After delivering a nearly 90% reduction in 311 wait times during his first term, Scott Gillingham today announced four more improvements to make City Hall more accessible and responsive to Winnipeg residents and businesses.
When Gillingham took office in 2022, Winnipeggers waited an average of 11 minutes and 22 seconds to reach 311. By 2025, that wait had fallen to just one minute and 15 seconds — an 89% improvement achieved through increased frontline staffing and investments in customer service.
"Four years ago, I promised Winnipeggers we would fix the long wait times at 311, and we delivered," Gillingham said. "But good customer service isn't just about answering the phone quickly. It's about making it easier for people to get the help they need and making sure their concerns are addressed. That's what we'll focus on next."
If re-elected, Gillingham will deliver four additional improvements:
Bring Water and Waste customer service into 311. Integrate the Water and Waste Utility Billing Centre with 311, giving residents more consistent service and shorter wait times when they have questions about their utility bills. The City has already begun increasing staffing at the utility billing centre to improve response times.
Expand MyAccount into a full-service customer portal. Build on the MyAccount platform launched earlier this year, bringing more City services together in one convenient online location. Residents will be able to manage more of their interactions with City Hall, access information, submit requests and track their progress without needing to make a phone call.
Introduce automatic updates on 311 requests. Give residents the option of receiving email or text notifications when their service requests are updated or completed, instead of requiring them to call back or log in to check their status.
Launch 311 for Small Business. Deliver on Gillingham's previously announced commitment to provide dedicated assistance for small businesses, connecting them with a case worker who can help navigate City departments, answer questions and resolve service issues.
"We're going to do for Water and Waste customer service what we've already done for 311," Gillingham said. "And we're going to keep building our online services so people can get more things done on their own schedule. If you've reported a problem to the City, you shouldn't have to keep checking back to find out what's happening. We should be keeping you informed."
The City launched MyAccount in February 2026, allowing residents to access personalized information and track certain service requests online. The planned expansion will bring additional services into the portal, making it easier to deal with City Hall from a phone or computer.
Gillingham said he disagrees with suggestions from other mayoral candidates that 311 should be eliminated or broken up.
"311 is an important service that hundreds of thousands of Winnipeggers rely on every year. We've shown that it can be made to work much better, and there's still more we can do," Gillingham said. "My approach is to keep improving the services people count on, not dismantle them."