Manitoba has not seen itself as a “can-do” province for decades now, with voters seeming to prefer the passivity of a “have-not” attitude instead. That same outlook has predictably infected the City of Winnipeg as well. One supposes that the main response to the city’s budgetary woes will be to go cap in hand to the province…who will predictably go cap in hand to the Feds. In the meantime, expect infrastructure to continue to crumble and crime to soar.
An accelerated regional road renewal program, funded by the federal government, has come to an end, so there will be less work done on road repairs, he said.
There is also no new money to transition Winnipeg Transit’s bus fleet to zero-emission buses, beyond what council has already committed to, nor to add more buses to the fleet.
Last month, the city released a budget projection that estimated Winnipeg would overspend its budget by $3.1 million, based on financial data from the end of September.
At the same time, the city must replenish a rainy-day fund that was nearly emptied during the pandemic.
Thank goodness they did not buy zero emission buses. Edmonton has been stuck with a whole load of useless vehicles.
Annual equalization transfers from federal taxpayers to Manitoba doubled in the 8-year period ending this government fiscal year (2023-24), from $1.738 billion to $3.510 billion. They will increase by a whopping 24% ($842 million) in the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2024.
In other words, Manitoba is accelerating its need for welfare from federal taxpayers faster than ever.
Meanwhile, B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan will not have received one cent in equalization transfers through this nine-year period.
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/programs/federal-transfers/major-federal-transfers.htm
Winnipeg has the bad luck of electing a couple of Liberals every go round so we get in on the federal Liberal gravy train.
seems they knew about this early on:
https://edmontonsun.com/opinion/columnists/gunter-vote-liberal-comment-by-cabinet-minister-shows-federal-partys-disdain-for-alberta
Retire/layoff 50 city workers at 60 grand a year would fix that problem.
I think you are a magnitude too low…
60 grand?? Try 100 minimum.
If you lay off people and only have 3 people the new F-150/250/350, they do not sit right and are unbalanced. Tim Hortons and McDonalds would be mad too because you would be cutting into their coffee / lunch time profits.
no new money to transition Winnipeg Transit’s bus fleet to zero-emission buses
Probably a money-saving good thing. I eagerly await Ottawa’s bus fleet transition to expensive busses that don’t work and catch fire.
The battery bus should do great when it’s -10F out. Range measured in feet, not miles.
Winnipeg could try and collect the back taxes on the thinly attended Human Rights Museum/Izzy Asper vanity project that we got stuck with.
No mentions of it in the news since 2016 but I bet that’s because the Liberals are in power and Izzy was at one a time a contender for the federal leadership.
Back in 2016, the museum owed something north of $7M with no plans to pay it down.
I wonder what that number is at now?
Back when it was being constructed, there was a joke that the whole thing should have been converted to a water park. I still think that would have been a better idea and I’m sure I’d have been inside it more than the one time I’ve crossed into that pit of suffering and virtue signaling.
For those who’ve never gone there, just imagine walking in circles inside magnificent structure, constantly walking up at a slight angle, all the while being told over and over again that white people kill brown people all over the world. There is however a sizable side attraction where they talk about the Germans killing Jews but the main show is whitey killing/oppressing brown people.
There’s also almost no mention of Stalin killing millions of Ukranians, I’m assuming that’s because Stalin/Communism is to be admired according to the ruling Liberals and Socialist/Communists who make up greater than 90% of the board and staff.
I live in the shadow of that monstrosity and never have and never will go there. But I have noticed the side show just east of it; a fully equipped “Search the Landfill” campsite, complete with all the usual accoutrements.
I’ve also seen that “protest” camp.
Interesting how all the homeless camps have suddenly turned into protests that the police won’t break up.
I assume that the usual suspects who would normally have their camps moved a couple of times every year have arrived at the solution.
There are a few camps around town and now they all have “search the landfill” signs on them as a magic shield to keep the police away.
I’ve been to Manitoba and Saskatchewan many times during the past 3 years. It’s not good.
“overspend it’s budget by $3.1 million”
mere pikers when compared to the incompetents on toronto city council, who have created a $1.5 billion hole in their “budget”
just waiting for Comrade Chow’s Tax Hikes for Affordability
No need to spend money replacing the existing buses, they can be converted to “zero emissions” by cutting off the supply of fossil fuels. The buses can become homeless shelters wherever they happen to run out of fuel. Drivers, mechanics, managers, clerks, HR staff all transfer to EI (federal funds.) City of Winnipeg wins!
So when the west declares independence, Manitoba is out — right?
Consider carving off enough of their NW to give us the port of Churchill.
Yes that and northern BC and maybe northern Ontario.
As long as we don’t take on any more large cities we could do well for a couple more generations.
The south and west of Winnipeg is pretty conservative. Please take us!
I am not in a position to promise anything but I will suggest that if you start promptly on a great moat and wall in an arc from west through north to east, the making of much progress would recommend your proposal.
We could form a party like the Bloc only nation wide. Where MPs of our party win, they would be independant states of Real Canada or Liberal Free Canada. Once formed lefties would be banned from running.. Just Kidding but it would be fun.
I lived in Winnipeg 40 years ago and many square miles north of downtown was a shithole wasteland. I assume it still is. Unfortunately they vote.
No one has mentioned it so far, so I might as well; there is a parallel government operating in Manitoba called the Manitoba Metis Federation. They have a president and cabinet ministers just like a real government. Some ministers flit about the planet ostensibly meeting with other “indigenous” peoples.
Their expenses are undoubtedly paid by De Guvvermint, probably the Feds through the Manitoba government. Btw, Manitoba has been under Conservative governments for several years, didn’t see any improvement under them, either. I guess Manitoba has become like the Maritimes, on welfare but used to it.
Go to Dauphin, Manitoba to see multiple brand new Metis Federation office buildings, complete with Louis Riel statues. The only “economic” activity that seems to be occurring. Expect “more” with Manitoba’s new left-wing government.
Signs on major routes into Winnipeg for decades used to read ‘Welcome to Winnipeg – Gateway to the West’. A city slogan to rightfully be proud of. Today those signs read ‘Welcome to Winnipeg – Made from what’s Real’. What on earth does that even mean? I’ve asked more than enough people but it’s so stupid that not one Winnipegger can even offer a guess. If you want to understand the mentality of Winnipeg’s leaders look no further than this.
The sad thing about Winnipeg and Manitoba is that they are blessed with an abundance of resources; hydro electric power, good farmland, access to ports both inprovince and close to the Lakehead, centrally located to eastern canada and US markets, mining in the north, etc,etc. Yet they have had a succession of governments that have blown it all away. They shouldn’t be receiving equalization payments. And no, when Sk and Alberta leave they will not be asked to join
EV buses will never survive a Winnipeg winter. Never.
The Maritimes is metastasizing.
Could there be anything less legitimate than the metis (pronounced mee-tis) nation? Their claim to nationhood is their blood ancestry? One percent native and your part of the group?
That’s it? Any fakers in the group?
Why the Indian Industry even tolerates these poseurs is beyond logic. Hell the Indian Industry itself has it’s share of fakers.
The metis (pronounced mee-tis) nation dilutes the money pot. In the end there are few full blood natives around. Very few. Maybe the whole indian thing will end up being metis ( pronounced mee-tis).
All because a few Scotsmen and Frenchmen couldn’t keep it in their pants and created the hybrid colonizer, noble warrior: the Metis, (pronounced me-too, at the grievance trough.)
The Scots offspring were ‘half breeds’.
The fwench produced an entire new nation…