At its 2025 Annual General Meeting, UDI Manitoba elected its new Board of Directors and elected Matt Glavin of Terracon Developments as its new President. Matt has served on UDI’s Board of Directors since 2023 and spent the last year as UDI’s Vice-President. 



Matt takes over as UDI’s President from Michael Carruthers, who concluded his second term as UDI’s President, serving from 2022 to 2025. Mike also served as UDI’s President from 2010 to 2015. In addition to the business items at UDI’s AGM, Mike also provided an update on UDI’s activities over the past year, including the great work done by UDI’s two Committees, our Technical Committee and Infill Committee. On behalf of all UDI members, we congratulate Matt and we than Mike for his continued service to our association!

At its April 16th meeting, the Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development will consider amendments to the City of Winnipeg’s Municipal By-law Enforcement Act (MBEA). The MBEA lets the City of Winnipeg enforce City By-laws by issuing Penalty Notices. This process is allowed through MBEA Enabling By-law No. 59/2016. Since 2017, the Planning, Property, and Development Department (PPD) has been working to make enforcement more effective. Issuing penalty notices has been viewed by the City as an effective way to gain compliance.

Under the MBEA, each rule violation can result in a fine of up to $1,000. If the issue isn’t fixed, an additional fine can be added every 24 hours. There may also be a chance to pay fines early and get a reduced fee. The Public Service report recommends adding 37 more contraventions to this By-law. The plan also updates the Winnipeg Electrical By-law to explain the penalties better. The report also states that some small mistakes in existing contraventions will also be corrected. The Enforcement Services Unit in the PPD is in charge of issuing the penalty notices when someone breaks these rules.

To view the report, click here, and see Report # 2 – Amendments to MBEA Enabling By-law No. 59/2016.

In a joint submission, the Winnipeg Construction Association and the MHBA have asked the SPC on Property and Development to lay over consideration of this report until the Committee’s May meeting to allow both Associations with time to review these 37 new additions to this By-law with our collective members.

The City of Winnipeg will now allow concurrent review of the Development Permit (DP) and Building Permit (BP). The new process is as follows:

1. Apply for a DP regular process through PO is acceptable

2. Review PO status that DP application is deemed REVIEW at which point, applicant receives the DP number (Zoning is committed to a 2-day response on application REVIEW)

3. With the DP number under review, applicant can now apply for a BP (via email only not via portal)



• When making an email BP application please indicate as follows; CONCURRENT BUILDING PERMIT REVIEW REQUESTED
• Applicant should be aware that additional risks such as re-review of the BP and associated costs may apply.
• BP will not be issued until the related DP is approved and issued.

This sequencing is temporary until the portal is updated with the option to submit a BP while a DP is processed becomes available.

City Council adopted By-Law No. 7397 on April 7, 2025, increasing Development Charges for transportation and land drainage network infrastructure at the time of building permit. Revised rates will take effect on June 6, 2025.

For important information on the updated policies, rates, and transitional rules, please visit brandon.ca/permits-applications/development-charges. Enquiries regarding Development Charges can be sent to LandDevelopment@brandon.ca.  

The City of Brandon is pleased to announce the successful adoption of the Brandon City Plan, an ambitious framework designed to direct the city's growth and development over the next 30 years. This marks the first plan of its kind for Brandon, reflecting a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach to urban planning. 

In February 2022, the city plan kicked off with the following question: “What kind of city do you want Brandon to be?” The Brandon City Plan is the culmination of extensive public engagement and collaboration including focus groups, working groups, workshops, and several public meetings. This comprehensive process has been instrumental in shaping a plan that reflects the needs and aspirations of our community by our community. 

Key highlights of the Brandon City Plan include: 



• Strategies to accommodate an expected population increase to 64,000, with a focus on mix of housing types  
• Designing communities where residents can access most of their daily needs by driving, walking, biking, or transit, promoting more options for residents
• Emphasizing the importance of creating vibrant, livable neighbourhoods that foster a strong sense of community. 
• 
  

The Brandon City Plan was officially adopted on Mar. 3, 2025. Details on the plan can be found online at brandon.ca/cityplan.

Two pieces of planning legislation introduced by the Provincial Government during this legislative session have now passed the Committee stage and await 3rd reading and passage by the Manitoba Legislature.

Bill 3 – The City of Winnipeg Charter Amendment Act and Planning Amendment Act, (formerly Bill 40) will require 300 eligible persons to object to trigger a public appeal to the Manitoba Municipal Board, up from the current requirement of 25 eligible persons. In Winnipeg, Brandon and other municipalities and planning districts with a population of over 6,000 per census population. In municipalities and planning districts with a population under 6,000, the amendments will increase the number of local objectors required to trigger a referral to the greater of 100 eligible persons or five per cent of the census population. These legislative changes are expected to result in faster, clearer decisions and reduce the cost and length of potential delays.

To view Bill 3, click here.

Bill 4 – The Planning Amendment Act, (formerly Bill 42) gives municipalities the ability to opt out of being part of the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region, giving the 18 WMR municipalities the ability to choose to be part of the Capital Planning Region. Bill 4 also extends the date for completing the initial regional plan for the Capital Planning to January 2027.

The obligations concerning drinking water and wastewater management plans for municipalities within the capital region are continued and are no longer dependent on membership in the Capital Planning Region. Related amendments are made in respect to other planning regions that may be established in the future. 

To view Bill 4 – The Planning Amendment Act, click here.

MHBA President & CEO Lanny McInnes provided comments to the Standing Committee on Legislative Affairs at its committee hearing on April 22. To read our comments on Bills 3 & 4, click here.

Bills 3 & 4 are both expected to be passed by the Legislature and come into force before the spring session concludes on June 2.

Further amendments are expected to be introduced in the Fall of 2025 as a result of the recently completed statutory review of Manitoba’s planning legislation. The MHBA and UDI Manitoba participated in the stakeholder consultation as part of this review and provided the government with recommendations on further amendments to Manitoba’s planning legislation. 

The City of Winnipeg is developing a Greenspace and Natural Corridors Plan Bylaw (Greenspace Plan) and a Biodiversity Policy to guide how they manage, protect, and restore natural areas while increasing biodiversity. These plans will help set goals, policies, and actions to enhance Winnipeg’s parks, natural corridors, and greenspaces, supporting City Council’s direction to add 1,000 acres of greenspace and natural corridors.

You are invited to share your input online to help shape the future of Winnipeg’s natural spaces. Your feedback will inform the actions, goals, and policies that will guide how these spaces are managed and restored for future generations. Provide your input by April 15, 2025.

How to participate

• Take the online survey
• Put a pin on the map

If you have questions or require alternate formats or accommodations to participate contact greenspaceplan@winnipeg.ca or call 204-986-4243.

Learn more at winnipeg.ca/greenspaceplan

Department of Municipal and Northern Relations, Bulletin #2025-06

Manitoba is required by law to undertake a comprehensive review of recent amendments to The Planning Act and The City of Winnipeg Charter (formerly Bill 37 and Bill 34).

Status Update

The review process, conducted by consultant Braid Solutions Inc. began in early 2024 and is

now complete. The consultant carried out an independent assessment of the legislative

amendments using a phased approach, which included extensive stakeholder engagement.

• Phase 1 finalized the project design and research methods with input from the department and stakeholders.
• Phase 2 involved extensive consultation with over 250 individuals, representing over 95 municipalities, development stakeholders, and the public. This included direct engagement with the City of Winnipeg, The Municipal Board, and provincial departments. Engagement efforts included:
• Structured interviews with stakeholders
• Quantitative analysis of municipal planning application performance data
• Review of The Municipal Board’s appeal functions and data
• Public engagement via EngageMB (surveys for the public, municipal official, and developers)
• Formal submissions from key stakeholder organizations
• Phase 3 focused on analysis of key findings and developing recommendations for government. The consultant’s final report provides an overview of the consultation process, methodology, key findings, and recommendations.

What comes next?

The Minister of Municipal and Northern Relations has received the final report and

recommendations. The report will be tabled in the Legislative Assembly by October 2025. The

department is reviewing the consultant’s recommendations and preparing an action plan for

implementation.

Once the report is tabled in the Legislative Assembly, supporting material will be published on

the department’s website.



If you have any questions for the department, please contact: Katie Lee, (431) 275-5818, katie.lee@gov.mb.ca

The City of Winnipeg has released its proposed changes to the Winnipeg Zoning By-law and Local Area Plans to enable the development of:

• Two-unit, three-unit, and four-unit homes in many neighbourhoods; and
• Taller four-unit homes (up to 39 feet) on certain lots within 800 metres (about a half mile) walking distance of a frequent transit route.

Zoning By-law changes will support this work to ensure that rules related to height, building setback, and landscaping, among others, are followed. These changes were requested by the Federal Government as part of the City of Winnipeg’s Housing Accelerator Fund application.

Details on the zoning changes and public consultation process can be found at Zoning changes to accommodate infill housing | City of Winnipeg.

UDI and MHBA participated in 3 infill housing stakeholder meetings that were held between March 10 and March 13. Further public information sessions are scheduled for March 17 to 19. 

The public hearing on the proposed zoning by-law is being scheduled for early June 2025. Once details are made available, the public hearing information will be sent to all members.

The Accessible Information and Communication Standard Regulation removes and prevents barriers that exist digitally, in print or through interaction with technology or people. As of May 1, 2025, all Manitoba qualifying organizations will be required to comply with the standard.

The Accessible Information and Communication Standard improves accessibility by:

• building on existing requirements of The Human Rights Code
• requiring websites and web content to follow globally recognized Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 standard to a minimum level AA
• requiring organizations to provide information in an accessible format or through a communication support, if requested
• requiring organizations to develop a feedback process, implement policies and practices to enhance accessibility and provide training to relevant staff
• setting specific requirements for supporting the purchase of accessible library resources within public libraries and supporting accessible material for students at educational institutions

Training on the requirements of the Accessible Information and Communication Standard is available through the AMA Learning Portal. Presented in plain language, the training includes examples of how to comply, which organizations must comply, tips for best practices and other useful resources.

The Accessible Information and Communication Standard Regulation is the third standard under The Accessibility for Manitobans Act working to remove barriers for Manitobans. For more information on the standard or to learn about your organization’s compliance requirements, visit AccessibilityMB.ca.  

In 2024 the Federal Government announced that they budgeted $11.6 million to support the development of a Housing Design Catalogue for up to 50 designs to simplify and accelerate housing approvals and builds.

On March 7, 2025 the initial catalogue was released by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). This includes the final renderings, floor plan layouts, and key building details as part of the Housing Design Catalogue. The catalogue features some 50 standardized housing designs for rowhouses, fourplexes, sixplexes, and accessory dwelling units.

The catalogue provides a head start for homeowners, builders, and communities in their planning processes. The designs were developed by regional architecture and engineering teams and focus on creating gentle density and infill development in existing neighbourhoods in all regions of the country including MB. The final architectural design packages will be released this spring.

The link for the SK/MB catalogue can be found HERE.

Homeowners, builders, and communities interested in receiving updates can sign up on the CMHC Housing Design Catalogue webpage HERE.

Manitoba Municipal Board public hearing notices can be found here.