Jorge Requena Ramos

City Councillor Candidate for River Heights–Fort Garry

Respect, Collaboration, Inclusion, Kindness, and Creativity are some of the things I’ll bring to City Hall.

PLATFORM

What kind of city do we want to build together?

What kind of city do we want to build together?

Since I started knocking on doors across River Heights and Fort Garry, I've had a lot of conversations about these neighbourhoods and our city.

I've heard about speeding cars and streets people don't feel comfortable crossing. I've heard about potholes, back lanes, aging pipes and flooded and cracking basements. I've heard how much people value our mature trees and how strongly they feel about the character of their neighbourhoods. I’ve heard about the need for more crime prevention and neighbourhood organizing, and I've heard from people who want better transit, safer places to walk and bike, and more choices for getting around.

I've also heard something more important: people really love living here.

Folks like us love their neighbours, their trees, their parks, their local businesses, the vibe of their streets and the sense of community that makes these neighbourhoods feel like home. I lived in River Heights for a long time and have countless memories of chatting with friendly neighbours, watching my kid play safely with others outside, sitting at the many restaurant patios or parks in our area, and realizing that this place has been the best possible place to raise a family. Now I want to give back to the community that has given me so much.

These conversations have reinforced my belief that Community has to be at the root of every solution.

I know strong communities create safer, healthier, more connected neighbourhoods, and after weeks of listening to folks, my goals are now clearer than ever. I know it's not enough for me to tell you what I believe. You should know what I will work to do.

So I've taken what I'm hearing from neighbours, combined it with some research and the experience I've gained building organizations and partnerships in Winnipeg, and turned those ideas into informed commitments.

You should know I won't pretend to have every answer, but I commit to this principle: Listen. Try. Measure. Learn. Improve.

HERE IS HOW I WANT TO WORK AT CITY HALL

1. Strong Neighbourhoods & Respectful Growth

Let's welcome more neighbours while strengthening the character of the places we already love.

This ward needs more housing and more choices in the kinds of homes people can find. We need to grow, so let's make a plan together to grow sustainably.

Young people should be able to start their lives here. Families should be able to grow without leaving their neighbourhood. Seniors should have options that allow them to age how and where they choose and remain close to the people and places they know and love. Newcomers (like me) should be able to put down roots in these beautiful and historic neighbourhoods.

We can create those opportunities while respecting what makes neighbourhoods like the ones in River Heights and West Fort Garry special.

Neighbourhood character is more than the size or architectural style of our houses, mature trees, human-scale streets, parks, gardens, local businesses, schools. These streets were never intended not to grow and evolve. Character is made of memories — the ones we've inherited and the ones to be made. This is why I'll work to increase public gathering places to encourage stronger ties and relationships between the people who live there. Population density and character are not mutually exclusive. Involving the community in the design of a sustainable growth strategy will guarantee the continuing legacy of River Heights and Fort Garry’s unique characters and will make this a better place for all of us. Strong growth should contribute to the things that make people want to live there in the first place.

It also makes good financial sense. Every new road, sewer, sidewalk and other piece of infrastructure becomes something Winnipeggers have to operate, maintain, repair and eventually replace. So every major infrastructure decision should answer three questions:

Can we afford to build it?

Can we afford to maintain it?

Can we afford to replace it?

If we can accommodate more people in established neighbourhoods and make better use of existing infrastructure, while investing in upgrades where capacity is needed, we are also preparing to leave the next generation a great inheritance and place to live and raise their families.

That's responsible growth.

My commitments

I will support sustainable housing growth and more housing choices in established neighbourhoods while respecting mature trees, architectural character, urban density, proper parking, walkability, neighbourhood businesses and quality public spaces.

I will push for lifecycle costing in major infrastructure decisions so Council understands what taxpayers will be responsible for maintaining and replacing and for how long, not just what something costs to build today.

I will favour growth that makes efficient use of existing infrastructure and existing neighbourhoods.

How we can do it

We can make lifecycle costing a standard part of major growth and infrastructure decisions, so Council understands what something will cost to build, operate, maintain and eventually replace.

We can prioritize growth that makes better use of roads, pipes, transit and other infrastructure we have already paid for, while investing in upgrades where they are needed.

