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Better sorry than safe? Amber-light times and speed-limit signs that failed to meet Canadian standards deliver clear evidence that Winnipeg’s photo-enforcement system was set up for profit rather than protection, critics charge By: Ryan ThorpePosted: 7:00 PM CST Friday, Feb. 25, 2022

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2022/02/25/better-sorry-than-safe-2 “On Sept. 4, 2018, a 61-year-old man was killed while riding his bike at the T-shaped intersection at Bishop Grandin and Lagimodiere boulevards. He was hit by a truck that failed to stop at a red light. Eventually, Sweryda was able to convince Coun. Matt Allard, the chair of the public works committee, that the city’s yellow-light times were wrong. Allard (St. Boniface) moved a motion on Sept. 16, 2020 to fix it. Using photo-radar enforcement data, Schnarr calculated that if the city did follow the ITE standard, 93 per cent of the tickets at the intersection in 2015 would not have been issued. In 2016, 88 per cent would not have been issued. “It’s another one that was talked about for years.… Basically, Chris convinced me the yellow light timing was off for high-speed roads,” Allard says. The city increased the yellow-light timing to 4.3 seconds on roads with a 70 km/h speed limit, and 4.7 seconds where it’s 80 km/h.

On April 8, 2014, he filed a complaint to the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba, targeting three city traffic engineers.

Sweryda argued the city did not post speed-reduction signs on both sides of divided roads and one-way streets, a practice “not consistent with Canadian engineering standards.”

Sweryda also launched a petition asking the city to change its policy on dual speed-limit signage. It got more than 2,000 signatures. By August 2015, the petition made its way to Mayor Brian Bowman’s desk. In a written statement, a city spokesman said the department is now supportive of dual signage.

Red Light, Green Light, No Oversight: Winnipeg’s public works department wastes millions of tax dollars on unnecessary streets and transportation projects, independent research reveals - Winnipeg Free Press investigative series: Red Light, Green Light, No Oversight Part 1, February 18, 2022

“The Free Press spent eight weeks reviewing Sweryda’s work, discussing the findings with academics and local politicians, and reviewing his research methods with experts, including engineering professionals and a lawyer who specializes in anti-corruption. His research has been cited in court cases and has led to public-policy changes at the municipal level”. Using Google Street View, which has been photographing Winnipeg since 2007, Sweryda has catalogued and tracked the changes to intersections across the city as far back as the images go. To date, he’s completed an in-depth analysis of 513 of the city’s 681 traffic light-controlled intersections — roughly 75 per cent — including everything north of the CNR main line. The research shows a systematic pattern of inefficient and unnecessary work, including infrastructure rebuilds without apparent justification, traffic-control devices routinely swapped out before end of life and traffic-light poles repeatedly changed and moved marginal distances.

‘A pattern of incompetence or corruption, or perhaps both’ - Winnipeg Free Press investigative series: Red Light, Green Light, No Oversight Part 2, February 22, 2022

“The anti-corruption expert grew increasingly concerned with each passing example of costly and confusing construction projects ordered by Winnipeg’s public works department — year after year, intersection after intersection.

Kevin Gillese stopped the presentation halfway through — he’d seen enough.”

“The presentation by Sweryda was so compelling, and it’s possible implication so troubling, I have met with (Mansky) on this matter twice now. Their office is investigating this issue.”

Allard told the Free Press that where there have been improvements to traffic safety in Winnipeg in recent years, they have largely resulted from Sweryda’s efforts.

“In terms of his understanding of the issues, at a high level, I don’t know if there’s anyone who understands road safety and the regulatory framework better than him,” Allard said.

“I think (an audit) will likely confirm that (Sweryda) was right again.”

Sweryda believes he’s uncovered a systematic pattern of construction projects with significant costs to taxpayers but little practical benefit.

A decade of deadly delay - Winnipeg Free Press February 23, 2022

“For the past 11 years, independent researcher and traffic-safety activist Christian Sweryda has been urging the City of Winnipeg to install eye-level safety lights at pedestrian corridors.

It has been a long, drawn-out battle, featuring a forgotten report, a pilot project bordering on the absurd, a spate of major crashes and dead children.”

City staff repeatedly ignored researcher’s pleas to install life-saving eye-level warning lights at pedestrian corridors… until it was too late

One day he was stopped in his car at a rail crossing on Lagimodiere Boulevard when a figurative light bulb went off in his head. The solution was staring him right in the face: eye-level safety lights.

At the pedestrian corridor on Henderson Highway where the woman was killed, the only lights were overhead, which were flashing when the driver entered the crosswalk.

Sweryda concluded drivers whose vehicles were closer to the intersection when the lights began flashing would have a more difficult time seeing them. If lights were also installed at eye level, it would increase visibility.

It seemed like common sense — Sweryda contacted the transportation division of the public works department and advocated for the installation of eye-level lights at pedestrian corridors. His efforts were rebuffed.

Sweryda remembers the moment he heard the boy had been killed on St. Anne’s Road. A friend broke the news to him.

“It was extremely frustrating, depressing. Whenever another person died I would just get so mad. Basically, screaming-at-the-wall mad. Of all the social problems in the world, we’re fighting over this? No wonder we can’t get anywhere.”

In 2020, Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), the chair of the public works committee, moved a motion asking the department to develop plans for a citywide rollout of eye-level safety lights at pedestrian corridors — nine years after Sweryda’s advocacy began.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2022/02/24/caution-apathy-zone “I have been working for years asking the public service to address missing school-zone and playground signage as researched by Chris Sweryda, through council motions and communications. Unfortunately, many issues remain outstanding,” Allard said. Sweryda compiled a list of all the city’s schools, both public and private, and used Google Street View to check every location for missing signs. He then spent the next six months driving to all the locations to verify his findings. In the end, he compiled a 73-page list of every sign location in the city, flagging each spot where one was missing. He also noted undersized signs, misplaced signs and school-zone signs on streets with no schools. All told, there were 206 missing school-zone signs. Sweryda took the list to the department, asking for the problem to be addressed. He was told it wouldn’t be.

Schreyer family endorses road safety researcher to fill late councillor’s shoes - Winnipeg Free Press, October 9, 2025

“Standing in front of the family home of Coun. Jason Schreyer, a byelection candidate said he has the blessing of the late councillor’s loved ones to fill his former city hall seat.

Chris Sweryda, who entered the byelection race to represent Elmwood-East Kildonan just before the nomination deadline, said he worked as one of Schreyer’s assistants from early 2022 until the councillor’s death.”

Seventh contender joins Elmwood-East Kildonan byelection race - Winnipeg Free Press, September 19, 2025

“A road safety researcher and food security advocate hopes to become the next city council member for Elmwood-East Kildonan.

Christian Sweryda became the seventh candidate to enter the byelection race after completing the nomination process.”

Bridging the grocery gap, New program sells low-cost pantry items to those in need - Winnipeg Free Press Community Review July 30, 2025

Folks in need of groceries in Elmwood and East Kildonan now have another option close to home.

“My mandate is to get basic pantry food items for the lowest possible prices,” explained program director Christian Sweryda. “We sell that food for as little as we can, with a little mark up to sustain the program, with the aim of helping lower income people.”

Please check back for more updates.