City of Winnipeg Charged for Massive Sewage Spill But Will Anything Change?

The City of Winnipeg has been charged under the Environment Act for its role in a massive sewage spill that dumped over 228 million litres of untreated waste into the river, contaminating the water all the way into a major lake. This isn’t a minor mishap. This is a full-blown failure of leadership and basic municipal responsibility. Under the law, the city could be fined up to $500,000 for a first offence, with potential penalties reaching a million dollars for repeat violations. A judge could even revoke environmental licences if the city fails to address the issue properly. And let’s be honest—nothing in this administration’s track record suggests they have any intention of fixing their mistakes.

This crisis was entirely preventable. The spill was caused by the failure of two aging sewer pipes beneath a key bridge—pipes that date back to the 1970s. This infrastructure didn’t suddenly collapse out of nowhere. This was decades in the making, a slow-motion disaster that city officials ignored. It took them more than two weeks just to get a temporary bypass in place. That’s not leadership. That’s negligence.

And yet, somehow, Mayor Scott Gillingham and his administration find ways to justify their spending on pet projects while our core infrastructure crumbles. Instead of investing in essential services, this city siphons tens of millions from water and waste revenues, diverting that money to non-essential programs—arts grants, councillor pay hikes, car allowances, travel budgets, and every other frivolous expenditure you can think of. Meanwhile, the pipes that keep this city running are falling apart beneath our feet.

Infrastructure is not optional. It is the backbone of a functioning city. It should never be a second or third priority in the budget. But under this administration, it has been consistently ignored. The combined sewer project is a perfect example of just how little City Hall cares about following through on its obligations.

Councillor Brian Mayes told the Winnipeg Sun in 2024 that at the rate Mayor Gillingham has committed in his budget, the combined sewer work won’t be completed until 2090. That’s 45 years past the already generous 2045 deadline. This isn’t just incompetence—it’s a deliberate refusal to take responsibility. And this isn’t the first time Winnipeg has played this game.

The provincial government recently established new nutrient reduction targets, claiming they will protect Manitoba’s lakes and rivers for future generations. Sounds great, doesn’t it? But without enforcement, these regulations are just another political stunt. Manitoba has set targets before—where did that get us? Right here. A city under investigation, an environment degraded, and no accountability from those in charge.

The North End Sewage Treatment Plant is another prime example of this city’s mismanagement. This project should have been completed years ago, but delays, mismanagement, and political excuses keep pushing it further and further down the road. How do they justify this? By dipping into water and waste profits to fund everything except actual water and waste infrastructure. The money that should have gone to fixing our failing pipes instead went to general revenues so this administration could pad its spending habits.

Now, with this sewage disaster still fresh, what is Gillingham’s response? He’s considering increasing water and sewer rates. That’s right—after imposing the highest property tax increase in decades, his administration is looking to squeeze even more out of Winnipeggers instead of cutting their reckless spending. This is unacceptable.

If this mayor and his council were serious about addressing infrastructure problems, they would start by stopping the siphoning of essential funds. They would dedicate water and waste revenues to what they are supposed to be used for—fixing and upgrading our water and waste systems. They would set hard deadlines for these overdue projects and stick to them. They would prioritize the basics before blowing millions on non-essential pet projects.

The fact that the city is now facing charges under the Environment Act should be a wake-up call, but I doubt it will be. If past behavior is any indication, this administration will do what it always does—make excuses, blame previous governments, and shuffle money around while ignoring the core issue. But Winnipeggers cannot afford this any longer. We cannot afford leadership that prioritizes vanity projects over the essential services we depend on. We cannot afford an administration that treats water and waste like a slush fund. We cannot afford Gillingham’s failed leadership.

The only solution is to demand real accountability. Stop the wasteful spending, stop the diversions, and stop treating infrastructure as an afterthought. The question is, when will City Hall finally start delivering?