News ReleaseManitoba Government Leads Provinces in Calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney for Bail ReformMarch 21, 2025 – Manitoba continues to lead the nation in reforming our bail system by joining with the Council of the Federation to call on Prime Minister Mark Carney to take swift action to keep Manitobans safe, Premier Wab Kinew and Justice Minister Matt Wiebe announced today.
The Minister of Finance must report on the effects of the government’s budget decisions on economic and social inclusion and greenhouse gas emissions in Manitoba.
The Act is amended to prevent a landlord from making such an application unless
the landlord has incurred eligible capital expenditures;
there has been an increase in costs for security services; or
there has been an extraordinary increase in taxes, utilities or similar costs.
The director may order a landlord to phase in an approved increase over a number of years.
Landlords are also prevented from removing or reducing rent discounts for one year after an application for a rent increase above the maximum is made and from applying for a rent increase above the maximum within one year after removing or reducing a rent discount.
Registration is now open for the “Making Rights Matter” public interest advocacy conference, taking place on May 30, 2025.
Throughout the day, you’ll have the chance to attend various panels and keynote presentations led by legal practitioners and advocates in the field. Topics will include the use of evidence in public interest advocacy, multi-tool campaigns and public interest remedies to systemic problems.
The keynote speaker will be Professor Margot Young, an expert on constitutional and social justice law from University of British Columbia. Contributor to the paper collection Litigating Equality and co-editor to the collection Poverty: Rights, Social Citizenship and Legal Activism, Professor Young was also Co-Principal Investigator of the Housing Justice Project. She will speak about the strengths and pitfalls of public interest litigation.
Registration for this event is free, however, donations are being graciously accepted at: legalaid.mb.ca/pilc/donate.
Please register at mrm-conference.eventbrite.ca.
News ReleaseProvince Introduces New LegislationMarch 5, 2025 – The Manitoba government is unveiling details of a new spring legislative agenda including: Proposed amendments to the Municipal Council and School Boards Elections Amendment and Public Schools Amendment Act, the oil and gas amendment act, the Housing and Renewal Corporation Act, and to the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act.
News ReleaseProvince Introduces New Legislation on Second Day of Spring SessionMarch 6, 2025 – “The Manitoba government introduced a number of new bills on the second day of the spring session. The legislation includes: The public schools amendment act, the environment amendment and waste reduction and prevention amendment act, the protecting youth in sports act, an act respecting O Canada and other observances and land and treaty acknowledgements in schools (education administration act and public schools act amended), and the he public interest expression defence act.”
News ReleaseManitoba Government Introduces Buy Canadian ActMarch 6, 2025 – “the Manitoba government introduced amendments to the Government Purchases Act that would prioritize Canadian suppliers. As a result of the buy Canadian act, the province would prioritize Canadian suppliers. “
The operator of a pipeline must not interrupt the supply of refined petroleum products in the province without first obtaining the consent of the minister. If operation of a pipeline must be suspended because of an emergency, the operator must notify the minister within 24 hours after the suspension.
The director may establish programs of inspection for wells, pipelines and other equipment used in the production of oil, gas, helium or natural hydrogen.
A person who holds a freehold lease of oil and gas rights must abandon a well or oil and gas facility in the lease area within 180 days after the expiry of the lease.
The minister may enter into agreements concerning the exploration for and the production of natural hydrogen.
The holder of a well licence must enter into an agreement with the minister before disposing of salt water in a spacing unit that includes oil and gas rights owned by the Crown.
The minister or director or an inspector may impose additional terms or conditions on a permit, licence or approval or rescind or vary a term or condition that was previously imposed.
An owner of a building that receives construction funding to provide social housing is prohibited from selling or demolishing the building or using it for a different purpose without the corporation’s consent. The consent may be given with or without conditions.
The corporation must file a caveat in the appropriate land titles office to reflect the prohibition. The caveat does not prevent the sale of the building by a financial institution on a mortgage sale or foreclosure. The prohibition and the caveat apply to current owners under new or existing agreements as well as subsequent owners of the building.
An owner cannot sue the corporation or the government for any loss that might arise from the enactment of the prohibition.
Consequential amendments are made to The Real Property Act.
Limits are placed on the amount of funds that may be held in a side account of a universal life insurance contract.
The co-ordinator of appeals is authorized to provide e-mail notification of an Insurance Agents’ and Adjusters’ Licensing Appeal Board hearing to an appellant.
The Insurance Agents’ and Adjusters’ Licensing Appeal Board, members of the appeal board and the co-ordinator of appeals are provided immunity from liability.
The Real Estate Services Act is amended to restore the Manitoba Securities Commission’s power to freeze funds and other assets of an unregistered person.
A two-year limitation period for prosecutions under the Act is also established. The limitation period begins to run from the day that the commission discovers the event giving rise to the prosecution.
An amendment is made to clarify that both the commission and the registrar can make a determination that a registrant engaged in unbecoming conduct.
Residents of a reserve in southern Manitoba will vote in the neighbouring school division or school district. If a reserve neighbours more than one school division or school district, the residents will vote in the school division or school district specified in the regulations, as requested by the band.
If a reserve includes reserve lands in an urban municipality, residents of that reserve land will vote in a school division or school district that includes the urban municipality.
For the northern school division, The Public Schools Act is amended to enable a reserve to be included in an area or ward of that division. Residents of the reserve will then be eligible to participate in the election of a local school committee.
Amendments are also made to enable a resident of a reserve to be a candidate in an election of school trustees.
The existing provisions that enable a reserve to be established as a separate ward of a school division are not affected by these amendments.
The obligation to report on the school’s nutrition program established in May 2023 is carried forward.
Cabinet ministers are subject to a 20% ministerial salary reduction if a bill is passed to reduce or repeal the statutory obligation to provide a nutrition program.
establish a policy about appropriate and inappropriate interactions between students and staff on and off school sites that includes procedures for reporting and addressing violations; and
provide information about the policy to students, parents and the public.
The school board must ensure that school staff, coaches and volunteers complete sexual abuse prevention and school sport abuse prevention programs once every four years.
The Education Administration Act is amended to give the minister the power to approve the abuse prevention programs.
The policy frameworks are to set out activities, criteria and measures in licensed early learning and child care environments and the public school system to
support the learning and development of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children; and
ensure that all Manitoba children are educated about truth and reconciliation, treaties, colonial history, the ongoing impacts of colonization and the contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
Sport Manitoba must establish a safe sport policy that sets out behavioural expectations and prohibited conduct for young athletes, parents, coaches and other sport officials.
Each provincial sports organization must adopt and implement the safe sport policy and make information about it available to parents and young athletes. Parents and young athletes must be informed about the complaint process to be followed if they believe the policy has been contravened.
Coaches must take courses on how to create a safe and positive environment for young athletes and identify and prevent maltreatment.
A complaint of maltreatment of a young athlete must be investigated by an independent adjudicator who is authorized to impose discipline if they find that maltreatment occurred.
Sport Manitoba must notify all provincial sports organizations when a coach or sport official is found to have maltreated a young athlete and inform them about the discipline imposed. The discipline applies across all sports and must be enforced by every provincial sports organization.
prohibit the unauthorized release of a pollutant that may have an adverse effect on the environment;
establish reporting and notification obligations for the director and persons responsible when there is a release or imminent risk of a release of a pollutant, including an obligation to notify the local authorities in affected areas;
enable an environmental protection order to be used to require that specified steps be taken to notify those who may be affected by a release of a pollutant; and
modernize the manner in which public notice of proposals and hearings may be given.
Unproclaimed amendments to The Environment Act dealing with public notices are repealed.
TheWaste Reduction and Prevention Act is amended to consolidate the semi-annual payment of the waste reduction and recycling support levy into an annual payment.
A defendant in a proceeding may bring a motion to dismiss the proceeding on the grounds that the proceeding arises from a communication made by the defendant on a matter of public interest.
No further steps may be taken by any party in the proceeding or in a proceeding before an administrative tribunal that relates to the same matter of public interest until a decision on the dismissal motion has been made.
If a worker who dies as a result of a workplace injury does not have a current or former spouse or common-law partner, the lump sum that would have been paid to such a spouse is instead paid to the worker’s estate or to another person determined by the Workers Compensation Board.
If the evidence is evenly balanced in a proceeding before the board, the board must give the benefit of the doubt to
a worker or dependant when deciding an issue affecting their claim for compensation; and
an employer when deciding an issue affecting their assessment.
The deadline for the appeal commission to submit its annual report to the minister is extended from April 30 to May 31.
conduct a preliminary analysis of the viability and expected risks, costs and benefits of using a public-private partnership for the project;
make information about the project and preliminary analysis publicly available and provide an opportunity for the public to comment;
comply with applicable procurement laws, agreements, policies and procedures;
engage an independent fairness monitor who will oversee the procurement process and prepare a final report and contract summary; and
report to the Auditor General and to the public at various stages of the project.
During the term of the public-private partnership, a private sector entity must not acquire or hold, directly or indirectly, an ownership interest in the procured public work or improvements.
A person 18 years of age or older is no longer required to include a supporting letter from a health care professional when applying for a change of sex designation.
