Needle cleanup coming to more public spaces in Winnipeg, including transit shelters, civic plazas

The City of Winnipeg is increasing the number of public spaces where crews will collect used needles over the next five months, after council approved reallocating more funding to expand its proactive cleanup program.

Needle cleanup coming to more public spaces in Winnipeg, including transit shelters, civic plazas 'We need to make sure that public spaces are available to the public,' says mayor The City of Winnipeg is increasing the number of public spaces where crews will collect used needles and other debris over the next five months, after council approved reallocating more funding to expand its proactive cleanup program. "This is about taking the good work that is being done ... and reallocating some resources that are not being used currently and putting them to use for the sake of the people of Winnipeg," Mayor Scott Gillingham told reporters on Thursday.

The city had set up a two-staff crew in April 2025 that regularly visited 16 sites within Winnipeg's downtown to monitor and remove "dangerous debris." According to a report issued in December, 6,358 needles and 177 weapons were collected during the initial sweep, which ran until October. Gillingham put forward a motion on Thursday, which was approved by city council, to bring the cleanup program to more city parks and other public spaces, including transit shelters, civic plazas and community centre grounds.

"We need to make sure that public spaces are available to the public," Gillingham said. "Families should not have to be concerned about needles ... people waiting for buses shouldn't have to put up with debris."

No specific locations laid out yet The motion stated that the "current concentration of unmanaged open drug use and illicit drug trafficking" is creating "significant" public health risks, including through exposure to discarded needles. Gillingham didn't give specifics on Thursday as to which areas the expanded cleanup will cover, but he said 311 complaints and concerns that people have raised with city councillors will be taken into consideration.

"This work will extend into December and let's get a report back in January and to see what recommendations the public service would make for a future year," the mayor said. The cleanup expansion would lay the foundation for a new Enhanced Public Space Program that would be funded with part of the money the city had originally allocated to N'Dinawemak to operate a 24/7 Safe Space Program. The shelter at 190 Disraeli Fwy. closed down in April, leaving a $206,250 balance that had not been spent, according to the motion.

It is unclear how the money will be spent or if more staff will be hired. Coun. Sherri Rollins seconded Gillingham's motion.

She said expanding the proactive cleanup is an improvement, but adds more has to be done to address the impacts of substance abuse in the city. "Our goal here in this council should be to build a co-ordinated system that helps people in crisis, support front-line workers and protects public spaces," she said at Thursday's council meeting. Rollins said a broader public safety framework that addresses the drug crisis in Winnipeg has to be established, and that should include setting up a fourth emergency response service.

"By no means do I believe the work here is done with this motion today," she said. With files from Cameron MacLean