Gillingham promises city will pay for volunteers’ criminal record checks if re-elected

Scott Gillingham’s first promise of his re-election campaign is a commitment to cover the cost of criminal record checks for Winnipeg volunteers.

The mayor said the $65 charge is the highest for volunteers of major cities in Canada.

About 6,500 Winnipeggers obtain criminal record checks for volunteer purposes every year. Fees are collected by the Winnipeg Police Service. Gillingham said taxpayers would cover the lost revenue to the police service. The city would set up a voucher program that would allow organizations to offer free record checks to volunteers.

“Some pay those fees themselves, and in many cases, it’s the community organizations who cover the costs on their behalf,” Gillingham said Friday at the Sturgeon Heights Community Centre.

“For community centres and non-profit organizations operating on tight budgets, these costs add up quickly, and that money, of course, could be better spent. It could be spent on programming, equipment, or finding other ways to help the people that are serving.”

Criminal record checks are required for a wide range of volunteer services, including programs that works with youth, seniors and other marginalized groups.

Some volunteer positions require more than one criminal record check be obtained yearly, and the cost has become a “significant barrier” to getting people involved, said Ashley Seymour, executive director of Volunteer Manitoba.

“One message that we’re hearing consistently is that organizations are facing growing demand for their services while finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain volunteers needed to support their work,” she said.

Many Manitoba communities offer free or low-cost criminal record checks for volunteers.

In Brandon, while a basic record check is $58.75, a non-profit agency can obtain one for $13. In Winkler, residents can get the $35 fee waived if they provide a letter from the organization with which they volunteer.

At some Winnipeg community centres, the savings could be used to bolster services.

“(Community centres are) scrambling for not only volunteers, but funds to operate and also to help pay for things like just keeping the lights on,” said James Teichroew, president of Sturgeon Heights Community Centre. “This initiative is critical to help ensure that our centres can continue providing the services and attracting people that we need to run.”

Gillingham said the program would launch after spring 2027 if he is re-elected.

The announcement is the first of Gillingham’s campaign in his fight for a second term.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca