Gillingham Unveils New Policies to Keep Winnipeg’s Building Boom Going
Winnipeg is building at a record pace, and Scott Gillingham is committing to build on that momentum if he is re-elected, making it even easier to build new housing, create new industrial jobs and speed approvals for construction investments.
Since Gillingham was elected Mayor, the City delivered major changes to make building easier, rezoning malls and major corridors for infill mid-rise housing, moving more public land out for housing, expanded online permitting, and delivering infrastructure to service CentrePort South.
The results are in:
National Leader in 2026 Housing Growth: Winnipeg recorded 3,514 housing starts from January to July 2026, up more than 40% over the same period last year. This is the strongest year-over-year growth among major Canadian cities.
Record Downtown Residential Approvals: In 2025, the City approved more new residential units downtown than in any previous year.
Over $1 Billion in Downtown Investment: Major projects are transforming downtown including Portage Place, the former Hudson’s Bay building, Market Lands, Railside at The Forks, the Red River Métis National Heritage Centre, the Marlborough and more.
Historic Industrial Expansion: two new industrial parks are moving forward in CentrePort South as part of Winnipeg’s growing “Sky Economy,” totalling 1100 acres; one of them is the largest industrial park in Winnipeg's history.
“You can measure confidence by where people are willing to invest,” said Gillingham. “We’ve added a record 50,000 new jobs to Winnipeg’s economy since October 2022, and more than 500 net new business establishments. Let’s keep that momentum going.”
If re-elected, Gillingham will keep construction moving:
1. Speed up building inspections: Expand remote video inspections and online compliance tools, copying Edmonton’s proven success in improving inspection service without sacrificing safety standards.
2. Reduce upfront risk for industrial development: Allow deferral of eligible City area or infrastructure charges on new private industrial parks until individual lots are sold or leased over a five-year period, lowering carrying costs and helping to bring more shovel-ready industrial land to the Winnipeg market at scale.
3. Expanding as-of-right mid-rise housing construction on malls and corridors sites: City Council’s Property and Development Committee will be asked to hold hearings to consider further simplification of Winnipeg’s Malls & Corridors mid-rise zoning rules in 2027.
4. Marketing Malls & Corridors rezoning. City Hall will engage business students with co-op or summer work placements to help the City’s Housing Accelerator Team sell the opportunity for redevelopment to eligible Malls and Corridors properties across the City.
5. Unlocking even more public and institutional land for housing: Winnipeg will proactively partner with Crown corporations, colleges and universities and other public-sector landowners to proactively rezone their empty spaces for mid-rise housing. Gillingham will also seek Council approval on a formal policy to consider new housing construction as a part of any plans for new city buildings like libraries or recreation centres.
Two additional policy announcements are planned to support Scott Gillingham’s vision for business and industrial growth later in the campaign.