UDI Board Chair Michael Carruthers, MHBA Board Chair Spencer Curtis, and MHBA President & CEO Lanny McInnes met with Hon. Ian Bushie, Minister of Municipal and Northern Relations and Minister of Indigenous Economic Development. Topics discussed include the state of the residential construction and land development industries, the government’s commitment to review Bill 37, the need for a strategic infrastructure plan for the Winnipeg Metro Region, and the key role residential construction plays in all Manitoba communities, including northern and remote communities.

The Manitoba government has introduced Bill 4, the Employment Standards Code Amendment and Interpretation Amendment Act, that would establish Sept. 30 as a provincial statutory holiday in the province, namely National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The bill aims to commemorate the history and legacy of residential schools in Manitoba and acknowledge the harm caused to Indigenous people, including intergenerational trauma. The legislation would add to Manitoba’s eight general holidays recognized by law: New Year’s Day, Louis Riel Day (third Monday in February), Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day (July 1), Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Employees either have this day off with pay, or are paid at a higher rate if they are required to work. When the Sept. 30 holiday falls on a weekend, the proposed law says schools are to observe it on the following Monday. The Government of Canada declared National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a federal holiday in 2021.

To view Bill 4, click here.

To view the Government’s press release, click here.

On November 21^st, the fall session of the Manitoba Legislature opened with the Speech from the Throne.  In his government’s first Throne Speech, Premier Wab Kinew outlined his government’s legislative agenda for the upcoming session.

Highlights included:

• Announcing a commitment from the Federal government to work with Manitoba help families make the switch to affordable, geothermal home energy.
• Committing to train people this year to install geothermal heat pumps for families across Manitoba.
• Advancing economic reconciliation by working with the leadership of the Treaty One First Nations as they transform the former Kapyong barracks into the residential and commercial development of Naawi-Oodena.
• Pausing the provincial gas tax, saving you 14 cents per litre every time you fill up, at the beginning of next year.
• Committing to freeze hydro rates in a way that respects the independence of the Public Utilities Board and the most recent rate application, all while ensuring the long-term fiscal strength of Manitoba.
• Working with municipalities and the business community, we will revitalize the downtowns of our urban centres.
• Committing to rebalance labour relations in Manitoba to ensure fairness for workers across our province.
• Committing to provide predictability and help planning with multi-year funding for municipalities.
• Establishing September 30th, Orange Shirt Day, as a provincial statutory holiday.

To watch or read the 2023 Speech from the Throne, click here.

1. That Council affirm its support for the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) application.

2. That the HAF application be amended to legalize four dwelling units per residential lot be permitted as-of-right city-wide.

3. That the HAF application be amended to legalize four units of up to four storeys as-of-right within 800 metres of high-frequency transit corridors as outlined in the City’s HAF application and informed by the initial network changes in phase one of the Winnipeg Master Transit Plan.”

4. That the HAF application be amended to ensure that new housing zoning reforms targeted for mall sites and commercial corridors – as proposed in City Council’s Strategic Priorities Action Plan – allow for as-of-right development to facilitate quick approvals and construction of new housing.

5. That as-of-right approvals specified in Recommendations 2, 3 and 4 be contingent upon applicable zoning and by-law changes that are subject to a public hearing prior to enactment, and upon reasonable standards for construction, servicing and design, consistent with standards adopted or projected in other cities with completed HAF agreements, including:

a. Lot size specifications, requiring that four units as-of-right be limited to a standard lot size or greater, with dimensions to be determined by Council after consideration of recommendations by the City Public Service, with total dimensions sufficient to support four housing units.

b. Building form standards broadly consistent with existing Infill Guidelines, modified where necessary to meet the spirit of Recommendations 2 and 3.

c. Height limits for developments under Recommendation 3, so four-storey as-of-right allowances are no greater than 48’ and apply only to developments of four units. (Permitted heights for zones covered by Recommendation 2 alone would remain consistent with existing Infill Guidelines requirements).

d. Urban servicing capacity requirements (including land drainage, water service, paved roadway and laneway service, and sufficient wastewater and flood protection capacity to meet existing provincial and federal regulations).

e. Environmental standards, including the application of a tree protection and replacement by-law if City Council adopts such a by-law in future;

f. Retention of the City’s right to require consent to standardized development agreements where these would already typically be applied to new for-profit multi-residential developments to recover direct infrastructure costs to taxpayers, especially for those developments contemplated under Recommendation 4.

6. That all five Community Committees engage in consultation on the proposals, as outlined in Recommendations 2-5 above, no later than year-end 2024.

7. That the Public Service be directed to schedule public hearings and report back to the appropriate committee of Council, with the required by-law amendments to implement the intent of the foregoing. Winnipeg Zoning By-law and Downtown Zoning By-law amendments should be brought forward, if possible, as part of the Rapid Zoning By-law Amendments process, targeted for spring 2025 as noted in the HAF application.

