Waverley West rec campus faces construction delay: city report

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This article was published 29/05/2023 (831 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The long-awaited $89-million first phase of the Southwest Winnipeg Recreation Campus could be delayed more than a year because a provincial funding deal has yet to be finalized, according to a city report.

However, all sides remain dedicated to the project, area Coun. Janice Lukes said, expecting the issue to be settled quite soon.

A City of Winnipeg report published Monday included a warning about the potential delay.

“Finalizing the provincial funding agreement and other anticipated auxiliary agreements for the South Winnipeg Recreation Campus project remain outstanding, and (this) is considered a major risk to the project in terms of design advancement and the project schedule overall,” writes Brad Erickson, manager of municipal accommodations.

While the project is currently on budget, a delay could lead to increased costs. The report estimates the first rec campus facilities should now open in the final quarter of 2026, instead of a previous target date in the second quarter of 2025.

By contrast, Lukes (Waverley West) said she expects the facility will not be delayed, since both governments support the project. “It’s not going to be a year-and-a-half late… (The province understands) the need.”

Lukes has long championed the project as a way to add much-needed recreation in the growing southwest Winnipeg ward.

The campus site on Bison Drive will feature multiple gymnasiums, multi-purpose rooms, a fitness space, a community spray pad, park space, daycare and athletic fields. Those amenities will be placed next to a fire hall and school.

Future phases could add a community library, leisure pool and hockey arena.

Lukes said she has discussed the project with provincial politicians and is very confident it will move forward soon.

“I know the province really wants to get this recreation campus done. There’s a very unique arrangement. The city has to build a child care facility, yet it’s provincially owned… There’s a lot of very unique nuances to this project so I understand it’s taking time,” said Lukes.

The councillor said the ownership of the daycare facility, which will be built into the recreational campus, is unusual but shouldn’t stall an agreement for long. “There (are) a lot of discussions but they’re nearing the end of them.”

Mayor Scott Gillingham said Monday he had little information about the perceived delay, but hoped any issues could be settled soon to avoid inflationary increases.

“Every month (of) delay, costs go up. So, I don’t want to see delays in any of our projects that we have committed to,” said Gillingham.

In an email, a provincial spokesperson for Consumer Protection and Government Services Minister James Teitsma did not directly answer questions about the cause or reasons for the delay noted in the city report.

The brief statement stressed the province supports the plan for “much-needed recreation space for area residents.”

“The project has been approved by our government and with financial commitments made, the city has been able to incur cost-sharable expenditures associated with it,” the statement said.

While the feds and province have publicly committed to help fund the project, the city report cites an issue in finalizing the agreement with the province.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga