**Canadian politics news: Prime Minister Mark Carney says Winnipeg’s new addictions and mental health centre could be fully operational in three years, and he made that promise on Friday at the future site of the centre in downtown Winnipeg.**
*By Maplestime News Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | November 6, 2026*
*Sources: CBC News | Last updated: November 6, 2026*
**Key Takeaways**
– Prime Minister Mark Carney says the new Winnipeg centre for addictions and mental health could be fully operational as soon as three years from today, about November 2029.
– The federal budget released Thursday pledges over $200 million to build the centre, which will bring acute and outpatient care together with permanent housing and support services.
– The centre will stand at the future site of Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn, the former Hudson’s Bay building in downtown Winnipeg, built in partnership with the province and philanthropic partners.
– Thursday’s budget also earmarks $1 billion for new housing and other services in Winnipeg, and $11.2 billion over four years nationally to end homelessness in Canada.
– Carney made the promise at a Friday news conference in Winnipeg with Premier Wab Kinew, Mayor Scott Gillingham and Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada.
## What Carney Promised in Winnipeg
Carney put a timeline on the centre for the first time on Friday. He said the new Winnipeg facility providing mental health and addictions care to people struggling in the city could be fully operational as soon as three years from today.
He made the promise at a Friday afternoon news conference in the city, standing with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham and Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada. The Prime Minister’s Office had scheduled the Winnipeg visit for 12:10 p.m., with Carney highlighting new measures in Budget 2026 to eliminate homelessness.
The promise matters because Winnipeg has waited years for a single place where treatment, housing and support come together. Carney’s three year timeline gives the city a date to hold him to, about November 2029, instead of another open ended pledge.
> **Related:** [Prime Minister Carney in Winnipeg November 6 2026: Carney Highlights Budget Plan to End Homelessness in 10 Years as Winnipeg Gets $1 Billion for 2,000 Homes](https://maplestime.com/carney-winnipeg-homelessness-budget-visit-november-6-2026/)
## Where the Centre Will Stand
The centre will be built at the future site of Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn, the former Hudson’s Bay building in downtown Winnipeg. Carney spoke at the site on Friday, putting the announcement on the ground where the building will rise.
The facility will be built in partnership with the provincial government and philanthropic partners, Carney said at the news conference. No construction start date or operator was announced on Friday, and no bed count was given.
## The Money Behind the Promise
Thursday’s federal budget set aside $11.2 billion over four years, starting next year, and $17.8 billion over 10 years to end homelessness in Canada. Inside that national plan, the budget pledges over $200 million in funding to build the Winnipeg centre for mental health and addictions.
The centre will bring acute and outpatient services together with permanent housing and support services in Manitoba’s capital, according to the budget plan Carney described on Friday.
Thursday’s budget also earmarked $1 billion to build new housing and provide other services in Winnipeg. That Winnipeg housing money is tied to homes for 2,000 people experiencing homelessness, according to CBC’s budget coverage.
## What Happens Next
The centre now moves from a budget line to a build, with the province and philanthropic partners at the table alongside Ottawa. The next announcements to watch are a construction timeline, an operator for the centre, and the first housing funded by the $1 billion Winnipeg package.
For now, the number that counts is three years. Carney said it himself, in Winnipeg, at the site where the centre will stand. Winnipeg will be watching whether the building keeps pace with the promise.
*Maplestime will provide updates from the Winnipeg addictions and mental health centre as announcements are made.*
*Have a tip about the Winnipeg addictions and mental health centre? Email [email protected]*
*Have a correction? Email [email protected]*
**Do you think three years is fast enough for a centre Winnipeg needs now, or is this another promise that will move slower than the crisis on the street? Tell us in the comments. And share this with every Canadian following the fight to end homelessness.**
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