FCM urges federal investment in municipal supports

Investing directly in municipalities is essential to achieving national priorities around housing, infrastructure, and community safety, according to recommendations submitted by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)ahead of the upcoming federal budget.

The advocacy group is calling on Ottawa to enhance direct municipal funding models to ensure local governments can effectively address pressing regional needs.

“If you invest in municipalities, we believe Canada can achieve what it wants in terms of housing, infrastructure, and community safety,” said FCM Manitoba Director and Portage Finance Chair Joe Masi.

A core priority identified by the FCM is sustained investment in core municipal infrastructure, including roads, recreation facilities, and water treatment systems.

In Portage la Prairie, city officials are seeking federal cost-sharing support through direct-delivery funding to assist with a major expansion of the local water treatment plant. Masi noted that the FCM is pushing for dedicated funding streams tailored specifically for smaller municipalities, which currently must compete against major urban centres like Toronto and Vancouver for the same grants.

“We’re confident that we will be successful, hopefully, in getting cost-sharing, but we want FCM to continue to push that we need to continue investing in municipal infrastructure,” Masi said, adding that “one size does not fit all” when designing federal programs.

On housing, the FCM is calling for adjustments to the Housing Accelerator Fund to make its criteria more accessible to mid-sized and smaller communities. The organization is also advocating for the renewal and expansion of the Reaching Home homelessness initiative, which funds local shelter and support programs through organizations like the Portage Community Revitalization Corporation.

Regarding community safety, the FCM is emphasizing the need for collaborative federal-provincial implementation of recently passed bail reform legislation. Masi stresses that reducing court backlogs, improving cross-jurisdictional data sharing, and strengthening bail compliance monitoring are critical next steps. Additionally, the FCM continues to press for reduced Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) vacancy rates and expanded federal resources for mental health and addiction supports.

Masi emphasized that Portage la Prairie’s strong financial position makes it an ideal candidate for federal cost-sharing programs, pointing to recent local projects like the Saskatchewan Avenue West revamp and the new Community Safety Officer (CSO) facility as examples of fiscal readiness.

“Portage la Prairie is sound financially, we’ve been very responsible with our money, and we can do these projects when cost-sharing becomes available,” Masi said. “If you want to build Canada, it starts at the municipal level.”