News briefs for Thursday, October 30, 2025

City syncs development, building permit reviews

3:27 PM

Applications for projects that require both development and building permits from the city will now be reviewed at the same time.

“This will allow us to approve and issue permits more quickly. Previously, applicants needed an approved development permit to apply for a building permit for the same project,” the City of Winnipeg said in a news release Thursday.

Mayor Scott Gillingham said the change is one of many the city has made in recent months to streamline construction.

“Construction supports growth, and we need to continue supporting construction. Process improvements like these are one way to do that,” he said in the release.

The city also announced yearly building permit volumes and permits by project type have been added as features to its building permit database.

Four face charges after MDMA found in traffic stop

2:50 PM

Four people are facing charges after officers found the illegal drug MDMA during a traffic stop.

Officers stopped the Mitsubishi RVR on the 400 block of Alfred Avenue shortly after 2 a.m. Thursday and saw drugs “in plain view.”

Police seized 133 grams of MDMA with an estimated street value of $2,700, drug packaging and paraphernalia, a scale and about $2,200 in cash, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release.

Two men, ages 32 and 28, and a 33-year-old woman are facing charges of possession of a scheduled substance for the purpose of trafficking and possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000.

A 37-year-old man is charged with the same offences and four counts of failing to comply with conditions of a release order. He was detained in custody, while the other three people arrested were released.

Guns, stolen items seized in Zhoda raids

2:36 PM

Three people were arrested after RCMP raided two properties in Zhoda during an investigation into guns and stolen property.

The investigation began Oct. 24, and Mounties obtained warrants. RCMP, along with the Ste. Anne Police Service, raided the properties Tuesday.

Investigators seized more than 10 guns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and more than 40 cartons of illegal unstamped cigarettes, RCMP said in a news release Thursday.

Some of the guns were stolen in residential break-and-enters in the Rural Municipality of DeSalaberry in March 2011 and in Pansy, a community in the RM of Hanover, in July 2022.

Officers also found a stolen hydraulic press worth about $6,000 and a towable generator worth about $7,000. Both were buried in mud next to each other, RCMP said.

The press, which belongs to a Steinbach business, was stolen from a job site on Provincial Road 203 near Badger, in the RM of Piney, this month. The generator was reported stolen from Monominto Road in the RM of Springfield in January 2024.

Two women, ages 69 and 35, were arrested, assigned a court date and released.

A 42-year-old man is charged with more than 25 offences, including 20 firearm-related counts and one of failing to comply with a release order. He was detained in custody.

Steinbach RCMP are still investigating.

Cooking suspected cause of London Street duplex fire

9:58 AM

A fire in a duplex on Wednesday afternoon is believed to have been caused by unattended cooking.

Crews were sent to the 900 block of London Street shortly after 4 p.m. and declared the fire under control shortly after 4:30 p.m.

Later, shortly after 6 p.m., crews were sent to a fire at a house on the 800 block of William Avenue. They declared the fire under control shortly before 6:30 p.m.

In both fires, everyone inside got out before firefighters arrived.

The City of Winnipeg’s emergency social services team was sent to William Avenue to help displaced residents. The cause of that fire is under investigation.