Mayor Gillingham has had a lot of under-the-radar accomplishments, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by his leadership. He’s proven far more progressive than his 2022 campaign suggested — one example was the hiring of Hazel Borys as Director of Planning, Property and Development — and his willingness to change his mind when presented with new information has been a refreshing change in politics. His leadership style is focused on asking what Winnipeg will need 30 years from now. Much of his term has been spent on these generational projects, very few of which will show immediate, tangible results. That’s politically bold, because chasing low-hanging fruit is almost always more rewarding in the short term.
One of his most impressive attributes has been the respect earned from all members of council for his collaborative style, something that was lacking in previous administrations and something I’m not sure Glen Murray would have succeeded with. Even his strongest opponents on council have publicly praised his willingness to reach out and work constructively with everyone. His influence has had positive progressive impacts on council members like Jeff Browaty, who voted yes to reopening Portage & Main after spearheading the plebicite back in 2018.
This cooperative approach, I believe, has delivered real momentum for Winnipeg, especially coming out of the pandemic years. Gillingham and council have made revitalizing downtown a priority, renewing CentreVenture’s mandate with a clear focus on development and housing.
In 2025, downtown residential building permits hit a 15-year high, with 1,040 new units approved — the highest single-year total on record. Projects like Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn, Portage Place, Market Lands, and the Marlborough Hotel have been unanimously supported by council with grants and TIFFs. He also rallied council to support reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians, ending that 46-year blight on downtown — something he had openly opposed in his 2022 campaign.
Council did a lot of hard work to secure the
$122.4 million in federal Housing Accelerator Fund money, which proved critical for over 20 housing projects, like The Forks Renewal Corporation’s Site 09 at Railside, that would not have been feasible without it. Additional HAF funds are earmarked for red tape reduction and infrastructure initiatives that will further incentivize denser infill development across the city.
The mayor and council also delivered the largest overhaul of Winnipeg Transit in the city’s history, supporting the redesign to a Primary Transit Network built around more frequent, direct service. While the redesign has been controversial, the system is designed to be adaptable and responsive to the city’s future growth. Service levels and frequency will be adjusted quarterly to improve the overall system. Replacing the Peggo card with a new tap-to-pay fare collection platform, expected in 2027, will also help. This was paired with record investments in the bus fleet, including $239 million committed for new buses, along with the new North End transit garage, which is critical for future Rapid Transit growth.
While not a sexy topic, this council is advancing the North End Water Pollution Control Centre upgrade — the largest and most complex capital project in Winnipeg’s history, with a total cost now exceeding $3.2 billion. Without these upgrades, the plant would reach capacity between 2030 and 2032, effectively halting new population and economic growth in the city. The mayor has been tirelessly lobbying the federal and provincial governments to contribute their share for the final phase.
Council passed the most ambitious zoning reforms in Winnipeg’s history — allowing as-of-right duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes on most residential lots city-wide, along with higher-density development at mall sites and along major corridors — with very little public backlash. During the public consultation phase, some councillors admitted they were hesitant to attend public information sessions without increased security, citing fears from the anti-15-minute-city crowd. The rezonings passed anyway, and the sky hasn’t fallen, contrary to what Councillors Orlikow and Mayes warned their constituents. Work continues on this front: the city is now undertaking a full rewrite of the two zoning bylaws (downtown and rest of the city) into one single, modern, unified bylaw, funded through the HAF. This will be the first complete overhaul of these bylaws in over 20 years. The goal is to create clearer, more user-friendly rules that better implement the long-term vision set out in OurWinnipeg 2045. A Council-ready draft is targeted for 2028.
All that effort is starting to show results. Winnipeg’s housing starts have been strong lately. In 2025, the city hit 4,993 starts — up 12.3% from 2024 and the second-highest annual total on record. The four-year stretch from 2022 to 2025 was the strongest in the city’s history according to CMHC data. So far in 2026, the first quarter saw 1,216 starts, a 24.3% jump from the same period in 2025, beating the national increase of 8.6%.
Gillingham has also been a vocal advocate for federal bail reform. He’s publicly pushed for Bill C-14, which would expand reverse onus provisions for repeat violent offenders, arguing that the current “catch and release” system is undermining public safety. He has testified before both House and Senate committees, calling for a more rational approach to bail for those with repeated serious offences. We’ve all seen the headlines: Winnipeg police arrest violent criminals, only to see them released on bail shortly after. His advocacy here is a step in the right direction.
I understand the mayor’s initiatives on the Kenaston and Chief Peguis Trail projects. The approved funding to date has laid the groundwork for these to be shovel-ready in the future. While I don’t support those initiatives right now and doubt other levels of government have the appetite to fund such expensive road projects, we’ll see how they develop over the next four years. That said, there are far more urgent infrastructure needs, including widespread road renewal, the Arlington Bridge, the deteriorating Louise Bridge, and the Rapid Transit master plan — starting with the downtown corridors project.
In the coming term, I’d like to see continued focus on downtown development, a firmer approach to encampments, targeted safety improvements downtown and city-wide, and a serious push to keep the city clean by tackling garbage and encampment debris.
I believe the current mayor and council have worked well together, delivering many important but lower-profile initiatives that previous administrations neglected. They still have significant work left to complete over the next four-year term. I wouldn’t want to see a major shakeup on council. This group gets a lot done and, in my opinion, has been one of the most productive councils Winnipeg has had in a long time.
Thank you for your attention to this matter! W_G
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