We can also explore participatory budgeting, giving communities a defined pool of funding and a direct role in deciding how some neighbourhood improvements are made.

And when new development requires new infrastructure, we should have an honest conversation about how those costs are paid for, rather than simply passing them on to future taxpayers.

2. Safe, Complete & Vibrant Streets

Our streets should be safe and useful for everyone.

I've heard road safety come up repeatedly in conversations with neighbours. I've also been invited to support commitments around safer streets, speed reduction and better walking and cycling infrastructure.

These practical quality-of-life issues also have the power to improve the safety and vibrancy of our neighbourhoods.

We should work towards neighbourhoods where kids can walk to school safely, seniors can cross the street comfortably, people using wheelchairs and mobility devices can move around easily, buses are reliable, people can bike safely, and drivers have streets and intersections that are predictable and safe. When streets are safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and wheelchair users, drivers are safer too.

That's the idea behind Complete Streets: streets designed to work for everyone. But a great street can do even more than move people. Complete Streets also encourage walking comfortably to a restaurant, cycling to a friend's house, taking our children to a park, sitting outside or stopping at a neighbourhood business which all contribute to increasing the connections between community members. People meet. Businesses gain customers. Children gain independence. Public spaces feel welcoming and alive. Neighbours know one another. Vibrancy brings people together.

Vibrancy is also an economic engine that helps local economies be resilient and independent. Vibrant streets make our neighbourhoods attractive which in turn will make our children want to stay here.

My commitments

I will champion Complete Street projects that look at safety, sidewalks, accessibility, transit, cycling, trees, drainage and the needs of drivers. Mobility as one unified strategy.

I will work to reduce dangerous speeding on residential streets and support street designs that naturally encourage appropriate speeds, and support speed reductions in residential areas.

I will work with residents on safer back lanes and garages, recognizing that neighbourhood safety includes the places immediately around our homes.

I will prioritize addressing gaps that prevent people from safely walking, rolling or cycling to schools, parks, businesses and transit.

I will advocate for accessibility and mature trees to be considered from the beginning of street projects until the end.

I will also work to limit the duration and frequency of street projects as much as possible, so we can all enjoy our peace and tranquility a little more.

How we can do it

When a street is already being rebuilt, let's use that opportunity. We can coordinate roads, underground infrastructure, sidewalks, accessibility, drainage, trees, transit and cycling improvements instead of treating every issue as a separate project.

Dig once wherever possible.

We can prioritize missing connections around schools, parks, neighbourhood businesses and transit, and coordinate improvements with already-planned street renewals so public dollars can accomplish more than one thing at a time.

Where the right solution isn't obvious, we can test ideas temporarily, involve the people who actually use the street, measure what happens and make better permanent decisions.

This implementation approach is also consistent with the City's current Transportation 2050 direction, which prioritizes maintaining existing infrastructure, using existing roads more effectively, mobility choices and Complete Streets.

3. Better Choices for Getting Around

The mobility system begins at your front door.

A trip doesn't begin when you get onto a bus or into a car. It begins when you leave home. Walking. Rolling. Cycling. Transit. Driving. I want all of them to work together.

You might walk to the bus. Bike to rapid transit. Drive and walk the final few blocks. Push a stroller to the grocery store. Roll to a neighbourhood café. Those trips are all part of one mobility system.

Walking. Rolling. Cycling. Transit. Driving.

We should have more options for environmentally sustainable transportation. The most affordable and most accessible ways of getting around our city need to be nurtured. Alternative transportation options should be equally as convenient as driving. Giving people more practical choices can make life more affordable, create more independence for children and seniors, support transit and local businesses, reduce car traffic and environmental impacts and make our streets work better.

Research shows that the commute from home to the bus stop is critical to the success and usage of a transit network, especially in a city as cold as Winnipeg. This is a key piece that will help us complete our transportation master plan. Complete streets complement transit networks, which can help increase foot traffic and increase the vibrancy of our neighbourhoods.

My commitments

I will help push City Hall toward an Integrated Mobility strategy, treating all transportation investment as one mobility system, coordinating road, pedestrian, cycling and transit investments rather than planning them in isolation.

I will support dedicating at least 20% of roadway investment to walking and cycling infrastructure, while measuring results and examining whether greater investment is warranted.

