Ottawa contributes $91M to 10-storey Naawi-Oodena apartment block

The federal government has announced $91 million to support the development of a 10-storey apartment building that’s under construction at the former Kapyong Barracks site.

“This is an exciting day, but it really marks the doors opening for future with a lot more affordable homes for people who need them the most,” said federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson.

The project — named Endayaan Omaa, meaning “home is here” in the Anishinaabemowin language — will create 260 housing units in southwest Winnipeg; 109 units will offer affordable rents below median market value.

It is part of the larger plan to transform the former military site into Canada’s largest urban reserve. The overall project, led by a consortium of seven Treaty One Nations and dubbed Naawi-Oodena, is expected to provide about 5,000 homes.

Churchill port could further stunt polar bear growth: U of M researcher

Manitoba’s bold plan to transform the Port of Churchill into a shipping powerhouse could have a negative effect on the area’s treasured polar bear population, which fuels its tourism trade, new research shows.

Indigenous partnerships key to wildfire preparation

More than 5.3 million acres in Manitoba burned — second only to Saskatchewan — as wildfires raged across Western Canada last summer, and 32,000-plus residents, most of whom were Indigenous, were evacuated from their communities.

In Winnipeg, air quality due to the smoke was so terrible that by August, the year’s poor conditions had broken a 65-year record.

In northern places such as Thompson, the smoke was life-threatening. For most of the summer the city was engulfed in smoke, causing wide-scale lung irritation. Anyone with respiratory conditions like asthma and heart disease was forced to stay indoors.

The fires began after the May 10-11 weekend, when temperatures rose above 35 C, drying the underbrush and creating dangerous conditions.

Speed limits and safety — follow the science

The premier of Manitoba recently appeared hesitant about collaborating with Winnipeg City Council on a public works proposal to lower the city’s default residential speed limit from 50 km/h to 40 km/h. Without a provincial amendment to the Highway Traffic Act, the city says implementing the change would require installing signs on hundreds of streets, at a cost of up to $10 million to taxpayers.

Canada, Manitoba lagging behind promise to meet 2030 target of protecting more land and water

There are just four years left on the clock for Manitoba — and the rest of the country — to meet a promise to conserve 30 per cent of land and water by 2030.

But halfway through the timeline adopted at the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity in 2022, Canada has made little progress, adding less than one percentage point to its protected land tally and three points to its protected waters.

The country needs to double its protected areas to meet its target, known as 30-by-30. But conservation groups, including the Wilderness Committee and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, warn progress could stall even further as federal funding for conservation initiatives is set to run out at the end of the month — and there’s no indication it will be renewed.

“We have a conservation economy that we can build on, that gives local jobs, that helps honour our Indigenous reconciliation commitments,” Sandra Schwartz, national executive director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, said.

NDP bill aims to strengthen renters’ protection

The Manitoba government says it will carry out the largest expansion of rent control in decades.

Public Service Delivery Minister Mintu Sandhu called the measure “historical action” that will affect thousands of units in the province.

Under the proposed legislation, which was introduced by the NDP Thursday, suites that rent for at least $2,000 a month won’t be subject to rent control. Currently the threshold is $1,670 a month.

The proposed law leaves intact the exemption for complexes that are less than 20 years old.

Some B.C. appraisers adding land-claims clause after Aboriginal title court case

VICTORIA - An organization representing about 1,200 appraisers in British Columbia says some of its members are adding clauses to their reports noting that current, past, and potential future land claims have not been considered in their valuations.

Allan Beatty, president of the B.C. branch of the Appraisal Institute of Canada, says in a statement that the recent Cowichan Aboriginal title court ruling in B.C. is contributing to speculation that private property rights could be affected.

Beatty says the organization is preparing advice for its members on the appropriate limitation clauses, but discourages the use of "unsubstantiated adjustments that do not reflect the most relevant market data."

In an August 2025 ruling, a B.C. Supreme Court judge confirmed the Cowichan Tribes hold Aboriginal title over about 300 hectares of land on the Fraser River in Richmond, B.C.

High-tech snowplows and AI help cities clean up from big storms

Residents of Syracuse, New York — America’s snowiest city — once barraged a service hotline with street neglect complaints during blizzards, even if plows had passed two hours earlier but the work was hidden by fresh snow.

Now public trust seems to be rising as Syracuse and other cities across the U.S. integrate upgrades such as video monitoring, GPS mapping and artificial intelligence into snow operations that once relied almost entirely on manual planning.

