Gillingham Will Restore Annual Fall Street Cleanup in 2027

It’s autumn, and as leaves begin to fall on Winnipeg streets, they can clog drains and catch basins. The City of Winnipeg’s Fall Street Cleanup once helped address this problem by sweeping and picking up street debris across the city, but the program was cut to save money in the 2015 budget, one year before then-Councillor Gillingham became Finance Chair and seven years before he was first elected Mayor.

If re-elected, Gillingham is committing to bring the Fall Street Cleanup back in full in 2027.

“In the last term, as promised, we launched five Neighbourhood Action Teams to fill potholes, fix damaged signs and repair sidewalks,” Gillingham said. “We need to keep improving basic maintenance in Winnipeg. Clearing hundreds of streets isn’t free, but I believe a basic service like the Fall Street Cleanup is absolutely worth the cost.”

Jeff Browaty – who is running for re-election as City Councillor for North Kildonan – said the commitment reflects the kind of frontline service improvements residents want to see.

“In the last term of Council, we reinvested in frontline services like more police, more firefighters and better customer service,” Browaty said. “Restoring the Fall Street Cleanup is the kind of service improvement residents in wards like mine want to see.”

Browaty noted that deferring leaf and debris cleanup can ultimately cost the City over time, as buildup can contribute to water and ice accumulation and increased freeze-thaw damage to streets. Blocked drains can also increase the risk of overland and basement flooding in spring.

“This isn’t just an investment in better service, it’s also an investment in the long-term health of our infrastructure,” he said.

Gillingham estimates the program will cost less than $2 million annually, starting in 2027. The estimate assumes all existing Neighbourhood Action Teams would be fully committed to supporting the cleanup.