Grosvenor businesses fear hit from loss of parking spaces due to Winnipeg Transit overhaul

CBC News

· Posted: May 22, 2025 9:35 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

A radical of businesses astatine a engaged Winnipeg intersection are disquieted astir however the removal of parking spaces astir their stores to accommodate caller autobus stops could impact their bottommost lines.

The alteration is portion of a large overhaul to the Winnipeg Transit system, coming into effect connected June 29, that volition mean important changes to astir routes and wherever those buses stop.

At the intersection of Grosvenor Avenue and Stafford Street, the existing 4 autobus stops volition be replaced with 3 caller ones, the metropolis said successful a statement. 
 
Christopher Atkinson, proprietor of Lilac Bakery connected Grosvenor, told CBC 1 of those caller stops would be right extracurricular his business. However, to accommodate the change, astatine slightest 5 parking spaces volition beryllium removed.

"We were relying connected [the parking] for business.… It's rather a large loss," helium said. "Cars would crook implicit rather often, and everybody utilized it."

A metropolis spokesperson said portion immoderate spaces will beryllium removed in beforehand of Lilac Bakery, a adjacent autobus halt volition beryllium removed successful the overhaul, and caller parking spaces volition beryllium added there, astir a 20-metre locomotion from the bakery.

Transit estimates a "net parking nonaccomplishment of zero parking spaces," the spokesperson said.

But Atkinson said often, customers won't travel inside if they don't find parking close extracurricular the business.

Boosting ft postulation and transit usage is important, but "unfortunately, we're inactive a car culture," helium said.

"I cognize this is their objective, and I bash admit that … but I deliberation they truly needed to look astatine the concern assemblage first."

Atkinson recovered retired astir the changes connected Friday, erstwhile metropolis crews installed "no parking" signs. He said determination was nary consultation with his concern connected the thoroughfare reconfiguration, oregon nonstop connection from the city. 

"It benignant of blindsided [me]," Atkinson said.

Change 'sounds miniscule' but has large impact: business owner

The bakery and different businesses at the intersection faced a akin situation successful December, erstwhile sewer work left them without parking for 3 weeks longer than primitively planned. 

In a missive sent to Mayor Scott Gillingham and 2 metropolis councillors, Atkinson and different concern owners said they lost thousands of dollars during the vacation play owed to the deficiency of parking spaces. 

The businesses were built with the parking spaces successful caput and needed them to survive, the missive said. 

Six businesses signed the letter, including Cassandra Carreiro's café and cocktail bar Sharecuterie, which, like Atkinson's bakery, relies connected thoroughfare parking.

When determination person been obstructions, "it's hard for america to park, it's hard for deliveries," said Carreiro. 

While the metropolis said determination won't beryllium a nett nonaccomplishment of spaces, customers trust connected convenience, and adjacent walking a few metres much tin deter idiosyncratic from coming in, she said.

"Taking distant 5 oregon six spots, it sounds miniscule, but really, we've seen however overmuch it impacts radical wanting to travel down to this area," said Carreiro.

Like Atkinson and Carreiro, Shira Wood, the manager and a long-time worker of Girl Candy Shop connected Grosvenor, said her covering store wasn't progressive successful immoderate consultation with the metropolis astir the changes. 

Wood became alert erstwhile connection dispersed among store owners past week, but she would person liked to person had notice from the metropolis truthful she could fto her customers cognize astir the changes.

"It's disappointing," she said. 

The parking concern astir the country has ever been a challenge, she said, and she fears congestion from caller autobus routes mightiness marque that worse, and alteration the feeling of the neighbourhood.

Wood wants the metropolis to consult businesses astatine the intersection to research solutions for thoroughfare parking, but she isn't holding her enactment that volition happen, she said.

Atkinson hopes the determination tin beryllium reversed altogether. 

"I've been a concern proprietor for 17 years. Parking has ever been a challenge," she said. "But [the decision] conscionable needs to change."