City of Winnipeg reconsiders community grant cut

Winnipeg city council has sent a proposed cut to the Community Grants program back to the executive policy committee after numerous organizations and residents voiced their opposition.

“I’ve heard from organizations I’ve spoken to … in the last 24, 48 hours specifically, that are concerned about the potential impact on their grants if this was to proceed as was originally planned,” Mayor Scott Gillingham told reporters.

“I would like to see executive policy committee find a way to maintain $3.4 million of funding in the envelope for 2025.”

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The proposed cut would see grant funding reduced to about $1.3 million. Ahead of Thursday’s city council meeting, more than 100 people gathered outside city hall to protest.

The attendees listed creating healthy communities, reducing crime and providing mentors for youth as some of the benefits of the program, arguing it provides a good return on investment.

Art City artistic director Eddie Ayoub said the cut would “profoundly destabilize” the affected grant recipients. The grant Art City receives accounts for about 15 per cent of its budget, and that’s what allows them to operate.

“The reason that they (grant recipients) have received these community grants in the first place is because they’re reconciling, or at least addressing, a lot of complex issues that the city just didn’t have its own resources to really effectively address,” Ayoub said.

Gillingham moved a motion to send the item back to the executive policy committee, which passed unanimously.

“I think hearing from the organization certainly has made a difference in this case,” Gillingham said.

The next executive policy committee meeting is on July 9.