'What is happening at Wilkes Avenue?' Sterling Lyon Parkway extension a concern for Charleswood-Tuxedo voters

Voters in Winnipeg'sCharleswood-Tuxedo ward say they hope their new councillor will be able to address traffic issues in the neighbourhood including answering questions about the Sterling Lyon Parkway extension and improve city services in the area.

The ward will once again have a new city councillor this year.Current Charleswood-Tuxedo councillor Marty Morantz, who was first elected to city council in the 2014 election, announced in July that he will not be seeking re-election, as he plans to runfor the federal Conservative nomination in Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingley.

That leaves the door wide open for the four candidates who will appear on the Oct. 24 ballot.

Former Winnipeg Sun publisher and CEO Kevin Klein, business owner Kevin Nichols, former city councillorGrant Nordmanand nurseKen St. George are running to represent Charleswood-Tuxedo.

• Read CBC Manitoba'sprofileof the Charleswood-Tuxedoward

Darla Krupa, 43, who lives in the ward on McCreary Road, says she has had problems getting ahold of the city councillor in the past, and hopes whoever is elected is able to do better.

"We need more presence with the councillors, as there is more expected of them," she said.

"If they're going to sit on the ward then they have to actually make an attempt to have the offices stay in contact with the streets in their area."

Residents in the ward pay some of the highest taxes in the city, she said, "and we're not getting the services for it."

Sterling Lyon Parkway extension

Cory Yeroschak, 24, who also lives on McCreary Road, says he is unsure of who he will be voting forbut wants to know what is being done to increase traffic flow in the area.

"What is happening at Wilkes Avenue? Are they twinning it through McCreary Road all the way back to the Perimeter?" Yeroschak asked.

TwinningWilkesAvenue has been proposed as an idea to increase the flow of traffic in the area.

Since 2015, the city has been looking at several ways to better align Sterling Lyon withWilkesAvenue and carry more motor vehicles between the South Tuxedo area and the Perimeter Highway.

As part of the planning effort, the city contracted consulting firmWSPto study three SterlingLyon-Wilkesconnections: one alongWilkesAvenue, a second a few hundred metres south ofWilkesand a third much farther south.

The city then pursued a modified version ofthe second option, which would see a busy freeway run through a neighbourhood. Around 100 homes would be expropriated.

That modified proposal prompted a group of area residents to fightagainst the plan. They took their concerns to the city's public works and executive policy committees last fall, arguingchanges to the route weren't made clear by city officials.

Morantz called for an audit of the project.

The city auditor blamed public officials responsible for the parkway extension for a lack of communication with senior city officials and the public, but largely exoneratedMorantz and city chief administrator Doug McNeilof blame for the confusion over the project.

According to the City of Winnipeg, the extensions of William R. Clement Parkway and Sterling Lyon Parkway have been put on hold until a new plan is approved by city council.

Growth concerns

Vaughan Alexander, 61, who lives on Beiko Avenue, wants to see more city development plans thought through before they're put into action.

"I'd like to know that plans for the expanded growth in Charleswood and housing developments have been well thought through, and the access to Wilkes Avenue, for example."

Dana Beach, 41, lives on Hendon Avenue. He said that he will not be voting in the upcoming election, but he still thinks the area has problems that can be fixed.

"All the deer. It's really a nuisance," he joked.

"Nah, just kidding. Better busing and faster transit,"are his actual concerns, Beach said.

More CBCManitoba election ward profiles:

• Daniel McIntyre
• Elmwood-East Kildonan
• Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry
• Mynarski
• North Kildonan
• Old Kildonan
• Point Douglas
• River Heights-Fort Garry
• St. Boniface
• St. James
• St. Norbert-Seine River
• St. Vital
• Transcona
• Waverley West

Journalism students from Red River College's creative communications program have prepared profiles of each city of Winnipeg ward ahead of the 2018 civic election forCBCManitoba.Read all of our election 2018 coverage here.

With files from Bartley Kives.