The federal government says the City of Winnipeg must complete a major zoning change in order to secure $150 million from Ottawa for upgrades to the North End Sewage Treatment Plant.
The zoning change would allow four housing units to be built on a single residential lot “as-of-right.”
The as-of-right entitlement allows a property owner to use or develop it without a public hearing or a vote of municipal council – both of which take time – as long as the zoning bylaws permit the proposed use.
The city says the change will enable more homes to get built in Winnipeg.
If the city meets the feds’ conditions, the money could be disbursed over four years, beginning in 2026-2027.
The proposed zoning changes have led a city councillor to complain the federal government is dictating municipal urban planning decisions.
Coun. Brian Mayes, the former chairman of council’s water and waste committee, says the city could overhaul its zoning rules upfront but not get in return any guarantee the sewage dollars will materialize.
“The federal government is being heavy-handed with the city,” says Mayes, who represents the mostly residential ward of St. Vital. “Their money is only theoretical so far and there have been no details yet.”
If it went along with the conditions, Winnipeg would be rezoning now in exchange for possible funding for the sewage treatment plant later.
“It’s not a good deal for the city,” says Mayes. “The program could get canceled after the next federal election. And, anyway, what’s the connection between a sewage treatment plant and fourplexes?”
University of Winnipeg professor of political science Aaron Moore says
the federal government’s zoning change conditions are “unheard of.”
“It’s a massive overreach by Ottawa, but they have the money Winnipeg needs to build the sewage treatment plant and the city is so cash-strapped it will do anything for the money,” says Moore. “Winnipeg needs to expand the sewage treatment plant for the residents and businesses that are already here, so why tie the federal contribution to expanding the population?”
Mayor Scott Gillingham, however, says the two priorities – upgrading the sewage treatment plant and building new housing – are, in fact, linked.
The only way to get more housing built in Winnipeg is to get the North End Sewage Treatment Plant Built, he says.
Coun. Ross Eadie, the recently appointed chairman of the city’s water and waste committee, is also in favour of the deal.
“What choice does the city have?” says Eadie. “We need the sewage plant upgrade. We need the housing and we need the money.
“Winnipeg has been growing and the North End plant has a serious capacity problem. The city also doesn’t have enough affordable housing, a problem which increased housing infill will help us deal with.”
Eadie, who represents the north end Mynarski ward, acknowledges neighbourhoods in some wards will get more fourplex infill housing than others.
“But the change won’t happen overnight,” he says. “It will be gradual.”
The city says part of Winnipeg’s current sewage treatment system is expected to run out of capacity in four to six years. The North End upgrade would increase that capacity.
The entire sewage upgrade is expected to cost at least $2.38 billion and could end up going as high as nearly $3 billion.
Linda McCusker, program director of the Winnipeg Sewage Treatment Program, says the upgrade is being delivered in three main projects.
All three projects are underway and at different levels of completion.
The power supply and headworks facilities project is in construction.
The biosolids facilities project is in the design/development stage.
And the nutrient removal facilities project is in the planning stage, with procurement expected to begin in 2025.
In a December 2024 email to city councillors, Gillingham says Winnipeg has no agreement yet with the federal government about funding.
Nor has the city applied yet for funding, and when it does apply it would be after council approves the application.
The application deadline is March 31, 2025.
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