Syracuse was one of the first to revamp the way it deploys its snowplows, and complaint calls have dropped by 30% under the new system, said Conor Muldoon, the city’s chief innovation officer.

“People will look out their window and say, ‘Hey, you guys are doing a terrible job,’” Muldoon said. “And we can point to a public map and say, ‘Here’s all the breadcrumbs for when that plow was there.’”

Chief says more funding needed to repair homes after power outage, flooding

A northern First Nation hit by a days-long power outage and subsequent water crisis is seeking additional government funds to cover the cost of mould and asbestos removal in homes.

Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias said Friday there is a shortage of funding to remediate the hazards and bring homes with damage up to code so they are habitable.

“We can’t have (residents) return to a situation where there might be some bacteria or moulding issues that will affect their safety, that affect their health, and possibly cause medical issues that will be made worse because they already have existing health issues,” he said during a virtual call.

Pimicikamak’s leaders said an estimated 1,300 homes were damaged after pipes froze and burst two months ago. Water leaked into basements and crawl spaces. The community’s water and sewage plants were also affected.

Churchill s’expose à l’Hôtel Fort Garry

À peine franchi le seuil de la passerelle arrière de l’emblématique Hôtel Fort Garry, le visiteur est happé par un regard. Immense. Blanc. Perçant. Celui d’un ours polaire saisi à Churchill par le photographe manitobain Jean-Pierre Parenty. Depuis quelques jours à peine, 46 de ses clichés transforment le couloir vitré de l’hôtel en une véritable immersion arctique.

Photographe animalier, Jean-Pierre Parenty s’est spécialisé depuis une dizaine d’années dans la faune canadienne. “Je suis Canadien et j’aime chercher, photographier et représenter la faune canadienne,” confie-t-il.

Né et élevé au Manitoba dans une ferme, Jean-Pierre Parenty nourrit depuis l’enfance une passion pour les animaux et la photographie. “La partie qui m’intéresse et que j’adore, c’est être en nature, chercher des animaux, les trouver et puis essayer de les capturer dans mon appareil photo,” dit-il. S’il a longtemps parcouru le monde, c’est désormais vers le Nord qu’il tourne son objectif, et plus particulièrement vers Churchill, cette localité de la baie d’Hudson capitale mondiale de l’ours polaire.

L’idée de l’exposition est née d’un appel de l’hôtel, il y a environ un an. “L’Hôtel Fort Garry m’a appelé pour créer une galerie dans la passerelle arrière de l’hôtel. Et ils ont demandé que ce soient des photos d’animaux de Churchill,” explique-t-il. Une demande sur mesure pour celui qui fréquente régulièrement la région. “Je vais à Churchill très souvent, donc j’ai beaucoup de photos que j’ai prises là-bas,” souligne le photographe.

Almost 12% of city parks, open spaces in poor condition: report

Nearly 12 per cent of the city’s parks and open-space assets are in poor or very poor condition and it would cost $108.5 million to replace them, a new city report says.

Data centres and Manitoba: a cautionary tale

Alongside the rapidly expanding use of AI in everyday life, there’s a growing awareness that the technology also comes with extreme, big-picture threats to the things we need more: fresh water, affordable clean energy and a healthy information ecosystem.

Eight of 10 people using bus to get downtown unhappy after system overhaul, BIZ survey reveals

“The level of dissatisfaction — that is dire,” said Coun. Sherri Rollins. “Winnipeggers are… voting with their feet. They’re not taking transit anymore. We’re losing revenue.”

City report recommends reducing residential speed limit to 40 km/h

Winnipeg drivers may have to ease up on the gas pedal when they head down residential streets and minor collector roads.

The City of Winnipeg is looking at making the default speed limit 40 km/h, from the current 50 km/h.

A report to be presented to the public works committee next week suggests the change could improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists and others.

Committee chair Coun. Janice Lukes says she supports the recommendation, but stressed amendments to the provincial Highway Traffic Act are required before it could take effect.

Co-founder of Winnipeg's NIBI Enviro Tech says 'opportunities are endless' for recycling shipping containers into custom pods

When Robin Richards looks at a shipping container, he sees possibilities. It could be a freezer, backyard cabin or small storefront.

“The opportunities are endless,” Richards said.

The 40-year-old entrepreneur is the co-founder of NIBI Environmental Technologies Ltd., a Winnipeg business that recycles shipping containers and turns them into custom modular pods. The turnkey pods are designed to be mobile and durable.

Richards started the company in 2022 with business partner Kelsey Friesen. Last year, the company set up its headquarters in an industrial park in the Transcona neighbourhood of Winnipeg and began manufacturing pods.

