‘Shovels in the ground’: Budget includes funding for new emergency room in Winnipeg

Premier Wab Kinew made an announcement about health-care on budget day. Ainsley McPhail has more.

While the majority of what’s in the budget won’t be known until it’s tabled in the legislature on Thursday, Manitoba’s premier shared that one health project in Winnipeg is among the items listed inside.

Premier Wab Kinew confirmed to CTV Morning Live Winnipeg that there is funding for a new emergency room at Victoria Hospital in this year’s budget.

“This is one of the key election commitments we made on the way into government, a new emergency room for the most important hospital in south Winnipeg serving fast-growing communities like Bridgwater, South Pointe, and everyone in South Winnipeg,” he said.

Kinew said the funding in the budget will be able to get the project started, with the goal of having “shovels in the ground” later in 2025.

“We’re going to be there at the Vic circling back again with some of those front-line health-care workers saying, as we move forward to get this construction project going, how do we make sure that your work site doesn’t become a construction site?” Kinew said. “How do we do this build at the same time that we’re still providing medical care to people at the Victoria Hospital?”

The budget is scheduled to be tabled Thursday afternoon. The province has indicated there will be plans to address the impact of tariffs from the United States.

- With files from CTV’s Ainsley McPhail