CLICK HERE to read UDI’s detailed updates on our top advocacy issues from 2024, including the City of Winnipeg HAF implementation, CentrePlan 2050, Public Works specification changes, and much, much more.

Winnipeg’s Executive Policy Committee tabled the City’s 2025 Preliminary Budget update on December 11th. Highlights of the City’s 2025 Preliminary Budget were:

• A property tax increase of 5.95%, up from 3.5% in 2024;
• $17 million diverted from water and sewer revenues to the operating budget;
• General fee increases of 5%;
• Depletion of the City’s Fiscal stabilization reserve;
• Increase of 9 FTE’s in Development Approvals, Building Permits and Inspections in 2025 and up to 38 in total by 2027; and
• 36 new police officers over 2 years.
• 

To view the 2025 Budget documents and schedule of meetings, click here.

To view the City of Winnipeg’s budget news release, click here.

Winnipeg City Council has approved changes to Winnipeg’s Zoning Bylaw allowing for as-of-right development targeted for mall sites and commercial corridors. The approved amendments create an optional Planned Development Overlay (PDO) on select mall and corridor sites. Key aspects of the PDO include:

• Properties included in the PDO are guided by existing policy in OurWinnipeg 2045 and Complete Communities 2.0;
• Residential uses, including multi-family dwellings, are permitted;
• There is no maximum density;
• Maximum height limits are modified, depending on corridor width;
• The PDO is optional;
• Framework plans are required for sites that are more than 10 acres in area; and
• Open space requirements (with a cash in lieu option) are included in the PDO.

To view the City’s administrative documents, click here.

The Provincial Government has reintroduced two pieces of planning legislation that were originally introduced in the previous legislative session but were not passed.

Bill 4 – The Planning Amendment Act, (formerly Bill 42) will give municipalities with the option to not join Plan 20-50 for 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. Further amendments are expected to be introduced in 2025 as a result of the statutory review of Manitoba’s planning legislation currently underway. The MHBA and UDI Manitoba have participated in the stakeholder consultation as part of this review and has provided the government with recommendations.

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

To view the WMR’s statement on Bill 4, click here.

The Province has also reintroduced Bill 3 – The City of Winnipeg Charter Amendment Act and Planning Amendment Act, (formerly Bill 40) which would require 300 eligible persons to object in order to trigger a public appeal to the Manitoba Municipal Board, up from 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 proposed amendments would 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.

The City of Brandon, in collaboration with AECOM Canada Ltd., is conducting a comprehensive Water Distribution Capacity Analysis and Feasibility Study to support growth and evaluate the City’s water distribution system.

The primary objective of the project is to assess the system’s capacity to meet the current and future needs of neighbourhoods, with a particular focus on the southwest and southeast areas (South Growth Area).

The project scope includes:

• Reviewing and upgrading the city-wide water distribution system (WDS) hydraulic model, with a focus on calibration using field data.
• Conducting a Fire Flow Analysis to identify potential system vulnerabilities and propose mitigative measures to enhance reliability and fire safety.
• Performing a Capacity and Growth Analysis to determine necessary infrastructure and operational improvements to support ongoing and future development in the South Growth Area.

The study emphasizes sustainable infrastructure planning to address urban growth while ensuring service reliability. The project is scheduled for completion by Summer 2025.

Enquiries regarding the project can be sent to LandDevelopment@brandon.ca

Manitoba Municipal Board public hearing notices can be found here.