Winnipeg Minute: Disruption Information, No Charges, and the Welcoming Winnipeg Report

Winnipeg Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Winnipeg politics

This Week In Winnipeg:

• The Standing Policy Committee of Water, Waste and Environment, originally scheduled for this morning, is rescheduled to March 10th. The Standing Policy Committee on Public Works will meet on Tuesday at 9:30 am. The Committee will receive an Annual Update on Public Transit Service for Large Events in 2024 and discuss the Preliminary Design Study for the Chief Peguis Trail Extension West from Main Street to Brookside Boulevard. Reports on the updated Motor Vehicle Noise Policy and the Speed Limit for Active Transportation Pathways, as well as some traffic studies, are also on the agenda.
  
  
• The Standing Policy Committee on Community Services will meet on Wednesday at 9:30 am. The agenda includes the Winnipeg Public Libraries Attendance and Incident Quarterly Report, the 2025 Report on Parks and Open Space Assets, and an update on Ground Squirrel Management Practices on Public Property. On Thursday, at 9:30 am, the Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development will meet. The Committee will discuss awarding the contract for the St. James Civic Centre Facility Expansion and designating the public lane between 93 Lombard Avenue and 111 Lombard Avenue as Monte Nathanson Way, among several other items.
  
  
• The Standing Policy Committee on Finance and Economic Development will meet on Friday at 8:30 am, and the Winnipeg Police Board will meet on Friday at 9:30 am. No agenda is available for either meeting yet.

Last Week In Winnipeg:

• Manitoba prosecutors have decided not to pursue criminal charges in the case of the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters construction project, which went over budget by $79 million and is now under scrutiny in a public inquiry. Despite a 2019 decision not to press charges after an RCMP investigation, the prosecution service reviewed the case again following a civil court finding that the former Chief Administrative Officer accepted a $327,000 bribe. However, prosecutors concluded there was insufficient evidence for a criminal conviction. A $2 million inquiry is set to explore the project's handling and suggest improvements for future construction projects. The inquiry is expected to conclude by January 1st, 2027.
  
  
• Winnipeg has launched a new webpage to keep residents informed about temporary disruptions to City facilities, including libraries, pools, recreation centers, bus stops, and sidewalks. The page will display disruption details in both a list and map format, along with reasons for the closures. Residents can filter information by address, intersection, facility type, and more to find specific updates. Mayor Scott Gillingham said that this initiative is a step toward making Winnipeg more inclusive and accessible. You can see the new site here.
  
  
• A report on Winnipeg's "Welcoming Winnipeg: Reconciling our History" initiative highlighted frustrations and confusion surrounding its core purpose, particularly regarding the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives in renaming City sites. The initiative, created in 2020 to better reflect Indigenous history, has seen conflicting views about how naming opportunities should balance Indigenous and non-Indigenous names. Committee members have reported experiencing racism and misogyny when presenting recommendations, while also struggling with a lack of political leadership, resources, and clarity in their work. The report suggests measures to improve the process, such as limiting applications and providing a budget for the Committee. Mayor Scott Gillingham has called for a review of the policy to clarify its goals.