I will advocate for better connections to transit, including sidewalks, safe crossings, accessibility and cycling connections. One Journey, many options.

I will support a connected network of safe routes, rather than isolated pieces of infrastructure that suddenly disappear when people need them most.

I will help promote investment to increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations.

I will help make winter mobility part of the conversation from the beginning of every project.

How we can do it

We can start treating transportation investment as one mobility budget serving one connected system.

When we're rebuilding a road, we should ask whether we can also fix a missing sidewalk, improve a crossing, make a bus stop more accessible or complete a cycling connection.

We can prioritize the beginning and end of transit journeys — the sidewalks, crossings and connections that actually get people from their front door to the bus.

And we can measure whether our investments are actually giving people more safe, practical and affordable choices for getting around.

4. A City Willing to Try Good Ideas

We can make City Hall more creative, responsive and practical.

One thing I know I can bring to the job is creativity. As a professional artist I know sometimes the best way to find out whether an idea works is to try it.

I've been inspired by an approach often called tactical urbanism: using small, inexpensive and temporary projects to let people experience an idea before we spend large amounts of public money making it permanent.

Planters can temporarily change a curb. Paint and barriers can test a safer intersection. A temporary cycling connection can show us how people actually use it. Creative programming can bring new life to a community space. A public space can be tested before being permanently constructed.

It's the idea that trying something can itself become a form of public consultation.

Instead of only showing residents a drawing and asking them to imagine what a change might be like, sometimes we can give communities the resources to build a temporary version. People can experience it, talk about it and tell us what works and what doesn't. Then we measure what happens.

I want to take that idea further.

I want to explore a City-supported small-grants program that gives neighbourhoods and community organizations the resources to try good ideas.

Those ideas don't all have to be about transportation. They could be about a street, a park, a gathering place, a community centre, public art, accessibility or another creative idea for making a neighbourhood better.

I've been involved in conversations about creating safer walking, cycling and transit connections on Wellington Crescent. That's exactly the kind of situation where a carefully designed temporary project could help us move the conversation forward really quickly and give us the data we need to make good decisions.

Listening to residents, commuters and our own City's planning department. It just makes sense.

My commitments

I will work to create a City-supported community innovation grant program, inspired by tactical urbanism, that gives neighbourhoods and community organizations access to small grants to test ideas for streets, public spaces and community life.

Projects receiving these grants should identify what they are trying to accomplish, involve the people affected, measure what happens and report what was learned.

I will work to explore a safe walking, cycling and transit pilot on Wellington Crescent, developed with residents and evaluated using real-world evidence. I will commit to seeing this project started in the shortest possible time.

I will push for community involvement early in projects, when there is still an opportunity to shape them.

I will ensure that clear objectives are identified before pilot projects begin and effectively measure and report impacts afterward.

I will have the courage to try things out along with community advocates to accelerate change.

Listen. Try. Measure. Learn. Improve.

5. A City That Works

Taking care of what we already own is one of the smartest investments City Hall can make.

Potholes matter. Snow clearing matters. Sidewalks matter. Back lanes matter. Pipes matter. Trees matter.

These aren't glamorous issues. They're the things people experience every day, but they are key to our quality of life.

Underneath many of the conversations I've been having at the door is a bigger question: Are we taking good enough care of what generations of Winnipeggers have already paid to build?

I've spoken with residents dealing with flooding and cracking basements. I've heard concerns about aging pipes and drainage. Infrastructure doesn't stop at the surface of the street. When we're rebuilding a road, we should be thinking about what is under it, beside it and connected to it. And we should think about its entire lifecycle. Infrastructure has a countdown to its replacement, and it starts the second it is built. To be responsible stewards of infrastructure we need to ensure every new investment still allows us to keep our commitments to the old investments we have made. Our children and grandchildren are going to need those streets, pipes, back lanes and trees. A good government’s legacy should be measured by the things that work and continue working.

My commitments

I will make infrastructure maintenance a priority, including roads, sidewalks, back lanes, trees, drainage and underground infrastructure.

I will push for better coordination when streets are reconstructed, so we don't repeatedly dig up the same places to solve different problems.

