Rooster Town Blockade at Parker Wetlands

01/24/2019

"In 2018, Marquess alleged Orlikow attempted to drag him into negotiations to sell part of his land in 2016, encouraged protestors to camp out on the site in 2017 and discouraged other city councillors from attending a presentation about the development at the University of Manitoba in 2018."

The office of Winnipeg's integrity commissioner has cleared Coun. John Orlikow of three allegations of Parker lands ethics breaches — while encouraging the councillor to apologize for disrespecting the developer of Fort Garry property.

11/08/2018

***** URGENT PLEASE SHARE *****

The City of Winnipeg City Centre Committee Meeting on November 13, 2018 (starting at 5 PM) will review the development plan for the Parker Lands. There will also be a hearing at 6 PM to decide about rezoning. You can read what I’ll be sending to the committee and use it to formulate your own response. I’ve also posted more information in the comments, including the meeting agenda.

Meeting location: West Committee Room, Council Building, 510 Main Street
Time: 5:00 PM

Please consider the following actions:

Email the City Centre Committee about your feelings regarding the Parker Lands development, it’s best to keep focused on the planned development itself, as this is not about the destruction of the forest.

Please note the letter template below that you may use if you aren’t sure what to say. Contact the following people including the mayor and the city councilors on the committee.

Brian Bowman
[email protected]

Cindy Gilroy
[email protected]
204-986-5951

John Orlikow
[email protected]
204-986-5236

Sherri Rollins
[email protected]
204-986-5878

Attend the public meeting and hearing on November 13, 2018 or organize a delegation, especially if you’re part of the impacted communities.

Please share this information widely.

Thank you.

***** LETTER TEMPLATE *****

Dear Mayor Bowman, Councillors Gilroy, Orlikow and Rollins:

I am writing about the upcoming City Centre Community Committee meeting on Tuesday November 13, 2018 which will review the matter of the Parker Lands development plan and subdivision rezoning proposal. I strongly call for the rejection of the development and rezoning application because the developer unlawfully developed the Parker Lands, including the removal of vegetation (pristine Aspen forest and wetlands) and the stockpiling of soil on the lands without following the appropriate development processes.

These development activities continued with the complete clearing of all remaining forest on the Parker Lands in October 2018. How could this occur without an approved development plan? Were any permits acquired for the depositing of soil? The city must not approve rezoning for a developer who has circumvented the appropriate procedures.

The Parker forest and wetlands were significant to various groups in the region, including Métis and other Indigenous land defenders, residents of the nearby communities and to the wildlife that lived there since the site was an ecologically significant refuge from urban development. There was so much opposition, that many participated in, or supported, The Rooster Town Blockade on the Parker Lands to prevent any further destruction of the forest for over two months.

Now that the forest has been decimated, we demand the City of Winnipeg hold Gem Equities accountable for the lack of consideration to the people impacted by the destruction of this once pristine wetlands and forest. This was an irreplaceable ecological treasure with cultural and historical significance, and the fact that this important land was not protected by municipal development procedures is deeply disturbing. There must be consequences for such actions, and the developer should not be able to go ahead as planned without any consideration for the grave injustices that have occurred since the beginning of the land swap until the last of the forest was removed.

Sincerely,
[ YOUR NAME HERE ]

11/07/2018

Stay tuned, more updates to come. Please share, write representatives and come to the meeting!

"Parker lands application heads to public hearing

The public will have a chance to tell elected officials their thoughts on a proposed development in the Parker neighbourhood on Nov. 13.

A court-ordered public hearing in respect to the subdivision and rezoning of lands north of Hurst Way between Asquith Avenue and the CN Railway and a secondary plan for the area is scheduled for the City Centre community committee meeting at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

The project application, known as Fulton Grove, is being made by two numbered companies, including developer Andrew Marquess of Gem Equities.

On the 47 acres it owns in the Parker lands, Gem Equities is planning to build a mixed-use residential development along the future bus rapid transit corridor that will have about 1,900 units when complete. About two acres are set aside for small pocket parks and community park space.

In September, the standing policy committee on property, development, heritage and downtown development unanimously rejected an application by Gem Equities to give a first reading of its secondary plan for the entire 133 acres east of Waverley Street and south of the CN Letellier rail line, and recommended council concur with the decision.

A secondary plan outlines how development will occur on the land based on the City’s OurWinnipeg and Complete Communities policies.

John Kiernan, the City’s director of planning, property, and development, told the committee at the time that the secondary plan contained a number of issues that needed to be resolved before the department could support the plan, which the developers disputed.

The landowners took the City to court over its rejection of the plans, and on Sept. 19, Justice Candace Grammond ruled in favour of the developers and ordered the City to hear the applications at City Centre community committee.

On Oct. 16, Marquess and company filed a $30 million lawsuit against the City of Winnipeg and four senior administrative officials in the City’s planning department: John Kiernan, Braden Smith, Michael Robinson and Martin Grady. The lawsuit alleges the defendants engaged in "misfeasance in public office."

The accusations have not been proven in court.

According to Kalen Qually, a communications officer with the City of Winnipeg, pending litigation doesn’t restrict a committee of council’s ability to consider and make recommendations on a given item.

The City did not say who in the planning department will prepare the administrative report that will be used by the committee to inform and contexualize the decision making process related to the application.

The City said the agenda for the Nov. 13 meeting will be published on the City of Winnipeg’s website four business days prior to the meeting and will contain the relevant reports."

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/souwester/News-in-brief-Parker-lands-application-heads-to-public-hearing-499675461.html

10/14/2018

Is removing a whole forest really considered equivalent to a couple of trees?

The City of Winnipeg refers to development as:

"development" means the construction of a building on, over or under land, a change in the use or intensity of use of a building or land, the removal of soil or vegetation from land, the deposit or stockpiling of soil or material on land, and the excavation of land; (« aménagement ») Source: https://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/municipal/c03902e.php

The removal of the ecologically significant forest and wetlands at the parker lands simply must be recognized as "vegetation" rather than simply "tree removal". Moreover, soil has been stockpiled at the site since July 2017.

So what is it then City of Winnipeg? Tree removal? Or the removal of vegetation and the deposit/stockpile of soil which is clearly defined as DEVELOPMENT.

No approved development plan? Any permits? Are there going to be consequences for this outrageous destruction?

The City of Winnipeg is investigating whether the Parker Lands developers have followed the scope of their permit after the last remaining trees at the site were cut down this week.

09/04/2018

Hmm.

The developer of the Parker lands is placing more faith in the courts than city council to ensure a plan to build out the Fort Garry neighbourhood sees the light of day.

09/02/2018

Sound familiar? Parker wetlands anyone?

We should really consider these lost treasures and strictly protect all natural lands that remain. Development at all costs is colonial violence.

In a parallel universe, there is a Winnipeg styled around a network of rivers, creeks and streams where paddlers drift past stone mills churning grain into flour.