Relationship with city’s icy waterways warms many a Winnipegger’s heart

In summer, a screened porch or gazebo adds another room to Winnipeg houses, full of light and fresh air.

A balcony in a high-rise apartment seems to double the horizon available to residents: it feels like you could step out into the branches of a big old elm or a cottonwood, full of birds.

In the same way, the frozen Assiniboine, Red and Seine rivers add concert hall- and football stadium-sized swathes of space to the city.

The iced-over rivers provide new ways of seeing and understanding this place we call home.

Quand l’art éclaire l’histoire: le pari réussi du chemin Dawson

Le circuit artistique et patrimonial du chemin Dawson est l’un des lauréats du Prix d’histoire du Gouverneur général pour l’excellence des programmes communautaires 2025.

Ces derniers jours ont été pas mal occupés pour Pierrette Sherwood, cheffe de projet et représentante du Dawson Trail Art Tour, et Mireille Lamontagne, conseillère en patrimoine et experte consultante.

Outre les multiples sollicitations, elles étaient de passage à Ottawa pour se voir remettre leur prix des mains de la Gouverneure générale, Mary Simon.

“On est ravis, l’on est très excités. Puis en même temps, c’est beau d’avoir la reconnaissance. Je pense que c’est un témoignage du beau travail qui a été fait et puis de la qualité des interprétations et de l’histoire qu’on est en train de mettre en valeur pour le Sentier Dawson Trail et ses communautés,” commente Pierrette Sherwood.

Developers slowly adapting to zoning changes: mayor

Some hotly debated zoning changes aimed at speeding up home construction in Winnipeg haven’t triggered a flood of building applications yet, though thousands of housing units are on the way.

The City of Winnipeg was required to impose three key changes to qualify for its $122-million share of the federal housing accelerator fund. As a result, certain types of development became permitted uses, removing the need for potentially costly and time-consuming public hearings and building applications to get them approved.

That change took effect for multi-family housing developments at mall and major transportation corridor sites in late 2024. City planners received zero applications for that development option by early January, though one has since been approved and another is pending.

In June, the same streamlined process was applied to allow two, three or four housing units to be built on a single lot in most residential areas. Seven development permits have now been issued for that option, which are set to create 18 total housing units.

Creating a city where kids can safely walk, bike to school

If there’s one thing that all Winnipeggers can agree on, other than potholes, it’s the chaos of getting kids to and from school. The frustration extends to households without children who live a short distance to local schools and must deal with traffic jams twice a day.

Coun. Markus Chambers brought the fury of his ward residents into the public eye in early January when he made the first moves on a “stop-drop-go” motion to limit parking to one minute in designated school zones.

How did we get here? Local news outlets asked on their social media for stories from Winnipeggers about their school travel experiences. Comments flowed in about childhoods spent walking and biking to school with friends, and how that has been replaced with door-to-door drives. Meanwhile, MPI reported in October that 36 kids were hit by drivers in the last year. So what changed in the last few decades?

First, there are far more vehicles on our roads, and those vehicles are much bigger and heavier than cars of the past.

Storybook ending for student warming hut winners

Manitoba’s newest student-designed warming hut doubles as a public awareness campaign for a child advocacy centre.

Skating trail expected to open in time for New Year’s Day activities at The Forks

Skaters, rejoice: the Nestaweya River Trail at The Forks could be open as early as New Year’s Day, marking one of its earlier openings in recent years.

The port rink on the Assiniboine River and a small section of the the iconic river trail opened on Dec. 31 last year. The earliest recorded opening of the six-kilometre skating trail was Dec. 21, 2013.

“We had a good freeze this year… and we’re hoping for a nice, long season this year,” Adam Dooley, spokesperson for The Forks, said Monday.

Sections of the trail, which snakes along the Red and Assiniboine rivers and meets at The Forks port, have some slush owing to recent snowfall and may take more time to open, Dooley said.

Students tasked with designing shelter for homeless

Concerned about the state of empathy at her suburban high school, a St. Vital teacher has tasked teens with designing transitional homes for their unsheltered neighbours.

Collège Jeanne-Sauvé made headlines in September when a student was involved in an altercation with a man living in nearby Dakota Forest.

Winnipeg police and the Louis Riel School Division reported at the time the man came out of a tent and chased after a group of students, injuring one. Allegations the teenagers provoked the man by hurling insults and items at the man’s tent were also reported.

The Sept. 9 incident — as well as the gossip in its aftermath — led Kay Wojnarski to reach out to End Homelessness Winnipeg for advice.