New teams to tackle local problems in Winnipeg neighbourhoods

The Neighbourhood Action Teams will be hitting Winnipeg streets to deliver pothole and sidewalk repairs.

From pothole maintenance to sidewalk repairs, the City of Winnipeg is trying something new to improve service delivery.

“It’s a big shift. One of the most significant changes to how the public works department operates in decades,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham.

“It is a nimble, more responsive, innovative way of delivering service.”

Monday, Winnipeg launched its Neighbourhood Action Teams, consisting of three six-person teams who will rotate through the city’s wards from June through October. The teams will spend about four weeks in each neighbourhood, where they will help fix a wide range of issues, including potholes, broken signs, and boulevard maintenance.

Plans and priorities for each ward will be developed in partnership with city councillors, local stakeholders, and Business Improvement Zones.

“Instead of just sending one crew to do one job and then a different crew rolling up a couple weeks later to do a different job, these teams handle it all—efficiently, thoroughly, and with an eye to quality,” said Gillingham, who first proposed the idea for the teams in the 2022 election.

The Neighbourhood Action Teams will begin with the Daniel McIntyre, Mynarski, and River Heights – Fort Garry wards. Task lists include displaced sidewalks, uneven boulevards, and hazardous tree branches.

The teams will be in these neighbourhoods from now until July 11.