Speed key to powering Winnipeg housing

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This article was published 14/11/2024 (354 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Faster Manitoba Hydro hook-ups and a thorough review of Winnipeg’s permitting process are on the docket to speed up local construction.

Premier Wab Kinew and Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham addressed a pro-construction crowd at a Manitoba Home Builders’ Association event Thursday.

Just 10 days earlier, the City of Winnipeg released a request for proposal, searching for a consultant to undertake an end-to-end review of the municipality’s development process.

“This is something we certainly don’t want to drag out,” Gillingham told reporters Thursday. “We’re in a position right now as a city where we need more housing, we need more investment for housing.

“The sooner we can improve our processes, the better it is for everybody.”

The city exceeded its goal of approving 8,000 housing units this year. It’s hit roughly 12,000 unit approvals, according to Gillingham.

About 3,000 are at the building permit stage, which is “the key” to getting shovels in the ground, the mayor said. “I believe we’re going to see significant construction activity in 2025.”

Winnipeg has made strides in improving its development process — like implementing zoning changes in certain areas — and it’s in the process of further change, Gillingham added.

Next month, the online permitting process is to become faster, he said. Details may be announced in the coming months.

The city is also eyeing artificial intelligence to expedite permitting. AI may be used on simple, standard application processes, the mayor said.

Developers have long pushed for permitting changes because of lengthy wait times and red tape.

The city is increasing its staffing levels regarding development. Still, there’s a need for an outside perspective, Gillingham said.

A third-party consultant is something the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association supports. Finding disconnects within the process will benefit the city and construction industry, said president Lanny McInnes.

There’s a need to address the culture at city hall, not just the physical processes, added Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce president Loren Remillard.

“It’s a culture that is not customer focused,” Remillard said. “The experience for far too long has been one of … city bureaucracy presenting all the challenges, all the hoops that businesses have to jump through — some of which you don’t know exist until you’re halfway through the process.”

Too often, Winnipeg loses out on business due to red tape, Remillard said.

He pointed to CentrePort growing rapidly in the nearby Rural Municipality of Rosser; Winnipeg had to make a concierge service to expedite development in its portion of the inland port.

There has been progress within city hall, Remillard added.

Winnipeg’s RFP seeking permitting process consultants closes Nov. 29.

Meantime, the province has working groups determining how to electrify new builds more quickly. The average time to complete a service hook-up is about 180 days, according to Manitoba Hydro.

Kinew promised to speed that up in 2025’s second quarter.

“The reason we’re moving ahead with this is to save you money and to help industry build more homes,” he stated Thursday.

Costs rise because fuel-burning generators are running on sites or workers are waiting to move ahead, he explained.

The Manitoba Home Builders’ Association has been pushing for energization at new builds’ early stages, similar to Saskatchewan and Alberta. Instead, energy typically comes around a house’s drywall and finishing time in Manitoba.

Upcoming changes to federal code will require companies to identify how much carbon they’re expending at home builds. Using generators for the majority of work on construction sites will leave Manitoba builders at a disadvantage, McInnes shared.

“That’s why there’s a sense of urgency to have Manitoba Hydro make this change,” he said.

Currently, engineers are testing powering sites more quickly and sorting through issues related to electrical code, Kinew said. Policy also needs to be reviewed.

Working groups will report to Manitoba’s elected officials in December. There’s a review period, and then, come spring 2025, changes should be implemented leading to faster hook-ups, Kinew said.

“We want it to be on the double, at your service,” he added.

Service hook-ups are complex and include third-party contractors, line location and the need for builders to ensure sites are ready, noted Peter Chura, Hydro’s media relations officer.

“We know that connection times are an area we can improve on,” Chura wrote in a statement. “Implementing faster connection times is a priority.”

Members of the construction industry welcomed the assurances of change.

“If there’s any sort of delay, it obviously affects us,” said Tyler McPherson, a sales consultant with Powertec Solar, a solar energy supplier. “If they’re planning on bringing (wait times) down, awesome.”

Jason Darling, McPherson’s co-worker, said he appreciated the promise to increase the speed of permit completion. He hoped new builds wouldn’t take preference over renovations.

Permitting timelines are an ongoing issue for many provinces, noted Keith Kristalovich, vice-president of education and training partnerships for the Professional Home Builders Institute.

“It’s great to see the municipal government and the provincial government committed to moving housing along.”

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com