City hall roundup: parking fees rise, more cash for community centres

Parking ticket fees change

The price of some parking fines is going up.

City council has approved a call to charge $100, or $75 with early payment, for parking in areas where signs note “no stopping” is allowed at any time, as well as where stopping is restricted during specific periods of time, such as rush hour.

Previously, those who parked illegally in areas where stopping was prohibited at all times were given a $70 ticket, or $52.50 with early payment.

The city says the change will allow for more straightforward enforcement of parking violations.

Transit transfer times extended

Winnipeg Transit will extend the time riders are given to transfer from one bus to the next.

A transfer allows the user to board a subsequent bus without paying an additional charge and must be requested at the time the initial fare is paid. Previously, the transfer was valid for 75 minutes on any regular bus route, including return trips.

On Thursday, city council approved a call to extend that period to 90 minutes, after learning that some transfers expired before riders could complete their trip. Transit’s new network, which was implemented at the end of June, requires more Winnipeg bus riders to rely on transfers to reach their destinations.

Winnipeg Transit staff are expected to provide an update on the change in about a month.

Funding boost given to community centres

New city funding could help community centres pay for staff and programs, amid the struggle to find volunteers.

On Thursday, city council voted to give the General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres a new $250,000 programming and wage subsidy grant starting next year, pending approval in the 2026 budget.

The grant is expected to support a move to shift volunteers toward larger governance decisions, as added staff cover more daily tasks.

City to call for more firefighter protections

The City of Winnipeg will ask Ottawa to change the Criminal Code of Canada to deter attacks on firefighters.

Specifically, city council voted Thursday to ask the federal government to make assaults against firefighters and paramedics a distinct offence and increase penalties for aggravated assaults against all first responders.

The law currently has a charge that is specific to assaults against peace officers, including police.

The mayor called for the changes after 58 assaults or threats were reported by the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service halfway through 2025.

Decisions on Portage and Main underground expected in 2027

Winnipeggers will have to wait more than year to learn the fate of the Portage and Main underground concourse.

On Thursday, city council voted to seek a full cost-benefit analysis and complete more consultation before deciding how best to deal with the property.

That information — along with options to repair or shut down the site — is not expected until January 2027.

Study to explore geothermal system for Graham Avenue

A study will probe whether Graham Avenue should get a geothermal system that lets multiple buildings share green heating options.

City council voted Thursday to accept grants for a $400,000 feasibility study on a geothermal district energy system for Graham Avenue.

The study will explore how best to tap into the shared energy and how much it would cost, as well as who would own it, funded by $200,000 from each of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Efficiency Manitoba.

A city report suggests heat-recovery systems and ground source energy could be explored, with battery storage for excess power.

Ground-source or geothermal heat pumps circulate fluid through a loop of pipes buried underground. The fluid can absorb heat from the earth in winter or return it to the earth in summer.

Development approved despite water concerns

A housing development will go ahead, despite some residents’ concerns it could put their well water at risk.

On Thursday, city council approved plans to build 23 homes at 45 Daman Farm Rd., 100 Jean Louis Rd. and 2974 St. Mary’s Rd., a 57-acre property on the west side of St. Mary’s Road in the St. Vital Perimeter South neighbourhood.

The area is located within city limits but does not have city water and sewer service.

About 120 residents signed up to oppose the plan because they worry the development would spark the construction of new wells and contaminate sensitive groundwater by adding more salt to it.

However, council opted to allow the development against the advice of city staff.

Supporters of the project note a caveat tied to the approval states new wells shall not be allowed, though residents fear the requirement would be difficult to enforce.