What Winnipeg’s mayor wants to see in the provincial budget

Mayor Scott Gillingham discusses rising property taxes, budget day, downtown safety, speed limits, and transit changes.

With the provincial budget set to come out on Tuesday, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said he is looking for money for the North End Sewage Treatment Plant.

“Winnipeggers really need the province to state their commitment for funding the third phase,” he said in an interview with Your Morning Winnipeg on Monday.

“It’s the largest phase, the most expensive phase.”

The $3 billion project started construction in 2021.

The first phase of the project focused on a new power substation and infrastructure and replacing the city’s former pump station that was built in 1937.

The second phase of the project—a new biosolids facility—is currently expected to begin construction later this year.

The mayor went on to say that provincial funding will help unlock federal funding—both of which are needed to get the project done.

“The City of Winnipeg, as a council, we stepped forward boldly in our budget this year,” he said.

“We put our $500 million on the table [for the project]. We made our commitment. We really need the province and the feds now to make their announcements.”

Along with funding for the North End Sewage Treatment Plant, Gillingham also hopes the budget includes money for ambulances and paramedics.

Beacon Program to monitor downtown Winnipeg: Gillingham

During the interview, the mayor also mentioned the new Beacon Program—an initiative that involves a set of cameras that feed into a bank of screens monitored by the Downtown Community Safety Partnership (DCSP).

The mayor explained the goal of the project is to help the DCSP and its partner agencies stay on top of what is going on in downtown Winnipeg.

“Yes, they look for criminal activity, but primarily they’re looking for people who are struggling with social issues,” he said.

Gillingham said Beacon will allow the DCSP to monitor the downtown area in real-time and directly help those in need.

• With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagacé and Devon McKendrick