Urban reserve gets council nod

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This article was published 19/07/2018 (2662 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Peguis First Nation has moved a step closer to establishing an urban reserve in the heart of Winnipeg.

City council unanimously approved an administrative proposal Thursday for an agreement with the southern Manitoba First Nation on converting property it owns at 1075 Portage Ave.

The vote was one of several Thursday, the final meeting before council takes its traditional summer recess.

Council is not scheduled to meet again until Sept. 20, and then will break for the civic election campaign. The election is Oct. 24; the next meeting after that will be Nov. 6.

Prior to the vote, a delegation from the First Nation, including chief Glenn Hudson, addressed councillors and urged them to support the agreement.

The Peguis property — at the corner of Portage Avenue and Dominion Street, across from RCMP Division D headquarters — is zoned commercial, with several businesses and agencies (some connected to the First Nation) operating from the location. Tenants include Chief Peguis Business Centre, Chief Peguis Investment Corp., Peguis School Board Post Secondary Department, First Peoples Economic Growth Fund, TWCC Insurance Partners LP, the Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce and Creative Retirement Manitoba.

Hudson told council Peguis plans to add two condominium developments on the property, and expand the existing office space.

It would become the second urban reserve in Winnipeg; Long Plain First Nation operates a gas station and convenience store at 480 Madison St.

Part of the agreement would have Peguis pay an annual fee to city hall, instead of property taxes, for city services — but the amount is 80 per cent of its current property tax bill.

A property tax discount was not part of the arrangement with Long Plain.

Mayor Brian Bowman defended the move, citing a precedent set by Brandon, which accepted a 25 per cent discount when Gambler First Nation converted land to an urban reserve in the western Manitoba city.

Under the law, the province would make up the difference to city hall with a lump-sum payment equivalent to five years of lost property tax revenue.

The agreement between city hall and Peguis would last five years, after which both sides would negotiate new payment terms. Peguis bought the Portage Avenue property in 2014.

Peguis also has interest in the Assiniboia Downs horse-racing facility and adjacent land in the Rural Municipality of Headingley, as well as a share of the former Kapyong Barracks property.

Its plans for Assiniboia Downs include a hotel and conference centre, a water park and a gaming centre.

In other city hall matters Thursday, council unanimously approved a downtown safety initiative, which would result in the demolition of the Portage Place transit shelter.

The structure has long been known as a hub for crime, and city police support its demolition.

Other parts of the downtown safety plan include: $375,000 to fund eight additional staff for the Winnipeg Downtown Business Improvement Zone, West End BIZ and the Exchange District BIZ, for their respective watch programs; and $250,000 to improve public lighting in the highest-risk downtown spaces.

Demolition of the Winnipeg Transit shelter, and construction of a new facility near the downtown shopping centre, is expected to cost about $275,000.

All funds for the downtown safety initiative will be taken from the destination marketing reserve, which is financed by a tax on hotel rooms.

Also, a master plan for the creation of additional off-leash dog parks was also approved unanimously.

The plan recommends $300,000 be set aside annually for the next six years to set up additional off-leash parks. Funding for the plan will be subject to the 2019 budget process.

There are 11 off-leash dog areas within the city’s park system, with two additional off-leash parks currently in development or being modified.

The plan proposes guidelines for the evaluation of potential sites, the establishment and designation of new off-leash areas, the development of new off-leash areas and the review of existing off-leash areas.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca