Mayoral forum focused on environmental issues draws large crowd

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This article was published 29/09/2014 (3490 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

They leaned on windowsills, sat on the floor and peppered the candidates with questions about oil pipelines, beverage container deposits and electric buses.

Environmentalists packed a Wellington Crescent church Tuesday night for the latest in a string of mayoral forums, this one often dominated by technical questions that occasionally stumped the candidates.

That included a question about growing traces of pharmaceuticals in waste water and two queries about TransCanada’s Energy East oil pipeline slated to run through southern Manitoba. City water officials have already raised initial concerns an oil spill near Falcon Lake could drain into and contaminate Shoal Lake where the city gets its drinking water. But none of the mayoral hopefuls had much to offer on what is mostly a federal regulatory issue.

Candidates largely repeated previous pledges on rapid transit, waste water treatment and walkable, complete communities.

In response to a question from the audience, nearly all the candidates promised to transfer control over the creation of precinct or neighbourhood plans from developers back to city planners. Only Paula Havixbeck answered “maybe.”

Jarring the event was an outburst by Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry council candidate Shane Nestruck who shouted “That’s a lie,” before storming out of the church hall after a mayoral candidate suggested green buildings are more expensive to build.