Winnipeg mayor reveals his provincial budget wish list: Money for roads, sewage and transit
Brian Bowman says the it's time to expand the North End sewage treatment plant
Winnipeg's mayor is like many Manitobans — he has a wish list for the provincial budget that's scheduled to be released on Wednesday.
Brian Bowman's top three wishes for the City of Winnipeg are: support for sewage treatment, public transportation and roads, he told reporters on Tuesday.
At the top of his list, the mayor says, is seeking support for the city's North End sewage treatment plant, something the municipal government has been asking about for years.
"Unfortunately we've been waiting far too long for the province to confirm their full support for the project, as well as confirmation they forwarded the Phase 1 and Phase 2 request for federal funding to the federal government," Bowman said, adding that work has had to be put on pause while the city waits for money from other levels of government.
Further delays to the project could affecrt growth in the province's capital, he warned.
"This is an incredibly important project for all of those who care about the health of our rivers and our lakes, as well as the continued growth and development in the City of Winnipeg and the surrounding capital region, which will rely on the capacity at the North End sewage treatment to ensure growth can continue," he said.
Next, Bowman is asking for the province to help unlock federal money earmarked for the city's transit master plan.
He says there's $203.6 million up for grabs, and he hopes the province will do everything it can to "reduce red tape" and work with the municipality when it requests the money.
"We're going to need dollars, and there are dollars available in Ottawa, and [I] don't want to see a logjam on Broadway that could potentially block the flow of those dollars coming to Winnipeg for their intended purpose," Bowman said.
Bowman's final wish should be the easiest for the province to grant —maintaining and confirming existing funding so that the city can make plans for capital projects, including roads and emergency services.
"We're hopeful they can simply maintain and honour those existing commitments," Bowman said, saying that should amount to $273 million.
A provincial spokesperson says the details of the budget will be revealed on Wednesday, and the mayor's office will have an opportunity to be briefed on how it will impact the City of Winnipeg at that time.