I will advocate for better long-term planning around aging pipes, drainage and infrastructure affecting basement flooding.

I will ask for lifecycle maintenance and replacement costs when Council considers major capital investments.

I will support clear measurements of whether City programs and investments are actually delivering the results they promised.

I will carefully review new developments and how they affect our capacity to care for what we already have.

How we can do it

We can make lifecycle maintenance and replacement costs part of major capital decisions instead of considering only the initial construction price.

We can create a dig-once expectation for major reconstruction: before we tear up a street, coordinate roads, pipes, drainage, accessibility, sidewalks, trees and transportation work so we aren't repeatedly paying to disturb the same place.

We can give maintaining existing infrastructure real weight when it competes with building something new.

And when City Hall approves a major investment, it should tell people what success looks like and report back on whether we achieved it.

6. Safer, Dignified Communities

Everyone deserves to feel safe & Everyone deserves dignity.

A well-lit street. A safe back lane, children comfortably walking to school, a neighbour who knows your name, kids playing in a safe playground, a public space with people in it, help arriving when someone is in crisis, and confidence that when something goes wrong, somebody will respond. Public safety starts with strong and informed communities.

As community members we can and should work on solutions that enable us to keep neighbourhoods safe, neighbourhood walking groups, public forums, communication systems and social media networks can all have an enormous impact.

However, as a city we must work on services, appropriate enforcement, mental-health supports, housing, addiction treatment, youth opportunities and public spaces where people actually want to be. Prevention is public safety.

Poverty, homelessness, addiction, mental health and crime are complicated problems. A municipal government cannot solve them alone, but City Hall can decide how it responds, who it partners with and what kind of neighbourhood conditions it helps create. The conditions that enable crime to grow are created largely by poverty. There is no effective crime reduction strategy that doesn’t include poverty prevention. Our police force is not designed for prevention. They are there to catch people who have already committed crimes. We need to create the conditions for a city where crime is not an option. We should work to enforce dignity and safety for all.

Social programs that help youth escape poverty ARE crime prevention. Sports, arts, community programming and mental health supports are all things that work on long-term solutions for crime. Social programming is NOT charity. It is an investment in a future with less crime. An investment so that our children and grandchildren can enjoy a better city.

My commitments

I will support neighbourhood safety improvements such as better lighting, safer streets, and inviting public spaces that enable connection with our neighbours.

I will continue to support developing a mental-health crisis response team that can link appropriately trained professionals to situations where their expertise is needed.

I will support community-based approaches to neighbourhood safety that connect people to services while directly responding to residents' safety concerns.

I will petition provincial and federal governments to help finance the housing, mental-health, addiction and poverty-reduction resources Winnipeg needs.

I will support investments in community organizations, recreation, arts, libraries and places for young people to nurture their sense of belonging and help them grow and keep them away from crime.

How we can do it

We can work toward matching the response to the problem: police where police are required, alongside appropriately trained mental-health and crisis-response professionals where their expertise is needed.

We can treat recreation, libraries, arts, youth programming, outreach and strong community organizations as part of prevention, rather than disconnected extras.

We can build stronger partnerships between City services and organizations already doing community safety, outreach and poverty-reduction work.

And we can aggressively pursue provincial and federal partnerships for housing, mental health, addictions and poverty reduction. Winnipeg should use every tool it has, while recognizing that  a municipal government cannot solve these problems alone.

7. The Environment Is Infrastructure

Our trees aren't decoration. Our rivers aren't just scenery. The environment is infrastructure.

Mature trees cool streets, manage water, provide habitat and make neighbourhoods beautiful and comfortable. Trees are also the single most powerful carbon capture strategy on earth, and they do it for free.

Parks give people places to play, exercise, gather, connect, relax and breathe.

Healthy rivers and functioning wastewater systems protect our city and everything downstream from us.

I've heard repeatedly how much neighbours value our beautiful greenery, and I have signed pledges supporting stronger protection of older trees and the planting of new trees. Protecting this inheritance is one of the responsibilities we have to the next generations.

Environmental responsibility runs throughout this platform. Building more efficiently uses fewer resources, and maintaining infrastructure makes it last longer. Complete Streets give people more transportation choices and reduce fuel consumption. Healthy neighbourhoods make it possible for better access to daily living needs. Trees make communities healthier and more beautiful. These are things we and our families deserve and they belong together.

