Since receiving a large, positive response to an expression of interest in the idea of public transit throughout the city, the City of Winkler has been taking steps to make that a reality. The City of Winkler’s Pilot Project aims to bring some form of public transit to the city, and - according to Mayor of the City of Winkler Henry Siemens - ideally by the end of 2024.
“That would be the goal, and I know as each one of these goals it seems to take longer than we hope so often. But we are at the place now. We've talked to the people who are prepared to... put some proposals in.”
As the city waits to receive proposals, of which they hope to select an option by the end of the month, they also await the results of a granting fund application submitted to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities that should help fund whichever proposal is selected. Siemens expounded on the grant application, “We're confident that we should be able to get something there, and hopefully as that comes in, if that does come through, it'll allow us to create a more significant plan as we move forward.”
It is impossible to know what public transit will look like exactly in Winkler until the proposals come through, but the city is keeping an open mind. “Ultimately, we’re waiting now for the people who expressed an interest in providing this service to our community. We’re asking now how they will provide.”
The idea that the City of Winkler is at a place in its development where it is ready to have its own public transit system may seem surreal to some, but with an ever-growing population of nearly 14,000 individuals, this next step in the City of Winkler’s life is an inevitability.
___________________________________________
Click below to hear the full interview with Mayor Henry Siemens.
- With files from Ty Hildebrand