Additional amendments are made in the English version to incorporate gender-neutral language.
Manitoba Hydro is not obligated to provide power as requested by a customer if
the requested use is ineligible under the regulations; or
in respect of a large supply of power, it is not reasonably feasible for Manitoba Hydro to supply the power or the use does not meet eligibility criteria requirements set out in the regulations.
When Manitoba Hydro is obligated to provide power, requests are to be addressed in the order in which they are received. However, the regulation may set out types of uses that are to be given priority. The minister may also direct that a particular request be prioritized if the minister considers doing so to be in the public interest.
These amendments apply to a request for power made before or after these amendments come into force, but do not apply to a request that is subject to a construction agreement between a customer and Manitoba Hydro.
If power is not provided in respect of a request due to these amendments, the customer is entitled to a refund of amounts paid to Manitoba Hydro.
The purposes of the Act are expanded to include enabling workers to work in psychologically safe workplaces.
Dangerous work is confirmed to be work involving an imminent risk of serious physical or health injury where reasonable controls have not been put in place.
An employer may be ordered to put in place a medical surveillance program if the Chief Occupational Medical Officer has reason to believe that a worker has been over-exposed to a harmful substance.
Complaints regarding reprisals in unionized workplaces continue to be dealt with under the Act. Wages lost due to a reprisal may be collected as if they were unpaid wages under The Employment Standards Code.
Amendments related to the Manitoba Labour Board include enabling the Board to
determine whether hearings are to be by oral or written submissions; and
award hearing costs against a party in appropriate circumstances.
The Workplace Safety and Health Branch (the “branch”) may decline to deal with a matter if the worker has chosen to deal with the matter in a different forum.
The period during which improvement orders and stop work orders must be posted at a workplace is extended and orders of the branch may be served electronically.
Related employers may be treated as a single employer for the purposes of the Act.
An employer who is required to conduct a risk assessment must ensure that the assessment is carried out by a competent person.
A petition for registering a political party must be signed by people who appear on the register of voters instead of people who voted in the previous election.
The fee for auditing a candidate’s financial statement is increased to $2,500 and all the auditor fees are indexed to inflation.
A contribution by way of a testamentary disposition may be made if the contribution meets the other requirements of the Act.
The contribution limit is no longer indexed to inflation and is reset to $5,000.
The limit on a loan made by a person or an organization (other than a financial institution, registered party or constituency association) is increased from $3,000 to $5,000.
A registered party is required to establish a code of conduct that includes a complaint procedure for advertising done by the party or by one of its constituency associations, candidates or leadership contestants.
The annual reporting deadline for a constituency association is extended from January 31 to March 31.
A late filing fee must be paid within 30 days.
The Elections Act
The Elections Act is amended as follows.
The term of office for the next CEO is set at 10 years and may be renewed. A term may be extended for up to 12 months if necessary due to a general election.
To update the register of voters, the CEO may enter into an agreement with any person or body the CEO considers to be a source of reliable information.
Advanced voting at returning offices is extended to include the Sunday and Monday before election day.
On election day, a voter may vote at any returning office in the province.
Offence provisions relating to publishing false statements and impersonation are added, and an administrative penalty scheme is included to enforce compliance with the new provisions.
The maximum penalty for serious offences is increased.
Under amendments to The Law of Property Act and The Real Property Act, certain property controls are void and can no longer be created.
Existing property controls are void unless the holder registers them under The Real Property Act within 180 days after the amendments come into force. Property controls that are not registered are void.
Certain existing exclusivity clauses that restrict supermarkets are amended to remove the restriction.
The minister or another person may initiate the review of a property control, and the matter may be referred to the Municipal Board if the minister determines the property control may be contrary to the public interest.
Under amendments to The Municipal Board Act, the board may order a property control discharged or amended if the board finds it to be contrary to the public interest.
A person who holds a property control cannot sue the government for any loss that might arise from the enactment of the amendments.
A landlord may evict a tenant who engages in unlawful activity in the residential complex if that conduct poses a significant risk to the safety of other tenants. Drug trafficking and human trafficking are deemed to pose a significant risk to the safety of other tenants.
Specific examples of evidence and information that the Director of Residential Tenancies may consider in an application to evict a tenant for unlawful activity are provided. Police officers and investigators under The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act who give evidence about unlawful activities cannot be compelled to give evidence that might identify a confidential informant or negatively affect ongoing investigations or intelligence-gathering techniques.
A consequential amendment is made to The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act.
