Winnipeg Minute: Issue 79

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

📅 This Week In Winnipeg: 📅

• Council has unanimously approved new rules restricting the placement of homeless encampments, set to take effect November 17th. The regulations outline specific locations where encampments will not be permitted, including within 50 metres of playgrounds, pools, spray pads, schools, daycares, adult care facilities, and railway lines. They are also prohibited near traffic hazards, medians, transit shelters, bridges, docks, piers, and in areas where safety concerns exist. The decision builds on an earlier motion aimed at keeping encampments away from family and community spaces, though Mayor Scott Gillingham initially raised concerns about potential constitutional challenges. He later supported the revised proposal, describing it as a necessary though imperfect step. City officials emphasized that while the rules aim to address safety concerns in public spaces, long-term solutions to homelessness in Winnipeg will require broader social and housing supports.
  
  
• Council has postponed a decision on the future of the Portage and Main underground concourse until 2027, delaying the contentious issue past the 2026 municipal election. The Executive Policy Committee had accepted a decommissioning study estimating full closure costs at $11.14 million and partial decommissioning at $9.44 million, but Council requested a full cost-benefit analysis before making a final decision. The concourse, which links major downtown buildings, continues to deteriorate, raising maintenance concerns. With the delay, City staff will continue routine maintenance while exploring long-term options, leaving major decisions to the next Council. Critics say the postponement appears politically motivated, avoiding debate during upcoming elections, while downtown accessibility and infrastructure concerns remain unresolved.
  
  
• Mayor Scott Gillingham has asked Winnipeg Transit to provide a cost estimate for extending late-night bus service, aiming to include it in the 2026 City budget. The request comes after widespread complaints from commuters that evening buses end too early on some routes, leaving workers and hospital visitors stranded. Transit received overwhelmingly negative feedback following its June overhaul, which shifted from a hub-and-spoke to a grid-like network, though minor adjustments were made earlier this month. Gillingham indicated that if staff find feasible changes within the current budget, they could be implemented before the end of 2025. Councillor Sherri Rollins criticized the pace of action and emphasized the urgency of restoring evening service and key stops, particularly for hospital staff and patients.
  
  
• The City has opened the 4.5-kilometre Keewatin Multiuse Path in the northwest, enhancing connections for cyclists and pedestrians. The path runs from Water Ridge Path and Dr. Jose Rizal Way to Gallagher Avenue W., providing a crossing under the CPKC railway, which previously required cyclists to travel several kilometres east. The final 1.8-kilometre phase, completed earlier this year, included lighting and 250 metres of off-street trails near Billy Mosienko Arena and Shaughnessy Park School, costing $4 million. Controlled pedestrian signals were installed at key intersections, with additional signals planned later this year. Councillor Vivian Santos said she will continue pushing for more active transportation links between northwest neighbourhoods and downtown. The project reflects nearly a decade of planning to create a more integrated cycling and walking network in Winnipeg.
  
  
• A new documentary called Absent, produced with Winnipeg’s Inner City Youth Alive, is highlighting the scale of chronic absenteeism in some of the city’s schools. The film’s executive producer, Kent Dueck, described visiting a North End school where classrooms sat mostly empty, and claimed absentee rates there topped 70% - a figure the Winnipeg School Division disputes. Official division data shows much lower averages, with 6.2% of kindergarten to Grade 9 students and about 13% of high school students classified as chronically absent in fall 2023. Dueck argues that secrecy around attendance data and a lack of outreach capacity within schools are worsening the problem. Educators, community leaders, and Indigenous voices were brought into the documentary to share perspectives and press for urgent solutions. Absent will premiere in Winnipeg on October 1st.

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