All Together Now: The Suburban Development Pattern Doesn’t Pay for Itself

Winnipeg’s proposed billion-dollar road extension has sparked a debate over whether it’s worth the cost. A new city report claims the Chief Peguis Trail extension will eventually generate a $1.8 billion surplus—but only if property taxes continue to rise steadily for 75 years. The reality, though, is that this growth model doesn’t pay for itself. Instead, it will push higher taxes, cuts to services, and deferred infrastructure maintenance, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for a development that may not deliver. Elmwood Guy writing for his beloved Winnipeg unpacks the financial sandwich that’s emptier than the promises of politicians and consulting engineers.

Why does what happens in Winnipeg matter in Minot? Because we’re in the same development-infrastructure-financing trap. We’ve forgotten that the world we live in wasn’t built to completion when it started; it evolved — one slow non-subsidized project at a time. Tonight, Minot City Council will consider two items directly related to this — the heavily subsidized 16th Street redevelopment and a proposed land sale involving Minot Public Schools land that’s asking for a public commitment to infrastructure.

Elmwood Guy

Dear Winnipeg

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