Winnipeg Minute: Issue 88

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

📅 This Week In Winnipeg: 📅

• On Monday, at 9:30 am, there will be a meeting of the Standing Policy Committee on Water, Waste and Environment. On the agenda is a request to increase the capital budget for the North End Wastewater Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC) to a total of $1.491 billion. This final phase of the NEWPCC upgrades is needed in order to meet regulatory requirements under the Environment Act Licence and ensure long-term operational efficiency. The revised cost estimate reflects updated population growth projections, extended design life to 2050, improvements to wet weather flow management, and higher costs due to market volatility and updated technology. Funding for the project will come from sewer rates, which would rise from $3.47 per m³ in 2025 to $7.83 per m³ in 2027, translating to a typical family of four paying $1,532 in 2025, $1,968 in 2026, and $2,308 in 2027 - up from $1,392, $1,464, and $1,540 under previously approved rates. Approval is needed to proceed with procurement and construction on schedule. Project construction is expected to finish by 2032.
  
  
• The Standing Policy Committee on Community Services will meet on Tuesday at 9:30 am. On the agenda is a discussion about a potential tree bylaw. The City of Winnipeg currently lacks a comprehensive tree by-law, and existing regulations for public and private trees are limited and inconsistently enforced. The Public Service has reviewed the City Charter and determined that broader authority from the Province of Manitoba is needed to regulate trees on private property, while interim zoning bylaw updates could help strengthen protections. The report recommends creating a Public Tree Bylaw and a City Tree Policy by the end of 2026 to consolidate rules for tree removal, protection, replacement, and compensation. The bylaw would include permit requirements, construction-site protections, replacement standards, cash-in-lieu compensation, and enforcement measures such as fines and stop-work orders. Exemptions would apply for City operations and emergency work.
  
  
• The Standing Policy Committee on Public Works will meet Wednesday at 9:30 am. The Committee will receive a report on Winnipeg’s new AI-powered Transit Plus booking system. The review showed significant improvements in service delivery and customer experience since its launch in 2024. The modern AI-driven system replaced outdated software, improving on-time performance, trip scheduling, and overall efficiency while reducing manual administrative tasks. Average call handling times dropped by about 44% and wait times by 79%, while 16-20% of bookings are now completed through self-service options like the mobile app and online portal. Customer satisfaction increased to 90%, with positive feedback highlighting driver professionalism, affordability, and app-based booking. The system also supports ride-sharing, real-time trip tracking, and accessible payment options, further enhancing service for Transit Plus users. Moving forward, Transit Plus plans to update policies, expand eligibility, and continue improving accessibility and service flexibility.
  
  
• The Committee will also review the Vehicle for Hire (VFH) Annual Update. The report outlines the continued growth of Winnipeg’s industry, which has seen trips increase by over 23% in 2025 compared to 2024, with the market nearly doubling since 2019. Rideshare companies (PTPs) now hold a larger market share at 69.3%, though driver numbers show more parity between PTPs and taxis. Administration is recommending that Council receive the report, approve bylaw amendments, and fund $130,000 from the Safety and Security surcharge for Indigenous-led Building Cultural Competency driver training and an expanded taxi safety campaign. Bylaw changes include mandatory human trafficking reporting, fines parity between taxis and PTPs, and clarification of vehicle and dispatcher requirements. Medium- to long-term plans include centralized licensing for all VFH drivers by 2027, exploring a Taxi Fare Protection Fund, and implementing technology modernization with online inspection and AI-supported complaint reporting to improve compliance and accessibility.
  
  
• A motion by Councillor Russ Wyatt will also be discussed at the Committee meeting. Transcona residents say Winnipeg’s new transit network is sending heavy bus traffic, including long articulated buses, down Victoria Avenue East, where constant vibrations are shaking pictures off walls, cracking windows, and damaging home foundations. They blame poor road conditions and failing pavement joints, which Councillor Wyatt says are causing “severe shaking” along the street. Councillor Wyatt is calling for a traffic study from Redonda Street to where Regent Avenue East merges, as well as consideration of a full road reconstruction and a 30 km/h speed cap for buses on that stretch. Wyatt first brought the motion forward at the East Kildonan–Transcona Community Committee last week, where it passed to advance to this stage.
  
  
• On Thursday, the Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development will meet at 9:30 am. On the agenda is the 2025 Housing Needs Assessment (HNA). The 263-page report notes that  Winnipeg is growing rapidly, adding roughly 23,000 residents per year, increasing demand for starter homes, larger rental units, and housing that supports aging in place. Housing supply has shifted toward multi-unit and rental homes, but older single-detached homes are at risk of loss, while rental vacancy rates have dropped to 1.7%, driving rising costs. Core housing need affects 34,425 households (11% of the population), with single-parent households, Indigenous residents, newcomers, and both the youngest and oldest households most affected. Homelessness is at a record high, with 2,459 people counted in 2024, 80% of whom are Indigenous. To fully address current and projected needs, Winnipeg would require an additional 20,743 rent-geared-to-income units and 12,541 affordable units over the next decade.

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