THE City of Winnipeg must complete a major zoning change to secure $150 million for sewage upgrades.
The federal government promised the new support for the multibillion-dollar upgrade of the North End sewage treatment plant in a Dec. 16 fall economic statement.
On Dec. 19, the Free Press asked federal officials to clarify the specific conditions tied to the money. The answer came in an emailed statement Tuesday afternoon.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES
The federal government promised new support for a multibillion-dollar upgrade of the North End sewage treatment plant in a Dec. 16 fall economic statement.
“Conditions for (the) funding notably include a three-year freeze on increasing development charges, and zoning for ‘four units as-of-right’ per lot,” the statement from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada said.
City council previously directed staff to prepare bylaw changes to meet the “as-of-right” four-unit requirement, which would allow four housing units to be built on a single residential lot. That would remove the need for potentially time-consuming zoning or variance applications and public hearings to get such projects approved, with a goal to streamline the process and get more homes built.
The federal sewage money is tied to final bylaw approval of those changes, which hasn’t happened yet.
If the conditions are met, the cash is slated to be doled out over four years, beginning in 2026-2027.
Winnipeg doesn’t impose a development charge, also known as a growth or impact fee.
The new zoning rule has triggered concerns from some who fear it could lead the city to sacrifice green space and public input, and some city councillors have complained the federal government is dictating municipal urban planning decisions.
Coun. Brian Mayes said he’s concerned the city could overhaul its zoning rules and still not have any guarantee the sewage dollars will materialize.
“I think it’s too risky to make changes to some of what we’re doing in the hopes of getting money from a government that’s 20 points behind in the polls with an election (that appears to be) coming in the next few months,” said Mayes (St. Vital).
He said it’s unusual to tie the funding to zoning changes.
“This seems an odd condition to put on it. To me … it’s about the appearance of doing something on housing,” said Mayes.
The federal money also relies on an agreement being reached between the Canada and Manitoba governments. Mayes believes that would require additional funding from the province, creating another potential hurdle.
Coun. Evan Duncan, chairman of council’s water and waste committee, said he understands the federal desire to direct funding toward housing but is concerned about having new zoning rules imposed.
“I hope that the folks in Ottawa would appreciate that we, as Winnipeg, don’t need to be hand-held and told how to run the city here,” said Duncan (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood).
However, Mayor Scott Gillingham said there’s a clear need for sewage treatment to expand and support new homes, so the two priorities are linked.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham: “The only way we can get more housing built in Winnipeg is to get the North End (sewage treatment plant) built.”
“I understand the rationale behind it…. The leader of the official (poll-leading federal Conservative) Opposition has also indicated that if he was in power (he) would tie funding to municipalities to getting more housing built. The only way we can get more housing built in Winnipeg is to get the North End (sewage treatment plant) built,” said Gillingham.
City officials have warned part of Winnipeg’s current sewage treatment system is on track to run out of capacity within four to six years. The North End upgrade would increase that capacity.
The entire three-phase sewage upgrade is expected to cost at least $2.38 billion, which city staff recently warned could rise to nearly $3 billion.
The mayor said that hefty price tag means the $150 million of federal cash is greatly needed, in part to help avoid a significant water and sewer rate hike.
“I will work very hard to convince councillors to not do anything to jeopardize access to that $150 million,” said Gillingham.
The sewage funding is earmarked within the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund, which is set to provide $6 billion over 10 years across Canada to help increase housing supply and boost services to support that growth.
A federal web page said the infrastructure dollars are needed to support new home creation and alleviate a national housing crisis.
“CHIF aims to accelerate the construction and upgrading of housing-enabling drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and solid-waste infrastructure, directly supporting the creation of new homes and increasing densification,” it states.
joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca
X: @joyanne_pursaga
Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.