It’s been quite while.
We’ve taken a rest after the mad dash of organizing actions to get folks out to the early June public hearing for the changes to end exclusionary zoning.
Congratulations to all of you who registered to speak to Council. It had a real impact on Councillors.
We showed that there’s support for smarter growth and more homes, including multi-family and missing-middle homes.
Your tales of struggles searching for your first home, dealing with tight rental markets, or family needing a way to age in place were moving.
Council, in the end, made the right decision.
We ended exclusionary zoning in Winnipeg. Multi-family homes are now allowed in all residential areas of Winnipeg, subject to conditions.
There is still much to do in terms of making more homes in more places practical and financially feasible. This means looking at barriers to more new homes like parking mandates.
Let’s celebrate but plan for the future.
BACKGROUNDER: Zoning Bylaw Changes
As part of a long process, which started with the approval by Council of a Housing Accelerator Fund agreement with the federal government in November 2023, Winnipeg has changed its bylaws. Exclusionary Zoning is over and multifamily homes can be built in all residential areas of Winnipeg.
In the HAF agreement, the City of Winnipeg agreed to
- Legalize four homes per residential lot city-wide by-right
- Legalize four-storey builds by-right within 800 metres of frequent transit corridors
- Zoning reforms to ensure by-right residential redevelopment at mall sites and commercial corridors
The malls and corridors amendment came into effect in January, but the fourplex and four-storey changes went to public hearing the first week of June and had their final vote on June 26th.
Highlights of the zoning changes include:
- Allowing fourplexes on lots with widths of 60 feet with a front drive; allowing 4 units on lots with 50 feet if the back lane is paved. Subject to height limits of 30-35 feet.
- Triplexes are allowed on 35 foot lots if the back lane is paved, 50 foot lots if on a corner lot, and 60 feet on lots with a front drive. Height limits are 30-35 feet height limits.
- Lot widths for duplexes can go down to 25 feet of an up-down duplex on a back lane. Subject to height limits of 28-35 feet height limits.
- Allowing four-storey fourplexes within 800 metres of high frequency transit, with height capped at 39 feet.
- For four-storey fourplexes, at least one unit must be designed in accordance with accessible design standards.
- All new builds must have central air conditioning with individual unit thermostat control.
- Triplexes and fourplexes in R1 single-family zones are prohibited on lots that abut the Red, Assiniboine, Seine, and La Salle Rivers and Omand’s, Bunn’s, Sturgeon, and Truro Creeks.
- A 25 foot rear setback is required on all duplex, triplex, and fourplex developments along the abovementioned rivers and creeks in R2 and RMF-S zoning districts.
- Councillors must be notified of any variance application approvals made in their wards
- Council’s Community Committees are now the hearing body for any appeals concerning conditional use applications and variances.
More info can be found in the June 5, 2025 Council minutes and the Zoning Bylaw amendments document.
There was a back-and-fourth on Council during the public hearing when Councillor Brian Mayes introduced a motion to increase minimum lot widths for certain triplexes to 65 feet. While Council initially approved this motion, the federal government informed the City of Winnipeg that this would be in contravention of the spirit of the HAF agreement and this decision was reversed.
The City’s Civil Service was also directed to report back to Council in 120 days with a report on creating a Neighbourhood Growth Investment Reserve to be funded by a portion of incremental taxes from new infill builds. The fund would aim to reinvest infill tax dollars in wards in which infill building is occurring.
Housing and Urban Issues News
- Manitoba Municipal Board threshold raised: Legislation introduced in October 2024 to raise the threshold for Manitoba Municipal Board appeal of bylaw changes has passed. Previously zoning bylaw amendments would automatically trigger an appeal to the Municipal Board if there were 25 objectors. Now that has been raised to 300.
- Bannerman Green Housing Cooperative (BGHC) project ends: The BGHC project was an ambitious undertaking to create a scatter-site, sustainable and net-zero emission housing cooperative in the North End. The project would have entailed development of a three-storey apartment building with around 12 units on vacant land on Bannerman Avenue and retrofit nearby existing homes with additional units for a total of 24 units. Due to construction cost escalation and insufficient government funding, the project had to be shelved. A case study of the BGHC is available here.
- Wellington Crescent bike lane pilot pushed into 2026: Following much heated discussion, the City Council is pushing a pilot bike lane installation on Wellington Crescent into mid 2026. Longstanding demands for bike infrastructure on Wellington Crescent were heightened following the tragic death of Rob Jenner, who was killed by a speeding driver while riding his bike on Wellington Crescent.
- Builders selected to develop affordable homes on City-owned properties: The City of Winnipeg has selected builders to make affordable housing on five City-owned properties. These sites were made available for sale or lease through the Housing Accelerator Fund’s Land Enhancement Office in March. Properties and developments will include 825 Taché Ave (Réseau Compassion Network and CoHabit), 425 Osborne St (University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corporation), 1350 Pembina Hwy (Brokenhead Ojibway Nation), 565-569 Watt St (Futuremark Development), and 545 Watt St (Elmwood Community Resource Centre).