What’s open, what’s closed in Winnipeg during the coronavirus pandemic Posted: 5:45 PM CST Friday, Nov. 20, 2020 Last Modified: 1:22 PM CST Tuesday, Mar. 8, 2022 Updates

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This article was published 20/11/2020 (2063 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Here’s a selection of restrictions, policy changes and what’s open and closed in Winnipeg during the pandemic.

Jump to: City services | Provincial services | Justice and courts | Entertainment and Leisure | Travel

General restrictions

Restrictions effective March 1, 2022.

Private gatherings

Indoors: No capacity limits or vaccine requirements. 

Outdoors: No capacity limits or vaccine requirements. 

Public gatherings

Indoors: No capacity limits or vaccine requirements.  Masks required until March 15.

Outdoors: No capacity limits or vaccine requirements. 

Other provincial health restrictions

Gambling: No capacity limits or vaccine requirements.  Masks required until March 15.

Gyms and fitness centres: No capacity limits or vaccine requirements.  Masks required until March 15.

Libraries: No capacity limits or vaccine requirements.  Masks required until March 15.

Movie theatres and concert halls: Proof of vaccination is required for those 12 years of age and older. Limited to 50 per cent capacity or 250 people, whichever is less. 

Museums and galleries: No capacity limits or vaccine requirements.  Masks required until March 15.

Personal services are open without restrictions, including acupuncture, athletic therapy, barber shops, chiropracty, dental clinics, electrolysis, hair salons, massage therapy, nail salons, optometry, physiotherapy, podiatristry, reflexology, and tattoo studios. 

Performing arts events: No capacity limits or vaccine requirements.  Masks required until March 15.

Religious gatherings and Indigenous cultural events:  No capacity limits or vaccine requirements.  Masks required until March 15.

Restaurants and bars:  No capacity limits or vaccine requirements. No limits to table sizes or requirements for patrons to remain seated. Liquor sales have returned to normal hours of operation. Masks required until March 15. 

Shopping: No capacity limits or vaccine requirements.  Masks required until March 15. 

Sports: No capacity limits or vaccine requirements.  Tournaments are permitted.

Theatre and music schools:  No capacity limits or vaccine requirements.  Masks required until March 15. 

Weddings and funerals:  No capacity limits or vaccine requirements.  Masks required until March 15. 

Workplaces: Open without restrictions.

 

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CITY SERVICES

For the latest information on city services, visit the City of Winnipeg website.

Committee and council meetings: Open to the public under limited circumstances. This includes appearing as delegation and meeting with elected officials by appointment. People wishing to appear remotely as delegations will be accommodated. Meetings continue to be broadcast on the city’s YouTube channel. 

Inspections: The following inspections resume in-person on March 15, 2022: interior residential properties (for bylaw enforcement); occupied dwellings; and water meter readings, returns, removals and replacements. 

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service education branch resumes in-person presentations on fire safety, drug awareness, and injury/fall prevention on March 15.

Interior residential property inspections for assessment and tax purposes resume April 15.

Parking: The Parking Store is closed to the public. Services are availble online or by calling 311.

Parking enforcement on residental streets resumed Nov. 1, 2021. Residents once again require a residential parking permit to park for longer than posted time restrictions. 

Permits: The city’s zoning and permits branch is not accepting walk-in customers and are not available for in-person customer service. Building permit applications are available online.

Recreation: No capacity limits or vaccine requirements.  Masks required until March 15. 

Skywalk: The connected overhead walkway system and underground concourse has fully reopened and is available 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., seven days a week (closed statutory holidays).  

Transit: Masks are mandatory on all buses and in Winnipeg Transit Plus vehicles until March 15, 2022.

Water and Waste: Appointments for utility services at residential properties — including water-meter inspections, returns, removals and replacements, and on-site meter reading — have restarted. The city is continuing to suspend water turn-offs to ensure all homes have access to water for proper hand-washing and hygiene.

Weddings: Outdoor weddings at city hall have returned to the the pre-pandemic capacity of 25 people. Indoor ceremony attendance is capped at 17 people, with masks and physical distancing required.

 

PROVINCIAL SERVICES

Child care

Family child-care homes and child-care centres can open and operate in accordance with applicable legislation.

Education: As of March 15, masks will no longer be required for staff or students. Physical distancing requirements and cohorts will also no longer be required in these settings after March 15. See more details on school reopening plans.

