Winnipeg Minute: Issue 94

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

📅 This Week In Winnipeg: 📅

• The Standing Policy Committee on Water, Waste and Environment will meet on Monday at 9:30 am. On the agenda is a review of a Quarterly Report regarding Winnipeg Drinking Water Treatment Plant deficiencies. While four of six identified issues are resolved, including the $7.36 million roof replacement completed in 2024, two deficiencies persist: the onsite sodium hypochlorite generation system and concrete tank surface deterioration. These issues have not impacted water quality. A consultant was hired in late 2025 for the sodium hypochlorite system design, and the multi-phase concrete rehabilitation project is estimated to cost approximately $38 million, with construction beginning in Q4 2026. Consequently, the Public Service recommends suspending further quarterly reports until Q4 2026, when more substantial updates on these projects will be available.
  
  
• The City says that, since mid-November, they have cleared 12 homeless encampments under new bylaws that restrict camping on public property and set minimum distances from schools, playgrounds, transit shelters, and other public facilities. City staff coordinated the removals with outreach providers to offer residents shelter or housing where possible, and remediated the sites afterward, removing debris and restoring public spaces. Some residents near the former Mostyn Park encampment expressed relief at the removals but remain concerned that tents could return when warmer weather arrives. While the City says it works with provincial homeless services and partner organizations to connect people with housing, it has not disclosed how many individuals have been permanently housed. Community organizations have raised concerns about the availability of long-term housing, and some former encampment residents reported not being offered housing when camps were dismantled.
  
  
• Winnipeg’s Public Works committee has approved a $51-million plan to purchase up to 27 zero-emission buses from New Flyer Industries, pending further review by the Executive Policy Committee and City Council. The order includes up to 15 40-foot battery-electric buses and up to 12 40-foot fuel-cell battery-electric buses, funded through Winnipeg Transit’s 2026 capital budget with provincial and federal contributions. The new buses aim to improve fleet reliability and reduce tailpipe emissions, supporting Winnipeg’s plan to replace about 90 diesel buses with zero-emission vehicles. Concerns were raised about whether the latest bus models are being purchased, pricing competitiveness, the possibility of extended-range fuel-cell options, and winter performance in extreme cold. Public feedback also highlighted questions about maintenance costs, reliability, and passenger heating systems. Initially, the City expects to order 15 battery-electric and 10 fuel-cell buses, with the option to add up to two more units if funds allow, and additional buses can be added to the order until July 2026.
  
  
• The City has begun a multi-year reconstruction project on the Lagimodiere Boulevard twin overpasses near Concordia Avenue to rehabilitate aging bridge structures. All southbound lanes between Reenders Drive and Chief Peguis Trail are closed until October 31st, with traffic shifted onto the northbound structure, leaving one lane open in each direction and reducing the speed limit to 50 km/h. The first phase, focusing on the southbound bridge and adjacent roadwork, will run until November 2026, while the second phase on the northbound bridge is scheduled for January to November 2027. Road rehabilitation will also occur along Lagimodiere Boulevard between Almey Avenue and Grassie Boulevard, and on Concordia Avenue between Molson Street and Peguis Street. Traffic, pedestrian access, cycling routes, and transit service will be maintained, though some interchange ramps will close for six to eight weeks for pavement repairs. Motorists are advised to expect delays, allow extra travel time, and consider alternate routes throughout the two-year project.
  
  
• The federal government’s new housing agency, Build Canada Homes, is moving forward with plans to develop hundreds of affordable homes in Winnipeg, focusing on the former Kapyong Barracks site, now called Naawi-Oodena. The Indigenous-led redevelopment, in partnership with Treaty One First Nations and Canada Lands Company, will create 320 homes within a mixed-use neighbourhood that incorporates cultural and commercial spaces. The project will use modular and factory-built construction to speed up delivery and reduce costs. Build Canada Homes has already identified six federal sites nationwide capable of delivering up to 4,000 homes, with additional projects planned in cities including Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, and Dartmouth. Construction in Winnipeg is expected to begin this year, with federal support and collaboration with Indigenous partners, non-profits, and private builders.

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