Winnipeg Minute: Transit Funding, Police Chief, and Garbage Collection Fees

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 this morning at 9:30 am. The agenda includes the Solid Waste Utility Financial Plan and Rate Model 2025-2027, Business Stability and Utility Rate Increases, and Housing Affordability and Utility Rate Increases. (More on a significant proposal below!)
  
  
• The Governance Committee of Council will meet on Tuesday at 1:00 pm. The Committee will receive a report on the reappointment of the Integrity Commissioner, as well as discuss the City of Winnipeg Governance Review. The Winnipeg Committee for Safety will meet on Wednesday at 12:00 pm. The agenda includes a proposed amendment to the Winnipeg Committee for Safety Terms of Reference as well as verbal updates from the Committee Coordinator, Crime Prevention Branch, and Winnipeg Police Service.
  
  
• Winnipeg, along with Brandon and Selkirk, will receive federal funding to improve public transportation. The investment, part of the Canada Public Transit Fund, will provide approximately $12 million annually from 2026 to 2036. Mayor Scott Gillingham highlighted the importance of stable, long-term funding to enhance transit services. The funding will support Winnipeg's new transit network, set to launch this summer, aiming to create a more efficient and reliable system.

Last Week In Winnipeg:

• Winnipeg has appointed Deputy Chief Gene Bowers as the new Police Chief, effective today. Bowers, who has been with the Winnipeg Police Service since 1989, replaces Danny Smyth, who retired in September. He has significant experience, including roles in the Manitoba Human Trafficking Team and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s Task Force. Bowers said he is committed to improving community safety and is receiving support from local leaders and the Winnipeg Police Association.
  
  
• The federal government has announced that the Miscarriage of Justice Review Commission will be headquartered in Winnipeg. Susan Milgaard, whose brother David was wrongfully convicted and spent 23 years in prison, expressed her support, calling the decision a positive step forward. The Commission will replace the current process of ministerial reviews and aims to provide a clearer path for individuals seeking justice after wrongful convictions. Winnipeg was chosen due to its history of addressing wrongful convictions. The Commission, established under "David and Joyce Milgaard’s Law," will not determine guilt or innocence but can recommend new trials or appeals.
  
  
• A recommendation has been made to increase fees for Winnipeg's garbage collection services, which currently cost $29 million for solid waste collection, disposal, recycling, and waste management. This new funding system would also cover the green cart collection program and eliminate the current fees for replacing lost or damaged garbage carts, incorporating these costs into the waste management fee. If approved, the quarterly fee for residents would rise to $63, or $254 annually. The proposal will be discussed at the Standing Policy Committee of Water, Waste and Environment before being presented to Council.