$1 phone bill surcharge for 911 upgrades delayed in Winnipeg

The City of Winnipeg is moving toward a new and improved 911 system, but a plan to pay for it has hit a snag.

"A bit of a learning curve, our public service wasn't aware (of). Now we know, not a big deal," said Coun. Jeff Browaty

The city was set to add a $1 monthly fee to all phone bills with Winnipeg addresses. The money would be used to fund millions of dollars worth of upgrades to 911. The new technology, known as Next Generation 911, allows 911 to accept texts, photos, and videos. Finance Committee Chair Browaty, who is the chair of the finance committee, said the technology can help people when they aren’t able to speak on the phone.

“You can quite discretely, sometimes in a bad situation, communicate through 911 through texting."

That $1 fee was supposed to be tacked on to phone bills in July, but that hasn't happened. The city estimates it’s out $3.7 million in revenue this year. Browaty said city staff was unaware a bylaw was needed for the changes, which has now been passed. On top of this, provincial approval is required, which hasn't happened to date.

"We've had some early discussions with them and it sounds positive, but it's not a guarantee at this point," said Browaty.

It's unclear what the province will do. A provincial spokesperson tells CTV News Winnipeg they are consulting with the city on the fee, and will then look at options.

Federal regulators mandated the 911 upgrades across the country. Other regions already have the enhanced service and have surcharges to pay for 911 operations.