Latest news with #Gillingham
Winnipeg Free Press
19 hours ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
One small step for pedestrians, one giant leap for Portage and Main
Pedestrians will legally cross Portage Avenue and Main Street before the end of next week. On Thursday, Mayor Scott Gillingham said the reopening date is set for June 27. 'After (more than) 45 years of debating whether it should be open or not, we've ended the debate. It's opening and I'm getting very positive feedback from people in the downtown, that live in downtown, that work in downtown, that own businesses in downtown. I'm getting positive comments from people who live in the suburbs as well,' said Gillingham. RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS The Portage and Main intersection is expected to re-open June 27. At last check, the mayor said the project was within its current budget, which had been bumped up to $21.3 million from $13 million to cover its expedited schedule. The city had aimed to reopen the intersection to foot traffic by the time Winnipeg Transit unveils a new network, on June 29, that will change virtually all of its routes. 'It was very important, all along, that the pedestrian traffic be able to cross at Portage and Main and the construction related to the opening be completed before we make the change in our transit system,' said Gillingham. Pedestrian access at Portage and Main has not been allowed since 1979. Reopening it has been debated for decades, with 65 per cent of Winnipeggers voting against the idea in a non-binding 2018 plebiscite. Gillingham originally said he would follow the results of that vote but changed his mind after a city report estimated it would cost $73 million to repair the membrane to renovate the site's underground concourse. He then supported closing the underground, an idea the city is now studying, and reopening the intersection to pedestrians. 'My thinking has (changed). When I drive through the intersection now, these days, I can't help but think how welcoming … the space looks to invite people into all of the buildings,' said Gillingham. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, said the reopening project triggered few construction complaints. 'I hardly got any pushback on it. The actual (traffic) flow through Portage and Main, all things considered, went extremely well,' said Lukes. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. She said she hopes restoring pedestrian access will end heated debate over the issue. 'Many people have a passion for Portage and Main. It's a very significant hub in our city and… I think it's exciting (to open it),' she said. Opponents of the change argued it wasn't worth its cost and could create significant traffic delays, while supporters argue the change will help rejuvenate and better connect downtown. X: @joyanne_pursaga Joyanne PursagaReporter Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne. Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Homeowner with 20ft elephant on driveway has it confiscated after complaints over multi-coloured ‘monstrosity'
A BELOVED 20 foot-long elephant slide has been confiscated from a homeowner's driveway due to complaints from neighbours. Trevor Robinson, 71, said he would "pay any money" to get the colourful "monstrosity" back. 2 He acquired the eight-foot tall fibreglass elephant slide, named Ellie, two months ago after seeing sub-contractors preparing to remove it from a nearby leisure centre in Gillingham, Kent. Trevor said: "I saw them taking it away [from the leisure park] and said, 'no I will have it.' "They thought I was joking." Ellie was then delivered to Trevor's house in the suburb of Twydall, Kent for free. But last Thursday, one of the sub-contractors returned to say the council was ordering him to take the slide away due to neighbour complaints. Medway Council also labelled it an "unsafe structure", and revealed intentions to dispose of it. Trevor, who also owns two Jaguars and a Harley Davidson at his home, thinks that "jealousy" and a dislike for the Union Jack flag that is painted on the side of Ellie is what caused neighbours to complain. "People loved it. I wanted to let kids and their parents come round and use it and give the money to charity." He added: "There are a few neighbours who don't like me, but all their kids were waiting to have a go on it." The homeowner planned to install a pond in his back garden to go along with the slide, as well as his collection of garden ornaments. Shoppers urged 'not to blink' and get their hands on Home Bargains garden essential that sold out fast last time and it makes your garden extra cute - TikTok homebargainsofficialuk Ellie, however, was too heavy to be lifted over his house, and a forklift driver just assembled the play equipment on Trevor's driveway. The elephant slide has been part of some of Trevor's fondest memories from a young age, being situated at the Strand leisure park since he was a child. He said: "I think it is diabolical. All the kids loved it. If they haven't broken it up then I will pay to get it back. I miss it, it has been a part of my life for so long. "Everyone is really upset that it is gone. I want to get it back, I don't care what it costs. I will pay any money - I just want her back," he continued. Self-proclaimed "eccentric character" Trevor says he would even give away one of his Jaguar cars to have Ellie returned to him. A Medway Council spokesperson said: "During our annual health and safety audit of The Strand, the slide, which is now more than 30 years old, was not deemed to be safe so we took the decision to remove it. "Medway Norse arranged for a sub-contractor to remove the structure. Once we became aware that a resident had the slide following complaints, we arranged for it to be picked up so it can be safely disposed of as it is an unsafe structure."