Employment and Income Assistance: EIA clients are asked to contact staff through the call centre whenever possible at 204-948-2888 (inside Winnipeg) or 1-855-944-8111 (toll-free, outside Winnipeg). Clients can also email the department at eia@gov.mb.ca. In-person services are available for people in an emergency or crisis or who cannot access a phone or internet service. See the EIA website for more details.

Health: Patients will be contacted directly if their scheduled surgery is affected.

Health, Seniors and Active Living: Registration and client services office at 300 Carlton St. is closed to the public. Staff continue to register people for Manitoba health coverage and Manitoba Pharmacare benefits through email, phone, fax and mail. Forms and contact information can be found online.

Hydro: Hydro has closed its offices to the public, including the cash counter at 360 Portage Avenue in Winnipeg. Indoor residential meter readings and collections (disconnections and reconnections) have resumed. See hydro’s website for a detailed list of changes to other services.

Labour: Most hearings and case management is being conducted by videoconference. Offices remain closed for public inquiries. See the Manitoba Labour Board website for the latest details.

Manitoba Public Insurance: Service centres have resumed regular hours. Booking of most knowledge and road tests has resumed.

Rent: The Residential Tenancies Board is closed to walk-in traffic. To make an appoinment, call 204-945-2476. See the latest COVID-19 updates for landlords and tenants.

 

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JUSTICE AND COURTS

Some trials and hearings are being delayed, while others are proceeding by video or audio conference. See the Manitoba Courts website for more details and the latest updates.

Court of Queen’s Bench: For the latest information, visit the Court of Queen’s Bench COVID-19 notices and practice directions.

Court of Appeal: For the latest information, visit the Court of Appeal COVID-19 notices and practice directions.

Provincial Court: For the latest information, visit the Provincial Court COVID-19 notices and practice directions.

 

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ENTERTAINMENT AND LEISURE

Assiniboine Park: Open. Proof of vaccination no longer required.

Bell MTS Place: Some events are proceeding, while others have been postponed or cancelled. See their site for details of specific events.

Canadian Museum for Human Rights: Open. Proof of vaccination no longer required.

FortWhyte Alive: Open.  

Living Prairie Museum: Open. 

Manitoba Children’s Museum: Open.  

Manitoba Museum: Open.  

Prairie Theatre Exchange: 2021/22 season began Oct. 13.  See their site for details.

Provincial parks: Open.

Rec Room: Open. See their site for details.

Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre: 2021/22 season began Nov. 25.  See their site for details.

Theatre Projects Manitoba: Performances scheduled for the winter.  See their site for details.

West End Cultural Centre: Online and live performances scheduled for the winter.  See their site for details.

Winnipeg Art Gallery: Open. See their site for details.

Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra: 2021/22 season going ahead, but some performances have been cancelled.  See their site for details.

 

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TRAVEL

Travel in Manitoba: Travel north of the 53rd parallel is permitted for fully vaccinated individuals. Some exemptions apply to the vaccine requirement, including Manitobans who live in that region, employees of critical businesses, government officials and health care providers. For more information on other requirements and exemptions, read the public health order or see the additional restrictions.

Travel in Canada: Individuals can now travel within Canada without being required to quarantine upon arrival back in Manitoba.

U.S. travel: Fully vaccinated travellers from Canada may enter the United States at land and ferry points of entry for non-essential reasons including tourism. 

All airline passengers to the United States ages two years and older, regardless of vaccination status or citizenship, must provide a negative COVID-19 viral test taken within one calendar day of travel, or  documentation from a licensed health care provider of having recovered from COVID-19 in the 90 days preceding travel.

Travellers who enter the United States at land or ferry points of entry do not require proof of a negative COVID-19 test. 

International travel restrictions for testing and quarantine apply upon return to Canada.

International travel: All travellers, with limited exceptions, whether entering Canada by air, land, rail or marine vessel, must use ArriveCAN to provide mandatory travel information before and after your entry into Canada. Find more information.

Individuals who travelled internationally must follow federal testing and self-isolation (quarantine) requirements. For information on current exemptions, visit self-isolation exemptions.

Richardson International Airport: Open. Check arrivals and departures.

CAA Manitoba: Services continue to be offered by phone and online. Roadside service continues.