Bison didn’t meet requirements for towing contract: city

The City of Winnipeg says a towing company that filed a $10-million lawsuit against it after it wasn’t awarded two contracts, did not meet the criteria required for the work.

Bison Towing Ltd. filed the suit last summer in which it claimed the government improperly awarded the contracts to Tartan Towing in 2024.

Given there’s extensive ongoing litigation between Tartan and the city, Bison argues Tartan should have been disqualified from the process.

Tartan renewed deals to provide towing services for the Winnipeg Police Service in 2024 and the Winnipeg Parking Authority in 2025.

The contract to tow and store vehicles ticketed by police was first signed in 2019, with options to renew once a year for four years. The parking authority contract to tow and store vehicles was signed in 2020, with an option to renew every year for five years.

Bison claims it spent more than $100,000 to upgrade its yard in 2024 in anticipation of the WPS towing contract going to tender in June 2024. The firm also said it upgraded its indoor space.

The city, which admits Bison offered the lowest price in response to the 2024 Winnipeg police tender, says in a new court filing that firm’s bid did not comply with all requirements and that it was not a qualified bidder.

“It had no obligation to award a contract to anyone, including the plaintiff,” reads the city’s filing, which asks that the claim be tossed out of court.

The government claims that a city official who went to Bison’s yard observed deficiencies, including that the indoor space did not meet the requirements outlined in the tender process.

Similarly, the city claims, Bison’s bid on the parking authority request for proposals in early 2025 did not qualify.

The city and Tartan have each filed several lawsuits against each other in recent years, all of which remain before the court.

“It had no obligation to award a contract to anyone, including the plaintiff.”

The City of Winnipeg filed a lawsuit against Tartan Towing in June 2023, claiming the firm had overcharged the city $1.1 million.

The city’s decision to award more contracts to Tartan in the face of a lawsuit has proved controversial.

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Bison director Zakria Shoaib and Coun. Janice Lukes have entered the fray and Tartan has filed several defamation claims over their comments.

In November 2024, city officials said they would not exercise their option to renew the contract between Tartan and the WPS in 2025. That prompted Tartan to file another lawsuit against the city in February 2025.

The city then awarded a police towing tender to Tartan in December 2025, the city admits in its recent court filing.

Bison amended its court claim earlier this year to argue the city did so improperly, but the government denies any wrongdoing.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Erik Pindera
Reporter

Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020.  Read more about Erik.

Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.