Winnipeg Minute: Issue 98

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

📅 This Week In Winnipeg: 📅

• A City Committee has approved moving forward with a proposal to rename the Piscine Boni-Vital Pool in St. Boniface in honour of former Councillor and MP Dan Vandal, despite it bypassing the usual facility-naming process. The Riel Community Committee recommended the renaming, citing Vandal’s nearly three decades of municipal and federal public service, including time as a federal cabinet minister. Councillors Matt Allard and Brian Mayes supported the motion, noting the cost could be covered by their ward allowances and emphasizing precedent for exceptions to the standard process. Councillor Emma Durand-Wood opposed the motion, citing concerns about skipping the usual public service review.
  
  
• The City has distributed over $2.5 million to 60 non-profit organizations through its new Community and Neighbourhood Grant Program, the first round under this consolidated funding system. The grants support a wide range of sectors, including housing support, recreation, environmental initiatives, and arts and culture. Thirteen organizations helping people at risk of or experiencing homelessness received $725,000, marking a 117% increase from similar funding last year. The new program replaces multiple department-specific grant processes, aiming to reduce administrative barriers and align funding with Council-approved priorities. Grants were awarded across four streams: environmental and green city initiatives, recreation, community well-being, and arts and culture, enabling broader support than in previous years. The City received more than $15 million in requests, showing high demand from the non-profit sector. Details on funded organizations and the next intake, expected in summer 2026, are available on the City’s website.
  
  
• The City has extended the planning phase for a proposed temporary protected bike lane on Wellington Crescent, with the final design now expected in April. This delay allows the public works department to complete public consultations that were interrupted by last year’s postal strike. The initiative follows a 2024 hit-and-run, which sparked a local movement for permanent cycling safety measures. Despite the adjusted planning schedule, officials confirm the project remains slated for the 2026 construction season. Transportation managers have already begun incorporating preliminary feedback into the design.
  
  
• The Public Works Committee has decided not to implement a one-minute time limit for school drop-offs and pick-ups, a concept proposed under a “Stop, Drop and Go” program. The program would have created designated areas at elementary schools with strict time limits to improve safety. City officials noted the approach may not work universally, as different schools have varying protocols, including requirements for parents to sign in or escort children. Instead, the Committee recommended collaborating with school communities to encourage behavioural changes and explore alternate modes of transportation. The Committee will continue to investigate other strategies to reduce traffic congestion in school zones.
  
  
• The Winnipeg School Division will reintroduce full-time Kindergarten at six schools for the 2026-27 school year, reversing the 2022-23 decision to cut all-day programming. Superintendent Matt Henderson said the expansion aims to “level the playing field” for families facing poverty and childcare challenges while ensuring children gain essential skills. The six schools selected - Dufferin, Lord Nelson, Machray, Ralph Brown, Rockwood, and Weston - were chosen based on need, space, and partnerships with childcare providers. The division set aside $300,000 in its budget to fund the program, and registration opens February 17th. Full-time kindergarten is rare in Manitoba, with most schools offering only half-day programs, though some divisions like Louis Riel, St. James-Assiniboia, and Franco-Manitoban already provide all-day options. Advocates say the program supports families by freeing up parents’ time and encourages consistent attendance. The division plans to monitor the program’s success and may consider expanding full-time kindergarten more widely in the future.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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