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Winnipeg Free Press
22-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Unregistered properties behind confusion over missing homeowners rebate on city tax bills
After a promised school tax credit didn't show up on some city property tax bills this year, the provincial government is laying out options for people to claim the money. The missing Manitoba Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit on some Winnipeggers' bills — which were mailed out May 8 — sparked confusion and complaints. Many appeared unaware that new homeowners must officially register their home with the city as a principal residence to get the credit, as must anyone not previously registered. Those who didn't register did not receive the credit, which deducts $1,500 from most bills. Those who missed out were initially told they could claim it on their income taxes next year. On Wednesday evening, a provincial spokesperson told the Free Press the Manitoba government has now directed the city to let the money flow sooner. 'We will ensure anyone who should get the credit, gets the money they are entitled to,' the spokesperson said in an email. A bulletin sent to the city notes the provincial government is extending the time frame for principal residence owners in the city to declare they are eligible for the credit in order to receive it this year. If the credit doesn't appear on a property tax bill, the owners have until Nov. 15 to declare the property to be a principal residence, the memo notes. Affected homeowners who make monthly tax payments would then receive payment adjustments or a cheque to account for the credit, while those who pay annually would receive a cheque or a credit. 'A notice to potentially impacted property owners will be sent by the City of Winnipeg and questions can be directed to the City of Winnipeg's Assessment and Taxation Department,' the memo states. On Wednesday morning, Winnipeg city council's finance chairman said initial feedback indicated thousands of Winnipeggers didn't understand what was required to get the rebate on their initial bill. Coun. Jeff Browaty said the city and province were working to ensure refunds and/or bill adjustments would be offered, noting some Winnipeggers need the money even more now, amid rising prices. '(It) is a fair amount of money, considering this replaces the (education tax) credit that was there last year…. Getting the $1,500 now (would help),' said Browaty (North Kildonan). In an email, a provincial spokesperson said Winnipeg and Brandon are the only cities that administer their own taxes, while the province handles taxation for other municipalities. The statement said Brandon offered multiple proactive notices of the registration requirement. Browaty said the province is responsible for ensuring homeowners know how to apply for the rebate. 'It's their credit. They should be the ones who communicate how you're eligible for it,' he said. To help sort through the confusion, the Free Press sought answers Wednesday to spell out how education tax rebates have changed and why some people have yet to receive the latest one, including the following key questions: A: Municipal property taxes and school division taxes are noted in separate charges on the same tax bill. The city is required to collect taxes on behalf of school divisions but the municipality neither sets the rate nor keeps the revenue. To calculate municipal tax, the assessed value of a home is multiplied by a taxable portion, which the province currently has set at 45 per cent for residences. That 'portioned value' is then multiplied by the sum of a mill rate divided by 1,000. The same process applies to school division taxes, which have separate mill rates set by each school division. A: For the 2025 tax year, a former 50 per cent school tax rebate has been eliminated for residential properties. A separate education property tax credit, set at up to $350 in 2024, was replaced with the new Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit, which will rise 'to a maximum of $1,500,' according to the Manitoba Finance website. The new rebate applies to principal residences only, not rental properties, secondary homes/cottages or commercial properties. The website notes the actual credit provided 'is the lesser of $1,500 and the gross school taxes on your principal residence.' RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Those who buy a home must officially register it as their principal residence with their municipality to get the credit, as must anyone who hasn't registered in the past. Those who didn't register did not receive the credit on their recent bill. Those who did should see the credit noted in the school tax portion of the bill. The registration step has been required to qualify for some school tax credits since 2018. A: Initially, residents were told they can apply for a credit to get the rebate when they file income taxes next year. The late-Wednesday update notes they can now skip that wait. Browaty urged all Winnipeggers who have not done so to register their principal residence now at: The city says that form needs to be submitted only once. Browaty said those who didn't get the credit this year may also be missing some past education property tax credits. He urged residents who did not previously register properties as principal residences to check with a tax expert on whether they can claim a $350 rebate for each of 2023 and 2024, as well as $437.50 rebate for 2022. A: Each overall tax levy is affected by an individual home's assessed value, the tax rate applied by the city and a separate tax rate applied by their local school division. In March, a report to Winnipeg city council noted some school divisions imposed significant tax increases this year. For example, the owner of a $371,100 sample home in the Louis Riel School Division was set to pay $316 more in school taxes this year, the report noted. Since each division's rate varies, the tab can be several hundred dollars more in one division than in another, Browaty said. He said homeowners with higher-than-average home values may also pay significant education tax increases, since the 50 per cent education tax rebate has ended. A: In the City of Winnipeg, residents can file an application to the Board of Revision, a quasi-judicial body, to have the assessed value of their home revised but cannot appeal the tax bill itself. Assessment review applications to alter this year's tax bill were due by July 2, 2024. Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. Board of revision decisions on assessed value can be appealed to the Manitoba Municipal Board within 21 days of the board's decision. Those questioning whether a property should be taxed can appeal board decisions to the Court of King's Bench. A: Browaty said his North Kildonan ward residents are welcome to send questions to him directly. City of Winnipeg tax bills note those with school tax credit questions can call 1-866-626-4862 or visit X: @joyanne_pursaga Joyanne PursagaReporter Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne. Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. 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Winnipeg Free Press
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Encampment problem not a simple fix
Opinion It just goes to show that planning and good intentions don't always lead to an easy fix. Residents along parts of the Red River have been disappointed to see the return of homeless encampments, which had previously been cleared out as part of a provincial effort to shut down the camps and find appropriate housing for their residents. The province's Your Way Home plan has shown some progress — a spokesperson for Housing Minister Bernadette Smith has said the strategy has found housing and supports for 30 people who had previously been living in 16 encampments. Better still, it seems those people have remained in the housing found for them, rather than winding up back in the camps. CAROL SANDERS / FREE PRESS Encampment cleared on Waterfront Drive is being re-inhabited. However, it may be that the province's optimism about the strategy, and Winnipeggers' expectations for it, have been a little too intense. The issue of homeless encampments — and the broader problem of homelessness — will not be solved quickly or tidily. Homelessness is the result of an array of socio-economic problems, and as city spokesperson Kalen Qually told the Free Press, dealing with the camps is 'like that game of whack-a-mole' — the camps and their populations move relatively easily from place to place, so removing a camp from one site does little to prevent it springing up somewhere else. The plan states that the city, province and other groups will collaborate 'to regularly monitor the site to prevent further encampments from being established,' but it's difficult to see how that can be achieved without regular, active patrolling in the area. And the thought of such patrols taking place seems unappetizing as well — it's hard to enjoy the green space near your house when it has the appearance of being under guard or surveillance. Further, while so far it looks like people are remaining in the housing found for them, the program is unlikely to flawlessly help every single person it attempts to aid. Incidents of people losing or leaving their housing and winding up back on the street is something for which the province, the city, and homeless advocacy and assistance groups will have to be prepared. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. According to End Homelessness Winnipeg's 2022 Street Census (the most recent for which data is available), there were 1,256 people experiencing homelessness in Winnipeg — that includes completely unsheltered people, those with provisional or emergency accomodations, and those in unknown locations. That's a lot of people to find housing for, especially considering Winnipeg's vacancy rate — as of December last year — was only 1.7 per cent. The supports to which these individuals are being directed will need to be bolstered by both local and provincial governments if they are to have a fair chance of helping everybody. And more housing units will need to come online as well, something Smiths' spokesperson also acknowledged. Another consideration is that the homeless population is not static; without proper services, programs and supports to keep others from becoming homeless, we will end up helping current members of that marginalized community only to be faced with others down the line. The province's goals with Your Way Home appear to have been too ambitious. But that is not to say the program is a failure; things are moving more slowly than promised — which is fair cause for frustration, as ever when a government doesn't follow through on its word. But things are moving forward. People are getting help. And when it comes to getting people out of a bad situation and into a safer, more supportive environment, every person helped should be taken as a win.
CBC
25-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
U.S. visitors to Manitoba up in 1st quarter of 2025, bucking national trend: StatsCan
While the number of people visiting Canada from the U.S. declined earlier this year, Manitoba may be bucking that trend. According to Statistics Canada, in March, the number of U.S. trips to Canada by automobile was down by 10.6 per cent from the same month in 2024. Winnipeg is "not immune to global shifts," representatives of Economic Development Winnipeg told the city's finance committee last week. But new data from Statistics Canada shows that land border crossings into Manitoba increased by 7.6 per cent during the first quarter of 2025, compared to the January to March period last year. "Though nationally we're seeing a decline — I would say a stable decline — in U.S. visitation, in Manitoba we're not seeing the same impact, based on the most recent Statistics Canada data, by land crossing and also by air," Natalie Thiesen, vice-president of tourism with Economic Development Winnipeg, said in an interview Wednesday. Arrivals by air in Manitoba increased even more during the same period — by about 60 per cent, Thiesen said. That may be due partly to increased capacity from new flights coming online within the last year. The agency has heard concerns from some Americans who worried they won't be welcome if they come here, Thiesen said. Economic Development Winnipeg commissioned a poll by Probe Research, conducted from March 4 to 16, that suggests a strong majority of the 600 respondents said Manitobans should still warmly welcome Americans, Thiesen said. "So that's telling [about] our friendly Manitoba nature and Winnipeggers' willingness to welcome Americans to our jurisdiction, and they're an important piece of business to our visitor economy," said Thiesen. The head of the Manitoba Hotel Association says there are a number of big events planned this year, expected to draw large numbers of tourists. "So [we're] pretty optimistic for the year ahead. And yeah, we really haven't heard much or anything of large changes in U.S. demand in Winnipeg or Manitoba so far," said president and CEO Michael Juce. Tourism is a $1-billion industry in Winnipeg, and cross-border travel represents about 25 per cent of visitor expenditures in the city, said finance committee chair Coun. Jeff Browaty. Many Canadians are also looking at travel options within Canada rather than going to the U.S., and Winnipeg is attempting to capture some of that interest through a new tourism campaign touting the province's status as Canada's "middle child." Browaty said he believes the favourable exchange rate for the U.S. dollar in Canada may also serve as an enticement for American shoppers.
CBC
04-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Winnipeg mayor nixes proposed 'massive' increase to water bills
Tapping into Winnipeggers' wallets by increasing water and sewer rates by $1,000 per year is just not going to happen, says Mayor Scott Gillingham, who calls a proposed hike "simply not reasonable." City administrators proposed the hefty increase to fund Phase 3 of the North End Sewage Treatment Plant upgrades — an estimated $1.5-billion expense. Gillingham revealed the recommended increase at a news conference on Tuesday, saying administration drafted its proposal based on city's existing debt-management policy. The proposal includes large increases each year, reaching $1,000 more on a typical household bill by 2027, in order to pay for the project up front and in full, Gillingham said. "Let me be clear, I cannot and do not support this proposal," he said, standing alongside Coun. Ross Eadie, chair of the city's standing police committee on water, waste and environment. Instead of the rate hikes, Gillingham is proposing a single rate increase for 2025 that would add $18.67 per month to the average household bill for the remainder of the year ($168 total) "to keep Project 3 moving forward" while he works to "find a reasonable, affordable and sustainable way" to fund it. All options will be examined before the 2026 and 2027 sewer and water rates are set, Eadie said. Currently, the annual bill for an average household is $1,308, Gillingham said. Under the administration proposal, that bill would go to $1,532 in 2025, $1,968 in 2026 and $2,308 in 2027. In order to avoid that, the city will meet with the federal and provincial governments to find financing options that could amortize the project's cost "over many, many years," Gillingham said. "This could dramatically reduce the impact of rate hikes, spread the cost fairly over multiple years and still fully fund the project," he said. Gillingham has already started discussions with premier's office, federal officials and the Canada Infrastructure Bank. He has also worked with the city's chief financial officer to create the funding model he is recommending for this year. Now more time is required to see if the discussions can lead to better solutions, he said. The city's new chief construction officer will also review the $1.5-billion cost to identify potential savings. "The north end plant is Winnipeg's largest, most complicated, most expensive project in history. For us, right now, this is the most important project. We need the additional capacity so we can add jobs and homes to the city," Gillingham said. A little over a month ago, city council approved the largest property tax hike in decades, and as it faces rising costs for major capital projects, including the $3-billion sewage treatment plant overhaul. The project was mandated by the provincial government in 2003 but successive city, provincial and federal governments failed to move it forward quickly enough to contain costs, Gillingham said. "It's like they pulled the pin on a grenade and finally, this year, it lands on our laps. And we, as a council, have to deal with it. We can't avoid it anymore." The water, waste and environment committee will consider the administration proposal on March 10. Eadie will introduce a motion to amend it with the recommendations outlined by Gillingham to borrow the money. The expansion of the treatment plant will enable thousands of additional homes built and serviced, which means thousands more customers paying water and sewer bills, helping to cover the amortized debt, Eadie said. "Future growth is going to pay for it. It will," he said. Phase 3 is anticipated to be finished by 2030, Eadie said.
