Faction of Granite club members sides with city over housing dispute

A group of members wants the Granite Curling Club to back down from its fight against a proposed high-rise, saying the loss of parking spaces is a fair trade for affordable housing.

“We can’t hold this up anymore. Frankly, it’s embarrassing at this point that we would be digging our heels in,” said Jess Klassen, speaking on behalf of Granite Members for Affordable Housing.

“We just want the public to have an understanding that not all members are in agreement with how the Granite board is proceeding.”

Klassen’s group organized in January as tension grew over the proposed development of an 11-storey, 110-unit residential building on city-owned land at 22 Granite Way by the University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corp. Half of the suites would have affordable rent for 99 years.

Members of the club’s executive board have, for months, battled City of Winnipeg efforts to approve the development, arguing it would eliminate 45 of the club’s 80 parking stalls and compromise its financial viability as a result.

The club appealed to the Manitoba Municipal Board, which rendered a decision last month in its favour. It ruled the city must work with the club to develop a parking plan before construction is approved.

The city has disputed that decision, saying it would forge ahead with approval because it believes the ruling is not legally binding.

Club secretary Christian Pierce has told the Free Press the club plans to challenge that move, possibly through legal means.

Klassen said the prospect of litigation has frustrated members of her group, prompting them to launch an email campaign this week. They sent a mass email to about 80 club members, asking them to reach out to the club board and city officials to express support for the development.

It is unclear how many members have responded to the call.

“We can’t hold this up anymore. Frankly, it’s embarrassing at this point that we would be digging our heels in.”

“We’re not counting, it’s not a petition or anything. We are just trying to encourage people to feel some strength in numbers,” Klassen said.

“The board’s views do not represent all of us by any means. We want to make sure they know that, we want to make sure the public knows that, we want to make sure the city knows that.”

Klassen said the board should consider “backing down at this point, and maybe let the development proceed.”

“We do not want our league fees going toward legal fees,” she said. “They are worried about losing members if the parking stalls are reduced, but there are a number of us who are discussing leaving the Granite if we are really going to keep pushing against this development.”

In a statement, Mayor Scott Gillingham said he is “happy to see Granite members are having this conversation.”

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“We have put forward a proposal that would secure the long-term future of the Granite and add much-needed affordable housing in this area. I think it’s a win-win for the club and the broader community,” he said.

Pierce, who has been the spokesperson for the curling club board, did not respond to requests for comment Friday.

“We just want the public to have an understanding that not all members are in agreement with how the Granite board is proceeding.”

Coun. Evan Duncan, who chairs the city’s property and development committee, also did not respond.

City council is expected to vote for final approval of the development during a meeting on Thursday.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca

Tyler Searle
Reporter

Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press’s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.

Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.