Concerns over the fate of a beloved south Winnipeg forest are escalating as the owner advances plans to build affordable housing and business space on the property.
From Cat Macauley-Gauthier’s back fence in St. Norbert, more than 22 acres known as Lemay Forest stretch north and northeast until the Red River.
“Our kids grew up here, and they’ve just experienced so much nature, wildlife: owls, eagles, pileated woodpeckers, you name it,” Macauley-Gauthier said Tuesday.
In the 30 years she’s lived in St. Norbert, area residents have skied and walked Lemay Forest’s trails.
But that could come to an end soon, because Lemay Forest is on private land. Tochal Developments says it wants to build affordable, inclusive housing and business space there, “with the idea of adding housing that can really address Canada’s housing crisis,” professional planner John Wintrup told Global News.
Although his client Tochal hasn’t decided how many buildings it would construct, housing could include assisted living facilities and homes for people of all ages and gender identities along with Indigenous people and newcomers, Wintrup said. The area may also eventually provide services such as dental and medical, he continued.
The company hasn’t filed an application for development yet with the City of Winnipeg, but it’s talking with the city’s administration and engineers about the transformation Wintrup said would also mean preserving trees.
“The idea it’s going to be 100 per cent forest and no housing — that certainly is not, not feasible. We’re not looking to clearcut land and have zero forest with all housing. We’re looking to find that balance and engage people to find that balance,” Wintrup said.
Macauley-Gauthier fears that won’t happen.
“You just can’t undo the damage to the community fighting the climate crisis,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking.”
Nearby residents like Gerald Tole are also advocating Lemay Forest become a public park.
“The community as a whole is very upset because this forest has been here for a very long time,” said Tole, who’s lived in the area for about five years, in an interview with Global News.
“Everybody’s very, very upset and very scared that the forest of St. Norbert is going to be lost,” he said.
Although the city had looked into purchasing the property in 2018, St. Norbert Coun. Markus Chambers told Global News it’s revisiting the idea. He and area MLA for Seine River, Billie Cross, are attempting to meet with federal and provincial officials, including Manitoba Environment Minister Tracy Schmidt, along with Indigenous leadership, he said.
“Maybe jointly we can work together to acquire these lands and again conserve our environment,” Chambers said.
“The Métis community is strong in the area of St. Norbert, recognizing that it was at that location that helped bring Manitoba into Confederation.”
Wintrup said Tochal is open to a transfer.
They’ve engaged with federal, municipal and provincial governments along with Indigenous organizations, school divisions and more than 50 non-governmental organizations, he said.
“If they’re interested in preserving the forest, let us know before the end of the year, but we’re moving on in 2024 to transform these lands,” Wintrup said.
The city’s Administrative Co-ordinating Group (ACG) is expected to provide input on Tochal’s pre-application in a report by Nov. 9, Chambers said. It will give an indication as to how and which departments — such as public works, water and waste, and zoning — the development would impact, he said.
As the lowest elevation neighbourhood in Winnipeg, an infill development at Lemay Forest in St. Norbert would require infrastructure upgrades, Chambers said.
“When (St. Norbert) was originally designed and planned for, it wasn’t planned with density in mind,” he said. “The pipes in the ground weren’t designed for density.”
Should the project go ahead, new sewer lines and streets would need to be added, and hydro would need to be upgraded, Chambers continued. A flood risk also remains, although parts of Lemay Forest are protected by a dike.
“They would have to figure out a way of land drainage and potentially put an outflow through the dike into the Red River, so lots and lots of work and investment that needs to happen even before they put shovel to the ground for their own development.”
In the meantime, an October letter from Wintrup, on behalf of Tochal, to residents said that after Nov. 30, access to Lemay Forest will be restricted and that “tree cutting and removal will begin shortly,” which Wintrup assured is to remove diseased trees.
“Right now, we have no intention of removing trees as long as we’re engaging people and hearing their opinions and trying to reach concensus of the mixture of keeping trees and adding housing,” he said.
“It’s been kind of a panicky these last two weeks and a sense of hopelessness,” Macauley-Gauthier said.
She’s counting on community and government support, so the local history, nature and traditions won’t be uprooted.
A community meeting discussing the proposed infill development will take place at the St. Norbert Community Centre at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
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