On January 29, 2026, the Manitoba government announced an $11.4-million investment to support municipal fire services, funding 22 capital projects through the Manitoba Growth, Renewal and Opportunities for Municipalities (GRO) program. The funding will help rural and northern municipalities upgrade fire halls, acquire modern fire trucks and strengthen emergency response capacity across the province.
The announcement follows a difficult 2025 wildfire season. The Winkler Fire Department was among many southern departments that were deployed north through the province’s mutual aid system to assist with firefighting and structural protection, a pattern that strained local resources and highlighted the need to replace aging apparatus.
Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard said the goal is to make sure first responders have what they need to work safely and reach emergencies faster. “Our government is committed to ensuring every community in Manitoba has the tools and infrastructure needed to protect residents when it matters most,” Simard said in the Jan. 29 news release. The GRO program provides cost-shared grants of up to 50 per cent of eligible project costs, and approved projects include purchases of pumper trucks and renovations or additions to fire halls.
The province’s news release named five approved projects and recipients — the RM of Ste. Anne, the RM of MacDonald, the City of Thompson, the Town of Virden and the Town of Teulon — and said 22 projects in total were approved, leaving 17 projects not detailed in the release. Local leaders in Winkler have said they need to keep pace with the city’s rapid growth while limiting the cost to local taxpayers.
The announcement comes amid recent tension between different levels of government — including a CBC News report on a late-2025 funding dispute with the City of Winnipeg — underscoring why provincial grants such as Manitoba GRO are an important source of capital funding for many rural municipalities that need expensive, specialized fire apparatus to protect expanding residential and industrial areas.
