City weighs giving green light to private park land purchases

The City of Winnipeg will soon consider devoting millions of dollars to buy more park space.

While the city’s main development plan, OurWinnipeg 2045, set a goal to acquire 1,000 acres of new parks, waterways and natural areas in 2021, very little has been added since.

A new report suggests the city take steps to ensure some of the “few remaining” privately owned high-quality natural habitats and forests in Winnipeg can be strategically bought up by creating a new reserve fund and a dedicated capital budget for acquiring park land.

“The City of Winnipeg does not have a reliable funding source to purchase park land without significant changes to its policies and a dedicated capital budget,” wrote Dave Domke, the city’s manager of parks and open space.

“This was recently highlighted when the city had no funding to purchase the Lemay (forest) lands. Similarly, the Sumka (forest) lands, ecologically significant lands along the Seine River, were recently purchased by a developer.”

The city has also failed to qualify for some federal grants that could have helped it buy park land in the past, due to a lack of matching municipal dollars, Domke noted.

In an interview, he said reserving funding for that purpose would help avoid that problem in the future.

“Our city is growing and we know that green space is important to our residents, so we need some mechanisms to find ways, partners and grants to acquire park land,” said Domke.

Coun. Vivian Santos, the head of city council’s community services committee, agreed the expansion is a priority.

“I would love to acquire more green space because we know the benefits of being in nature and what it does (for) the community and for (combating) climate change,” said Santos (Point Douglas).

Trees and plants found in parks and other green spaces help absorb excess water and carbon, reducing erosion and improving air quality.

The report proposes a series of funding changes, which Domke expects to recommend for city council approval in May or June, unless the community services committee calls for changes when it debates the ideas Tuesday.

It proposes the city add a park land acquisition capital budget, with at least $2.64 million in 2027 and $700,000 in 2028 to buy one park property in each year.

The city declined to reveal the properties it would like to buy, citing concerns doing so would affect negotiations.

It would also create a “park land acquisition fund,” that draws some money from portions of developer parks and recreation payments, some city property sales, donations and interest earned on the new reserve fund itself.

Domke said it’s not immediately clear how much funding the two measures would combine to raise for park land purchases each year.

He noted the process would include diverting some tree planting funding, so money intended for small, new trees is redirected to protect mature, larger canopies.

Staff also recommend the city give its chief administrative officer the power to purchase park land worth up to $5 million, up from the current limit of $700,000.

Domke said that would remove the need for some purchases to obtain city council approval, which can take months to secure.

“In the meantime, the land could be sold… If we can’t move quickly, we can’t acquire the land,” he said.

Santos said she’d love to see more recreation space in northwest Winnipeg, among other sites.

“The northwest quadrant side of the city (is) growing tenfold … Another regional park out in that side of the city would be fantastic,” she said.

A group that has long pushed the city to preserve and create more green space welcomed the proposal.

“They have to be ready (with funding) to respond as the opportunities arise. We are very supportive of these measures for the city. It’s a very necessary part of moving forward with the green space and natural corridors plan,” said Pam Lucenkiw, a member of Outdoor Urban Recreational Spaces – Winnipeg.

Lucenkiw hopes the city can use the funding to preserve natural areas, especially around rivers, creeks and streams, and ensure public access to those sites.

As land prices continue to rise, the city should save as much money as it can to purchase park land, she said.

“The benefits of green space to our city are immense. They just help us make our lives better. We’re on a wildlife corridor and a bird flyway, so we have an obligation to look after those spaces (as well),” said Lucenkiw.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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