Centre-port News

Klimpke road

Klimpke Road is identified as an Expressway as it will be the future extension of CentrePort Canada Way (CCW) where it will meet up with the extension of Chief Peguis Trail north of the property. Exact routing will be determined in a future detailed highway planning and design process.
Manitoba

www.gov.mb.ca/mr/centreport/pubs/by-laws/by-law-3-16/planning%20report.pdf#:~:text=Klimp
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Published: 08 October 2020
Last Updated: 08 October 2020
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Brookport development

Winnipeg Free Press 06/02/2020

CentrePort development will feature massive e-commerce distribution facilities

BETTING BIG ON BROOKPORT

MARTIN CASH
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Published: 11 June 2020
Last Updated: 11 June 2020
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Sept. 21 2018 Winnipeg Free Press

With new truck dealership plans, Centreport's new development nearly sold out
By: Martin Cash
Posted: 09/20/2018 12:03 PM| Last Modified: 09/21/2018 12:01 AM | Updates | Comments: 34
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SUPPLIED

A rendering of the announced Freightliner dealership at Centreport.

For some time now, planners, real estate professionals and officials from various industries have often repeated the line that there is a serious lack of serviced industrial land in the city.

That’s why people were very interested to see what would happen when Crystal Properties decided to invest millions of dollars to lay sewer and water and telecommunications lines to service an 89-acre parcel of land off Brookside Boulevard and charge south-end prices for northwest Winnipeg industrial land.

It’s turned into a hit.

Thursday, Freightliner announced a multimillion-dollar project to build a massive new truck dealership and service centre, doubling the size of its current Logan Avenue location. Edmonton-based Canada West Limited has bought 26 acres in the park, with plans to invest $60 million to build up to 350,000 square feet of high-end, multi-tenant industrial space in several phases.

"We’re very happy that what we interpreted as the market demand really is the market demand," said Stephen Sherlock, vice-president of Cushman & Wakefield Winnipeg, which has been marketing Brookside Industrial Park Phase III.

After only officially starting to sell the land in the spring, it is close to 90 per cent sold out. (Granted, it did get a boost when the National Research Council committed to the purchase of three lots totalling almost 10 acres late last year for its $60-million Factory of the Future development.)

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Ken Talbot (left), president of Freightliner Manitoba, and Chris Macsymic unveil renderings of their new planned facilities at Brookside Industrial Park Phase III on Thursday.
Ken Talbot, president and owner of Freightliner Manitoba, said he communicated with the industrial park developer even before the signs went up.

"We seriously outgrew our old facility, which was designed to do about 25 per cent of what we are demanding of it today," he said.

"We are selling more trucks than we possibly can out of this facility."

Talbot said he could not get enough land to build a new dealership and moved fast when the land went on the market.

Freightliner Manitoba, which sells between 800 and 1,000 units every year, will build a 78,000-square-foot showroom and 35-bay service centre on 13½ acres.

Depending on the success of his plans, Dale Klein, president of Canada West Limited, could become the bellwether for further development at CentrePort.

His plan is to build high-end, high-ceilinged, multi-tenant buildings with stylish fit and finish that are just not available in Winnipeg, especially in northwest Winnipeg. And he is building on spec.

supplied

Freightliner is planning to build a 78,000-square-foot showroom and 35-bay service centre.
The former Manitoban from the Dauphin area has been active across the country investing in and developing real estate through a couple of companies.

He has long subscribed to the narrative that there was a dearth of quality industrial land and buildings in Winnipeg.

"I think the market in Winnipeg is starved for new product," he said.

"When I travel to other markets and see industrial markets that are in other cities and compare to that to Winnipeg, in terms of quality of product, Winnipeg is way behind the rest of the country, in my opinion."

His plan is to start construction on a 50,000-square-foot building very soon with only 10,000 square feet spoken for and get a second 52,000-square-foot building started very soon after. He believes he will be fully built up within 24 months.

"I think it’s great for the city and about time," Klein said in an interview.

"There’s lots of buildings in the industrial space in Winnipeg that are functionally obsolete and should be knocked down."

Diane Gray, CentrePort Canada president and CEO
Diane Gray, president and CEO of CentrePort Canada Inc., could not be happier with the illustration of pent-up demand exhibited by the quick pace at which the land was sold.

"We are thrilled that Freightliner and Canada West have both found a home for their new facilities at CentrePort," Gray said. "They’re investing in the continued success of their individual businesses, but they will also contribute the overall growth of Manitoba’s economy.

"That’s ultimately what CentrePort is all about."

CentrePort was never going to magically allow Winnipeg to reclaim bragging rights as the distribution hub of the country, but it definitely can increase the concentration of development in its 20,000-acre footprint.

Sherlock said CentrePort has been an excellent aid in marketing the land.

"CentrePort has been an absolute pleasure to work with," Sherlock said.

"We have the same end goals. They want to see CentrePort get developed. I want to sell the land. We both help each other the best we can. The best deals are the ones where everyone walks away happy, and that’s what’s going on here."

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca

Martin Cash
Reporter

July 23 2018

New industrial park to open at CentrePort
Martin Cash
3:00 AM |
5 minute read
Less than three months since the opening of the last fully serviced industrial park, another one is coming on the market in CentrePort.

Winnipeg-based Whiteland Developers has started marketing an 80-acre industrial park called BrookPort Business Park, which is located on the west of Brookside Boulevard, north of Inkster Boulevard and just south of the planned Chief Peguis Trail extension. Construction will start on sewer, water and roadways in August.

The development of the city’s newest industrial park comes on the heels of Crystal Properties’ successful Brookside Industrial Park Phase III, which fronts the south side of CentrePort Canada Way that is already about 70 per cent sold after only nine weeks on the market.

Satpal Sidhu, president of Whiteland, said there has been strong early demand for the new project, which will feature the possibility of smaller lot sizes — a minimum of 11/2 acres — with the possibility of assembling contiguous lots as large as 23 acres.

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Published: 23 July 2018
Last Updated: 07 August 2018
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Centre-port June 08 2018

Massive industrial rail park plan back on track
By: Martin Cash
Posted: 06/7/2018 1:23 PM | Last Modified: 06/7/2018 5:14 PM | Updates | Comments: 9
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SCATLIFF + MILLER + MURRAY

CentrePort Rail Park rendering

An agreement has been struck between the province and CentrePort Canada that has cleared the way for the inland port to finally get started on the development of a unique industrial rail park.

On Thursday, CentrePort released a request for proposal seeking private-sector partnership for what is likely to become a $100 million-plus development designed to attract rail-intensive industrial tenants that will be able to access Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd.’s main line.

The expectation is that the facility will be built in phases — it could take as long as 15 years to complete — on a 665-acre parcel of land just west of Sturgeon Road on the north side of CentrePort Canada Way. The province has agreed to sell the land to CentrePort.

The development will include switching and spur lines connecting to the CP main line that runs through the north part of CentrePort’s 20,000-acre footprint. With new federal inter-switching rules, it also means tenants will have access to Canadian National Railway and BNSF Railway. It is a rare opportunity in Canada to have access to three tier l railways.

The rail park concept has been in the works for years. An anchor tenant was announced more than two years ago but, because of delays in getting to this point, the company, BroadGrain Commodities, has since gone on to do a development in Saskatchewan.

In the course of its review of provincial business commitments, the province has recently signed off on CentrePort’s business plan, including guaranteeing an additional $1.5 million to CentrePort’s line of credit.

SCATLIFF + MILLER + MURRAY

CentrePort Rail Park rendering
CentrePort CEO Diane Gray said she's confident about the potential for this development. She said in pre-marketing discussions with potential development partners from Canada and the U.S., there has already been keen interest.

"This is the transformational piece of the inland port," she said.

The provincial government decision to give the go-ahead sets the stage for CentrePort’s future self-sufficiency. Negotiations with potential partners will include ongoing revenue for CentrePort Canada Inc. and a share in the profits of the operation of the rail park.

"What this does is confirm the government support for what is the key priority of our business that then sustains the vision of CentrePort going forward," Gray said.

"The government has put all major economic projects under review. They were entitled to do so. If I was a new government, I would have done the same thing."

Gray said plenty of negotiations with the prospective developer — who will need to be willing to finance the construction — will be required before it is determined what the ultimate partnership arrangement will be. But the fact that CentrePort will own the land will allow it to leverage that asset to fund other operations.

Since it was formed in 2008, a lot of heavy lifting has been done at CentrePort to get to this point. The development of the $200 million CentrePort Canada Way that connects the Perimeter Highway to Inkster Boulevard, creates an important thoroughfare that allows a large volume of truck traffic to by-pass formerly congested routes. Gray and her team at CentrePort have led the way in getting many agreements with the city and regional municipalities for water and sewage servicing work, as well as zoning and subdivision work. The development of several industrial parks in the inland port has meant the addition of 54 new companies that have either built or are building new operations at CentrePort.

The overall plan for Centreport. (Handout)
Martin McGarry, president and CEO of Cushman & Wakefield Winnipeg, has been active in marketing industrial land at CentrePort and is currently selling fully serviced properties at the 89-acre Brookside Industrial Park Phase III.

"We have finally arrived," he said. "For the first time in many years we have shovel-ready inventory that’s fully serviced which is great. Now to augment that with access to an intermodal yard in your backyard, that’s another fantastic step."

It was almost not to be. Don Leitch, the CEO of the Business Council of Manitoba, has been a long-time advocate for the strategic importance of CentrePort. He said there was a real concern that CentrePort would not be allowed to get to this point.

"The provincial government has been debating their position and view on CentrePort," said Leitch. "We've always said it's OK if there is an issue around the business plan... but when government hesitates too long... timely decisions are critical when there is private capital at play. We don't want to lose the gem that is there."

More than two years ago, when a large press conference was held announcing that BroadGrain Commodities would be the anchor tenant of a new rail park, there were several pieces not yet in place. Gray said that its initial arrangement with BroadGrain was during a phase when the rail park was being marketed on a client-by-client basis. She said now that there is committed support from the province to proceed, there is renewed confidence in the market demand for the project.

"We went back to the drawing board to develop a new business model for the rail park," Gray said. "This is the model we are advancing through the RFP today. It required provincial government review and due diligence. We are pleased to be moving forward with this project with the government's full support."

Blaine Pedersen, provincial minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade, said, "We commend CentrePort and its board of directors for seeking private sector input in this initiative to further develop these lands. Manitoba is an excellent place for business to invest, build and grow. We will continue to work together with CentrePort and industry leaders to increase private sector investment in our province."

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca

Martin Cash
Reporter

Martin Cash has been writing a column and business news at the Free Press since 1989. Over those years he’s written through a number of business cycles and the rise and fall (and rise) in fortunes of many local businesses.
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Published: 08 June 2018
Last Updated: 17 June 2018
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Nov. 09 2017 Winnipeg Free Press

'A major draw for companies'
Massive inland port has 100 acres for sale with sewer, water
By: Murray McNeill
Posted: 11/9/2017 3:00 AM | Last Modified: 11/9/2017 7:43 AM | Updates | Comments: 4
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Canada’s first tri-modal inland port — CentrePort Canada — has marked another milestone with the announcement of its first new industrial development offering fully serviced land.

The new 100-acre development is located within the existing Brookside Industrial Park, and will be ready for development by next summer.

CentrePort Canada’s announcement of its first 100 acres of fully serviced land — which will be ready for development by next summer — is a milestone for the dry port, and good news for businesses that have been waiting for water and sewer hookups. The land will be located within the existing Brookside Industrial Park.

Unlike the other land that already has been developed on the 20,000-acre CentrePort site, the new lots can be connected to a central water and sewer system. Some of the other lots had a water hookup, but required their own septic fields, and others required both a septic field and a well.

Heidi Spletzer, vice-president of Crystal Developers — the Winnipeg company that co-developed the second phase of the Brookside Industrial Park and is the lead developer for the third phase that was to be announced today — said most of the companies that didn’t require fully serviced land have already made their purchases. And the ones who do require fully serviced land have had to wait on the sidelines for several years until some became available.

"So this is something that was needed," she said.

CentrePort president and CEO Diane Gray said the introduction of fully serviced land is an important milestone for CentrePort, and should lead to more new investment on the CentrePort site, which is located on the west side of the city and in the neighbouring Rural Municipality of Rosser.

"The park will be a major draw for companies in key sectors like advanced manufacturing, agribusiness and transportation and logistics," Gray said, noting that since 2009, 52 new businesses employing more than 1,400 people have set up shop in the port, which has direct access to truck, rail and air cargo services.

"The exciting part about this is that now that we have fully serviced industrial land available for private industries to locate on, there will be more jobs created going forward," she said.

Lee Garfinkel, deputy reeve of the R.M. of Rosser, said municipal officials have a good working relationship with Crystal Developers, and are excited to now have fully serviced land available in the municipality.

The new land is being marketed by Cushman & Wakefield Winnipeg. Associate vice-president Stephen Sherlock said new, fully serviced industrial land is hard to come by in Winnipeg, particularly in the northwest quadrant of the city.

"So this land becoming available in the Brookside Industrial Park will provide much needed inventory," Sherlock said. "With all of the pent-up demand, we anticipate this land will sell quickly."

He said they already have a conditional deal with the National Research Council (NRC) for a 9.8-acre parcel of land in the Phase III development. As earlier reported, the NRC hopes to build a $60-million Factory of the Future research centre on the site.

Sherlock said that although Cushman & Wakefield Winnipeg is only now beginning to market the development, thanks to word of mouth, it has already been getting calls from a number of interested companies. While many of them are looking for land for their own use, it’s possible some investors may be looking to buy a parcel of land with the idea of developing leasable space.

"Our vacancy rates are low, so definitely there is an opportunity for an investor to buy land... either to put a multi-tenant building on there, or a build-to-suit (single-tenant building)," he said.

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca

Read more by Murray McNeill.
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Published: 09 November 2017
Last Updated: 09 November 2017
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Pipe Line

An extension of natural gas and telecommunications service underway within CentrePort Canada is expected to attract new businesses to the 20,000-acre inland port.

"These services are absolutely critical to us," said CentrePort marketing and communications manager Riva Harrison.

While 42 companies have built or are building within CentrePort, including the portion that lies within the RM of Rosser, servicing now-undeveloped areas is anticipated to bring in about 70 new businesses by 2020, according to a news release.

Manitoba Hydro is installing pipeline for natural gas to heat and supply future businesses. Spokesman Scott Powell said the work that started on Nov. 23 includes laying eight-inch polyethylene pipe to carry natural gas as well as telecommunication cable in a partnership with Shaw and MTS. The 7.6 kilometres of pipe is being connected to existing service on the west Perimeter Highway.

Powell said, although this type of installation has been done before, the scale of the CentrePort project makes it unique.

"It’s a bit of a pilot for us," said Powell.

The work is expected to be completed within a year.

The project’s second phase will extend natural gas service to a 590-acre residential development planned along the southern edge of CentrePort.

The Times Dec. 09 2015

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Published: 10 December 2015
Last Updated: 10 December 2015
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Highway Paved With Money

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/a-highway-paved-with-money-330369171.html

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Published: 03 October 2015
Last Updated: 03 October 2015
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Chief Peguis Trail

The City of Winnipeg held two successful Public Participation workshops this month, on June 3 and June 11, 2015 to talk about the Chief Peguis Trail Extension West project.

The current Chief Peguis Trail ends at Main Street, but once extended will run all the way to Brookside Boulevard, running straight through Old Kildonan, eventually connecting to CentrePort Canada Way.

The City of Winnipeg is conducting a planning study to gain insight into the use and expectations of the Chief Peguis Trail Extension west. These workshops were step two and three in the five-step timeline before the final report is issued and recommendations are officially made for this project. The next steps will include meeting with targeted stakeholder groups and holding a public open house to look at the recommended plans for the entire route.

The workshops had a great turnout. The first workshop was held at Maples Collegiate in the Commons, and the second at Red River Community Centre, where nearly all the chairs were filled.

The workshop’s purpose was to get residents’ feedback on various presented options for this major roadway. It was also an outlet to voice concerns, and determine what is important to the public for evaluating the options for planning the roadway.

In November 2014, we held the public information and kickoff event, a similar workshop-style event where residents were able to give input for the use of this roadway, and over 300 people participated.

The kickoff event’s feedback raised questions about issues and impacts residents were worried about, and at the June workshops, these issues were able to be addressed.

Some other opportunities and considerations for the area included in the study include the following:

• Alignment of the roadway corridor;
• Intersection design;
• Sound reduction;
• Pedestrian and cycling routes;
• Greenspace features;
• Existing natural habitats.

We heard that residents wanted to see pathways built along Chief Peguis Trail and connecting pathways to neighbourhoods, and we were able to put that into our recommended plans.

Residents were worried about sound impact, so we will recommend that sound and visual buffering are a part of the final design where they are required. We also heard the importance of traffic flow and presented many options for grade separations along the route including Main Street and Chief Peguis Trail.

I would like to personally thank everyone who came out to give feedback and participate in the discussion surrounding this essential addition to Winnipeg. Both workshops were productive and helpful for the planning committee to narrow down the plentiful options available for both design and functionality of the trail extension.

For those citizens who were unable to attend either the kick-off event or the workshops, the information presented is available on the project website at www.winnipeg.ca/chiefpeguistrail

In the fall, there will be an open house to further examine what the Chief Peguis Trail Extension West could look like and hear feedback on the plans before the final report is issued.