My commitments

I will support stronger protection for mature trees and Winnipeg's urban forest.

I will advocate for trees to be planned into street reconstruction and development from the beginning, rather than trying to find room for them afterward.

I will ensure trees are protected on both city and private land, and ensure that permits are required to cut them.

I will support planting more trees and increasing their diversity while properly maintaining the ones we already have.

I will support moving Winnipeg toward a two-for-one public-tree replacement program: for every public tree we lose, our goal should be to plant two for the future.

I support completing the critical North End wastewater-treatment work and improvements necessary to better protect our rivers and lakes.

I support moving Winnipeg toward a practical public composting and organics system.

I will support requests for 50/50 transit funding to help our transit network be convenient, useful and viable.

I will consider environmental impacts alongside financial lifecycle costs when evaluating major infrastructure decisions.

How we can do it

We can start by treating the urban forest the way we treat other essential infrastructure: plan for it, maintain it, protect it and budget for its eventual replacement.

A two-for-one replacement program can help us move beyond simply replacing what we lose and begin rebuilding Winnipeg's canopy for the next generation.

We can coordinate tree planting with street reconstruction and development instead of trying to find space for trees after everything else has been designed.

We can increase species diversity so our urban forest is more resilient to disease, pests and a changing climate.

And major wastewater, climate-resilience and environmental infrastructure should continue to be pursued in partnership with other levels of government where those projects exceed the City's

8. A Vibrant Local Economy

Let's build places where people want to be.

A great city doesn't simply attract investment. It attracts people. And gives them reasons to stay.

Some of Winnipeg's best economic infrastructure doesn't look like economic infrastructure. It's a busy sidewalk, a neighbourhood restaurant, a music venue, a bookstore, a bustling patio, a beautiful canopy of trees, a park full of families tobogganing in the winter or enjoying a picnic in the summer. A commercial street with enough activity that you decide to stay for another hour. That's vibrancy.

Vibrant neighbourhoods create opportunities for local businesses.

Academy, Grant, Corydon, Stafford, Kenaston and Pembina are all places where we congregate, connect and get away from the stresses of life. They are third spaces. The more comfortable, interesting, safe and accessible those places are, the more opportunities there are for people to spend time — and money — in their own neighbourhood.

Some of the other ideas mentioned in this platform also have a big impact on this. Slower residential streets encourage more foot traffic, the creation of third spaces encourages more connection, trees, well planned and designed streets all have a positive economic impact. It encourages people to cycle and take the bus on busier, safer streets. We want our commercial districts to feel like destinations, not thoroughfares.

Arts and culture matter here too. Music, public art, street festivals, farmers’ markets and great restaurants not only affect public perceptions of our neighbourhoods, but also represent something we can be proud of.

Interesting cities attract interesting people. Winnipeg is already a city where talented people from around Canada and the world have built their lives. We can continue to promote and grow our city to attract the best and brightest in the world to come here, while at the same time also encouraging our children and theirs to choose Winnipeg as a home.

My commitments

I will support neighbourhood commercial districts as community infrastructure, considering businesses, sidewalks, trees, public space, accessibility and transportation together.

I will advocate for City procurement policies that promote public spending that supports our ward’s economic vibrance.

I will support sustainable and stylistically appropriate housing growth around neighbourhood commercial areas, bringing more customers within walking distance of local businesses.

I will champion arts, culture, recreation and gathering places as part of Winnipeg's economic development strategy.

I will push for measures to examine the economic effects of major street projects and encourage opportunities for input from business owners and other community members, so decisions that affect local businesses are strongly supported by evidence.

How we can do it

We can use City procurement more deliberately to create opportunities for local businesses and local employment where procurement rules allow.

We can treat our neighbourhood commercial streets as complete places,  businesses, sidewalks, trees, public space, accessibility, housing and transportation working together.

We can involve businesses early when major construction will affect them and measure the economic effects of major street projects instead of guessing about them afterward.

And the community innovation grants I've proposed can give neighbourhoods another way to try small ideas. activating  public spaces, programming, art, street improvements and gathering places that might bring more people into our local commercial areas.

