A long-awaited consultant’s study on repurposing up to 30 per cent of Winnipeg-owned golf lands lists dozens of “opportunities” to use the sites in new ways, including a controversial call to lease or sell John Blumberg Golf Course.

Between two reports, HTFC Planning and Design offers site-specific ideas for 11 different city golf courses. The ideas range from adding community gardens, naturalized areas and trees to new sports ventures and Indigenous acknowledgements.

Among the most significant and controversial options, is a suggestion that the city could give up ownership of Blumberg, a 200-acre city-owned golf course located in the Rural Municipality of Headingley. The report suggests the city could consider leasing or selling the site to the RM.

Coun. John Orlikow, chairman of council’s community services committee, said that idea should not be pursued.

“Right now, selling John Blumberg… isn’t on the table. Council just had that vote (to oppose that) recently,” said Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry).

Council rejected a $13.7-million proposed sale of the same course in early 2022, which would have allowed a new development with housing, commercial land and some park land.

The development proposal received strong opposition from green-space advocates.

Orlikow said conditions at golf courses have changed since council ordered the consultant’s study back in 2020, including an increased demand for golf access since the pandemic.

“Golf has taken an upswing. I’d still like to explore the option of… (making) some of our courses that aren’t being well used into more of a (broader) recreational space,” he said.

While council originally opted to explore new uses for golf course land that could have included anything from residential development (with affordable housing) to other recreation or community gardens, the city later ruled out all housing options.

“We’re not taking any green space away; bottom line, council’s quite clear on that direction,” said Orlikow.

Pam Lucenkiw, a member of Outdoor Urban Recreational Spaces — Winnipeg, said Blumberg was always meant to be a Winnipeg-owned green space, which must be preserved for its residents.

“Blumberg is outside the city, but so is La Barriere (Park) and so is Little Mountain Park and they’re all parks that Winnipeggers use and they value. To sell (Blumberg would allow) it to be turned into development because it would be out of (the city’s) hands,” said Lucenkiw.

A public service report makes no recommendations on which, if any, of the options should be pursued for golf course properties, suggesting the reports be “received as information.”

“If the public service is instructed to pursue or further explore any of the repurposing opportunities, the selected opportunities should be evaluated against the future master green space and natural corridor plan,” the report notes.

It adds that cost estimates and consultations would also need to be completed before any changes are made.

Coun. Janice Lukes stressed none of the ideas are “set in stone,” with the report basically offering a “baseline” of options that council can pursue if it wishes, though the key goal will remain to preserve overall green space.

“We’ve decided now that we need to add to our park inventory, so halfway through this project… one could say the mandate of this project or the scope of the project changed,” said Lukes (Waverley West).

In 2021, the city confirmed it would only consider options that preserve all green space in future decisions about golf course lands, officially ruling out options to build new homes. The same year, city council set a long-term target to add 1,000 acres of locally accessible green space within Winnipeg.

The city staff report notes that at one point a “general repurposing opportunity” was discussed to see if some of the property could be used to create winter homeless shelters.

“Implementing this programming at any municipal course would need to be thoroughly investigated to ensure it is offering community benefit,” the report notes.

When asked to clarify that element of the report, city spokesman Kalen Qually noted the idea is not listed as a final option for council.

“The report… doesn’t indicate this as a viable option at this time, only that it could be considered for further investigation,” said Qually.

Orlikow noted that particular idea was also not part of council’s original direction to the consultant.

The report notes Rossmere Golf & Country Club was not included in the study because the city owns only half the property and it is restricted by a 50-year lease.

Council’s property and development committee is set to discuss the report on April 6.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga