Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 2, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba PRODUCED BY JAN. 10-12 RBC Convention Centre WINNIPEGRENOVATIONSHOW.COM SCAN QR CODE & BUY TICKETS ONLINE Promo Code: FREEPRESS 2-FOR-1 *On Regular Adult Admission Only COURTESY OF: COURTESY OF: THURSDAY JANUARY 2, 2025 ● ASSOCIATE EDITOR, NEWS: STACEY THIDRICKSON 204-697-7292 ● CITY.DESK@FREEPRESS.MB.CA ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM SECTION B CONNECT WITH WINNIPEG’S NO. 1 NEWS SOURCE ▼ CITY ● BUSINESS Outlet mall-area housing the shape of things to come A PROPOSAL to create more than 400 homes close to ample shopping and transportation options offers a glimpse of how the city hopes to build up mall and corridor areas in the future. A project proposed for the 600 block of Sterling Lyon Parkway will add to many homes already in the area, which built up relatively quickly over the last decade. The site isn’t among the mall and transportation corridor sites where council recently approved zoning chan- ges to attract more housing but displays the kind of community the new rules aim to entice, according to Winnipeg’s deputy mayor. “It’s reflective of what we’re doing now … It’s very progressive. That’s why we moved the malls and corridors bylaw so it would see development like what’s happening at Sterling Lyon,” said Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West). The new project proposes to subdiv- ide the properties at 639, 645, 655 and 669 Sterling Lyon Parkway into five separate lots. Two of the lots would pro- vide multi-family housing, each with a seven-storey building. Overall, the project would create 439 dwelling units. One building would have 298 parking stalls, while the other would include 185 spaces. Another 203 existing parking spots will remain on an adjacent property. Future residents would be close to Ikea, Outlet Collection Winnipeg and other retailers. In a report, city planners recommend approval of the plans, which would re- quire a final council vote. Lukes said the new residents could make use of many nearby amenities, with easy access to retail, transit and green space, and add to a community of existing apartment blocks in the area. “You can shop, work, there’s lots of activities … It’s a highly desirable loca- tion with great opportunities for work,” she said. JOYANNE PURSAGA SUPPLIED The development requires council approval and appears to mesh with city goals to create homes near amenities. ‘We don’t have much of a choice’ M IKE Standing phoned all his friends and told them to get their last tank of discounted fuel while he was filling up at the Pet- ro-Canada gas bar on Madison Street. The posted price was 117.9 cents per litre. But not for long. “It’s going to hurt a lot,” he said, re- ferring to the return of the 12.5-cent provincial fuel tax. He said he’s seen prices creep high- er across the city recently, before the yearlong tax holiday ended at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. Although there is a permanent 1.5- cent cut to the tax, which was 14 cents per litre prior to Jan. 1, 2024, Standing figures it will be a barely noticeable “break,” when he pays for his fuel. Motorists lined up to fill their tanks Tuesday before the tax kicked in and the price spiked. Darren Barnesky said he should have taken a couple gas cans with him when he rolled up with his Ford F-150 on empty. He’s expecting it’ll cost at least $180 to fill up his truck in the new year. “We don’t really have much of a choice (when paying the tax),” he said. “We’re going to have to bear down and look for cheaper prices wherever we can.” Fuel prices were up to 149.1 cents per litre at many stations across the city, up from 135.9 cents per litre on Dec. 31. Some cheaper fuel could still be had, with customers reporting prices as low as 124.9 cents per litre at Canco on Isabel Street on GasBuddy.com. Simranjit Singh, a delivery driv- er, pulled up to the pump midway through his route. He said he puts a lot of kilometres on the odometer and has to buy gas daily. He said the price jump from the reinstated tax concerns him. He’s al- ready working two jobs to make ends meet amid the high cost of living. “It’s going to affect everybody… I hope the prices come down soon,” he said. Uber driver Hartley Macklin drives at least 250 kilometres a day. He said the tax holiday made a significant dif- ference to his bottom line. “We all know that we have to pay for the tax at some point, either at the gasoline (pump) or somewhere else,” he said while waiting in line at the 204 Fuels station on Sargent Avenue. The provincial government gave up an estimated $340 million in lost tax revenue as a result of the tax suspen- sion. Drivers seek out one last cheap fill before provincial sales tax returns to their fuel bill MATTHEW FRANK RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS Simranjit Singh, at the Mobil station on Sargent Avenue and St. James Street, fills up daily and says he hopes gas prices come down soon. ● GAS TAX, CONTINUED ON B2 It’s not just gas that’s pricier BEING a Winnipegger became a little more expensive as the calen- dar flipped into 2025 on Wednesday. Most started paying a little more to ring in the New Year, whether it’s fuel prices and transit fares or prop- erty taxes and city fees. For Winnipeg Transit riders, that means a 10-cent hike for regular fares, which works out to just under $4 on monthly e-pass and paper passes. Many who rely on Transit to get around told the Free Press on New Year’s Day that while it’s annoying to see fares rising again, it’s a neces- sary evil they have to live with. “I used to buy it weekly, and it was a struggle,” said Laura, a senior cit- izen who works part-time and uses transit to get back and forth. Laura now purchases a senior’s monthly pass, which has now risen by $1.90 to $57.75. “It adds up,” she said. Another user, Kadin, said it’s un- fair given his fixed income. Kadin purchases the 28-day pass every month, which costs $3.55 more as of Jan. 1. “Most of it goes to bills,” he said. “I feel like (bus passes) cost too much.” For others like Jordan Skowronek, who regularly accesses transit to get downtown for work and Jets games, it works out to an extra dollar per week if he rides twice daily. “In my opinion, fares should be higher to pay for rapid transit improvements,” he said. Transit fare hikes were among a list of services, taxes and fees that became more costly as the calendar clicked over. Away from the roads, Winnipeg homeowners on the TIPP (tax in- stalment payment plan) program for their property taxes can expect a 50 per cent hike, on average, to their monthly payments. SCOTT BILLECK ● PRICES, CONTINUED ON B2 ● HOUSING, CONTINUED ON B2 ;