Workers with the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ prepare flower baskets to be placed along Portage Avenue in this file photo. (HANDOUT)
It often gets an ugly rap, but the cleanliness of downtown Winnipeg is constantly improving for the better, according to statistics released by the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ.
BIZ officials, joined by Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman, released figures on Monday showing 86 percent of people believe the downtown area is clean.
“Cleanliness is a top concern for our members and the public but the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ’s dedicated Metro Enviro-Team has a good handle on it so it doesn’t appear visually as an issue downtown,” said Stefano Grande, executive director of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ.
“We want to make sure our sidewalks are better than satisfactory, that snow is cleared during the winter to enhance safety and enjoyment for visitors, that flowers are tended to, and storefronts and bus shelters are pressure washed to provide those coming downtown with a positive impression.
To help with the upkeep of the city’s core, the Metro Enviro-Team has a team of 20 responsible for litter removal, sidewalk sweeping, flower watering and tending, graffiti removal, poster removal, and clean downtown’s sidewalks on a daily basis.
By the numbers:
- 23% improvement in public perception of downtown’s cleanliness since 2004
- 2004: 63% of people said downtown was clean
- 2007: 82% of people said downtown was clean
- 2013: 86% of people said downtown was clean
Bus Shelters Cleaned
2013: 4,816
2014: 5,680
2015 goal: 6,912 (29 bus shelters visited daily, five days a week)
Sidewalks Cleaned by Nilfisk
2012: 937
2013: 1,874
2014: 3,360
2015 goal: 4,000
Paths to Paystations Cleared of Snow
2013: 1,110
2014: 1,110
2015 goal: 1,110
Graffiti Tags Removed
2011:1,538
2012: 2,009
2013: 2,218
2014: 4,289
Cigarette Butt Receptacles Installed
2012: 5
2014: 12
2015 goal: 20
Posters Removed from Hydro Poles
2012: 2,679
2013: 3,939
2014: 4,530
2015 goal: Remove outdated posters from poster boards 360 times (each board every second week)
Metro Enviro-Team Staff
2009: 8
2014: 20 (12 full-time, 8 seasonal)
2015 goal: 22 (18 full-time, 4 seasonal)
