City council approves country’s largest urban reserve

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This article was published 23/06/2022 (818 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE City of Winnipeg has officially signed off on an agreement that paves the way for the largest economic development zone, or urban reserve, in the country.

On Thursday, council unanimously voted in favour of the deal to support the $1-billion, Naawi-Oodena development, which Treaty 1 First Nations will establish at the former Kapyong barracks site.

The development is expected to feature a mixed-use village, with commercial, residential, sports and recreation development, cultural campus, and educational and community spaces. That would include 2,300 to 3,000 residential units and 915,000 to 1.2 million square feet of commercial space.

Once the site is complete, Treaty One Development Corp. would forward 65 per cent of tax revenues collected from the site to the city to pay for municipal services and keep 35 per cent to cover its own costs.

Countering catalytic converter theft

The City of Winnipeg will seek new ways to combat a surge in the theft of catalytic converters from local vehicles.

Council has ordered municipal staff to create “a menu of options” to address the thefts, including a potential specialized task force. The city will also seek a co-ordinated strategy with other municipalities to address the high resale value of the precious metals the exhaust emissions control devices contain.

Indigenous symbols in council chamber

Winnipeg’s council chamber will soon incorporate new symbols to better include Indigenous culture.

City council voted unanimously to permanently add several new items, including a Métis sash, small replica Red River Cart, flower beadwork, eagle staff, medicine bundle and a small plaque.

A city report describes the effort as a way to further reconciliation efforts.

Supports for Bay redevelopment OK’d

A municipal investment is on the way to support the redevelopment of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s former flagship downtown store.

Council approved a grant worth 80 per cent of what the property taxes would be for the building over the next 25 years, which equates to about $9.7 million in total, while also waiving about $350,000 worth of permit and planning fees.

The Southern Chiefs’ Organization will lead a $135-million redevelopment of the structure, creating a multi-use facility that includes 300 affordable housing units.

Cracking down on derelict vehicles

STRICTER rules are on the way to prevent abandoned and derelict vehicles from clogging up streets and driveways, thanks to two council votes.

Currently, a parking enforcement officer can’t move a vehicle deemed abandoned unless it is unregistered, wholly or partially wrecked/dismantled/stripped or appears to have not moved for at least 21 days.

If one of those conditions are met, an enforcement officer must also leave a notice on the vehicle for at least 72 hours, warning it could be moved if the owner doesn’t do so.

The changes will reduce the number of days the city must wait to ticket or tow to 10.

Council also shortened how long derelict vehicles can be left in place on any property within Winnipeg.

Under current rules, an enforcement officer must inspect a derelict vehicle twice over about 31 days, provide an order with at least three days notice about a violation and provide another 30 days for the owner to address it.

New rules would eliminate the 30-day waiting period to declare a vehicle derelict, reducing the minimum timeline to about 35 days.