Quarterly, UDI Manitoba provides members with an update on our advocacy initiatives. Our “Advocacy at a Glance” update will provide members with a snapshot on the UDI’s top advocacy files and initiatives.  

Click here to read UDI’s detailed updates on our top advocacy issues from Q2 2024, including the City of Winnipeg HAF implementation, Rapid Zoning By-law Amendments, CentrePlan 2050, Public Works specification changes, and much, much more.

The proposed regional planning by-law, Plan20-50, has been given first reading by the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region Board of Directors. The next stage in the legislative adoption process is to conduct two public hearings.

The first public hearing will be held in Winnipeg:

Date: Thursday, July 25, 2024

Time: 3:00 p.m.

Location: Canad Inns Polo Park, 1405 St. Matthews Avenue,

A second hearing will be held outside of Winnipeg, with the date and details to be released in the coming weeks.

Anyone who wishes to make a representation at a hearing can do so in person or virtually. Written submissions are also welcomed.

Please contact us via email at plan20-50@wmregion.ca or by phone at 204-989-2048 for any questions.

CLICK HERE for more information on the public hearings, making a representation, and how you can register.

Though there were no objections raised at the public hearing for the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) zoning bylaw amendments (meeting minutes here), there have been some concerns raised through the process regarding feasibility of three and four-plexes in areas with no lanes and the reduction in site/lot coverage.

Administration reviewed this feedback and is proposing the following changes to the bylaw:



• Though development of three- or four-plexes on interior sites with no rear or side lanes is possible, designing such developments to be compatible with an existing neighbourhood may be more challenging, as the lack of a lane means parking access can only be off a front street. Administration is therefore recommending amending the by-law to add that three-plexes and four-plexes on interior sites with no lane access are conditional uses.
• Administration is also proposing to increase the maximum lot coverage from the proposed 40% to 50%. This is still lower than the current rule of 60%, and the intent of decreasing maximum lot coverage is to mitigate increased drainage runoff from especially infill sites as an offset to allowing more infill development in the City. However, Administration recognizes after further review that the original decrease to 40% is a steep change. Administration still intends to lower the lot coverage percentage in the future after the development industry has had some time to adapt to the change.

The next steps in the process is for council, at the June 17th council meeting, to give 2nd and 3rd reading to the bylaw. More information can be found in council’s agenda package: Agenda_-_June_17_2024.pdf (brandon.ca)

You may also be interested in the Gentle Density Housing Bylaw Guide released as a resource/guide for local municipalities to permit gentle density (re-imagining single-dwelling zoned neighbourhoods through small scale infill development).

Thank you for your participation in CentrePlan 2050. Your input throughout the project helped to create a draft of CentrePlan 2050 and draft design of Graham Avenue.

During Phase 3 engagement, we collected feedback at two open house events, an online survey, and online comments tool. Read the Phase 3 public engagement summary and appendices. The summary provides an overview of what we heard from the public. 

Next steps 

An administrative report will be presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development on July 4, 2024. The report recommends approval of CentrePlan 2050 as a secondary plan bylaw. It also includes recommendations related to both immediate and longer-term plan implementation.

This includes a funding request for Graham Avenue to: 

• Develop construction drawings 
• Create an activities and programming plan for the street (Animation Strategy) 
• Maintain the street after construction is complete 

Participate in the public hearing process

As part of the secondary plan approval process, CentrePlan 2050 will include a public hearing process at the Committee meeting on July 4, 2024. The public hearing process is designed to provide the public with an opportunity to convey their views on development applications or other matters under a City by-law. Public hearings are open to all members of the public. 

To submit your comments in writing or register to speak at the public hearing, complete the public representation form by noon on July 3, 2024. 

Related actions 

As part of CentrePlan 2050, we are also creating: 

• Downtown Urban Design Guidelines 
• A Streetscape Design Standards Manual 
• A design of key Downtown Bike Routes 

Each of these will be presented to the appropriate Committees of Council in fall 2024. For more information, visit winnipeg.ca/centreplan2050.

Winnipeg’s City Council approved the Rapid Zoning By-law Amendments to the Winnipeg and Downtown Winnipeg Zoning By-laws. The By-law amendments can be found here.

MHBA and UDI have been very active in working with both Council and the administration on recommending revisions to Winnipeg’s Zoning By-laws that will help facilitate and enable development and streamline the City’s approval processes. We will continue to advocate for our recommended changes to be included in the next two rounds of Zoning By-law changes the City administration is preparing, leading to a full re-write of Winnipeg’s Zoning By-laws in 2027.

At it’s May 30th meeting, City Council also adopted the Housing Accelerator Fund Capital Grant program, providing grants directly to developers to create more multi-unit housing units, with an initial focus on affordable housing projects (up to $35,000/unit) and projects situated in Downtown (up to $25,000/unit). Further information on the HAF Capital Grant program, including the application process, can be found here.

UDI Manitoba has launched 2 new Committees to assist and advice UDI’s Board of Directors on issues impacting Manitoba’s land development industry. Officially announced at UDI Manitoba’s AGM last month, the two new Committee’s have be constituted and will be providing their first reports to the UDI Board at its next meeting in June.

UDI’s new Technical Research Committee, chaired by Veronica Eno, will be providing the Board with advice and assistance on technical land development and construction issues, such as road and sidewalk warranty changes, park design and construction, and other technical issues. UDI’s Infill Committee, chaired by Tim Comack, will be providing the Board with advice and assistance on issues impacting residential infill development, including zoning by-law changes, downtown development, and many others

UDI has received the following bulletin from the Red River Planning District:

Various recommendations for service improvements have been presented by builders, municipalities, and Board members. RRPD administration has diligently reviewed concerns raised by stakeholders, particularly regarding the inspections and permit processing, and has implemented numerous improvements.

These include measures to enhance communication, facilitate consistency, streamline inspection procedures, and revise plan review processes. Resolutions from the RRPD Board have also directed the administration to address issues such as the acceptance of photographic evidence and communication with applicants throughout the permit process.

Read the full RRPD Builders Bulletin HERE.

For Inspector contact information, click here.

Manitoba Municipal Board public hearing notices can be found here.