Bill 33The Public Health Amendment Act/Loi modifiant la Loi sur la santé publique – Under The Public Health Act, a person who fails to comply with a communicable disease order may be apprehended and detained if the person presents a threat to public health. A person may also be temporarily detained because of their exposure to a virulent and highly communicable disease or a contaminant.
Amendments are made to permit detention only in a hospital or other facility set out in the regulations. A detention order must now be made by a provincial court judge and not a justice of the peace.
Under amendments to The Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Act, premiums payable by the owner of a fleet of vehicles or the holder of a blanket certificate are to be based on the previous loss experience of the owner or holder. Rebates or surcharges respecting these premiums will no longer be paid or required.
a person whose driver’s licence is suspended pending the provision of a medical report is disqualified from driving a motor vehicle or operating an off-road vehicle; and
a person who is obligated to provide an impaired driver’s assessment is not eligible to hold a driver’s licence until they provide the assessment and complete any required education or treatment program.
Further amendments are made to
have only one parent required to approve a person under the age of 18 being issued a driver’s licence, identification card or vehicle registration;
include the class and subclass of a person’s driver’s licence in the searchable database of driver’s licence information; and
make it an offence for a person to authorize, permit or acquiesce in someone other than a qualified mechanic issuing a safety inspection certificate, or having someone issue a false or misleading certificate.
The Highway Traffic Act is amended to no longer require a person to surrender their driver’s licence when they apply for a review of a suspension or disqualification order. An amendment related to an amendment of The Drivers and Vehicles Act is also made.
A consequential amendment is made to The Off-Road Vehicles Act.
The authority is a statutory corporation that is mandated to carry out the regulatory and adjudicative functions previously performed by the Manitoba Securities Commission under The Securities Act, The Real Estate Services Act, The Mortgage Brokers Act, The Commodity Futures Act and other statutes.
The authority is also given statutory responsibility for the administration of The Insurance Act and The Credit Unions and Caisses Populaires Act.
Streamlined processes for investigations, hearings, reviews and appeals are established. Accountability mechanisms to maintain government oversight of the authority are provided.
Related and consequential amendments are made to various Acts to enable the authority to perform its functions under those statutes and to repeal provisions that are inconsistent with the new provisions that govern the authority and its operations.
The operator of a tow truck or other roadside assistance vehicle is authorized to place traffic control devices on the highway when providing roadside assistance.
A driver is required to follow at least 30 metres behind a snowplow or other winter maintenance vehicle. This distance is increased to 100 metres if the speed limit of the highway is more than 80 km/h.
Passing a winter maintenance vehicle is prohibited unless additional precautions are taken.
A driver must proceed with caution when meeting a winter maintenance vehicle in an intersection or travelling in the opposite direction.
A driver must keep a distance of at least one metre when passing a bicycle or power-assisted bicycle.
Candidates are required to register before soliciting or accepting contributions or incurring campaign expenses. Only individuals who reside in Manitoba may make contributions.
Maximum contribution and campaign expense limits are set out and a candidate must not incur a deficit in running their campaign.
Candidates must report on their contributions and expenses, including reporting the names of those individuals who donate $250 or more.
Failing to comply with these provisions is an offence, but a conviction for such an offence does not result in a successful candidate forfeiting their seat.
For each health authority, the minister’s annual report to the Assembly is to include the number of children under 15 years of age assessed by specially trained health professionals rather than information about the health authority’s inventory of sexual assault evidence kits.
The title of the Act is changed to The Reporting of Supports for Child Survivors of Sexual Assault Act(Trained Health Professionals and Patient Assessments).
A homeowner who does not want to receive any more unsolicited purchase offers may give written notice to the person who made the offer requesting that they stop making offers. It is an offence to make any further purchase offers to the homeowner after the notice has been provided.
If a homeowner who is not represented by a realtor is willing to sell their home to a person who made an unsolicited purchase offer, the person who made the offer must give the homeowner a disclosure statement. The disclosure statement provides information to a homeowner about how to determine the value of their home and their rights under the Act.
A homeowner who is willing to sell their home to a person who made an unsolicited purchase offer must be represented by a realtor in the sale. The purchaser must reimburse the homeowner for the fees of their realtor.
The homeowner may cancel the sale of their home within 30 days after the agreement of purchase and sale is executed. Any sale to a person who made an unsolicited purchase offer is not enforceable if the homeowner did not receive the required disclosure statement or if the homeowner was not represented by a realtor or was not reimbursed for the fees of their realtor.
The Manitoba Law Library would like to acknowledge with gratitude that we are situated on Treaty One Territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Cree and Dakota peoples, and the homeland of the Métis Nation.
Printing and Photocopying
If you need to use the library’s printing and photocopying services you will need to create an account. See us at the front desk for assistance.
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