Winnipeg Minute: Issue 58

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

📅 This Week In Winnipeg: 📅

• Jason Schreyer, longtime City Councillor for Elmwood-East Kildonan, has died. First elected in 2014, he was known for his strong, independent voice and dedication to keeping life affordable for residents. Schreyer, the son of former Manitoba Premier and Governor General Ed Schreyer, was also known for his musical spirit, often singing at events and Council meetings. Fellow Councillors praised his passion and creativity, remembering him as a devoted public servant. Mayor Scott Gillingham, who was elected alongside Schreyer, expressed shock at the news and noted Schreyer’s legacy of public service. City Hall flags have been lowered to half-mast in his honour. Our sincere condolences go out to his family, friends, colleagues, and constituents.
  
  
• The Standing Policy Committee on Community Services will meet this morning at 9:30 am. The Committee will discuss accepting up to $767,499 in federal grant funding from the Short-Term Rental Enforcement Fund for the period of April 2025 to March 2027. The funding aims to support local enforcement of short-term rental restrictions to free up more long-term housing. Winnipeg plans to use the grant to enhance its Short-Term Rental Accommodations Program, launched in April 2024, by hiring three temporary full-time staff and upgrading IT and enforcement tools. Proposed positions include an Enforcement and Policy Analyst, a Licensing Enforcement Inspector, and an IT Programmer Analyst. The initiative will be fully funded by the grant, with no impact on the City's operating budget or tax requirements.
  
  
• The Committee will also discuss updates to the Indoor Arena Ice Allocation Policy. Last revised in 1997, the Policy is intended to allocate indoor arena ice times fairly, considering City-wide priorities and user requirements. Notably, an upper limit of 10% of available ice time will be allocated for adult programs and casual rentals. The policy introduces a three-strike rule for breaches of rental terms, meaning users who violate the rules three times may face penalties, such as losing access to ice time. The policy review period is also extended from every three years to five years, with the next review scheduled for 2030. Importantly, the priority order for ice allocation remains unchanged, and no financial implications are expected. The revised policy will take effect in the 2025/2026 ice season.
  
  
• The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) is requesting approval to add one position to its permanent staff - a Field Training Officer to provide hands-on training and field preceptorship for Red River College (RRC) Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) students. The position will be fully funded by a new five-year agreement with RRC, which will provide annual funding to cover salary, benefits, and operational costs. This addition will allow WFPS to continue supporting paramedic training, with the intent of ensuring the availability of advanced care paramedics for recruitment needs. The program will not impact the City’s budget as all costs will be covered by Red River College. The program is expected to begin in 2025/2026.
  
  
• Winnipeg Transit is set to launch a new bus route network on June 29th, 2025, replacing the current system with a more grid-like model that will offer higher-frequency routes along major streets and feeder routes through residential and industrial areas. The change is part of a broader overhaul of the City's transit system, described by Mayor Scott Gillingham as the biggest transformation in Winnipeg Transit’s history.
  
  
• Speaking of transit, the City is considering a $10.5 million upgrade to its transit fare collection system, which has been in place for over a decade. The proposed system would allow riders to pay via mobile tap, debit, or credit card, as well as through a mobile app. The City has already allocated $6.5 million for the project, but an additional $4 million is needed to cover the total cost. Federal funding could help offset this cost. A decision on the upgrade will require Council approval after further discussion at Tuesday’s Public Works Committee meeting.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

The federal election may be over, but there’s still important work to do here in Winnipeg. At Common Sense Winnipeg, we’re focused on holding City Hall accountable and pushing for real change in our city. If you care about priorities like increasing transparency, protecting the freedom of residents and businesses, and bringing common sense back to local government, now is the time to get involved.

Volunteer with us today and help build a better future for Winnipeg:

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

This week's sponsor is you! We don't have big corporate backers, so if you like what you're reading, please consider making a donation or signing up as a monthly member.

But, if you are a local business and are interested in being a sponsor, send us an email and we'll talk!