When one former Winnipeg mayor envisions the city’s future, it’s so bright you could literally see it from space.

Susan Thompson, who left office 16 years ago, said the city would benefit from adding a laser beam visible from space, massive amounts of evergreen trees with white lights and, temporarily, hot tubs at Portage Avenue and Main Street.

Thompson said these unique ideas could put Winnipeg on the map as a tourist destination, regardless of what nay-sayers might think.

The former leader said she actually brought up the laser pyramid proposal during her time on council.

“I couldn’t even get it passed a discussion at (executive policy committee). A lot of my ideas were not embraced, but that’s what perseverance is all about,” said Thompson after sharing her vision at a Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce luncheon Friday. “It could be a world-class icon for our city.”

Thompson noted transportation experts opposed the plan during her time on council, arguing such a bright light around the city’s perimeter could interfere with plane traffic. But she insists creative solutions could make the option feasible.

“Well, you know Las Vegas has lasers. It’s like everything else, if you want to tell me why things won’t work .. please just figure out a way it will work,” she said.

Other ideas focussed on adding “personality” to the city, such as renting hot tubs and fake palm trees to place at Winnipeg’s busiest intersection on New Year’s Day for warmer “polar bear swims” and planting evergreens along the “Chamber Way” airport route to downtown along Route 90, instead of fencing.

Thompson was not deterred from her image route idea by the fact previous city reports found evergreens may not survive along the busy route due to underground infrastructure and road sand and salt.

“Surely we can develop a hybrid tree that would survive,” she said.

Thompson also discussed infrastructure, calling for Winnipeg to add a secondary water supply, noting homes and businesses experienced brown water last year.

“Water, not oil, is not optional,” Thompson told the crowd, added that the cleanup of Lake Winnipeg to offer potable water is also a key priority.

Thompson noted that Winnipeg’s Shoal Lake water supply is meant to serve up to 1 million people, which our population is expected to reach by 2035. And she warned reservoirs are currently capable of supplying the city for just 28 days, if our supply became contaminated.

Dave Angus, the chamber’s president, said he welcomed Thompson’s imaginative ideas.

“We have to get away from this automatic knee-jerk reaction of ‘Here’s the 10 reasons why nothing can happen in this city,’” Angus said. “She had the creative ideas to stimulate imagination and she had some more tangible ideas (about) water.”

Angus said he believes ensuring a safe water supply is a critical issue for Winnipeg and cities around the world, and adding a second water supply could offer greater security for businesses and residents.

“It’s good business to look at that alternative. Obviously, there’s huge costs involved,” Angus said.

Current Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz was not available for comment Friday.