Pop quiz! What’s the only type of municipal infrastructure that actually increases in value and capacity over time? 

Trees!

The benefits of urban trees are wide-ranging, and include:

• Lowering household energy costs
• Improving property values
• Absorbing rain, which reduces demand on our combined sewer and stormwater sewers
• Shading streets and sidewalks, which reduces thermal stress on them and lengthens the life of pavement
• Cleaning the air and improving health outcomes

Trees make our city better in almost every measurable way – there are even studies that link tree-covered streets to lower crime rates! And the bigger they get, the more benefits accrue to the city and its residents.

It’s hard to overstate how critical trees are to our city, and while Winnipeg is known for its lush urban canopy, we have a lot of room to grow. A lot of neighbourhoods, including large sections of Elmwood-East Kildonan, do not have enough trees.

With the harsh realities of climate change here, it’s never been more important for us to keep adding new trees, caring for existing trees, and creating regulations to keep more trees healthy and prevent needless removals. 

I have been a passionate advocate for Winnipeg’s urban forest since long before I was elected last year. In 2018, I joined a group of folks in my neighbourhood to organize a boulevard reforestation project. Learning more about the scope and scale of threats to trees in all parts of Winnipeg led our group to spearhead the city-wide Trees Please Winnipeg coalition to advocate for more robust urban forestry funding–and we were successful! 

In my new position as councillor, and in seeking re-election, it was a huge honour to take the Trees Please Pledge for their 2026 “Save the Shade” municipal election campaign. The pledge consists of three commitments: 

1. Maintain: Maintain and enhance the Winnipeg Urban Forestry budget so the department can achieve the 24% canopy target by protecting, maintaining and replacing trees.
2. Protect: Require tree protection best practices be incorporated into all construction projects in the city.
3. Enact: Enact bylaws as recommended by Urban Forestry to control removal and severe pruning of all trees in the City over 15 cm in trunk diameter.

When we invest in our urban forest, we all benefit. 

I’m committed to continuing this work to ensure trees get the investment and policies they need to thrive in Elmwood-East Kildonan and indeed, across Winnipeg.