Daily Mail
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Killjoy council tells pensioner Ellie The Elephant must pack her trunk and say goodbye to his front garden
A man is furious after council 'killjoys' removed a novelty elephant slide from his driveway because angry neighbours complained it was a 'monstrosity'. Trevor Robinson was left 'heartbroken' when he was forced to ditch the former piece of play-equipment from the front garden of his semi-detached home in Gillingham, Kent. Locals had moaned to Medway Council that the 20ft-long fibreglass elephant nicknamed 'Ellie' was 'dangerous'. He rescued the slide after he spotted sub-contractors preparing to remove it from a nearby leisure park and said it is loved by children and their families. The retired dock worker told MailOnline: 'I collect quirky items, that's the sort of guy I am. And she was a new item. I enjoyed having it there. It looked different. 'I was doing the community a favour. People loved it when it was there. Children and their parents would stop. 'But some of my neighbours were not happy. I was going to build a little pond to slide into it. 'I would do anything to get it back. I have two Jaguars in my garden. They are my pride and joy. I'd sell one to get it back. 'Ellie is as important to me as my cars. 'The council are killjoys. It's a scandal.' The 71-year-old had initially planned to create a pond in his back garden for the slide so children in the neighbourhood could use it. But Ellie was too heavy to carry into the back garden so the retired forklift driver assembled it in his driveway instead. He said: 'I saw them taking it away [from the leisure park] and said, 'no I will have it.' They thought I was joking. Then he delivered it to my house for free. 'People loved it. I wanted to let kids and their parents come round and use it and give the money to charity.' However, not everyone agrees with Mr Robinson's taste. One neighbour told KentOnline: 'I can't believe for a moment he actually thought he could leave it [in the drive]. 'The council's planning department would have had a field day. We couldn't get permission for a six-foot shed in our front garden, never mind a 20-foot-long elephant. 'Eventually, we did say something to the council, but we weren't the first. 'Yes, the children liked it and people looked at it when they went by, but they didn't have to live with it day-in, day-out. A Medway Council spokesperson said: 'During our annual health and safety audit of The Strand, the slide, which is now more than 30 years old, was not deemed to be safe so we took the decision to remove it. 'Medway Norse arranged for a sub-contractor to remove the structure. 'Once we became aware a resident had the slide following complaints, we arranged for it to be picked up so it can be safely disposed of as it is an unsafe structure.'
BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Barnet sign ex-Gillingham striker Hawkins
Barnet have signed striker Oliver Hawkins as their fifth addition of the summer transfer window. The 33-year-old was most recently at League Two side Gillingham. Hawkins made 96 appearances at Portsmouth, where he scored 18 goals, and has also played for Ipswich and Mansfield. "I feel like I've got a lot to bring," Hawkins told Barnet's website."I've still got a lot to prove after my last two seasons when I was probably quieter than I should have been."I've got a season or two left in me to score some goals and really do well for a team."There's a lot of emotion in this sport and sometimes an older head is good to have around."
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
City's neighbourhood-action teams trained to get residents' concerns rectified quickly
A team of cross-trained city staff is now in place to mow, plow, plant, patch and repair, among other tasks, with the goal to shorten the wait for municipal services. In the first round of work, three neighbourhood action teams with six members each will address the highest needs areas in all 15 Winnipeg wards by the end of October. 'It is a nimble, more responsive, innovative way of delivering service…. They are teams that are cross-trained to take care of multiple issues at once, all in one visit. They can fill potholes, (fix) broken signs, do tree repairs, pick up debris, deal with sidewalk issues and sidewalk repairs and more,' said Mayor Scott Gillingham. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham at the official launch of Winnipeg's Neighbourhood Action Team program at Machray Park, Monday. Gillingham promised the teams in a 2022 campaign pledge, initially proposing three teams of 10 workers, which he once expected to be fully deployed by early 2024. The current staff have been on the job for months prior to Monday's official launch, the mayor noted, filling thousands of potholes, fixing dozens of street signs and clearing snow around transit stops. The city doesn't expect to clear every outstanding 311 request but will rank tasks through feedback from residents, city councillors and businesses, said Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of council's public works committee. 'We'll never solve all of this, but we can target and hone in and focus on specific areas,' said Lukes (Waverley West). The new strategy should cut the wait from traditional city responses, which relied on scheduling each specialized crew separately for each task. Gillingham said the teams will also answer requests from residents they encounter at a job site. 'If a neighbour comes out from their house onto the street… the neighbourhood action team member will not say 'call 311.' They'll say, 'We'll fix it,'' he said. After the new crews worked on streets surrounding Machray Park Monday, one resident welcomed the strategy. 'I think that's a great idea because… everything's getting done at once, rather than something gets done here and there and it never seems like it's ever finished,' said Tyrone Deise. Deise said tree pruning, for example, requires immediate attention near multiple intersections in his neighbourhood. 'You've got to (drive) further up to the corner just to be able to see if there is any traffic. That's dangerous… and there's a lot of spots like that,' he said. Another resident, who did not want his name published, said he expects the multi-tasking crews will face plenty of requests. 'It's been long overdue… and it's great to see the neighbourhood getting revamped, rather than just seeing it go down,' he said. Jim Berezowsky, the city's public works director, said neighbourhood-action team members received almost a year of training for their roles, much of it on the job. The total staff of 18 falls short of an original call for up to 30 more employees. Berezowsky said the program's $2.5-million annual budget must also cover equipment, which limited the number hired. The teams could also be redeployed at times to address urgent city needs, such as cleaning up after a major snowstorm, he said. Gillingham said the program is starting later than expected due to other important priorities, such as city council's efforts to attract more home-construction projects. Residents have approached team members with impromptu requests and give feedback on a daily basis so far, largely asking for tasks already on the employees' radar, according to the supervisor of the neighbourhood-action teams. 'Each team reports back at the end of the day that they've heard from at least one resident, whether it be identifying additional issues… or even just coming out with commendations and thanking them for the service that they provided because they've been waiting for that service for X amount (of) years already,' said Keenan Boles. One team member, who worked as an arbourist in the city's forestry department before joining one of the new teams, said he's enjoyed learning new skills. 'It's an all-in-one crew that does a little bit of everything, kind of a support department for other departments within the city,' said Colin Campbell. The head of the city's largest union said he expects the highly trained teams will improve city services. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. 'It is quite a task to have people cross-trained and be able to be effective in this work and do it in a safe manner…. It appears like that (has) come to fruition,' said Gord Delbridge, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500. Delbridge said the pay rate for neighbourhood-action team members starts at $28.97 per hour, rising to $30.13 after one year of work. The teams are now working in parts of the Daniel McIntyre, Mynarski and River Heights-Fort Garry wards. X: @joyanne_pursaga Joyanne PursagaReporter Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne. Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
