Winnipeg Minute: Issue 86

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

📅 This Week In Winnipeg: 📅

• The Executive Policy Committee will meet on Tuesday at 9:30 am. The Committee will discuss the City’s approach to encampments and a new Encampment Policy and Response Protocol. The policy prohibits encampments in high-risk areas, such as near playgrounds, schools, transit shelters, and life-safety hazards, while prioritizing enforcement on other City lands during daylight hours. Outreach service providers are to be engaged to notify residents of enforcement actions and available shelter options, and vacated sites are to be remediated promptly. The Encampment Response Protocol provides operational guidance for City departments, including prioritization criteria, standardized procedures for outreach and cleanup, and coordination across departments. Costs are largely covered through existing budgets, including two bylaw officers, a senior coordinator, and additional funds for garbage removal. Annual progress reports will be provided to Council starting in January 2027.
  
  
• The Committee will also review an administrative report that outlines Winnipeg’s progress under the Housing Accelerator Fund. It notes that the City has reached 57% of its target to enable 14,101 new homes by December 2026, with all milestones currently on track. While the City has already received $61.2 million in funding and surpassed its 2024 housing targets, risks remain due to broader economic pressures and federal pauses on affordable housing funding. The report also proposes investing up to $20 million in Land Enhancement projects that could enable more than 900 new homes and expanding eligibility for small-lot developments. All eight HAF initiatives are progressing, including zoning reforms, local area plan updates, digital permit improvements, and the Housing Needs Assessment due in December. The City’s HAF grant program has already conditionally approved projects for more than 2,500 units.
  
  
• Speaking of the Housing Accelerator Fund, St. Vital Councillor Brian Mayes has raised concerns about transparency in Winnipeg’s Housing Accelerator program, saying he first learned of a new pilot project through the City’s media release. Winnipeg is proposing a $2.52-million pilot catch-basin program to remove infrastructure barriers and potentially unlock up to 3,000 new infill homes. Another project would upgrade sewer capacity in the Crane district to allow more dense development along Pembina Highway. Mayes questioned why the project didn’t go to committee and how the City calculated the 3,000-unit estimate. He also pointed out inconsistencies between the Housing Accelerator Fund targets and the new projections.
  
  
• Winnipeg’s proposed 2026 budget includes a major jump in capital spending. The budget calls for a 3.5% property tax increase, and the City’s capital plan jumped to $1.19 billion, up from $677 million in 2025 - an increase of roughly 76%. The capital spending is largely due to the North End sewage treatment plant upgrade. The City expects to take on significant new debt for that project and will review its debt strategy as it approaches its borrowing limit. The budget also proposes hiring more firefighters, paramedics, and municipal service workers to reduce overtime costs and improve service delivery. Additional funds would go toward improving customer service and strengthening road, sidewalk, and bridge infrastructure. Public meetings will be held in the coming weeks, with a final Council vote scheduled for December 17th. We'll be bringing you more information soon!
  
  
• Speaking of the budget, Winnipeg’s plan to address firefighter staffing shortages in the 2026 preliminary budget has drawn criticism from the United Firefighters of Winnipeg (UFFW), who say the measures “aren’t going to move the needle.” The City intends to phase in a resource pool of 10 full-time equivalent (FTE) firefighters annually - reaching up to 40 by 2029 - who would fill absences and support training rather than being assigned to specific stations. FTE refers to the equivalent of one full-time worker, so 10 FTEs could mean 10 full-time staff or a combination of part-time positions that total the same hours. UFFW Vice-President TJ Belluk said the addition is too small to meaningfully reduce overtime and staffing pressures, suggesting 30-40 FTEs per year would be more effective. Mayor Scott Gillingham defended the plan as an “important step” to give the Fire Chief flexibility to deploy staff where needed and emphasized attention to firefighter health and mental wellness. 

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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