Winnipeg police abandon plans to build new station at the Old Ex grounds

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This article was published 27/03/2018 (3056 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It appears the Winnipeg Police Service have given up on a plan to construct a new North End station at the Old Exhibition Grounds.

Chief Danny Smyth recently told a local media outlet he’s leaning towards finding another site, after realizing public opposition to the idea is too strong.

While Smyth refused to talk to the Free Press about the issue, the WPS released a statement confirming it is recommending city council look elsewhere.

“The Winnipeg Police Service remains committed to finding a location for the new north district police station,” the WPS told the Free Press. “We’ve been engaging with area residents, as well as users of the Old Exhibition Grounds. At this point, the message that the WPS has received through that public engagement is that a different location should be considered. The final decision will be made by council.”

Smyth’s reversal marks a dramatic change of plans. In May, 2017, the chief told reporters the Old Ex grounds was the best — and only — site police were considering.

The Hartford Avenue WPS station is considered inadequate – rodent-infested and in bad physical shape – and a replacement had been promised to the community for years.

The city has constructed new district stations for the east, west and south areas of the city. A new one in the north was supposed to have been built in 2015, but funding issues initially delayed the project.

Council had included $23 million for a new North End police station in its long-term capital forecasts, and Smyth had hoped construction could begin in 2019 on the Old Ex grounds off McPhillips Street.

However, the proposal met stiff opposition from community groups, who said there is a scarcity of park space in the area and didn’t want to see any part of the grounds set aside for a new police station.

The Old Exhibition Grounds is a 44-acre, civic-owned recreational site north of the Canadian Pacific Railway lines, between McPhillips and Sinclair streets, which includes the Charlie Krupp football stadium, a decommissioned hockey arena, baseball diamonds, a soccer field and an area informally used as an off-leash dog park.

The North Winnipeg Nomads — a minor football club fielding six teams for more than 300 area youths between the ages of seven and 22 — has been leasing the stadium and adjoining facilities from the city since 1997. Before the Nomads, the stadium had been home to the Hawkeyes junior football team.

An administrative report on the project was due at council’s property and development committee in February, but is now not expected until the committee’s June 8 meeting.

Smyth had earlier promised a new facility would be constructed for the Nomads should the group be forced to move to another portion of the Old Ex grounds.

News the chief had given up the site caught the minor football organization by surprise.

Jeffery Pirrie, president of North Winnipeg Nomads, said he had been looking forward to having a new police station as a neighbour, because it would mean city hall would have to construct a new field and stadium for the team.

“We were looking forward to (the police) being there and moving us to the back of the property,” Pirrie said, adding the Nomads will now have to fund raise to upgrade the facilities.

Coun. Ross Eadie had opposed building a new station on the Old Ex grounds, and said he was pleased to learn of Smyth’s change of heart. He cautioned, however, a search for a new location isn’t official until it’s approved by the property and development committee

“I’m glad Chief Smyth has finally come to the realization that the Old Exhibition Grounds is inappropriate for for the new station location,” Eadie said Tuesday, adding he believes the chief only settled on the property because the city owns the land and it would reduce the project cost.

Eadie (Mynarski) said the administrative report is expected to detail potential other sites, adding he believes a location off Main Street would be a better choice, because crime rates are higher in that area of the North End.

The councillor said Smyth had told the Winnipeg Police Board at its March 2 meeting delaying construction further would require the WPS to renovate the Hartford Avenue station until a new facility could be built.

Eadie suggested two other sites as possible station locations: the former Carling Brewery property at Main Street and Redwood Avenue, and the north Winnipeg Transit garage at Main Street and Carruthers Avenue.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca