Councillors disappointed with province’s direction for city spending

Two Winnipeg politicians are publicly sharing their disappointment after the province didn’t provide funding they had hoped to secure.

Coun. Jeff Browaty, who serves as finance chairman, noted the city publicly released its 2025 budget on Dec. 11, 2024, which detailed how it planned to spend $93.9 million of provincial strategic infrastructure basket funding the following year.

“Normally, we’ll hear right away if that’s approved or not and we can make some decisions fairly quickly as to whether or not that works…. We didn’t hear until December of 2025 that the province actually had some different priorities,” said Browaty (North Kildonan).

On Dec. 2, 2025, the province informed the city it did not approve about $5.5 million in projects the city wanted to spend that money on, including $2.5 million for a spray pad program and $2.5 million for road safety improvements, according to a city finance report. Waverley West Fire station funding was also reduced by $520,000, to $2 million, the report states.

City finance officials say the province called for the city to instead spend $5 million on the Assiniboine Park Conservancy Animal Health Centre and $520,000 to help restore the St. Boniface Museum.

Browaty said the province’s preferred projects were not in the city’s budget. While some city-prioritized projects the province rejected may have already started, creating a funding gap, others could be delayed, he said.

A city staff report is expected to create a proposal that sorts out the impact, and how to deal with it, next month.

“It is a little bit frustrating, especially when they don’t give us a confirmation until year-end…. We have a good relationship with the province but sometimes these decisions and that information just doesn’t flow as quickly as we’d like,” said Browaty.

Meanwhile, Waverley West councillor Janice Lukes said she was disappointed the province’s climate change strategy, which was released in October, didn’t lead to increased spending on Winnipeg Transit.

“Every city across Canada is feeling a real hit on their transit networks…. We want to deliver a good transit system. We know that greenhouse-gas (emissions are) from transportation. If we get more people out of cars and on buses, that’s going to work. But our system needs a good shot of funding,” she said.

“I know we’ve got other priorities, like (a $3-billion upgrade to the) North End sewage treatment plant…. I just strongly feel that transportation is the backbone of our economy.”

Mayor Scott Gillingham said he will continue to focus on the big picture, stressing the city and province must work together on major projects.

“I’m looking at the overall funding the province gives us and finding those ways where we can identify the shared priorities. For sure, the North End (sewage plant upgrade) is a shared priority,” said Gillingham.

The province has always had a say on how funding it provides the city will be spent, he said.

“These kind of developments are not uncommon,” said Gillingham.

In an email, Environment and Climate Change Minister Mike Moyes said the province’s climate change strategy does highlight the importance of public transportation.

“The Province of Manitoba remains committed to working with municipalities to expand public and regional transit systems, including converting to zero-emission buses,” Moyes said.

He noted the province has committed funding for Winnipeg’s North Transit garage and infrastructure that supports its transit network.

A spokesperson for Municipal Relations Minister Glen Simard said the province is committed to working with the city on shared priorities. In addition to the strategic infrastructure funding, the province provides the city with $6.9 million of “One Manitoba” funding that the municipal government can spend “as they see fit,” the spokesperson said in a written statement.

“The province will continue to work with the mayor and council to ensure that this support continues to benefit Winnipeggers with better service and amenities,” it stated.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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