Institute of Urban Studies

Canada’s energy transition policies aim to accelerate decarbonization and critical mineral development, yet they rarely address how gender, sexuality, and disability shape people’s experiences. This report finds limited research an minimal policy engagement with queer and disabled communities, resulting in superficial inclusion. It calls for meaningful intersectional analysis to ensure energy and mining policies reflect the realities of Canadians.

This project synthesizes existing knowledge concerning municipal finance systems in England and Canada using a complex adaptive system (CAS) framework. The objective is to improve understanding of the complexity of municipal finance and to aid comparison of municipal finance within broader systems of governance, and across international jurisdictions.

This research opened the archives of the West Broadway Community Last Trust which operated 25 years ago but dissolved after a short period of time. We trace the problems that led to its dissolution and celebrate the victories achieved. The lessons learned from this early Canadian attempt at a land trust informs current efforts to start a new land trust in West Broadway, as well as new efforts across Canada.

Executive Summary

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This update revisits our previous downtown Winnipeg mapping, bringing the analysis to the end of 2023. We have re-catalogued and mapped developments with improved information, taking note of new development planned while removing a few tentative or stalled projects.

An examination of the lived experience of tenants who have been discriminated against in their search for rental housing, as well as during active tenancy, and post-occupation. Using a broader scope than most Canadian work, we develop a new framework for understanding discrimination resulting in a more nuanced understanding and leading to strong findings with actionable recommendations.

Research Insight

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Public health measures put in place during the pandemic impeded the delivery of services to people experiencing homelessness. This altered the lives of this population and contributed to the rise of urban encampments and the use of public spaces for emergency dwellings. Swift intervention by Winnipeg’s homeless-serving sector resulted in an Indigenous grassroots model of coordination for the pandemic response. Barriers remain though, and remain systemic.

This study focuses on the eviction experiences of seniors. It applies a life-course perspective that takes a holistic and longitudinal view to understanding housing histories, and the experiences and impacts of evictions for seniors.

Research Insight

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This study examines evictions in Canada through interviews and the compilation of an inventory of eviction prevention measures across Canada. We develop a new typology for understanding evictions and their causes. We find that the drivers, types, frequency, and scale of evictions have changed over the past 15 years, with a marked rise in development-related evictions in the context of tight housing markets and a lack of affordable housing.

To tell the story of West Broadway, we augment interview narratives, with data and other writings, using the framework of Neighbourhood Collective Agency. We share a 50-year history of neighbourhood change marked by periods of hope, struggle, and uncertainty. Together, these sources reveal the reality of neighbourhood change in a diverse community located in the heart of Winnipeg’s inner city.