Winnipeg is initiating zoning changes to allow for up to four units as of right in all zones (View article HERE). This was a condition of housing accelerator funding from the federal government. Brandon’s submission for the housing accelerator fund is under review. The discussion on as of right zoning will be reviewed as we update our zoning by-law to provide increased options for housing.  

The Phase 2 public engagement summary and appendices of Winnipeg’s Urban Forest Strategy are now available and provide an overview of the feedback collected for the project.

The Winnipeg Urban Forest Strategy will be presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Community Services on November 20, 2023.

If you would like to appear as a delegation, please contact the City Clerk's Department by noon on November 17, 2023.

For more information, visit winnipeg.ca/urbanforest.

We invite you to share your insights through the Teranet Manitoba annual Client Experience Survey. Take a few minutes to complete the survey, and you could be one of three winners of a $150 Mastercard® gift card!

The survey deadline is Wednesday, November 29, 2023.

If you have any questions, please contact the Teranet Client Service Team by email at [email protected] or by phone at 1-844-737-5684 (toll-free).

Complete the survey HERE.

View the 2023 Survey Contest Rules HERE

This is a reminder that the City expects that, as construction winds down for 2023, all construction sites that may have anything from minor to extensive carry-over work remaining, must be left in a safe and traversable condition for the winter. This includes all pedestrian any cycling spaces. If circumstances make this not possible, discuss a suitable plan with the CA and the City. In addition, site condition must be monitored over the winter and maintained until construction start-up in 2024. The degree of monitoring and maintenance can be discussed with your Contract Administrator.

If, with the total work an individual contractor may have remaining, there are both regional and local streets to complete, in general, the City would prioritize completion of the regional streets. If this is the case for you, please discuss with your CA(s) and the City; we do not want to over-complicate project completions.

Based on the forecast, we expect all asphalt mixes to be Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) to allow for the mixing, handling, and compaction of the asphalt. The warm mix asphalt can generally be used when the atmospheric temperature is -2°C and rising. If, during the progress of the work, the asphalt is found to be unsatisfactory to meet the CW 3410-R12, the Contractor may revise the mix design, use additional additives, or increase the cooking temperature at the plant to accommodate for the cold weather. The proposed changes shall be submitted to (the CA and Ghazy) for approval. 

If you have any questions, please discuss with your CA prior to escalating.

Manitoba Hydro’s first-ever Integrated Resource Plan is now available at hydro.mb.ca/future. This plan is a tool to help us understand and prepare for our province’s future energy needs.

What we’ve learned so far

After more than two years of work, including conversations with nearly 15,000 customers like you, here’s some of what we’ve learned:

• The energy transition is already underway in Manitoba — and natural gas is going to play a key role in getting to a low-carbon future.
• Managing the energy transition in Manitoba is critical to providing safe, reliable, and cost-effective energy for our customers, now and into the future.
• Electricity demand in our province could double in the next 20 years. New sources of generation could be needed in the next 10 years.
• We will need to make investments to meet future electricity demand.

These are just some of the report’s findings. Find out more about what we learned and what we’re planning to do to deliver Energy for Life at hydro.mb.ca/future.

Our work has just begun

Tell us what you think about the energy future — take a short survey on the Integrated Resource Plan and the report’s findings..

Take the short survey HERE.

“Infill housing construction” refers to construction on residential sites located in established neighbourhoods, either on existing vacant lots or with the demolition of an existing structure to accommodate the construction of a new structure. This includes single detached houses, semi-detached houses, duplexes as well as multi-unit residential complexes. Due to the proximity of infill construction sites to existing properties and structures, neighbouring properties may be impacted.

The Infill Housing Construction Information Bulletin was updated earlier this month and posted to the Information Bulletins webpage as bulletin number 2023-006-B/Z.

View the Information Bulletin HERE

The Province will adopt the new Manitoba Building Code, Manitoba Plumbing Code, Manitoba Energy Code for Buildings and Manitoba Fire Code effective January 1, 2024.

View the information bulletin HERE

We are pleased to advise that on September 25, 2023, the Zoning & Permits office located at Unit 31 – 30 Fort Street will be expanding in-person services, offering appointments to meet with Zoning Development Officers. 

Anyone wanting to meet with a Zoning Development Officer will need to book an appointment in advance. Walk-in appointments will not be available.

Ways to book an appointment:

• By Phone: 204-986-5140
• By Email: [email protected]

General inquiries

• Email: PPD-ZDO@Winnipeg.ca

Permits Online

• Development & building permits can still be submitted through Permits Online or via email: ppd‑[email protected]