President Mandy Kwasnica opened the meeting with the customary ring of the bell. She immediately asked Dave Morris to hit the first note of O Canada and start the recital of Rotary Grace. The meeting was then handed over to Acting Sarge Lyle Miller.

 

Sarge Mike Dudar was not present this week so we had Lyle Miller step up to the Acting Sarge position. He noted that we had only one guest tonight; Kevin Kline, our speaker for the evening.

 

 

President Mandy asked for a short report on the Rotary Career Symposium by anyone that had volunteered for the event.

 

 

District 5550 conference in Winnipeg at Canad Inns Polo Park from May 02 – 05, 2019.  Registration is open on-line. http://rotary5550conference.com/ .  Link will show speakers and schedule as well as hotel reservation link. Please register early for a rate reduction up to end of day, April 15, 2019.

 

M.U.N.A. May 9th – 12th 2019 The link for this event is www.winnipegmuna.ca .  High school students, with their counsellors, take on global citizenship as they model the United Nations Assembly at an event in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

 

The lobster dinner is June 1, 2019. Tickets are available now from Bob Antymniuk. Additional tickets are available beyond those that were initially circulated. Please start approaching your regular ticket purchasers, friends, family, business acquaintances.

 

Martin Labossiere reported on the P.E.T.S. weekend in Russell, MB. PETS is an acronym for President Elect Training Sessions. Ed & Elaine Thompson were also present. Martin felt that this was the best PETS yet. The information was coming at him as if “drinking from a firehose at times”. One future possibility is to run webinars for club presidents on a quarterly basis to maintain training. He noted that the problems being listed by other clubs were the same as those in all the clubs, such as growing membership and fundraising opportunities. The conclusion was for clubs to work more as a group regarding some of these common issues. Russell itself was awesome! It is in the middle of District 5550 so equally convenient for all. You could not do the weekend anywhere else when you look at the price paid. The service at the hotel was family run, fantastic and personal.

 

Martin and Eira looked into how much it would cost to fill a ‘Handbag of Hope’ as per the requested items. They shopped at ‘Shoppers’ not a Dollar Store. The total expenditure was $45 to $50 per bag. Every year at District Conferences the organizers look for a way to give back to the community. Most years this involves a donation of cash. This year the committee has decided on the ‘Handbags of Hope’ (ladies medium to large purses) program. Please support this with gently used handbags and new items to fill the handbags. The purchased  items will be collected into bulk boxes and latter organized into the individual handbags.

 

Eira advised that the first shopping expedition has taken place for the lobster dinner auction  prizes at Costco. She and Nancy Morris went this past Saturday to Costco…not recommended to shop there on a Saturday afternoon. There are two different auction types at the Lobster Fest dinner. There is the ‘silent auction’ and the ‘bag auction’.

 

Kris Wilson is looking for volunteers to billet 13 exchange students for the District 5550 Conference. This would mean accommodation on the Thursday / Friday / Saturday nights as well as breakfast everyday. Also, transportation to the conference and return transportation at the end of the conference day.

 

Bob Antymniuk confirmed that many more lobster dinner tickets are available from him, beyond those that he has already circulated.

 

Bob Eilers wondered if a poster for the lobster dinner would be made available?  Rod Delisle advised that a poster would be circulated shortly.

 

Nancy Morris introduced our guest speaker tonight. Kevin Kline is the City of Winnipeg Councillor for Charleswood, Tuxedo and Westwood. He spent over 18 years in the private sector as a Senior Executive for three of Canada’s most recognized companies including his time as Publisher & CEO of the Winnipeg Sun and as divisional President for MTS responsible for the creation of a new digital division. Kevin was recognized as a finalist for Canada’s Top Forty Under Forty and for the creation of a business / community funded K-9 Unit for a Police Service in Ontario.

 

As an advocate for victims of Domestic Violence, Kevin sat on the board of the Prairie Action Foundation and has shared the story of losing his mother to domestic violence in published articles. He has spoken on many occasions to groups large and small in an effort to increase awareness.

 

Kevin is currently Chair of the Winnipeg Police Board, a board member of CJNU-FM Winnipeg Community Station, FGNHA – VP of Officials. He continues in his role as a Referee in Chief for Minor Hockey and as a Tae Kwon Do instructor. Previously Kevin served on the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce Board, The Better Business Bureau Board and as an Associate for the Asper School of Business.

 

Kevin Kline started his presentation by thanking Rotary for the invite, as it is always nice to get out into the community. When asked ‘why run for office?’ his answer is that it is a bit of karma. He got into media to be asking the pointed questions of those in government and hold politicians accountable for their actions. Now he has put himself into that position to make sure that questions are asked and answered. Most people have lost faith in politics. He is not a Party politician, but rather an independent thinker.

 

Kevin is all about the people. He lost his mom to violence at the age of 42. She had just finished her R.N. training about 3 months prior to her murder. He is most proud of his brothers. All 3 of the children have tried hard, had a moral compass and believed that anything is possible.

