Cuthbert Grant’s Mill springtime Winnipeg, Manitoba
Klein Media stock photo by danhusseyphoto
Grant’s Old Mill should not be closed, and it should never have reached this point. What we are seeing is not bad luck or an unexpected setback. It is the direct result of years of neglect and a failure to prioritize what actually matters.
This is not complicated, and that is what makes it so frustrating.
When I was the MLA for Kirkfield Park, I worked to secure $300,000 in provincial funding through the Ministry of Culture, Sport, Heritage and Tourism to support the mill’s restoration. That funding was not symbolic. It was meant to address a known problem before it became a crisis. To their credit, Premier Wab Kinew and local MLA Logan Oxenham honoured that commitment after the election. That is how government should work—commitments made, commitments kept.
The breakdown happened at City Hall.
Kelly Ryback, who served on the St. James-Assiniboia Pioneer Association board, made it clear the warning signs were there for years. The mill “was in need of a rebuild and only had a shelf life of a few years before it would be declared unsafe due to rotting deterioration.” That is not a sudden failure. That is a known issue left to worsen.
Ryback also pointed out what many residents already understand: this is “another example… where regular maintenance does not get performed, leaving extensive, costly work or loss.” That pattern is repeated across Winnipeg. Infrastructure is ignored until the cost doubles or the asset is shut down. It is not efficient. It is not responsible. And it is not acceptable.
The result in this case is clear. The building has been deemed unsafe and closed to the public. A historic site that should be preserved and shared is now locked up because basic upkeep was not done when it should have been.
Grant’s Old Mill is not just a local attraction. It is part of Winnipeg’s and Manitoba’s history. Generations have visited it. It connects people to the past in a tangible way. When we allow places like this to deteriorate, we are choosing to let that connection fade.
At the same time, City Hall is moving ahead with a nearly $200 million community centre in Councillor Janice Lukes’ ward. No one is suggesting that the community should go without. Residents deserve proper facilities. But there is a difference between meeting needs and overspending for the sake of it.
Wouldn’t a $50 million facility serve the community? The remaining funds could be used to repair, upgrade, and maintain community centres across the entire city. That would be balanced. That would be responsible. Instead, what we are seeing looks like a political calculation—securing support at the council by directing major spending into one area.
That may work politically, but it is not working for Winnipeg.
Because while large, headline projects move forward, the basics are falling apart. The city has mishandled the golf course food vendor situation, creating unnecessary costs and confusion. Taxes, fees, and property assessments continue to rise at a pace that residents feel every day. Yet despite paying more, people are not seeing better results.
There is also the issue of ward budgets. Councillors now have larger allowances, but too often those funds are spent on visible items that double as political promotion—bus benches, signage, and constant reminders of who is in office. Meanwhile, the long-term responsibilities of maintaining infrastructure and protecting important sites are pushed aside.
The city continues to spend millions on bike lanes and a range of smaller initiatives that may check boxes but do little to address core needs. Grants are handed out broadly, but there is little discussion about outcomes or value. Taxpayers are left asking a simple question: what are we getting in return?
In the case of Grant’s Old Mill, the answer is obvious. We had funding. We had warnings. We had time. What we did not have was action from the city.
This is where leadership matters, and this is where City Hall is falling short. The role of the council is not to chase headlines or manage political alliances. It is to make decisions that serve the entire city and to protect the assets that belong to all of us.
Grant’s Old Mill is not an isolated problem. It belongs in the same conversation as our roads, our bridges, and the North End treatment plant. These are not optional investments. They are fundamental responsibilities, and they have been consistently pushed down the priority list.
Winnipeg deserves better than this. Residents are not asking for perfection, but they do expect competence, balance, and common sense. Right now, they are not getting it.
The city needs to reset its priorities. Maintain what we have before building what we don’t need. Spend based on value, not politics. Treat every community fairly, not selectively.
Grant’s Old Mill matters, and the way this has been handled should concern anyone who cares about the future of this city.
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