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Winnipeg’s mayor fears the city could see more mosquitoes this year, if the province doesn’t restore funding to combat the critters.

Mayor Brian Bowman said provincial larviciding program changes will create a $620,000 shortfall in the city’s 2018 insect control budget, which he’ll lobby the senior government to reverse.

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“I didn’t realize until I was elected … how far mosquitoes can travel. (With) the reduction in funds to those municipalities and the reduction in the perimeter of where our larviciding program goes, I am concerned that the mosquito counts are going to be higher in the City of Winnipeg, as a result of the provincial decision,” said Bowman. “I am going to be raising that with the province.”

The provincial change also means 37 Manitoba communities will no longer receive provincial larviciding funds, though the province says some other municipalities will be eligible for more funding.