Activists, union, call on province to match Transit funding

Demonstrators brought a city bus Saturday to the stairs of the Manitoba Legislature, where more than 100 people called on the province to better support transit through dedicated funding.

“My parents actually met in 1966 on the Ellice bus, so transit has a long history in my family,” said musician John Samson Fellows, who wrote a new song specifically for the event.

“The overarching theme is contained in the [song’s] phrase: ‘More buses. More routes. More accessible to everyone.’”

Organized by Climate Action Team Manitoba and the local Amalgamated Transit Union, the rally called for a 50/50 transit-funding agreement that would see increases in city transit spending split dollar-for-dollar with the province moving forward.

Kakeká Thundersky, the action team’s northern and rural engagement coordinator, said the restoration of 50/50 funding by the province – cancelled in 2016 by the former Conservative government – would make transit better and life easier for her and her two daughters.

“Right now, riding the bus is kind of hit-or-miss,” she said. “I wouldn’t have to leave an hour before something just to get there.

“There’s been so many times we’ve been turned around because there’s not enough room for us. Then there’s been times where there is space for us, but (it’s) overcrowded, so there’s nowhere to sit.”

She hopes more resources for transit would also lead to fewer cars on the road, less pollution and a healthier environment for her kids.

The union representing transit drivers also called for more investment in transit.

“With proper funding, it makes the routes more reliable and it makes drivers a lot less stressed,” said James Van Gerwan, president of ATU 1505, which represents 1,400 drivers in Winnipeg and Brandon.

As Winnipeg’s population grows, the transit system needs to keep up, he said. “We need to build a city that’s built around transit, not build transit around the city.”

Excluding service revenue, Winnipeg will spend about $128.6 million in 2026 and increase that to $133.8 million in 2027, according to the city’s budget. Provincial funding spent on Winnipeg Transit has stayed flat since 2017 at roughly $42 million, according to budget documents.

In its 2026 budget, the province dedicated about $10 million to provide free transit to students in kindergarten through Grade 12 in Winnipeg, Brandon, Selkirk and Flin Flon.

Glen Simard, Manitoba’s minister of municipal relations, was not made available for an interview, but said in a statement that the province is investing in transit.

“We’ve increased support for municipalites year after year because we know strong communities depend on reliable, stable and predictable funding increases,” he said.

The statement did not address calls for 50/50 funding, but said the introduction of free transit for students will help families with the cost of living while encouraging more people to use public transit.

In an emailed statement Saturday, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham’s office said the city would welcome any additional funding support for transit from other levels of government.

morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca