Winnipeg Minute: Police Demand, Pipe Repair, and Garage Project Scope

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

This Week In Winnipeg:

• This morning, at 9:30 am, the Standing Policy Committee on Finance and Economic Development will meet. The Committee will hear an update on the replacement of the Fort Garry Street vital sewer crossing of the Red River. In November 2023, during a routine check, one of two sewer pipes crossing the Red River was found to have failed, and the other was close to failure. The City's Water and Waste Department hired engineers and contractors to replace the pipes and set up a temporary system to divert the water flow. So far, $180,000 has been spent on engineering, $2.74 million on building and running the temporary system, and $1.4 million on planning the permanent replacement. Also on the agenda is an update on major capital projects.
  
  
• The Executive Policy Committee will meet on Tuesday morning at 9:30 am. On the agenda are the potential sale of the Portage Place Mall assets, a monthly update on the planning of the programming and activities for Winnipeg 150, and the End Homelessness Winnipeg 2023-24 Annual Report, among several other items. There are also several Board of Revision meetings throughout the week, as well as a Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development - Appeals meeting on Wednesday at 9:30 am.
  
  
• The Governance Committee of Council will meet on Thursday at 1:00 pm. No agenda is available for this meeting yet. Also on Thursday, at 5:00 pm, the Winnipeg Committee for Safety will meet. The Committee will hear an update regarding planning for the Neighbourhood Watch Forum. Finally, the Winnipeg Food Council will meet on Friday at 12:00 pm. No agenda is available for this meeting yet either.

Last Week In Winnipeg:

• A Council Committee voted to scale back the scope of Winnipeg Transit's new north garage due to rising costs, which increased from $200 million to $305 million. The chosen option retains the original $200 million budget but eliminates maintenance bays and reduces bus storage capacity. Transit officials warned this could hinder plans to purchase new buses and grow ridership as part of the City's Transit Master Plan. The decision still requires approval from the full City Council and from both the provincial and federal government.
  
  
• Winnipeg’s acting Police Chief, Art Stannard, reported a growing demand for police services, with the service facing an unprecedented number of backlogged calls. On August 31st, a record 440 calls were awaiting response, with an average of 300 calls backlogged each day. Stannard said that there is a need for an additional 78 officers on top of the 24 officers set to join the downtown foot patrol. Rising violent crime and frequent protests have also led to a sharp increase in overtime costs, which are projected to reach $11.8 million by the end of 2024.
  
  
• The first annual Fentanyl Awareness Day Walk took place in Winnipeg, organized by Joseph Fourre in memory of his son, Harlan. The walk aimed to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl, emphasizing that the opioid crisis can affect anyone, not just those with addiction. Participants walked from Oodena Circle to the Legislative building, spreading the message that fentanyl poses a life-threatening risk. Fourre committed to continuing the event annually until fentanyl is no longer a community issue.