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Published: 04 July 2015
Last Updated: 04 July 2015
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Highway

December 9, 2014 Updated : December 9, 2014 | 8:49 am Adjust Text Size
Plan to extend Manitoba’s CentrePort highway may imperil rare ‘rainforest of the prairies’
By Shane GibsonMetro
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Shane Gibson/MetroA massive highway project connecting the second phase of CentrePort Canada Way to the Trans-Canada Highway near St. François Xavier may put a rare tall-grass prairie preserve at St. Charles Rifle Range in harms way.A massive highway project that’s touted as critical to growing Manitoba’s economy may also put one of the province’s few remaining tall-grass prairie preserves in peril.

The province is planning to extend CentrePort Canada Way — the four-lane expressway linking Inkster Boulevard to the west Perimeter Highway — to the Trans-Canada Highway near St. François Xavier.

The expressway will be an important trucking route for CentrePort Canada, the 20,000-acre inland port expected to bring huge economic opportunities to Manitoba.

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But the new roadway’s proposed path runs through the St. Charles Rifle Range, land owned by the Department of National Defence (DND) and home to one of the province’s largest remaining plots of tall-grass prairie.

“It’s surprising to me that they’re even consider that… because there’s land on either side that isn’t sensitive ecologically,” said ecologist and president of Prairie Habitats Inc. John Morgan, whose Manitoba-based company specializes in restoring native prairies.

“Tall-grass prairies have a lot of species — both plants and animals — that are not found anywhere else, and some have potential for foods and medicines. It’s why we call them the rainforests of the prairies.”

The 250-acres of tall-grass prairie is nestled behind a shooting range the DND has trained at since acquiring the land more than a century ago. That ownership has been what’s kept the tall-grass prairie untouched, explained 17 Wing Winnipeg environmental officer Marc Dettman, who worries what will happen to it if the range if the land is sold.

“The problem is that because there’s no species at risk here, there’s no way to protect the tall-grass prairie,” he said. “It is definitely a rare ecosystem, but unfortunately ecosystems themselves don’t have protection under our species at risk legislation.”

In a statement, the province said they are in the beginning stages of design and are working on a route that “will preserve as much of the existing natural prairie habitat as possible.”
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Published: 09 December 2014
Last Updated: 09 December 2014
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Water Deal

LOCAL
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

With last hurdles cleared, CentrePort has water deal
By: Mary Agnes Welch

Posted: 06/26/2014 1:00 AM | Comments: 2
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CentrePort Canada Way is just one part of CentrePort's infrastructure. (JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES)
After four years, a failed annexation attempt, a First Nations lawsuit and an international ruling, CentrePort Canada is finally getting water.

The planned industrial hub will be serviced by a new $45-million water-treatment plant to be built in Headingley over the next two years. Heritage Minister Shelly Glover announced $12.1 million in federal infrastructure funding Wednesday, the first batch of cash to be doled out from the new Building Canada Fund. The plant and the pipes will also serve Stony Mountain penitentiary, which is expanding and needs water, so the Correctional Service of Canada is chipping in $2.4 million.

CentrePort's lack of proper water and sewer services has stymied progress on a federal-provincial promise to turn 8,000 hectares of largely vacant land straddling Winnipeg and the RM of Rosser into a hub of new industrial activity that leverages nearby rail, highway and airport infrastructure.

Already, $212 million has been spent building a new freeway, CentrePort Canada Way, through the land. But wooing big companies was stalled by years of uncertainty and wrangling over the water supply.

Originally, after Rosser shunned the city's proposal to annex part of the rural municipality, the city agreed to extend water and sewer services to CentrePort. But two First Nations near Winnipeg's water source at Shoal Lake, Ont., balked, saying the city had no right to sell water to neighbouring municipalities and the plan violated the terms of a century-old agreement. A preliminary ruling by the International Joint Commission, which handles water disputes, sided with the First Nations.

Instead, CentrePort decided to pump water from the Assiniboine River, which came with the need to build a new water plant.

The cost of the plant, 20 kilometres of pipe and a pumphouse and reservoir will be split three ways between Ottawa, the province and the Cartier Regional Water Co-op, which serves Rosser, Headingley and five other municipalities.

Roughly 2,000 homes now on wells will also be connected to the water supply.

Asked whether the expanded water service will spur additional residential growth outside the city limits, Rosser Reeve Frances Smee said that's unlikely in her RM. The lines won't go where development is planned in Rosser.

Municipal Government Minister Stan Struthers, on hand for Wednesday's funding announcement, said it remains to be seen whether new pipes and expanded treatment capacity will spur exurban growth. Rural municipalities will deal with proposed development as they always have.

Cartier Reeve Roland Rasmussen said the water co-op's only treatment plant in St. Eustache was running near capacity and the co-op would have had to consider expansion options in the next couple of years anyway. That CentrePort's immediate needs helped the region secure millions in capital funding was a welcome bit of good timing.

maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 26, 2014 A4
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Published: 26 June 2014
Last Updated: 16 April 2015
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Map

http://www.centreportcanada.ca/land-and-space

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Published: 12 June 2014
Last Updated: 12 June 2014
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By-law

Dear Lloyd,

We'd like to thank the community for all of your help in drafting and editing the final report of the Rosser CenterPort By-law.

The by-law edits that came out of the November open house -- along with a users manual and quick start users guide -- are ready for your review on the new Rosser website.

The RM of Rosser will be coming forward with a zoning by-law amendment in the near future. Watch for updates on www.rmofrosser.com.

Best regards, Bob Brown
CentrePort Project Coordinator
Rural Municipality of Rosser

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Published: 17 January 2014
Last Updated: 17 January 2014
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Zoning

CentrePort Canada Zoning and Design Standards

The Rural Municipality of Rosser, supported by the Province of Manitoba with the cooperation of the City of Winnipeg, hired a team of planning consultants to prepare a zoning framework and design standards to guide development of the first phases of CentrePort Canada.

We are asking the community to get involved in a number of ways. The consultant team ofPlaceMakers and MMM Group invite you to join us for an open house on November 20 at 6:30 pm (location to be announced here soon) to discuss the draft By-law.

This follows up on the July design workshop as well as interviews in June with selected entities most closely involved with the first phase of CentrePort Canada. The community helped identify potential opportunities and issues with a zoning framework outline.

During the July open houses, planning officials, the business community, and residents considered ideas and actions to help guide the RM of Rosser and CentrePort towards a future of increased opportunity. We gathered and refined ideas about subdivision design, connectivity, parcel sizes and uses, as well as the ultimate form and function of the area when fully developed.

A key guiding principle for CentrePort development is establishing a streamlined and transparent development approval process. This calls for a modern approach to zoning that emphasizes upfront visioning and consultation processes to develop standards that govern basic building form, placement of structures and related components of the built environment with predictable physical outcomes and performance based criteria rather than overly detailed lists of permitted or conditional uses.

The form-based zoning framework will accommodate immediate development proposals in Rosser and is intended to be transferable to future phases of CentrePort development, in both Rosser and Winnipeg. A Steering Committee with representatives from Rosser, Manitoba Local Government, and Winnipeg’s Planning Department is working with the consultant team to provide ongoing professional and technical input throughout the project.

This collaborative effort aligns with The CentrePort Canada Act, which directs the Province and the affected municipalities to develop a singular and comprehensive planning framework to guide CentrePort development.

Check back on this web page for additional information and ongoing updates.

Have Questions?
Click here to view a list of Frequently Asked Questions.

Resources and Draft Reports

The CentrePort Canada Act
CentrePort Zoning Bylaw Background Analysis
Planning Consultant Team

PlaceMakers Canada Inc.
MMM Group Limited
CNT
For questions or further information, please contact:
Bob Brown
CentrePort Project Coordinator
Rural Municipality of Rosser
Box 131
Rosser , MB R0H 1E0
Email: Bob
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Published: 06 November 2013
Last Updated: 13 November 2013
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CentrePort

CentrePort welcomes firm's $4.8-M buy-in
Alberta-based investor builds facility for lease at inland port
By: Martin Cash

Posted: 10/22/2013 1:00 AM | Comments: 2 | Last Modified: 6:43 AM | Updates
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BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Bird Construction's (from left) Nathan Wiebe and Paul Bergman, Shindico Realty's Robert Scaletta, CentrePort CEO Diane Gray, RM of Rosser Coun. Angela Emms, Rosser Reeve Frances Smee and Bird Construction's Richard Marshall in front of the partially constructed building in CentrePort.Photo Store
THE owner of an industrial park within the CentrePort footprint has as good a sense as anyone about the level of demand that exists for industrial land within the inland port.

So it's a vote of confidence in CentrePort Canada that the Alberta-based investor Olexa Developments is building a 44,000-square-foot multi-tenant industrial building in the Brookside Business Park before all the tenants have been identified.

Developers typically pre-lease more than 50 per cent for such a project before breaking ground.

It's the first build-to-lease building at CentrePort.

John Scaletta, manager of industrial properties at Shindico Inc. and the agent responsible for the development located north of Inkster Boulevard and west of Brookside Boulevard, said Olexa really does have faith in the project.

"That's why they're spending $4.8 million putting this new building up before it's fully leased up," he said.

Only one tenant has been lined up so far.

Houston-based Goodman Global Group, one of the largest manufacturers of residential and light commercial heating and air-conditioning products, has committed to 12,000 square feet of the space. It will be setting up a Canadian distribution centre.

Diane Gray, the CEO of CentrePort, said, "We get calls sometimes from interested parties asking to see potential sites for companies that want to be ready to move in six months. But there is so little inventory out there."

She said that's why the new build-to-lease project is good for the market.

Tenants in that industrial park and ones in the 67-hectare Brookside Industrial Park West south of Inkster Boulevard will have easy access to CentrePort Canada Way, the new $212-million expressway that is only a few weeks from completion. (Brookside Industrial Park West is sold out and an additional 40 hectares are being readied for the market.)

Scaletta said the industrial-park land was originally packaged and sold to Olexa in 2008 before the creation of CentrePort and right when a global recession was taking hold.

"There were no sales at all during the first year," Scaletta said.

Since then, about two dozen companies have located there, many in the transportation and distribution sector. Out of 60 hectares in the original property, Scaletta has only eight hectares left to sell in the Brookside Business Park.

The developers had originally expected to have sewer and water servicing on the site by 2014. But because of significant complexities experienced by the city -- in particular a legal challenge regarding its ability to service land outside the City of Winnipeg (in this case, the RM of Rosser) -- an alternative water source and treatment plan is now in place.

Gray said that process should mean servicing will be ready by the end of 2015.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 22, 2013 B5
Details
Published: 23 October 2013
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Planners

Planners lose on subdivision
City panel OK's big new project on Jefferson
By: Aldo Santin

Posted: 10/3/2013 1:00 AM | Comments: 5
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Michael Falk: 'we reached a balance'
Mayor Sam Katz and his executive committee overrode recommendations from the planning department and gave the go-ahead Wednesday for a massive new residential subdivision in the city's northwest corner.

During a three-hour-plus hearing, the senior committee listened to the recommendations and arguments from its planning staff and counter-positions from Terracon Development Ltd., which is planning to build a 593-unit subdivision on a 30-hectare site at the southwest corner of Jefferson Avenue and King Edward Street, to be known as Castlebury Meadows.

While city planners and Terracon agreed on most issues surrounding the subdivision, Terracon was concerned the planner's recommendations for the outstanding points would halt the project.

"I think the committee heard our side of the argument," Michael Falk, Terracon's development manager, said after the committee meeting. "Certainly, public works and the city administration had some valid points and we reached a balance."

The sticking points in the project included the planning department's recommendations that Terracon be solely responsible for upgrades to existing roadways, credit for unusable green space as parkland, the construction of a noise-attenuation barrier along the path of a proposed Chief Peguis Trail extension and widening a roadway through the heart of the project to accommodate Winnipeg Transit vehicles.

Falk said the conditions the city planners required would be cost-prohibitive, forcing Terracon to increase the price of homes from $300,000 to more than $600,000, making the project economically unfeasible.

After a break, the committee unanimously approved the project, with a series of amendments put forward by Coun. Russ Wyatt.

The package of rezoning amendments must get approval by city council, which is expected at its meeting later this month.

Falk said he expected construction would start by March next year.

The subdivision would include 226 single-family homes, 168 duplex units and 199 apartment units.

Falk said city staff knew nothing about the requirements for properly building a noise-attenuation barrier, adding building it now, before the expressway extension is built, would be a waste of money.

"We know the right way to do it," Falk said.

He also criticized the planning department's requirement that Terracon build at least one road through its project wide enough to accommodate Transit buses.

"I don't want to put (a bus route) through the middle of the development," he said.

On the cost of road upgrades, Falk said his company should only be required to pay 50 per cent of any needed improvements to roadways fronting its property.

City staff said it's estimated the new subdivision would result in the number of vehicles using existing roads increasing to more than 7,000 daily from 1,000, adding since Terracon was responsible for that increase, the company should cover the entire cost.

The Terracon project was also criticized by another development firm, which said Terracon's population figures were too low and its proposed playing field for the site inadequate.

David Palubeski, whose Lombard North firm built the nearby Waterford Green subdivision, said Terracon was projecting a subdivision population of about 1,200 to 1,400 residents, but Lombard's experience shows the more realistic figure would be more than 2,000 residents.

Palubeski said the playing field Terracon was proposing was too small for the number of people who would be living in Castlebury Meadows, adding those residents would rely on adjacent sport fields.

City parks officials said they conceded Terracon's playing field was too small. They said Terracon claimed it couldn't build a larger field based on the subdivision's configuration.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 3, 2013 B1
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Published: 04 October 2013
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Subdivision

Committee dismisses recommendations in approving new subdivision
By: Aldo Santin

Posted: 2:39 PM | Comments: 15
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Mayor Sam Katz and his executive committee this morning dismissed recommendations from the planning department and gave the go-ahead for a massive new residential subdivision in the city’s northwest corner.

During a three-hour-plus hearing, the senior committee listened to the recommendations and arguments from its planning staff and counter-positions from Terracon Developments, which is planning to build a 593-unit subdivision on a 74-acre site at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and King Edward Street, to be known as Castlebury Meadows.

While city planners and Terracon agreed on most issues surrounding the subdivision, Terracon was concerned that the planner’s recommendations for the outstanding concerns would halt the project.

"I think the committee heard our side of the argument," Michael Falk, Terracon’s development manager, said following the committee meeting. "Certainly public works and the city administration had some valid points and we reached a balance."

The sticking points in the project were the recommendations that: Terracon be solely responsible for upgrades to existing roadways; credit for non-usable green space as park land; the construction of a noise attenuation barrier along the path of a proposed Chief Peguis Trail extension; and widening a roadway through the heart of the project to accommodate transit vehicles.

Falk said the conditions required by city planners would be cost prohibitive, forcing Terracon to increase the price of homes from $300,000 to over $600,000, making the project economically unfeasible.

Following a break, the committee unanimously approved the project with a series of amendments put forward by Coun. Russ Wyatt.

Terracon’s head office is in Wyatt’s Transcona ward.

Falk said he expected construction would start by March.

The subdivision would include 226 single family homes, 168 duplex units, and 199 apartment units.

Falk said that city staff knew nothing about the requirements for properly building a noise attenuation barrier and said building it now, before the expressway was constructed, would be a complete waste of money.

"We know the right way to do it," Falk said.

Falk was also critical of planning’s requirement that Terracon build at least one road through its project wide enough to accommodate Transit buses.

"I don’t want to put (a bus route) through the middle of the development," Falk said.

On the cost of the road upgrades, Falk said his company should only be required to pay 50 per cent of any needed upgrades for roadways fronting on its property.

City staff said it’s estimated that project would result in the number of vehicles using existing roads would increase from 1,000 to over 7,000 daily, adding that since Terracon was responsible for that increase, the company should cover the entire costs.

The Terracon project was also criticized by another development firm, which said Terracon’s population figures were too low and its proposed playing field for the site inadequate.

David Palubeski, whose firm Lombard North built the nearby Waterford Green subdivision, said Terracon was projecting a subdivision population of about 1,200-1,400 residents but in its experience the more realistic figure would be more than 2,000 residents.

Palubeski said the playing field Terracon was proposing was too small for the number of people who would be living in Castlebury Meadows, adding those residents would then rely on adjacent sport fields.

City parks officials said they conceded Terracon’s playing field was too small, but added that Terracon claimed it couldn’t build a larger field based on the configuration of its subdivision.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca
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Published: 03 October 2013
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Land

LOCAL
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

CentrePort gets needed land
Province transfers 302 hectares for rail facility and industrial park
By: Martin Cash

Posted: 09/24/2013 1:00 AM | Comments: 0
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BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES

A rail overpass goes up off Inkster Boulevard earlier this year. Photo Store
The ground is literally in place for CentrePort Canada to proceed with the development of a common-use rail facility.

The province has transferred 302 hectares of land to CentrePort for it to develop a rail facility as well as an adjacent industrial park that would be designed specifically to service rail-intensive businesses.

The rail facility that all three of the main railroads will have access to is still at the conceptual stage, but Diane Gray, CEO of CentrePort Canada, said functional designs have been shared with all three of the Class 1 railroads involved -- CP, CN and BNSF (Burlington Northern Sante Fe).

"We are actually very optimistic right now," she said. "Things are moving quite well."

The province had acquired the land from Canadian Pacific for about $6.5 million. The largest piece of the parcel is just south of Canadian Pacific Railroad's main line and west of CentrePort Canada Way, the new expressway that is nearing completion.

CentrePort will pay the province for the land over time by deriving revenue from the operation of the rail facility as well as through the sale and development of the land.

Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton said since CentrePort's stated intention is to operate an inland port that offers tri-modal facilities -- road, air and rail-cargo -- moving development of the rail facility forward is crucial for the inland port.

"This is a multi-modal operation. Rail is key," Ashton said. "This allows CentrePort to move to the next step."

Gray said from the beginning it was understood the critical piece of infrastructure that would really differentiate CentrePort from other developments was the construction of a common-use rail facility.

But even before the rail facility gets any kind of go-ahead, there will have to be an anchor tenant in place.

Gray said CentrePort is currently having simultaneous discussions with the railroads as well as potential tenants for the rail-intensive industrial park.

And while she said she hopes the development is two to three years away, it will depend on the schedule and commitment of potential new tenants.

"This is not a 'build it and they will come' concept," she said. "That time line will be tied to securing business for the facility."

There is a lot riding on the success of the rail facility.

To some extent, the new, $212 million highway that is nearing completion and the rail facility will each feed traffic to the other.

But there are a lot of balls still in the air.

A model for the common-use facility that will be acceptable to the railroads is still being developed.

Gray reiterated the fact CentrePort is not itself a land developer or a business operator.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 24, 2013 B2
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Published: 24 September 2013
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Public Hearing

Notice of Public Hearing

Executive Policy Committee

Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Time: 9:00 A.M.

Location: Council Building, 510 Main Street

Lord Selkirk West Kildonan Community

Applicant: Terracon Developmet LTD.

File: DASZ 30/13 and SPA 1/13

Rezoning

Placed Thursday August 29 2013 Winnipeg Sun pg. 24 and Winnipeg Free Press

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Published: 31 August 2013
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Up-date

Thanks to everyone who came out and contributed to June's interviews and to July's collaborative planning meetings. We appreciate your insights.

CentrePort Canada Zoning and Design Standards

As you know, the Rural Municipality of Rosser, supported by the Province of Manitoba and with the cooperation of the City of Winnipeg, has hired a team of planning consultants to prepare a zoning framework and design standards to guide development of the first phases of CentrePort Canada.

Workshop Report Ready for Your Review

We have put together a design workshop report that summarizes many of your insights, which will guide the team as they write the zoning bylaw draft. You may download the report at www.rmofrosser.com/centreport under CentrePort Zoning Bylaw Background Analysis in the Resources section.

As usual, let us know if you see anything that needs doesn't reflect what you heard during the public planning meetings. And look for more information from us this autumn, when we'll be asking for your input and edits to the draft bylaw itself.
Please feel free to share this email with other parties who may have an interest.

Check in at the project website, rmofrosser.com/centreport, for additional information and ongoing updates.
Best regards, Bob Brown
CentrePort Project Coordinator
Rural Municipality of Rosser

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Published: 13 August 2013
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Expropriation

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/expropriation-a-bumpy-road-217343321.html

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Expropriation a bumpy road
Would-be purchase prices rejected for CentrePort route
By: Bartley Kives

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BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES The $212-million highway for CentrePort has forced the province to expropriate a total of 31 parcels of land, and the cash for settlements is looking like it will fall short. (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)Photo Store
This land was your landHERE'S how the province made room for CentrePort Canada Way, a $212-million new highway on Winnipeg's northwestern fringe:

Total land expropriated: 261 hectares in the City of Winnipeg and RM of Rosser.

Number of expropriated parcels: 31.

Settlements achieved to date: Two.

Parcels undergoing negotiations: 16.

Parcels heading into contested hearings: 13.

Cash set aside to acquire all 31 parcels: $7.1 million.

Preliminary payments already made: $5.4 million.

-- source: Province of Manitoba
More than one-third of the owners of properties expropriated to make room for CentrePort Canada Way have balked at the purchase price -- setting the stage for the highway's property-acquisition budget to exceed the provincial target.

Since 2010, the province has expropriated 261 hectares of land in northwest Winnipeg and the RM of Rosser to make room for a $212-million highway to serve CentrePort, an industrial development taking shape near Richardson International Airport.

The new road, which remains under construction, runs from Inkster Boulevard and across Sturgeon Road before connecting to the Perimeter Highway.

The province expropriated a total of 31 parcels of land to make room for the highway and proceeded to attempt to negotiate purchase prices with the former property owners, according to the provincial Crown Lands and Property Agency.

Those negotiations have resulted in only two settlements to date, while 16 others have yet to be negotiated and may wind up in a contested hearing before the provincial Land Value Appraisal Commission.

'They're using non-payment to negotiate: "Take my offer or you won't get paid for years." It's what someone would do in private practice, but governments should be held to a higher standard.'

-- Rocky Neufeld, a land appraiser who represents some of the property owners

Another 13 properties are already heading into contested hearings, which were supposed to begin in May but have been pushed back to September.

"It may be that in and of itself says something about whether or not people feel they're being offered a reasonable amount for their properties," said Antoine Hacault, a Manitoba lawyer who deals with expropriations and represents some of the property owners.

Crown Lands has set aside $7.1 million to compensate the owners of all 31 properties and has already spent $5.4 million on preliminary payments, according to the province.

Rocky Neufeld, a land appraiser who represents some of the property owners, said he doubts the remaining $1.7 million will be able to cover the negotiated or contested settlement of the 29 other parcels of expropriated land.

"It's a tremendous shortfall someone has left them with," said Neufeld, surmising the cash-strapped province will be forced to find the money somewhere else.

But Crown Lands maintains it's offered a fair price for the expropriated land.

"We've done a thorough investigation of the properties. Our appraiser has done his work. We're comfortable in the numbers," said Ken Dzogan, the agency's former land-acquisition officer, earlier this year.

The CentrePort Canada Way property acquisition amounts to one of the largest sets of involuntary expropriations Crown Lands has ever made, added Dzogan.

His agency prefers to settle expropriations through negotiation, he said. "We recognize this is an expropriation. No one came to us and said, 'Please buy my land.'

"The owner didn't come to us with an offer to sell, so they ought to receive every vehicle they're entitled to. At the same time, we're keenly aware we're paying taxpayers' dollars."

In theory, property owners are entitled to compensation for the cost of hiring lawyers, land appraisers and planners to assist their side of the fight. Neufeld said in this instance the province has not covered those fees for his clients, who are left with mounting costs while the contested-hearing process crawls toward resolution.

"It could be years before these cases are ever brought forward," said Neufeld, claiming this is a deliberate provincial tactic. "They're using non-payment to negotiate: 'Take my offer or you won't get paid for years.' It's what someone would do in private practice, but governments should be held to a higher standard.

"Legal counsel, the owners and appraisers want these things brought forward in an expedient fashion."

In a statement, the province said compensation issues are complex and it's attempting to work out fair settlements as quickly as possible.

Hacault, the expropriation lawyer, said the province must balance the needs of taxpayers with those of the property owners.

"From my perspective, people should be entitled to the reimbursement of their reasonable expenses on an ongoing basis," he said.

Property owners who reject provincial purchase offers have two years to appeal to the Land Value Appraisal Commission. The province is obliged to pay whatever amount the commission determines must be paid.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 29, 2013 B1
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Published: 29 July 2013
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Rezoning of farmland to make way for CentrePort
By: Martin Cash

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WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES Bob Brown, CentrePort project co-ordinator, said there are no plans to rezone Little Mountain Park.
Revamping the zoning regime in the RM of Rosser to allow for CentrePort development is now underway and will likely see about 445 hectares of land changed from largely agricultural to industrial use.

An open house and public-design review was held this week as part of the process that will allow for industrial development within the CentrePort lands that fall within the RM of Rosser.

The area designated for the first zoning update -- north and south of Inkster Boulevard and west of Brookside Boulevard -- is the most developed to date and the area where there is the most demand from developers.

Bob Brown, CentrePort project co-ordinator for the RM of Rosser, said he was pleased with the results of two meetings held this week each with about 70 to 80 people in attendance.

'The city says it is protected. I don't know what else to say. The land-use plan is to protect that green space. CentrePort has (8,093 hectares). It does not need Little Mountain Park's (65 hectares)'
"We were looking to accomplish two things -- a draft amendment to the current Rosser zoning bylaw to more reflect the CentrePort vision and we wanted to get some recommendations on design standards that could apply in the first instance in the targeted area."

The design standards would not apply to the buildings in the industrial parks north and south of Inkster that have already gone up, but they might eventually become standardized through the CentrePort footprint.

Although there have been concerns expressed that existing green space -- including Little Mountain Park and the Players Golf Course -- would somehow be compromised in the process, officials from the RM of Rosser and CentrePort stressed that would not be the case and they would remain green space.

Brown said Rosser's zoning bylaws have been in place for about 25 years -- most of the land is zoned agriculture or limited agriculture or highway commercial -- and are not suitable for the development that is occurring and contemplated for CentrePort.

