Winnipeg's mayor is floating the idea of a provincially funded emergency service fully dedicated to mental health calls.

Scott Gillingham says the proposed emergency service would be dispatched by 911 to respond to mental health calls that don't involve safety concerns requiring a police, paramedic or firefighter presence.

The mayor said in an interview Friday that like paramedics, the service would be operated by the city but funded by the province, which has jurisdiction over health care.

"I've …