Winnipeg Minute: Issue 95

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 creation of a Neighbourhood Infill Benefits Reserve to reinvest a portion of new property tax revenue from infill housing back into local communities. Under the plan, 80% of the incremental municipal property taxes generated by new two-, three-, and four-unit residential developments would be directed into the reserve for five years, without adding new fees or charges on developers. The funds would support a grant program for parks, recreation facilities, tree planting, and other public amenities in the same wards where infill development occurs. The reserve is projected to collect between $136,000 and $490,000 annually, depending on development levels, with most funding concentrated in a handful of wards experiencing the highest infill activity. City staff would oversee the program, with authority to approve grants up to $100,000 and larger or non-standard applications requiring committee or council approval. The grant program is expected to launch no earlier than mid-2027, and Council will review the reserve’s effectiveness within five years to decide whether it should continue.
  
  
• Also on the agenda is an Administration recommendation for a one-year, single-source contract with Oracle Canada for PeopleSoft licensing, support, and maintenance at a cost of just over $3.09 million, covering the period from February 28th, 2026 to February 27th, 2027. The contract is being pursued without competition because Oracle is the only vendor that owns the PeopleSoft software and can provide certified support compatible with the City’s aging and soon-to-be-upgraded infrastructure. Officials argue that alternative providers would expose the City to cybersecurity risks and could disrupt critical services such as payroll, purchasing, and vendor payments. Funding would come from a mix of approved capital and operating budgets, and the new agreement is expected to save between $85,000 and $340,000 annually compared to previous arrangements.
  
  
• On Thursday, at 12:00 pm, there will be a meeting of the Climate Action and Resilience Committee. On the agenda is the Committee’s 2025 annual report, which outlines how the Committee advised Council and City departments on climate-related policies, including building emissions, waste reduction, heritage conservation, and the ongoing update of the Winnipeg Climate Action Plan. The Committee reviewed reports, provided formal feedback, and participated in working groups aimed at integrating climate considerations into City decision-making. Members focused heavily on outreach, meeting with community organizations, other citizen advisory committees, and climate experts to improve coordination and share best practices. The report notes that while public concern about climate change remains high, awareness of existing City actions is low, prompting a stronger emphasis on communication and transparency. Training, research, and public opinion polling were used to strengthen climate literacy and accountability across civic processes. The report frames 2025 as a year spent laying the groundwork for more concrete policy implementation in 2026.
  
  
• Construction has begun on the first housing development at The Forks in Winnipeg, turning a former parking lot into a new residential neighbourhood. The Railside project will eventually include 10 mid-rise buildings with a mix of condominiums, market rentals, and deeply affordable housing, along with commercial space and public courtyards. The first phase is expected to deliver about 350 housing units over the next two years, with up to 1,200 units planned by full buildout around 2040. Funding is coming from all three levels of government alongside private investment. Developers say the project was shaped by years of public input and collaboration with Indigenous elders, with measures in place to protect potential archaeological finds. City and provincial officials say the development will help address housing shortages, add density to the downtown, and support economic activity and safety in the core.
  
  
• Winnipeg police are ramping up enforcement against drug-impaired driving, deploying additional officers to conduct targeted traffic stops as part of an annual campaign running until March 1st, in partnership with Manitoba Public Insurance. Officers trained in drug recognition will focus on suspicious driving behaviours - swerving, aggressive driving, or poor cornering - as well as routine violations that can justify a stop. If officers detect signs such as the smell of cannabis, bloodshot eyes, or slurred speech, drivers may be asked to provide a saliva sample. Police will use federally approved roadside screening devices to detect THC (cannabis impairment) and cocaine. Last year’s campaign saw 302 stops and 97 positive cannabis tests, up from 64 positives during 243 stops in 2024 - evidence, police say, that cannabis-impaired driving is becoming more common across all ages and neighbourhoods. While alcohol remains the leading cause of impaired driving, police estimate cannabis is involved in roughly 20% of incidents. Officers are urging Manitobans to plan ahead, noting impairment can potentially last more than 12 hours with edibles.

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