Kevin Klein Calls on Prime Minister Carney to Partner with Winnipeg on Community Opportunity Zones

Mayoral candidate Kevin Klein has written to Prime Minister Mark Carney asking the federal government to work with Winnipeg on the creation of Community Opportunity Zones. The proposed zones would use federal capital gains tax incentives to attract private investment into the city’s economically distressed neighbourhoods, turning vacant properties into homes, businesses, and active commercial spaces.

In his letter, Klein notes that many of Winnipeg’s older neighbourhoods continue to face high numbers of boarded-up houses and closed storefronts. These empty buildings create fire risks, reduce neighbourhood safety, and hold back local economic recovery. He argues that existing municipal tools and grants have limits, and that sustained private capital is needed to renovate buildings, build new housing, and reopen commercial properties.

Community Opportunity Zones would allow investors—including for-profit Indigenous Economic Development Corporations—to defer or eliminate federal taxes on capital gains when they invest in qualifying projects in designated Winnipeg areas. Klein points to the U.S. Opportunity Zone model, which has attracted more than $112 billion in private investment and is estimated to have generated hundreds of thousands of additional housing units in low-income communities, primarily through real estate development.

“This is a practical way to bring real private dollars into neighbourhoods that have been left behind,” Klein said. “Prime Minister Carney understands how capital moves and what makes projects viable. I believe he can see the value of a well-designed Community Opportunity Zone program for Winnipeg—one that mobilizes private investment, supports Indigenous economic participation, and delivers tangible results on the ground.”

Klein also outlined his plan, as mayor, to create complementary Indigenous Economic Zones. Under this municipal measure, if an Indigenous business buys a vacant property to build a home or open a business, the City would remove the municipal property tax on that property. He described the combination of federal capital gains incentives and local property-tax relief as a concrete step toward economic reconciliation, measured by occupied buildings, jobs, and investment rather than temporary measures.

Klein emphasized that the goal is straightforward: fewer boarded-up houses, more housing and open storefronts, and stronger neighbourhoods. He has offered to work with the Prime Minister’s office to designate zones in Winnipeg, set clear rules to keep investment productive and local, and ensure the program supports both general revitalization and Indigenous-led development.

“Winnipeg has everything it needs to thrive. Our people, our resilience, and our potential, and I’m ready to lead the practical change that will unlock that potential, and Community Opportunity Zones will do that, ensuring better days ahead for every family and neighbourhood in this city, as your mayor,” said Klein

LETTER TO MARK CARNEY

October 22, 2026

The Right Honourable Mark Carney, P.C., M.P.  

Prime Minister of Canada  

Office of the Prime Minister  

80 Wellington Street  

Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2  

Dear Prime Minister Carney,

I am writing to ask you to consider working with the City of Winnipeg on the creation of Community Opportunity Zones. These zones would use federal capital gains tax incentives to encourage private investment in Winnipeg’s economically distressed neighbourhoods, helping rebuild housing, commercial space, and local economies where they are most needed.

Many of Winnipeg’s older neighbourhoods continue to struggle with high numbers of vacant and boarded-up properties. These buildings sit empty for years, becoming fire risks, sources of disorder, and barriers to neighbourhood recovery. Traditional municipal tools and grants have limits. These areas need sustained private capital to renovate existing buildings, build new housing, and reopen commercial spaces.

Community Opportunity Zones would allow investors, including for-profit Indigenous Economic Development Corporations, to defer or eliminate federal taxes on capital gains when they invest in qualifying projects in designated Winnipeg neighbourhoods. The approach is straightforward: redirect existing private capital into overlooked places, rather than relying solely on public spending. Similar incentives elsewhere have attracted large-scale private investment into real estate and community development, producing measurable increases in housing supply in low-income areas.

This tool would also deliver clear benefits for Winnipeg’s Indigenous community and the broader Indigenous economy in Manitoba. Indigenous businesses and Economic Development Corporations already generate substantial economic activity across Canada. By explicitly including them in Community Opportunity Zones and pairing the federal incentive with municipal measures that reduce barriers on vacant properties, we can 

create practical pathways for Indigenous-led investment in housing and commercial projects. The result would be more homes, operating businesses, and employment opportunities in the very neighbourhoods where many Indigenous residents live and work.

Prime Minister, your long experience in business, finance, and investment gives you a clear view of how capital moves and what conditions make projects viable. I believe you can see the real value and opportunity in a well-designed Community Opportunity Zone program for Winnipeg, one that mobilizes private dollars, supports Indigenous economic participation, and delivers tangible results on the ground, not temporary measures.

I would welcome the chance to work with your government to designate zones in Winnipeg, set clear rules that keep investment productive and local, and ensure the program supports both general revitalization and Indigenous-led development. Together we can turn empty lots and closed storefronts into occupied homes and active businesses.

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to the possibility of collaboration on this practical step forward for Winnipeg.

Sincerely,  

Kevin Klein  

Candidate for Mayor of Winnipeg