Make Winnipeg a safe place to live "for everyone"

We are petitioning the City of Winnipeg Council for their support to prioritize the Mission Industrial Secondary Plan, a plan that should include:

• Larger buffer zones
• Denial of variance and conditional uses that decrease buffer zones
• Better inspections to ensure that hazardous industry is not operating within designated buffer zones
• A collaborative community and tri-level government approach to environmental protection with respect to industrial areas to ensure the safety of residents from potential air, water and soil pollution
• An emergency evacuation plan for the Mission area and the surrounding community, that is done collaboratively with residents and businesses
• Initiate a request to the Federal Government to study the feasibility of rail relocation under the Rail Relocation Act

Reasons for the Petition:

Disaster management and much-needed evacuation plan

• Speedway International Fireball - Oct. 2, 2012
• Tanker explosion that had potential to rocket up to a mile in any direction

Residents should not be the ones finding and bringing inconsistencies in zoning and industrial land uses to the City of Winnipeg’s attention

• Hazardous material operation exceeding uses should be caught by city departments
• Fuel-filled tanker cars discovered in the Speedway International Fire had gone unnoticed by any city inspections

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgFt8fpxMjs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atwTPGOBeNo

Our yards, school yards and playgrounds where children play need to be safe from contamination

• Weston Elementary School lead in soil and playground since late 1970’s
• Elevated levels of several heavy metals in St. Boniface yards and gardens

Mission Industrial area

• Larger buffer zones between industry and residential are required to ensure the safety of residents

• Some industry is known to pollute as far as a mile from source
• Given the plans for intensified densification, this should be top priority as it has potential to impact human health
• Concerns of high hazard industry in close proximity to residential, other high hazard industries and to active rail lines
• 2 – 4km trains known to haul hazardous goods through the industrial area
• Mission industrial area is the largest industrial area in The City of Winnipeg, currently it has approximately 85% high hazard industry
• Located 10 minutes from our City’s downtown