 

This has been a learning experience. Kevin believes in doing things the right way, being the best you can give. Being in municipal government should be a mission of good. We need good government back with good communication that is open and truthful. The people have a right to know the facts. Recently a building permit was issued for a new hockey arena just across the road from the City of Winnipeg boundary with an R.M. The same has happened with the development of Centre Port. Of all the major businesses that have built in the area, only one has built on the Winnipeg side of the road. North of the City of Winnipeg in the R.M. of St. Paul there are thousands of building lots ready to go. It takes the R.M. about 3 months to process a building permit while the City of Winnipeg will take 9 months to a year. We need good streets, good snow removal and good transit.

 

The City of Winnipeg has very little left on its line of credit. We are paying ~$50 million per year in interest alone. There needs to be a more disciplined approach for the budgeting process at City Hall. You have to answer to the people you serve. We are missing this at City Hall right now so we must hold those accountable for answers. Kevin knew that he would get push back for this stance. Kevin stated that someone must drill down on these numbers presented in the budget. The $10 million profit from the parking authority (produced by doubling parking fees) is being transferred around to balance the budget in other areas. They are borrowing money to balance the budget. Taking funds from the stabilization fund in order to balance the budget. All of this is just fund transfers.

 

Money is very tight, and we must be ready to alter the way things are going. Community clubs used to be the center of a neighbourhood, but those buildings are failing now. Taxes are too high now, we can not ask property owners to pay more for these improvements. The city is buying 39 new diesel buses while spending $1million on a study of electric buses. Why not buy electric?   

 

We are facing a crisis on our streets. Kevin is the Chair of the Winnipeg Police Board. He has gone out on foot patrol in the troubled areas of Winnipeg. Policing is a big part of the city budget. There has been a decrease of 100 officers over the past 4 years, but an increase in crime during that time period. Decisions are being made on a 4-year election cycle. This needs to stop. 100 years ago good decisions were made to build a quality sewer system to last 100 years. That time is up now, the system is failing, and patch repairs will not leave the system in good repair for our children. Kevin’s daughter just got married and he believes that City Hall can not continue to just increase taxes every year. That has to change in a reasonable fashion. Here are a few observations so far from City Hall;

 

 

Crime is increasing all across Canada. Politicians can’t skirt around it. The city water rates have people angry. People feel that they are at their max as far as tax and rate increases. There is a $2 billion waste plant to pay for, any water funds must go towards that, not general revenues to balance budgets. The citizens of Winnipeg have pushed back against water rate increases and that has resulted in the 2019 rate freeze. The public can make a difference.

 

Kevin believes in spending time talking to students at schools. Recently he had a grade 8 student ask “what are you going to do with Brian Pallister to make him reduce the PST?”. Kevin asked why he was asking that question. The answer was that “he promised to do it”. The grade 8 student was exactly right. Enough is enough. A second student stated that his house in Charleswood was broken into recently. He did not feel safe in his own home now. Kevin’s only answer for him was that we care but have no answer for him right now. The Chief of Police was told about this encounter and is going to go out to the school and speak with the student and the entire class. The solitary grade 8 student is creating change. Winnipeg is a big city but a small town. We should be able to make changes. The students get to talk to whomever they want. They are not voters right now, but in a few years they will be.

 

Kevin is honoured to be chosen by the citizens to be the area Councillor. He wakes up excited to do the work. He wants the best for Winnipeg. One person at a time can make change happen.

 

Kevin has volunteered to donate a valuable ‘Simpson’s poster of Winnipeg’ to the lobster dinner auction.

 

Q/A

 

1.- Bob Antymniuk stated that he believes that Winnipeg does not have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.

A.- Kevin agreed. The students asked why we are building a rapid bus line; other cities have light rail. The rapid bus will only decrease the time of travel by 15 minutes on Pembina.

Bob then stated that he works in the area of commercial real estate. The Pantages Theatre was sold for $500,000 while he knows of a similar building in the area that is listed for $2.3 million. If you can not sell for what a building is worth, then lease it out.

Kevin stated that nowhere in the sale agreement does it state that the Pantages Theatre must remain as a theatre.

 

2.- Martin Labossiere asked what tools are available to hold government accountable?

A.- Email all of them, make noise. There was a motion to close the 55+ Charleswood Centre. The people involved with the centre gave a presentation to the committee that was studying the option. The motion came to full council and the people from the centre did not leave the viewing chamber, they stopped it.  

 

S.A.A. Mike Dudar was away on another trip so Lyle Miller stood in as Acting Sarge.

 

 

 

 

Acting Sarge Lyle Miller asked our guest Kevin Kline to pull the potential winning ticket stub. # 640 was pulled and that matched to the stub held by Dave Morris. The odds are getting better at 1 out of 5 tonight. Dave’s attempt at finding the blue marble failed tonight. More money in the pot next week.

 

 

Ed Thompson for a botched story….and a hand off to wife Elaine.