Combatting drugs and crime priorities in University ward

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This article was published 17/10/2018 (2561 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Drugs, crime and infrastructure were top of mind for the candidates in University ward, with election day one week away for voters in the City of Brandon.

University ward candidates Karen Peto and Shaun Cameron joined 10 other council hopefuls at a Wednesday night forum, hosted by the Brandon University Students’ Union in Harvest Hall.

The forum was open to questions from the floor but saw limited participation, involving mostly BUSU members and some of the other candidates.

Peto, the longtime executive director of YWCA Brandon, said the one issue that has hit home for most people in University ward has been drugs and crime.

“We need to deal with things like the meth problem and develop some kind of a strategy to minimize the effect, and give people cause not to be so fearful and to be able to live and feel safe in their community,” she said.

Cameron, who is secretary to the board of governors at Assiniboine Community College and head of his own production company, said rising crime and opioids have come up a fair bit for him, as has infrastructure.

“Problems with crumbling roadways, problems with crumbling curbs, problems with garbage pickup — some of the real basic entities of the city that people are feeling pressure as a taxpayer,” he said.

Cameron added that the city needs to look at long-range plans in order to keep up with the pace at which Brandon is moving.

“The growth has happened faster than the infrastructure can keep up to manage and I think that in looking at 10 years down the road, 15 years down the road, are we going to be able to match and have both those trains running at the same time in the same place?”

Both candidates are running to replace retiring councillor Jeff Harwood, who is leaving city politics after 18 combined years in office.

On working with Brandon’s post-secondary institutions, Peto said it is important to listen to what young people have to say and create relationships between community groups and students.

“I just really would like to see Brandon work to become a community that’s good for all of its citizens, to be inclusive in its decisions around the council table, to make sure we’re considering the needs of all of our citizens when we’re making decisions,” she said.

Cameron offered a similar outlook, adding the university and college communities need to be involved in decision-making at the city.

The race in University ward is one of two in Brandon that does not have an incumbent running, with the other being South Centre, where recently retired BUSU president Nick Brown is running against former Brandon Wheat Kings play-by-play announcer Bruce Luebke.

Saying he has knocked on every door in the ward twice, Brown said the most serious issues he has heard about are methamphetamine and a perceived increase in crime.

Luebke, however, said he had not heard much about meth, but added that residents believe the Brandon Police Service has not done a lot to deter petty crime that may stem from addiction.

He proposed a city addictions and mental health committee that could help council lobby the provincial government in solving the problem.

Coun. Kris Desjarlais (Rosser) spoke about affordable housing, pointing to successes with the homebuyer assistance program and his past work as the Housing First coordinator.

To help seniors dealing with rising property taxes, Desjarlais suggested an alternative where individuals can defer future tax assessments until they are either ready to sell their home or pass away.

On addiction, Desjarlais called on the community to be more inclusive and promoted efforts such as Community Mobilization for connecting at-risk individuals with social supports before their situations worsen.

“In my opinion, most of the addicts that I’ve met, they’re addicted because they’re survivors,” he said. “They found a way to cope. It might not be the best way, but they cope nonetheless.”

Victoria ward candidates James Montgomery and Coun. Barry Cullen, Assiniboine ward candidates Jeff Plas and Coun. Jeff Fawcett, Meadows-Waverly ward candidate Gordon McRae, Richmond ward candidate Coun. Ron Brown and Riverview ward candidate Coun. Glen Parker also took part in the forum.

The election will be held on Oct. 24.

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