Winnipeg Minute: Issue 67

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

📅 This Week In Winnipeg: 📅

• This morning, at 9:30 am, the Standing Policy Committee on Finance and Economic Development will meet. The agenda includes a review of the latest quarterly report on Winnipeg’s Transition to Zero Emission Buses project. According to the update, the project is still on track and within its budget, with about 46% of the work complete and nearly one-third of the budget spent so far. While most diesel buses have arrived, delivery of battery electric buses remains delayed due to supply chain issues and build quality concerns. Work on charging stations and hydrogen fuelling is also progressing despite some equipment delays. No new spending is currently being requested.
  
  
• On Tuesday, at 9:30 am, the Executive Policy Committee will review changes to Winnipeg’s Housing Accelerator Fund Grant Program. The amendments would allow developers to apply and receive conditional approval for grants even before owning or leasing a property, as long as they secure ownership or a lease before funds are released. This aims to help projects advance more quickly. The changes also expand eligible expenses to include construction costs for land enhancement projects. They also prevent developers from claiming future reimbursements for water and sewer upgrades already covered by the grant.
  
  
• Main Street Project will now be the sole organization handling homelessness outreach for the City of Winnipeg, after securing an exclusive contract worth $275,000 for the rest of this year and possible extensions for two more years. Previously, three groups shared the work, but now all calls about encampments will be sent to Main Street Project. The change comes weeks after concerns were raised when outreach staff were seen helping set up a camp in Point Douglas. The non-profit says they were asked by police to help move people because of flooding risks and housing was not available. Some local groups and residents are frustrated by the City’s decision, saying they were not consulted. The City says the contract was awarded through a competitive process. Main Street Project says it is committed to moving people into housing in line with the Province’s strategy.
  
  
• Since the launch of Winnipeg’s new five-priority 911 dispatch system in April, ambulance response times to life-threatening emergencies have improved by about two minutes on average. The system categorizes calls from most urgent (Priority 1) to least urgent (Priority 5), aiming to allocate resources more efficiently and reduce unnecessary use of lights and sirens. While urgent calls receive faster responses, lower-priority calls may face longer waits, leading to concerns from the firefighters’ union about delayed service for less critical cases. The union also reports no clear improvement in overall call volumes, with crews experiencing more demand than before. City officials emphasize the system is designed to prioritize the most critical emergencies and plan to review its effectiveness after six months. Mayor Scott Gillingham highlighted investments in equipment and data-driven resource allocation as key to improving response.
  
  
• Winnipeg’s community centres are facing a sharp decline in volunteer numbers, dropping from over 14,300 before COVID-19 to about 7,800 today, putting strain on operations. To address this, the City plans to introduce a $250,000 annual grant aimed at hiring staff to support programming and facility management, while shifting community centre boards from hands-on “working boards” to governance-focused roles. This change responds to evolving volunteer motivations, with many now seeking short-term involvement rather than long-term commitments. The new governance model is part of a 20-year plan, Plan 2045, which also considers merging the boards of nearby centres to improve efficiency. The plan includes regular assessments of each centre’s governance, finances, and facilities to ensure sustainability. Community centre leaders say attracting volunteers remains a constant challenge as the sense of community ownership has declined over the past decade.
  
  
• A proposal to delay the installation of a temporary bike lane on Winnipeg’s Wellington Crescent sparked a heated debate at a recent Public Works Committee meeting, with nearly 50 delegates expressing their opinions. The City plans a phased rollout of the project, including consultations and construction stretched over more than a year, which frustrated cycling advocates and community members who want immediate safety improvements. The pilot would reduce traffic lanes, add protected bike lanes, and lower the speed limit to 40 km/h, though some called for an even lower 30 km/h limit. Advocates cited the tragic death of cyclist Rob Jenner on this route as evidence of urgent need for action. Critics accused City officials of delaying the project unnecessarily and ignoring public concerns. 

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Mayor Scott Gillingham has confirmed he will seek a second term in the 2026 municipal election.

Gillingham was elected in 2022, narrowly defeating former Mayor Glen Murray by just over 4,000 votes, with the lowest vote share for a mayor in recent history.

Historically, incumbent Winnipeg mayors have rarely been defeated, with the last loss occurring in 1956. 

What do you think of the job Mayor Gillingham is doing? Reply to this email and let us know!

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