Winnipeg Minute: Issue 91

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

📅 This Week In Winnipeg: 📅

• Council has approved its 2026 budget, adding several amendments to the initial proposal. Key changes include doubling the hiring of new full-time firefighters from 10 to 20, creating a new transit planner position to improve the City’s transit system, and expanding the needle clean-up program to six parks with the goal of maintaining safe public spaces. The budget also includes a 3.5% property tax increase, a 2.8% rise in water and sewer rates, and a $3.8 billion six-year capital program, which features completion of the North End Sewage Treatment Plant. The measure passed with a 12-4 vote, with Mayor Scott Gillingham suggesting that the changes reflect feedback from residents and colleagues.
  
  
• Council also approved a rezoning of City-owned land leased to the Granite Curling Club, advancing plans for an 11-storey affordable housing development on the Club’s primary parking lot. The decision follows a recent Manitoba Municipal Board ruling that sided with the curling club, stating the City should first develop an adequate parking plan to support ongoing operations. City Administration has argued that Council is not legally bound by that recommendation and can proceed with rezoning. The move remains contentious. The Granite Curling Club has warned that reduced parking could undermine its viability and has signalled it may pursue legal action. Some Councillors also raised concerns about governance and process. Councillor Brian Mayes questioned relying solely on internal legal advice to disregard the Municipal Board’s decision, suggesting external legal review would have been preferable.
  
  
• Also approved by Council was a feasibility study for a temporary “managed encampment to housing” pilot aimed at providing basic services for people experiencing homelessness. The proposal would examine potential sites, operating models, costs, safety impacts, and the provision of limited services such as waste collection and portable washrooms. It is argued that the approach could improve safety and serve as a pathway to housing and treatment, rather than allowing unsanctioned encampments to persist. The motion passed 14-2, though concerns were raised about costs, strain on municipal services, and whether the City has the capacity to operate such a site without firm provincial support. Critics also warned that sanctioned encampments could attract crime or prolong outdoor living. City staff are expected to report back within four months, while Winnipeg continues enforcement actions that have already cleared multiple encampment sites across the city.
  
  
• A recent survey commissioned by the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg shows that residents have overwhelming trust in frontline firefighters and paramedics, far exceeding trust in Council or other elected officials. The survey found that 98% of respondents trust these emergency responders and that only 6% think it is acceptable for the fire department to operate below recommended staffing levels. Winnipeg residents expressed strong support for hiring more permanent firefighters rather than relying on overtime, citing concerns about health, safety, and mental well-being. The survey also suggests political implications, with 82% of likely voters saying Council decisions on fire and emergency services funding would influence their vote in the 2026 municipal election. 
  
  
• Mayor Scott Gillingham has nominated Colleen Mayer, currently Vice-Chair of the Winnipeg Police Board, to serve as its Chair, pending Council approval. Mayer would fill the vacancy left by Markus Chambers, who resigned earlier this fall for health reasons after leading the Board through high-profile challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic and the recruitment of a new Police Chief. Mayer brings extensive experience in government, Administration, and governance, including serving as a Manitoba MLA, holding senior provincial roles, and working in municipal Administration as the Chief Administrative Officer for the Rural Municipality of Armstrong. She has also worked in the non-profit sector and has a background in education governance and community partnership development. 

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