Winnipeg Minute: Issue 111

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

📅 This Week In Winnipeg: 📅

• The City of Winnipeg has launched its 2026 construction season with $156.8 million budgeted for local and regional street improvements - part of a six-year capital plan totalling more than $1.1 billion for road renewal. This year's program will see the construction or renewal of approximately 175 lane kilometres of roads, 50 sidewalk locations, and 15 kilometres of bike lanes and active transportation pathways. Major projects include protected bike lanes on the west side of Edmonton Street, an upgrade of Sherbrook Street from painted to fully protected bike lanes between Broadway and Cumberland Avenue, and rehabilitation of the Lagimodiere Twin Overpass with new active transportation paths along Concordia and Lagimodiere Boulevard. The City is also extending the Northwest Hydro Corridor pathway from Church to Selkirk Avenue and from Leila Avenue to Daylan Marshall Gate Park. Administration says nearly all projects for the year have been tendered and are either already underway or will begin shortly. Mayor Scott Gillingham noted the six-year capital plan includes "more than $1.1 billion for road renewal, including nearly $157 million this year."
  
  
• A new City report shows Winnipeg permitted 6,291 new homes in 2025, ahead of the five-year average of 5,343 and exceeding several key development targets. Downtown permits reached a record 1,040 units - nearly triple the City's annual target of 350 - driven by major projects including Railside at The Forks and Market Lands. Infill housing accounted for 62% of all new residential permits in 2025, surpassing the City's 50% target, with approximately 19,500 units currently in the broader infill pipeline. Transit-adjacent housing also tracked ahead of targets, with 4,362 units permitted within 400 metres of the Primary Transit Network, including 1,119 near rapid transit stations. Single-detached homes made up only 20% of new dwellings, with multi-family formats driving most of the growth. Non-residential development came in at 1.3 million square feet of new floor area, modestly below the five-year average of 1.4 million square feet. 
  
  
• The City has announced it will end its lease with the Granite Curling Club this July, the latest development in a long-running dispute over a City-owned parking lot adjacent to the Club. At issue is a $45-million, 111-unit housing project proposed by the University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corporation and All Saints Anglican Church, which would be built on the lot currently leased to the Club as a 45-stall parking area. Roughly half the units would be rent-geared-to-income, with the project estimated to house approximately 200 residents. A developer involved in the project noted at a Municipal Board hearing last August that 350 households are currently on waitlists for similar affordable units in the city. The Granite Curling Club opposed the development on the grounds that losing the parking could threaten the Club's future. In November 2025, the Manitoba Municipal Board ruled that the project could only proceed with the Club's approval of a new parking arrangement - effectively granting the Club veto power over what happens on City-owned land. By terminating the lease, the City appears to be removing the Club's ability to block the project.
  
  
• The Pan Am Pool is scheduled to close in January 2027 for about 16 months to undergo extensive repairs on its aging structure, including work on the main pool tank, dive towers, waterproofing, and tiling. The facility, originally built for the 1967 Pan American Games, is the city’s busiest aquatic centre and a key site for competitive swimming, diving, artistic swimming, and water polo. Local aquatic groups say the closure will cause major disruptions, especially for diving programs, since the pool is the only one in Manitoba with a 10-metre platform and specialized training facilities. Coaches and clubs are already concerned about finding adequate temporary training spaces, as no other venue offers the same capabilities. The City says some parts of the facility will remain open for limited use during construction, but overall access will be significantly reduced.
  
  
• A draft design for a new pedestrian bridge over Omand's Creek in Omand Park, at the corner of Wolseley Avenue and Raglan Road, has been unveiled. The existing bridge floods regularly and features steep pathways that are difficult for many users to navigate. The proposed replacement would raise the bridge above flood levels and rebuild the surrounding pathways for improved accessibility, while preserving the park's natural character. The City reviewed several designs and locations before settling on the current draft, which is now open for public comment. The project cost has not been announced.

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