Winnipeg Minute: Issue 78

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

📅 This Week In Winnipeg: 📅

• Mayor Scott Gillingham is advocating for the city to receive a share of Canada’s planned $9-billion increase in defence spending to help meet NATO targets. He highlighted Winnipeg’s existing military infrastructure, including the RCAF base 17 Wing, two air force headquarters, and the country’s third-largest aerospace sector, as well as skilled trades and aerospace training programs. Gillingham emphasized that federal investment could expand air defence operations while providing affordable housing, jobs, and child care to support military personnel recruitment. He also noted that increased military activity would require upgrades to local infrastructure, including the Chief Peguis Trail and the North End Water Pollution Control Centre. A letter sent to Ottawa, supported by local organizations, calls for Winnipeg to be prioritized for these defence investments.
  
  
• Councillor Sherri Rollins is pressing Winnipeg Transit to revisit its new bus network, arguing it has cut service in disadvantaged areas such as the North End, West End, and downtown. The redesign, introduced in June, replaced the hub-and-spoke model with a spine-and-feeder system intended to improve frequency and reliability. However, the network now has about 1,200 fewer stops, and many of the removals came from low-income neighbourhoods. Community advocates, including the Amalgamated Transit Union and disability organizations, say the changes leave riders with longer walks, safety concerns, and fewer late-night options, disproportionately affecting workers in lower-wage jobs and those with mobility challenges. While union leaders note some scheduling improvements for operators, many riders report longer trips and crowded buses. Mayor Scott Gillingham acknowledged the negative feedback and said adjustments are being reviewed, with more significant revisions planned later this year.
  
  
• Winnipeg Police Service has launched a new safety initiative to reduce violence and disorder on the city’s transit system, following a record 325 violent incidents reported on buses and at bus stops in 2024, nearly triple the number in 2019. The program involves both uniformed and plainclothes officers patrolling buses and high-risk transit locations, focusing on preventing, detecting, and suppressing crime. Police will take a data-driven approach, concentrating on hot spots, and the initiative will run until the end of 2025 before its effectiveness is reassessed. Mayor Scott Gillingham described the plan as part of a broader, layered approach to citywide safety, complementing the Community Safety Team established last year. The Amalgamated Transit Union welcomed the initiative, emphasizing the need for safer workplaces for bus operators. Officers will be redeployed from existing community support units, with staffing levels adjusted based on demand. 
  
  
• City Councillors are considering restrictions on where protests can take place after the Executive Policy Committee approved a motion from Councillor Evan Duncan. The proposal would create 100-metre buffer zones around schools, hospitals, cultural centres, and places of worship. Supporters argue the measure is intended to safeguard vulnerable groups and reduce demands on police resources, which have grown as officers respond to more frequent demonstrations and counterdemonstrations. Recent years have seen protests related to international conflicts as well as rallies outside hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The motion has been criticized for its potential to infringe on free expression and to limit the ability of residents to gather near institutions that may be directly connected to the subject of their protest. City staff have been directed to prepare a draft bylaw within 90 days, at which point Council will debate whether to move the restrictions forward.
  
  
• Kyle Roche has launched his campaign for the Elmwood–East Kildonan Council seat in the October 25th byelection, emphasizing his commitment to improving public safety, fixing transit, and restoring core City services. A lifelong resident of the ward, Roche works in Winnipeg’s Planning, Property and Development department, giving him both community insight and technical experience. His platform focuses on ensuring faster emergency response times, enhancing transit service and infrastructure, and maintaining roads, sidewalks, parks, and libraries. Roche also plans to build coalitions at City Hall to secure funding and support for local priorities while aligning them with citywide benefits. He envisions a decade ahead where residents see tangible improvements, including safer streets, active main streets, and functional rapid transit. Roche is one of six candidates running for the seat.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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