Municipal board upholds City of Winnipeg decision rejecting Lemay Forest plan

Cameron MacLean · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 16, 2025 8:28 PM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

A provincial committee has upheld a City of Winnipeg determination rejecting plans to physique an assisted-living installation connected a portion of hotly disputed onshore known arsenic the Lemay Forest.

Tochal Development Group had projected gathering a 5,000-bed, 2,500-unit installation connected 18 hectares of forested onshore on the Red River successful St. Norbert. 

People surviving nearby, on with Indigenous groups and environmentalists person opposed the project, starring protesters to temporarily artifact entree to crews coming to wide trees, and charges against immoderate of the demonstrators. 

In September, assembly rejected the plans, arguing the projected installation was excessively large for the site. 

The proprietor appealed the determination to the Manitoba Municipal Board, a provincial assemblage with the authorization to overturn metropolis land-use decisions. 

Hearings began successful February, and the committee released its determination connected Wednesday, rejecting the entreaty and allowing the city's determination to stand.

"In the board's opinion, the projected development, astatine astir 3 times the full colonisation of St. Norbert, is not contextually suitable oregon the area," the committee wrote successful its decision.

It noted that a smaller improvement of nary much than 800 units would person been acceptable, but it lacked the authorization to bid the reduction.

"Not lone did neither of the parties suggest a pathway for the committee to o.k. the improvement exertion astatine a reduced density, but the parties were besides wide successful their respective positions that the improvement exertion beryllium considered by the committee astatine afloat density," the determination stated.

The committee recommends the developer resubmit plans for a smaller project.

On Monday, the aforesaid time enactment crews returned to the tract to resume cutting down trees, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew announced the state would expropriate the onshore to crook it into a provincial park. 

Opponents of the task person argued it would destruct a delicate earthy country fashionable with adjacent residents arsenic a spot to bask greenspace. 

The wood is besides the tract of a humanities cemetery tract belonging to a erstwhile orphanage. Research by the Manitoba Historical Society has recovered astatine slightest 3,383 children died astatine the facility.