Statement by MBT Executive Director Tanya Palson on the City of Winnipeg’s Award for the next phase of NEWPCC

July 18, 2024

Winnipeg – Manitoba Building Trades is disappointed with the Standing Committee’s decision to move ahead without further review of the recommendation on the preferred proponent for the next phase of the North End Waste Pollution Control Centre.

Our council has been at delegations to council for years expressing concerns about a lack of local hiring, workforce development, and effective diversity policies within the major waste water projects of the past decade. Today’s decision continues the unfortunate trend of department level ignorance towards understanding and evaluating the broader economic impacts to the local community.

As a council, we implore Mayor Gillingham to make good on his commitment to hire a Chief Construction Officer to advise and provide oversight on major infrastructure procurement. It is extremely concerning that the single largest project in the city’s history has moved forward without this oversight despite noted issues with transparency and efficacy of our infrastructure procurement to warrant the creation of said position.

Further, we will continue our efforts to ensure that public transparency and accountability is enforced on the preferred proponents commitments within the social procurement requirements on this project, including local workforce engagement and training.