Parker lands developers, protesters reach court settlement

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This article was published 13/04/2020 (1674 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Developers behind the Parker lands project have accepted a settlement agreement with dozens of defendants named in a lawsuit stemming from a blockade nearly three years ago.

The civil suit first landed on the Court of Queen’s Bench docket in July 2017, when demonstrators camped out on the roughly 47-acre plot of south Winnipeg land.

At the time, real estate developer Gem Equities and land owner Andrew Marquess had moved heavy equipment onto the property and levelled a significant portion of an existing tree stand.

The so-called Rooster Town Blockade — named after a historic Métis settlement that existed nearby before being razed in the 1950s for commercial development — set up shortly after, halting tree removal on the site.

The camp stood for two months, until a court injunction filed by two numbered companies tied to the development was granted in September, forcing the demonstrators to vacate the site.

Kevin Toyne, the lawyer representing the two companies, said Tuesday the settlement agreement — when satisfied — will conclude court proceedings against more than 50 defendants.

In addition to the injunction, the companies had pursued damages, claiming significant costs and revenue losses related to the blockade action.

Details of the settlement agreement are confidential, Toyne said. However, he confirmed there is a monetary component to be paid to the two companies connected to Gem Equities.

As a result of the settlement, the injunction issued in September 2017 will be made permanent. “Anyone that has notice of the injunction is prohibited from trespassing or broadly stated otherwise interfering with the development of the Parker lands that are to be developed,” Toyne said.

A crowdfunding campaign with a goal of $10,000 was launched Monday by defendants to raise money toward the settlement agreement after paying “significant costs out of pocket,” according to the campaign description.

Thomas K. Reimer, a lawyer who represents a number of the defendants (but not the entirety of those named in the lawsuit), said his clients “are satisfied with this resolution and will have further comment once the terms of the settlement have been completed.”

Gem Equities is moving forward with plans to build a mixed-use residential development on the site, featuring some 1,900 units.

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca