City to reduce budget for urban forest program to help fund zoo exhibit repairs

The City of Winnipeg will redirect some money from the tree planting budget to fund work on the Journey to Churchill Exhibit at Assiniboine Park Zoo.

The program that helps maintain the city’s tree canopy is going to see its budget reduced and redirected to another program following a decision from the provincial government.

During Tuesday’s meeting of the executive policy committee, it was revealed the city would have to take money from its urban forest renewal program to help fund the Journey to Churchill exhibit at Assiniboine Park Conservancy, based on a directive from the province to fund the exhibit.

An addendum before the committee said the money for the exhibit was not in the 2026 budget, and the cost will need to be offset by the city to maintain a balanced budget.

“I wish we didn’t have to make this decision,” Mayor Scott Gillingham told reporters on Tuesday. “I wish the province would have contributed an additional $1.2 million from their budget to fund this so that council wouldn’t be put into a position to make a decision to reduce the budget in some other program.”

The budget for tree planting work will be reduced from $11 million to $9.8 million, while the budget for the Journey to Churchill exhibit will now be set at $9 million.

“This funding will help ensure that the conservancy can continue to deliver quality services to families by enhancing its animal health centre, which is essential for attractions like the bears in the Journey to Churchill,” a provincial spokesperson said in an emailed statement to CTV News.

The money for the exhibit will be used to help replace the pool filtration system, review building conditions and complete other work, such as painting.

“Funding allocated for the Urban Forest Renewal Program has increased by almost 30% since 2025 and represents the second-highest annual capital investment in the program over the past decade.”

Gillingham said despite the budget change, the urban forestry program remains a priority.

“If you take a look at the urban forest budget from where it was a couple of years ago to where it is today, we have increased it significantly, almost 30 per cent, over the last couple of years,” Gillingham said.

A final decision will need to be made by city council before it takes effect.

-With files from CTV’s Scott Andersson