It can be easy to get caught up in the excitement of the holidays, but it's also important to remember to practice fire safety in your home. Here are some helpful tips, courtesy of the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, to help you minimize the risk of a fire in your home and make your holiday season enjoyable and safe. If you do encounter a fire emergency, call 911.

• Like every season, make sure smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are working, and be sure to test them regularly. Make sure everyone knows when and how to call for help in the event of an emergency, and practice your home escape plan.
• If you choose a natural tree to decorate your home, choose a tree that is fresh, meaning that its needles are green, hard to pull from its branches, and not easily broken. Shake the tree trunk; if many needles fall off, the tree has probably dried out.
• Keep your tree away from all heat sources, such as fireplaces and heat vents. The heat dries out the tree, causing it to be easily ignited by heat, flames, or sparks.
• Keep cigarettes and ashes far away from the tree.
• Do not leave the tree up for longer than two weeks. When the tree becomes dry (losing its needles quickly), discard it promptly.
• Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.
• Always use Canadian Standards Association (CSA) approved holiday lights. Check the bulbs, sockets, wires and plugs on your lights to ensure that nothing is cracked, broken or exposed. Replace any missing bulbs, and be careful not to bypass a fuse.
• Do not overload electric outlets.
• Use only non-flammable or flame-retardant decorations, and make sure to place decorations away from heat vents and fireplaces.
• Consider using a timer to ensure lights go off when you go to sleep, or when you are out.
• Get your furnace inspected once annually to ensure it's running properly.

For these and other holiday fire safety tips, see the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Services #firesafeholiday video series on the City of Winnipeg's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/cityofwinnipeg/videos/?ref=page_internal Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday season!  

With all this snow, help ensure your garbage and recycling bins are not missed on collection day: -Make sure the area around and under your carts is clear of snow. -Do not place the carts behind or on top of a snowbank. -Clear the snow and ice off the cart lids so that they open easily when the carts are emptied. -Keep the lids closed at all times to keep the snow out of your carts.

Thank you friends of Shoal Lake 40 for all your hard work advocating and educating for Freedom Road. I know I join many others in congratulating you on this long awaited day. As Chief Redsky has said: "Freedom Road will save lives; it will save my community; it will bring lift to this community; it will bring hope to this community; it means everything. It’s a matter of survival.” Here is a piece I wrote last winter about my visit to Shoal Lake 40 First Nation: Visit to Shoal Lake 40 First Nation I was privileged to visit Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, which was an eye-opening opportunity to hear first-hand from the community. Chief Redsky says that “Freedom Road will save lives; it will save my community; it will bring lift to this community; it will bring hope to this community; it means everything. It’s a matter of survival.” As Winnipeggers, most of us do not understand the history of how we get our water. Winnipeg doesn’t pay Shoal Lake. All levels of government stopped economic development opportunities. The community was moved from the mainland in order to make room for the aqueduct and dike, which diverts dirty water from the Winnipeg water supply to Shoal Lake 40. This is why they are under the boil water advisory. People are often injured or lose their lives during winter thaw and spring melt as they try to cross the lake to get to the mainland for health appointments, food, supplies, and, most importantly, clean drinking water. This road could mean access to clean water and economic development that has been limited by their isolation. Students could make daily trips to school instead of leaving the community for education. Freedom Road would allow for proper disposal of waste that is hazardous to the community and access to their very own water supply. I believe in getting Freedom Road built and I have taken part in the following ways: September 12 – I represented the City of Winnipeg at the Winnipeg Water Walk for Shoal Lake where I reaffirmed the City’s commitment to building Freedom Road at the Aqueduct Monument on James Avenue. October 6 – I made a motion to Council that the next City of Winnipeg budget should include a financial commitment to the Shoal Lake 40 Freedom Road October 30 – I joined a delegation to visit Shoal Lake 40 First Nation

The City of Winnipeg's 2017 preliminary budget was released last week. Visit: http://www.winnipeg.ca/Interhom/Budget/2017Budget/default.stm to view the 2017 preliminary budget.

Do you want to get involved in the budget process? Citizens are invited to participate in the 2017 Budget process. Please contact 311 to register as a delegation for the following meetings, which are scheduled as part of the 2017 Budget approval process:

Monday, November 28, 2016, 9:30 a.m. Standing Policy Committee on Water and Waste, Riverbank Management and the Environment (Regular Meeting)

Tuesday, November 29, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works (Regular Meeting)

Friday, December 2, 2016, 9:30 a.m. Standing Policy Committee on Protection and Community Services and Parks (Regular Meeting)

Monday, December 5, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development, Heritage and Downtown Development (Regular Meeting)

Tuesday, December 6, 2016, 9:30 a.m. Winnipeg Police Board (Special Meeting)

Thursday, December 8, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Special Executive Policy Committee to hear delegations on Budgets

Friday, December 9, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Special Executive Policy Committee to consider Standing Policy Committee recommendations and table final recommendations

Tuesday, December 13, 2016, 9:30 a.m. Special Meeting of Council to pass Budgets

As always, you may also contact my office if you would like to share your views, concerns, and suggestions for the budget.