Building for Tomorrow

Will our children choose to stay here?

The most important test for whether we are going in the right direction is whether our children or even grandchildren want to choose Winnipeg as a home.

Will they be able to find a home? Will they have opportunities? Will they inherit streets they can explore safely? Will our healthy trees still be here? Will the infrastructure beneath their feet work? Are we able to create a city that can compete with the most attractive cities in the world?

I don't want Winnipeg to become a Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, or Copenhagen. Having grown up in Mexico City, I am passionate about the advantages and uniqueness (and clean air) of this city. I want Winnipeg to become the best version of Winnipeg. An interesting city with resilience, courage, talent, generosity and a safe place that lives up to the “Friendly Manitoba” motto on our license plates.

We will create a beautiful and environmentally responsible place together. We’ll be creative enough to try new things and responsible enough to measure whether they work. A city with neighbourhoods that are vibrant, connected and full of life.

Government can't create healthy communities by itself. But it can build the conditions that allow communities to thrive.

That's what I want to work toward at City Hall: to be able to apply my own core values of respect, collaboration, honesty, loyalty, transparency, inclusion, kindness, and creativity to guide the growth and vibrancy of this city that I love.

And a simple way of working:

Listen. Try. Measure. Learn. Improve.

Together, we can build the Winnipeg we want to live in.

References & Further Reading

For the cool nerds who make the world go around and want to know where this stuff comes from.

I believe people should be able to see the research behind the commitments I'm making.

This platform has been shaped first by conversations with residents of River Heights–Fort Garry, and informed by municipal plans, community organizations, transportation and planning research, and examples from other cities. Referencing an organization or report does not imply its endorsement of my campaign — or my endorsement of every recommendation it contains.

City of Winnipeg — Transportation 2050. Winnipeg's long-term transportation framework, including Complete Streets, road safety, walking, cycling, transit, accessibility and integrated mobility. Council adopted Transportation 2050 and the updated Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies as long-range transportation policy in June 2025. (DMIS)

City of Winnipeg — Winnipeg Transit Master Plan. The City's long-term vision for the transit network and the infrastructure required to support it.

City of Winnipeg — Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies. Planning and implementation framework for Winnipeg's walking and cycling networks.

City of Winnipeg — Road Safety Strategic Action Plan. Winnipeg's framework for reducing fatal and serious collisions and moving toward Vision Zero.

City of Winnipeg — Urban Forest Strategy. The City's long-term strategy for protecting, maintaining and expanding Winnipeg's urban forest.

Smart Growth America — Complete Streets, Stronger Economies. Research examining the connections between safer, walkable streets, local economic activity, community engagement and quick-build projects.

Smart Growth America — Complete Streets implementation and community-driven planning resources. Examples of Complete Streets implementation, equity, measurement and involving residents in the design of their communities.

Institute for Transportation & Development Policy — Integrated Mobility in Mexico City. An international example of integrating transit, walking, cycling, public space and other forms of transportation into a connected mobility network.

2022 Alternative Municipal Budget — Winnipeg. A community-developed alternative municipal budget examining infrastructure, active transportation, transit, climate, urban forestry, housing and municipal finance. The proposal to dedicate 20% of roadway funding to walking and cycling infrastructure is particularly relevant to my mobility commitments.

2026 Alternative Municipal Budget — Weaving a Better Winnipeg. A community-developed alternative municipal budget examining municipal finance, active transportation, city planning, climate, greenspace, housing, poverty reduction, recreation, safety, transit, urban forestry, water and other City responsibilities. I have drawn particularly from its ideas around lifecycle costing, coordinating infrastructure investment, community participation, prevention, local procurement and its proposal for two-for-one public-tree replacement. Referencing the AMB does not mean I support every spending or revenue proposal it contains. The CCPA describes the 2026 AMB as a fully costed alternative budget produced with local experts and community organizations. (CCPA)

CUPE Local 500 — Local Guarantee. Municipal policy proposals concerning local procurement, mental-health emergency response, neighbourhood safety, wastewater infrastructure, public services and composting.

Trees Please Winnipeg. Community research and advocacy concerning Winnipeg's urban forest, mature-tree protection, replacement, maintenance and canopy.