Would you sign a 30-year mortgage for a house without knowing the price that you’re paying?

That’s exactly what Winnipeg City Council did on May 19th when they voted 9 to 4 in favour of a 30-year public private partnership (P3) with Veolia, one of the world’s largest water corporations, and one with a deplorable environmental and social track record.

After months of petitions, rallies and letters to the editor, Winnipeg citizens finally packed city hall on May 19th in a last-ditch appeal to their elected representatives to reject the multi-decade P3 contract.

As expected, the mayor and eight of the councilors ignored the public outcry and - despite the fact that they were not privy to the details of the actual contract – voted lock-step in favour of the deal. On the basis of a nine-page summary report written by city staff, they have committed the City of Winnipeg to a 30-year agreement with Veolia with total estimated operating costs of $1.6 billion and $661 million in capital costs that will involve the design, building and management of Winnipeg’s sewage treatment plant upgrades and expansion plans. This despite overwhelming public opposition to the deal.

Though the summary claims “all direct costs will be delivered on a transparent and open- book basis and be subject to audit,” the fact that Winnipegers – and even their elected representatives – will never see the fine print of the P3 contract is cause for concern, especially given the confidentiality rules that will protect Veolia throughout the run of the contract.

The Province still has some say in this, and “pro-public” advocates will keep up the pressure on their MLAs. You can offer your support by contacting the Winnipeg Council of Canadians

FAST FACTS on the Winnipeg P3
from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

So how bad could things be under Veolia?
See this video from Richmond, California
Richmond and Veolia - The Tale of the Perfidious Pair