It was a summer job from 1992 until 1999 with the Pan Am Games being my last time pulling.  I thoroughly enjoyed showing visitors and locals around our downtown and exchange areas.

The Winnipeg Fringe has done a lot of amazing things over the years and the area has really grown up since my rickshaw days. The changes to the Old Market square stage are wonderful and modern. The Winnipeg Fringe makes great use of our downtown spaces and helps to bring thousands of folks downtown.

Summer festivals have a largely understated impact on our city.  Festivals create jobs, boost our image on the world stage, and support the economy by bringing clientele to downtown businesses and by indirectly supporting companies that provide support services, air travel, media and advertising. Festivals also build a loyal following therefore bringing visitors back year after year.

The city has an important part to play in supporting these festivals by helping to provide services, communication plans, street closures, as well as future planing for capacity and active transportation to name a few.

With your support in being elected, I will continue to support the Winnipeg Fringe and other important festivals that make a positive difference in our community.

Thank you,

Michael Thompson

Fort Whyte Alive / Solar Panels

Michael Thompson

Hello everyone,

Another busy week of campaign work. I had the opportunity to visit Fort Whyte Alive @FortWhyteAlive where my son was enrolled at a day camp to learn about nature and the environment within our city and province. It is wonderful to have this resource and amazing facility in our city.  It provides children with the opportunity to learn more about the environment and the on-site farm provides education regarding food resources. Fort Whyte Alive also encourages children to give back to their community by volunteering as camp counsellors when they get older.

The facility also recently installed solar panels with help from provincial rebates and the company Sycanmore Energy Inc.  I wanted to learn more about this so I spoke directly with Andrew Meyer, Director of Sales and he filled me in on the innovations taking place within the solar industry.    I support these types of alternative energy initiatives as they help businesses grow, create more jobs and work towards a cleaner environment.  With your vote in October’s election, I will make sure that Winnipeg continues this important work.

For a positive difference,

Michael Thompson

Fort Whyte Entrance
Solar Panels
Solar Panels
Bike Rack
Bird Housing