Chainsaws roar through Lemay Forest as neighbours mourn loss of trees

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This article was published 23/12/2024 (289 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A developer is cutting down trees again in the privately owned Lemay Forest in St. Norbert, which residents have long fought to save.

Crews began clearing the area around 8 a.m. Monday.

The planner for a potential housing project at the site said the owner received a permit to remove the trees in October.

“The landowner (has) no intention of owning a wood lot. He doesn’t want to own a wood lot. It is private property and he’s removing the trees,” said John Wintrup.

City council rejected a development plan for the site in September after municipal planners deemed it too big for the property.

Tochal Development Group still wants to build its proposed 5,000-bed, 2,500-unit assisted-living facility on the property and has filed an appeal. The Manitoba Municipal Board will hear that appeal soon, said Wintrup.

“It’s going to become Lemay Meadows. The landowner has no interest in owning a wood lot to provide an amenity for the surrounding neighbourhood. That’s not why people buy and own land,” he said.

Initially, the developer asked government officials to determine if they were interested in buying the land to preserve the trees before concluding any offers fell far short of market value.

The developer began chopping down trees in the forest in September, but stopped after the city issued a cease-and-desist order. At the time, city officials said a bylaw prohibited the removal of soil or vegetation from the land without a permit.

Wintrup said the city granted the permit a few weeks later.

He argues a desperate need for housing trumps demands to preserve the trees.

“My client and I are housing advocates, and if it means removing trees to provide housing, it means removing trees,” he said.

In an email, a city spokesman confirmed a permit to allow tree removal was issued on Oct. 18.

“The city had previously issued a cease-and-desist order as that work was proceeding without a permit. As a result of the permit being issued, the cease-and-desist order was cancelled at that time,” said spokesman Adam Campbell.

The city also expects the municipal board appeal will be heard in early 2025, he noted.

Coun. Janice Lukes said the city doesn’t have a bylaw that protects trees on private land but council expects to vote on one next year.

“This new tree protection bylaw can’t come soon enough. I’m fully supportive of more housing. We have to do more housing but we (also) have to find that balance between old trees and development,” said Lukes (Waverley West).

The councillor noted she had urged the city to buy and preserve Lemay Forest in 2016 but the city didn’t budget money to do so.

“We really need something in place to deal with this. (This developer’s) got every right to take those trees down,” said Lukes.

Many residents had lobbied the three levels of government to step in to save the trees.

Cat Macaulay Gauthier, a spokeswoman for the Coalition to Save Lemay Forest, said residents were surprised to see workers with chainsaws chop down more trees on Monday.

“If you go outside, you can hear the large crack of massive trees coming down. It was all a surprise to everyone. This is just completely vindictive. It makes no sense,” said Macaulay Gauthier.

She believes city planners were correct to find the proposal far too large for the site and had hoped trees would remain in place at least for now, since no development has been approved.

“Our world, now more than ever, needs biodiverse green space for climate (mitigation) for a growing city and all the benefits that a mature forest gives,” said Macaulay Gauthier.

The city councillor whose ward includes Lemay Forest said it was disappointing to see tree-clearing resume now.

“I’m concerned there’s no plan in place for development yet trees are being decimated,” said Coun. Markus Chambers (St. Norbert-Seine River).

Chambers declined further comment, noting he’s been accused of bias related to the project.

Wintrup said crews will continue to remove trees over the next two to four weeks, weather permitting, with the exception of some holiday breaks.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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