Developer preps for public forum on proposed Kapyong master plan By: Danielle Da Silva Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Tuesday, Jun. 16, 2020 Last Modified: 8:05 PM CDT Tuesday, Jun. 16, 2020 Updates

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A draft master plan for the former Kapyong barracks proposes the long-vacant expanse of south Winnipeg land be revived as an integrated, mixed-use urban village.

Treaty One Development Corporation has released its proposed master plan for the 160 acres along Kenaston Boulevard after months of consultation and concept development in collaboration with federal Crown corporation Canada Lands Company, which will develop 51 acres of land.

On Wednesday, Treaty One — the development branch representing the seven Treaty 1 First Nations behind the effort — will host an information webinar to collect feedback from the public and answer questions about the new planned community.

“Obviously, the pandemic put a damper on our public consultations, so we still need to move forward because, in our opinion, time is of the essence to move this project along,” said Treaty One chairman and Long Plain First Nation Chief Dennis Meeches.

“We wanted to have as much as possible an open and transparent process in engaging the citizens here in Winnipeg.”

The high-level planning document includes three conceptual land use plans, examples of proposed residential and commercial building design, and potential road way configurations, and designated areas for greenspace, institutions and recreation. Also in the plans are an Indigenous war museum, arena, hotels, education and health centres, ceremonial grounds and a cultural campus.

“We wanted to have as much as possible an open and transparent process in engaging the citizens here in Winnipeg.”
– Treaty One chairman and Long Plain First Nation Chief Dennis Meeches

The planned widening of Kenaston Boulevard is also accounted for in the document.

While each land-use plan is different, generally low- and medium-density residential development is planned for the western edge of the acreage, abutting existing single-family homes, and commercial mixed-use and mixed-use village is designated along Kenaston.

The draft master plan also proposes row housing and small-single family dwellings in the low-density area, as well as four-storey, condominium style complexes within the medium-density area.

Communities previously developed by Canada Lands Co. — Currie in Calgary, and Garrison Crossing in Chilliwack, B.C. — are listed as examples of what development could look like on the Kapyong grounds. Both developments occurred on former Canadian Forces bases.

Garrison Crossing, which covers 153 acres, will have more than 1,700 residential units when complete and a retail village, according to the Canada Lands Co.

Treaty One chief executive officer Whelan Sutherland said the corporation plans to have finalized its master plan by October, and the intent is for the community to fit seamlessly into the existing neighbourhood.

However, it is too soon to provide an estimate on the number of residential units planned for the Winnipeg area or how much commercial space could be expected, he said.

“It really does come down to the feedback we receive,” Sutherland said. “There’s three options and there’s variation, and little adjustments to each one and that would determine greenspace, residential, commercial and all that good stuff.

“We’ll get a better understanding once we have this webinar, we have the feedback and the questions from the community.”

(To register, visit www.treaty1.ca/kapyong.)

Sutherland said more than 950 individuals have registered to participate in the webinar Wednesday night, and developers are eager to hear from neighbours and stakeholders.

“We want to design it so it’s the place to be,” Sutherland said. “We want a safe place, an affordable place, we want a place (residents) can be proud of and a place that they could walk and be within steps of commercial development and shopping and have beautiful greenspace.”

Sutherland said Treaty One is working with Indigenous designers and community builders throughout the process to incorporate and showcase culture within the development.

“We want to bring that forward and show people, at the end of the day, First Nations can develop, it’s proven, and urban economic development zones are not a bad thing,” Sutherland said.

Meeches said pending the transfer of land from the federal government to the Treaty 1 group, development activities could begin in a phased approach as early as fall 2021.

“Kapyong is suited to be the great economic reconciliation model going forward, because there’s a lot of urban reserves but nothing in this size and scope,” Meeches said.

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca