EPC: Everyone into the pool

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WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

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WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Winnipeg's plan to use public funds to help build a private water park is surging ahead despite concerns about how low-income families will access the 50,000-square-foot facility.

Council's executive policy committee voted unanimously Wednesday to sell the downtown surface lot known as Parcel Four to Alberta hotel chain Canalta, which plans to build a $75-million water park, hotel and parkade complex at the southwest corner of Waterfront Drive and William Stephenson Way.

Pending council approval on April 25, the city will sell the land for $6 million and offer Canalta a $7-million grant in exchange for $700,000 worth of admission credits every year for the next 25 years.

"We're going to see tens of thousands of people have access to that site," Coun. Justin Swandel (St. Norbert) said after EPC approved a plan he described as something all Winnipeggers should celebrate. "There's a great deal of value here for the city, in the image and the opportunities, but also for taxpayers on the financial side."

In the absence of Mayor Sam Katz, who recused himself to avoid a conflict of interest, it was left to Swandel, the deputy mayor, to fend off opposition criticism of the water-park plan.

St. Vital Coun. Brian Mayes raised concerns about the small size of the proposed facility -- it's less than a quarter of West Edmonton Mall's water park -- as well as its location near The Forks and a public-access agreement that would allow low-income kids to visit the facility.

In 2008, the city failed to complete a public-access agreement with the Canad Inns hotel chain, which secured an earlier version of the $7-million water-park grant. The city is in similar negotiations with Canalta.

Mayes called the plan "convoluted and unworkable" because residents won't be able to use vouchers on holidays and long weekends. He also asked why council would vote on the plan before the deal is negotiated.

Clive Wightman, the city's community services director, told the EPC he could not discuss details of the public-access agreement until Winnipeg signs off on the deal with Canalta. He said the key is to make sure disadvantaged Winnipeggers have a chance to visit the facility -- and said the city already has a means of identifying eligible users.

Wightman said there will be a minimum of 335 days available for low-income admissions vouchers a year. He said it's customary for water parks to require 14 days a year for maintenance and said there would only be blackouts on some long weekends or holidays.

Other councillors expressed concerns about any use of public funds to subsidize a water park. Mynarski Coun. Ross Eadie said Winnipeg should market Parcel Four to get the best price possible and allow the private sector to compete in the process.

River Heights Coun. John Orlikow also urged the EPC to scrap the plan and redistribute $7 million of recreation funds to projects such as splash pads, pools, community centres and hockey rinks.

In response, Swandel and Coun. Scott Fielding (St. James), the council's finance chairman, said Winnipeggers are often quick to criticize new amenities built with public funds but come to love them later on. Esplanade Riel and MTS Centre are prime examples, they said.

"There's always going to be opposition to everything," Swandel said after the meeting. "We've got a curse in this city of picking on ourselves... we tend to be our own worst enemy."

Swandel asked Mayes during an exchange whether he supported amenities that serve low-income people. Mayes shrugged off the rhetoric.

"The idea that if you're not in favour of this, you're against poor children? I don't think he really means that," Mayes later said of Swandel.

Mayes implored the EPC to hold off on approving the water-park plan for 60 days to allow councillors to do more due diligence. But in the end, councillors Swandel, Fielding, Russ Wyatt (Transcona), Dan Vandal (St. Boniface) and Paula Havixbeck (Charleswood-Tuxedo) voted in favour of the plan. North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty was absent and Katz recused himself because he is the majority owner of the Winnipeg Goldeyes, who play at Shaw Park, just north of Parcel Four.

Havixbeck said later she was not concerned about a Global TV report that suggested a water park is planned for the Seasons of Tuxedo development in her ward -- without the help of city funds.

"I thought that was the idea early on," she said, referring to the IKEA-led development. "But I have no site plan to consider. This is the only water-park plan we have."

A $7-million grant is a small sum compared with the amount of money Canalta will spend to build the facility, said water-park advocate Ty Tran, who has lobbied for a water park for almost a decade.

Tran said he would've preferred the city-funded facility be located closer to the IKEA site on Kenaston Boulevard, but he's happy a plan finally seems close to fruition. "We've been waiting years now," Tran said.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca jen.skerritt@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 19, 2012 A3