"CentrePort is meant to be an industrial development so it's not profound to say we're looking at different categories of industrial zoning," Brown said.

The exercise in establishing a new zoning protocol in the RM of Rosser is part of a larger process to make the whole CentrePort area into a seamless development plan for both the lands in the RM of Rosser and the CentrePort lands that are part of the City of Winnipeg.

"Part of the CentrePort intent is to have planning provisions in place that allow streamlined and efficient administration of the process that's not encumbered by a lot of red tape," Brown said. "We're striving for zoning that is well-defined but easily spelled out and something you could work with without an overabundance of complications in applying it."

When it comes to the green space such as the City of Winnipeg-owned 65-hectare Little Mountain Park, north of the Players Golf Course, there are no plans to rezone that.

Brown said if at some point the City of Winnipeg or the owners of the Players Golf Course decide they want to sell the land, it would have to go to a public hearing process.

People who use the dog park that's within Little Mountain Park have expressed concern that somehow industrial development will encroach on those lands.

But an official from CentrePort said, "The city says it is protected. I don't know what else to say. The land-use plan is to protect that green space. CentrePort has (8,093 hectares). It does not need Little Mountain Park's (65 hectares). It's just not needed."

Brown said the plan is to come back with a draft review of the recommended new zoning bylaws in September for further public consultations with the final product finished in October.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 27, 2013 A8
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Published: 27 July 2013
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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CBC

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/07/25/mb-centreport-little-mountain-park-industrial-development-rosser-zoning.html
I did an interview with CBC, here is the story.
Will new inland port rid Rosser of its green space?
Green space could be snapped up by industrial development, RM staff say
Leslie McLaren CBC News
Posted: Jul 26, 2013 6:28 AM CT
Last Updated: Jul 26, 2013 12:43 PM CT
The city of Winnipeg and CentrePort say Little Mountain Park will be preserved, but an advisor to the RM of Rosser says the land may eventually become far more valuable for industrial development instead. (CBC)

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The rural municipality of Rosser is laying out the welcome mat for CentrePort, an inland transportation hub slated to be built in the area.

The RM held open houses this week as it begins the process of re-zoning the land to allow development of the inland port.

Bob Brown, the RM's advisor on CentrePort issues, said more people turned up than were expected, including some people concerned about the future of Little Mountain Park, a green space in the area.

'You're not going to see … golf courses or … dog parks … because that's not what inland ports are all about.'—Bob Brown, advisor to RM of Rosser
Centreport and the city have both said the green space will be preserved, along with Little Mountain Sportsplex and a privately-owned golf course.

But Brown said as CentrePort is developed over the next few decades, the land will likely become more valuable for its commercial and industrial potential.

"If CentrePort is successful, that's the type of use that will predominate in the area," he said. "You're not going to see other typical urban uses probably, including golf courses or recreation areas or dog parks ... because that's not what inland ports are all about."

Brown said it's the market that will eventually decide what CentrePort, a 20,000 acre transportation hub, will look like.

"Nobody is going to be forced to vacate, be it a residence or a dog park. But if CentrePort is successful, the market will eventually probably encourage people to leave because their lands will have more value for development purposes than what they are for current uses, and people will take that option and sell off probably."

He said use of the park may even die off as development progresses.

"You're not necessarily going to be driving ... through an industrial area to get to a spot to walk your dog," he said.

There may even come a day when a golf course in the CentrePort footprint, The Players Course, disappears.

Brown said it's an option any land owner can consider, such as when the city recently mulled selling off John Blumberg golf course in the RM of Headingley.

'The province is going to do what the province is going to do, and there's not a damn thing anybody can do about it.'—Lloyd Johnson
"If ... they are surrounded by viable commercial industrial type activities, and they're in this to make money, then probably at some point they'll say, 'We can make more money selling this off than we can from green fees.'"

Winnipegger Lloyd Johnson attended some of the RM's sessions this week and came away very disappointed.

He said he and others who are worried about Little Mountain Park wanted to have their say but that didn't happen.

"Basically they were not too interested in what we had to say at all," he said.

He said he did talk with officials with the RM of Rosser but that didn't go very far either.

"I got the distinct impression that their hands were tied as well, like the province is going to do what the province is going to do, and there's not a damn thing anybody can do about it," he said.

Johnson said he and others will keep lobbying to assure the park's future.

But he admits it is probably inevitable the park will eventually disappear as CentrePort grows.

"I think it's terrible. I think it's a crime against everybody," he said. "This is a historic area. It should be preserved. It's green space that the city loves to tear up. Anything green they want to plow under, and it'd be just a crime to see this disappear. It's part of the fabric of the city of Winnipeg. We have to protect it."
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Published: 26 July 2013
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Zoning

CentrePort Canada Zoning and Design Standards

The Rural Municipality of Rosser, supported by the Province of Manitoba and with the cooperation of the City of Winnipeg, has hired a team of planning consultants to prepare a zoning framework and design standards to guide development of the first phases of CentrePort Canada.

We are asking the community to get involved in a number of ways. The consultant team ofPlaceMakers, MMM Group, and CNT will be conducting interviews in June with selected entities most closely involved with the first phase of CentrePort Canada. We are looking to identify potential opportunities and issues with a zoning framework outline.

Then, in July open houses, we will ask planning officials, the business community, and residents to consider ideas and actions to help guide the RM of Rosser and CentrePort towards a future of increased opportunity. We will gather and refine ideas about subdivision design, connectivity, parcel sizes and uses, as well as the ultimate form and function of the area when fully developed.

We invite the community to three open houses to share your ideas and feedback:

Monday, July 22, 4:30-6 pm. This is a community input open house, setting the stage for zoning and design. The planning team will give a summary of the June interviews, and ask for additional public direction on functionality that you would like to see enabled by the new Rosser CentrePort zoning framework. This event will be held at the Community Hall at Grosse Isle, 0117E - PR 321, in the R.M. of Rosser.
Thursday, July 25, 5:30-7 pm. The design team will take the combination of Monday's input along with intelligence collected in May and June, and spend the week developing a framework for the CentrePort Design Standards and Phase 1 Stage 1A Zoning Designations. We'll ask the community for direction to refine ideas and provide a mid-course correction. This open house will be held at the Community Hall at Grosse Isle, 0117E - PR 321, in the R.M. of Rosser.
During August and September, the planning consultants will be drafting the zoning framework, under the guidance of the Steering Committee. Once the first draft is complete, we will host another open house in the fall for additional community input.
A key guiding principle for CentrePort development is establishing a streamlined and transparent development approval process. This calls for a modern approach to zoning that emphasizes upfront visioning and consultation processes to develop standards that govern basic building form, placement of structures and related components of the built environment with predictable physical outcomes and performance based criteria rather than overly detailed lists of permitted or conditional uses.

The preparation of a form-based zoning framework will accommodate immediate development proposals in Rosser and is intended to also be transferable to future phases of CentrePort development, in both Rosser and Winnipeg. A Steering Committee with representatives from Rosser, Manitoba Local Government, and Winnipeg’s Planning Department is working with the consultant team to provide ongoing professional and technical input throughout the project.

Check back on this web page for additional information and ongoing updates.

Resources

The CentrePort Canada Act
Planning Consultant Team

CentrePort

July 22, 2013

CentrePort Design Workshop Open House

Monday, July 22, 4:30-6 pm.

This is a community input open house, setting the stage for zoning and design. The planning team will give a summary of the June interviews, and ask for additional public direction on functionality that you would like to see enabled by the new Rosser CentrePort zoning framework. This event will be held at the Community Hall at Grosse Isle, 0117E - PR 321, in the R.M. of Rosser.
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Published: 14 July 2013
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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CentrePort

July 25, 2013

CentrePort Design Workshop Open House

Thursday, July 25, 5:30-7 pm.

The design team will take the combination of Monday's input along with intelligence collected in May and June, and spend the week developing a framework for the CentrePort Design Standards and Phase 1 Stage 1A Zoning Designations. We'll ask the community for direction to refine ideas and provide a mid-course correction. This open house will be held at the Community Hall at Grosse Isle, 0117E - PR 321, in the R.M. of Rosser.

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Published: 14 July 2013
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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CBC

Councillors worry about development at Little Mountain Park

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Two Winnipeg city councillors want more information about the province's plans for a booming industrial area in northwest Winnipeg — and how they impact a popular city park.

That comes after a CBC News story about fears Little Mountain Park is threatened by CentrePort and other nearby commercial development plans in the booming northwest industrial sector.

St. Vital Coun. Brian Mayes said he and Old Kildonan Coun. Devi Sharma are concerned because developers' plans show roads going right through the park, which is a heavily-used off-leash dog park.

Mayes said the city is writing to Manitoba's minister of infrastructure and transportation, Steve Ashton.

"We'd kind of thought this issue had been dealt with but based on what we found out a day or two ago, there may be some other plans out there we weren't aware of," he said.

"Coming out of that CBC story… it certainly sounded like there were some maps out there that we weren't aware of. So we want to find out what plans there might be for Chief Peguis Trail or any other roadway that might be somewhere down the line that would interfere with the park.

"I think we both wanted to find out all the facts on this."

The park belongs to the city of Winnipeg but is actually located in the Rural Municipality of Rosser. As such, it's not in a city ward so no city councillor is responsible for it.

Mayes said earlier information persuaded him that the city had no plans right now to extend the Chief Peguis Trail past Route 90. But he's changed his mind after CBC's story that showed a map on CentrePort's website illustrating how the northwest corner of the park will be trimmed when the extension is built.

As well, a map on the website for the Brookside Business Park shows the extension will actually cut right through the park.

The agent for that development, Robert Scaletta, an independent agent for Shindico, said the information for the map came from the province.

He said the business park land is actually owned by a private investor in Alberta.
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Published: 28 May 2013
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Chief Peguis Extension

THE TIMES

Canstar Community News - ONLINE EDITION

Eadie calls for road tolls
Money would help pay for $240-million Chief Peguis extension
By: Matt Preprost

Posted: 05/15/2013 5:22 PM | Comments: 1
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WAYNE GLOWACKI/WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Mynarski Coun. Ross Eadie says road tolls can help fund future extensions of the Chief Peguis Trail. In 2012, city council approved a $240-million extension to Route 90 to be complete by 2016.Photo Store

Mynarski Coun. Ross Eadie wants the city to explore using tolls to fund its growing list of roadway expansion plans, but he faces a potholed path in convincing his political counterparts to join the ride.

Standing at the foot of the Chief Peguis Trail at Main Street last week, Eadie said Winnipeg is running out of ways to fund its freeway plans, which include extending Chief Peguis west to Route 90 by 2016 to the tune of an estimated $240 million.

"We don’t have enough money to build all these roads," Eadie said.

In April 2012, city council voted to overrule the city’s transportation master plan, which called for Chief Peguis to be extended west in two phases – first to McPhillips Street by 2021 at a cost of $110 million, and further to Route 90 by 2031 at a cost of $130 million.

Eadie says the city will likely have to revise those plans, but maintains the extensions are needed for trade in and out of CentrePort, and for moving people in and out of the city’s rapidly-spawning suburbs. They will alleviate traffic problems on Leila Avenue and other surrounding residential streets, he added.

Eadie wants tolls, whether they are controlled by the city or a private group, to be on the table when planning next year’s budget.

"The reality is we're going to have to rationalize (our needs) in the next budget process," he said, noting he has yet to speak with other councillors or put a formal motion forth on the issue.

"We need to find a way to pay for this, and if it doesn’t happen, we’ll only able to afford to put Chief Peguis to McPhillips and leave further west to a later time until we find more money."

The city has been hampered in funding its infrastructure needs in part by a 14-year property tax freeze, which ended last year, while its repeated calls for the province to divert a greater portion of the provincial sales tax to municipal infrastructure have been largely ignored.

Those calls were amplified last month when the NDP government announced a 1% hike to the PST it wants to take effect July 1.

Though the majority of PST revenue is generated in Winnipeg, the city will only receive about $7 million of some $300 million of new revenues the hike is expected to generate each year, Eadie said.

"What alternatives do we have?" Eadie said.

"We cannot continue to borrow lots of money unless we have a revenue source to pay for it."

The province, however, was quick to stymy Eadie’s call.

According to a provincial spokesperson, municipalities would need legislative authority from the province to put a toll on any municipal or provincial road. No such legislation exists.

A spokesperson for Manitoba Infrastructure Minister Steve Ashton said the province is not considering such legislation, but would not elaborate further.

Toll talk a distraction, Wyatt charges
Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt, who chairs council’s finance committee and is responsible for budgetary planning, said Eadie is creating a distraction for the NDP, with which Eadie is affiliated.

"We’ve been lobbying for (an increased share of) the sales tax that (the NDP has) now increased and have dedicated hardly any of it to the infrastructure of our city," Wyatt said.

"It’s a great distraction on his part, but I don’t buy it."

Sharma mum on support; Katz wants details
In March 2012, Old Kildonan Coun. Devi Sharma introduced a motion calling for the Chief Peguis extension, along with a $60 million extension of the William Clement Parkway in Charleswood, to be completed sooner than planned.

Sharma said the funding should have been on the books before she was elected in 2010. Sharma said the city needs to find the money to pay for the project but wouldn’t say whether or not she supported using tolls to cover the costs.

"It’s too early to decide what the revenue opportunities are," she said.

Mayor Sam Katz said the idea of tolls have been a regular discussion at city hall.

"Whenever you have that discussion, I think you have to be very careful," said Katz.

"If you’re talking about new construction where people can get from point A to point B much quicker by going that route and paying that toll and have a choice, it’s something that every councillor has the right to put on the table.

"I’d like to hear the particulars first," Katz added.

"I’m assuming I’ll be hearing something in the near future."

Over the last several years, the city has increasingly relied on public-private partnerships for multi-million dollar road projects — such as the the Chief Peguis extension to Lagimodiere Boulevard — where the roads are designed, built and maintained by a private consortium to which the city makes annual lease payments.

matt.preprost@canstarnews.com

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Twitter: @TimesWPG

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Published: 23 May 2013
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Water

City-border expansion eyed for CentrePort water supply
May annex part of RM of Rosser
By: Bartley Kives

Posted: 1:00 AM | Comments: 27
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The City of Winnipeg is once again prepared to expand its borders in order to extend water pipes into the CentrePort development.

Since 2008, the city and province have wrestled with a jurisdictional headache surrounding the extension of services to CentrePort, an industrial development that straddles the border of Winnipeg and the RM of Rosser. A tentative deal was struck in 2011 for the two levels of government to share the $17-million cost of extending water and sewer pipes into Rosser.

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But a legal challenge from a pair of northwestern Ontario Ojibwa communities effectively turned off the tap last year. Two bands situated on Shoal Lake, the source of Winnipeg's drinking water, argued the city had no right to sell water to neighbouring municipalities.

Ottawa and Ontario granted Winnipeg permission to draw water from Indian Bay on Shoal Lake in 1913. The International Joint Commission, a Canada-U.S. body that governs cross-border water disputes, followed suit in 1914.

In December, the commission told the city the sale of water to neighbouring municipalities was inconsistent with the 1914 agreement. The commission added teeth to that opinion with a ruling on April 18, effectively warning Winnipeg not to proceed with the plan.

"Our preliminary assessment is that the city would be in non-compliance with the IJC order should it transfer water beyond the City of Winnipeg's municipal limits," the IJC's Canada and U.S. secretaries wrote in a joint letter, adding they have brought the issue to the attention of Ottawa and Washington.

Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz called the preliminary assessment "extremely disappointing" but stated it may take four years to obtain a permanent assessment from the commission.

"The other option is to go where we were prepared to go four years ago," said the mayor, referring to a 2009 plan to annex the portion of the CentrePort development that lies within the RM of Rosser.

"I've always said, three conditions are necessary for CentrePort to succeed. It has to have a single authority, under a single jurisdiction (and be) private-sector-driven," Katz said. "If everyone would be following the advice that was put forward, we wouldn't be having this discussion today."

In 2009, Rosser rejected the idea of annexation, despite an offer of compensation from the City of Winnipeg. Reeve Frances Smee could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

CentrePort declined to comment on the prospect of annexation and is reviewing the IJC decision, spokeswoman Riva Harrison said in a statement.

Local Government Minister Ron Lemieux said in a statement it is not clear annexation will resolve the issue.

"We are exploring all options for servicing CentrePort," he said, raising the idea of using groundwater to service 405 hectares of industrial land.

The lingering dispute has complicated efforts to develop the industrial park. While some businesses at CentrePort have dug wells to ensure they can fight fires, other companies have held off venturing into the area without a servicing deal.

In early 2012, Winnipeg chief administrative officer Phil Sheegl said he wasn't concerned the servicing of the development would be threatened by the legal challenge, initially launched by Iskatewizaagegan First Nation and later joined by Shoal Lake No. 40 First Nation.

The city effectively argued water has already been sold to neighbouring municipalities, as some portions of what is now Winnipeg were separate suburbs before the Unicity amalgamation of 1972.

The IJC, however, noted that arrangement was made under the Greater Winnipeg Water District, whose responsibilities have been subsumed by the City of Winnipeg.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 1, 2013 B2

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Published: 01 May 2013
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Parker

NEWS WINNIPEG

Parker Lands fight not over: Wetlands group
3Coalition ready to stop rapid transit route

BY DAVID LARKINS ,WINNIPEG SUN
FIRST POSTED: SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013 05:23 PM CDT | UPDATED: SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013 10:26 PM CDT

The Manitoba Hydro right of way, a proposed site for rapid transit, is seen in Winnipeg, Man. Tuesday Feb. 26, 2013. (BRIAN DONOGH/WINNIPEG SUN)

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Despite city council’s approval of a rapid transit route through the Parker Lands, the leader of the group interested in protecting the area’s wetlands says their fight is not over, but just beginning.

Cal Dueck, a co-chair of Parker Wetlands Conservation, said rather than being discouraged by council’s 11-5 vote approving the dogleg route for the second phase of Winnipeg’s rapid transit development, he is instead more optimistic they’ll eventually be able to halt the plan.

At a Winnipeg Transit Riders Association meeting on Saturday it was suggested the Parker wetlands would have development regardless of whether it is transit or another company.

Dueck slammed that assessment.

“That’s just the most powerfully irrational argument I’ve ever heard,” Dueck said.

Winnipeg Transit planner Bjorn Radstrom declined to speak specifically to the topic of the impact on the wetlands.

“It’s something that’s going to have to be looked at during the functional design,” he said.

Dueck said he is more optimistic now.

“This is not the end as some city councillors want it to be,” he said. “I think both the federal and provincial governments will be somewhat leery about investing in it ... We’ve had so much feedback from people wanting to help and so many people saying this is the wrong choice, this is the wrong thing to do, it will be a disaster.

“... We’ve already been talking to the provincial and federal governments and we will continue to do that. We will make sure that our voice is heard.”

Dueck says his concerns go further than just the environmental aspect.

“My own chief concern is the wetlands, but also as a citizen of Winnipeg, I don’t want my children to have to pay for a transit that’s not being used,” he said. “There’s been no study on the environment, there’s been no good study on the economic situation, on ridership, those are all missing,” Dueck said. “If we spend $340 million, we should do it right. It’s the most expensive thing we can do if we get it wrong.”

Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) was one of the councillors to vote against the suggested route last week, saying a functional study should be done for both the Parker Lands route and another proposal to have it run south alongside the CN Letellier Line.

“The majority of the Parker wetlands, most of it’s in private hands and so their fight has just begun,” he said. “When they start moving ahead with the precinct plans for this area, there’s going to be a huge fight because it’s owned by private owners ... Their battle is on into the future and it’s not just the rapid transit, it’s going to have to be when the precinct plans come up there’s going to be a lot of debate to keep those wetlands.”

david.larkins@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @larkinswsun

Final report: Stage 2 alignment options by Tessa Vanderhart

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Published: 24 March 2013
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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CentrePort

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

CentrePort blasts city for inaction
Forced to shun major potential clients over services: CEO
By: Martin Cash

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Diane Gray, president and CEO of CentrePort Canada at an announcement from the Governments of Canada and Manitoba to provide funding to study and implement intelligent transportation systems. 111220 - Tuesday, December 20, 2011 - (MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) (MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)
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KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS / DEC 14 2007 - no VIDEO OFFERED 071214 - Martin Cash story - Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce ??s Dave Angus delivers 5th Annual Manitoba Business Leaders Index close cut closecut
CentrePort Canada is turning away potential large-scale developments because of a lack of sewer and water servicing -- or even a schedule as to when it will be built -- and its angry CEO is demanding action.

In a very forceful speech to the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Friday, Diane Gray said if the city wants to realize its goal to establish an inland port as a differentiator "that will put our city on the map, provide us with a unique calling card and ensure prosperity for the city and the province," then some decisive action is required on municipal servicing.

"We have been turning away -- yes, turning away -- large-scale distributions centres and other significant investors who have been forced to look at other locations because we can't give them a firm timeline on servicing," she said. "Large, anchor-style tenants cannot be built at CentrePort."

Buildings larger than 30,000 square feet require fire-suppression systems not possible without municipal services. Smaller buildings can drill their own wells, dig retention ponds and install diesel pumps and holding tanks.

Although $17 million in municipal and provincial funding has been in place for almost three years to build the sewer and water extension to about 400 hectares on the CentrePort footprint, a legal action by a Shoal Lake-area First Nation has completely stymied the project.

The dispute is over the City of Winnipeg's right to draw water from Shoal Lake, the source of the city's drinking water, and send it to neighbouring municipalities. Some of the CentrePort land is in the Rural Municipality of Rosser.

Gray noted the $212-million highway through CentrePort may be finished this year, yet its ability to leverage more development is dramatically curtailed without municipal services.

She said CentrePort can't even go out and market the land because businesses expect servicing. She said at least one large distribution centre that inquired about developing at CentrePort is going to another western Canadian location.

Gray was not able to guess as to when servicing might be in place.

"It's full-on uncertainty," she said.

When asked to provide an update as to the status of the CentrePort servicing project, a spokeswoman for the city said, "All I can say is that the city is negotiating service-sharing agreements with many municipalities."

But Gray and others believe the situation is becoming critical.

The province has engaged an engineering firm to probe the possibility of a Plan B that might somehow circumvent the municipal water system.

Nammi Poorooshasb, spokesman for Premier Greg Selinger, said, "The province is in the early stages of exploring what, if any, other options there may be. Our focus, however, remains servicing CentrePort with a hookup from the City of Winnipeg, as originally announced by the mayor and the premier."

Gray said the other options might mean a system that would treat groundwater or perhaps a hookup to a water-treatment facility outside of Winnipeg.

While that may seem drastic, Gray and others seem to think it's what the situation demands.

In talking about the issue, Dave Angus, the normally good-humoured president of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, was visibly wound up.

"This is not a new issue," he said. "We have been talking about this forever. Let's get on with it... It takes leadership... We have spoken to the mayor about this and there is every excuse in the world."

Chris Lorenc, head of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association, a member of the board of directors of CentrePort and a former city councillor, said, "I think it is regrettable and unfortunate that we don't have decisions that would have by now provided the core service to the CentrePort lands. But I am optimistic that the decision to launch tendering of the sewer extension at least, could be imminent."

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 16, 2013 B6

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Published: 16 February 2013
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Map

This is what the City, Province and CentrePort have planned for our park! Don't let this happen.

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=203442914539579318981.0004cdf15361921208a87&msa=0&ll=49.956687,-97.24514&spn=0.013916,0.0421

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Published: 10 November 2012
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Petition

Our park is under attack from the city. The Chief Peguis Trail extension is planned to go right through the middle of the park. Please stop this from happening! Don't let the City take your park away from you. Sign our petition and make your voice be heard at City Hall!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/465/270/644/save-our-off-leash-park/

or go to our web links for easy access (pg 2)

Thanks to Kristy, Jordan and everybody else who collected signatures for all their hard work!

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Published: 05 September 2012
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Waterford Green

The City has proposed a new housing development for the Maples, 'Waterford Green'. It would be located between King Edward and Jefferson. Also included in the proposal is the Chief Peguis Trail extension. There is an open house meeting planed on Wednesday April 4th, 7:00 at Meadows West School Gymnasium. For more information please contact:

Dave Palubeski, FCIP, Principal Planner and Project Lead

Lombard North Group

505-93 Lombard Avenue

Winnipeg, Manitoba

204-943-3896

dave@lombardnorth.com

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Published: 28 March 2012
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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New digs give local firms elbow room

Winnipeg Free Press Monday April 18 2011

By Murray McNeill Commercial Real Estate

What's going on the east side of the park?

New digs give local firms elbow room

Inksbrook Industrial Park growing. Go to the web link for the full story

www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/new-digs-give-local-firms-elbow-room-120047919.html

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Published: 18 April 2011
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Industries flock to sites at CentrePort

Industries flock to sites at CentrePort

The east side of Little Mountain Park developement

By Murray McNeill Winnipeg Free Press 2/24/2011

Please read the full story at http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/industries-flock-to-sites-at-centreport-116801648.html

"A shortage of serviced industrial land is driving up land prices at a double-digit pace and sparking a mini building boom on the CentrePort site in northwest Winnipeg.

The leasing agents for two industrial parks on Brookside Boulevard -- one on the north side of Inkster Boulevard and the other on the south side -- said they're seeing an increase in demand for ready-to-develop land in their parks."

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Published: 26 February 2011
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Winnipeg, RM of Rosser End Feud

Winnipeg, RM of Rosser end feud

- City drops plan to annex corner of land / New faces break impasse on CentrePort

Winnipeg Free Press, Wednesday, February 9, 2011

by Bartley Kives bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

"The once-frosty relationship between Winnipeg and the Rural Municipality of Rosser is on the mend after the city backed away from a plan to annex a corner of its northwestern neighbour.

In 2008, the city approached Rosser with a plan to absorb all the land slated for CentrePort - a manufacturing, warehousing and distribution centre planned for the outskirts of Richardson International Airport.

The CentrePort area crosses the boundary between Winnipeg and Rosser. Unwilling to extend water and sewer services into land it does not control, the city wanted to absorb the portion of the rural municipality that sits west of Brookside Boulevard and north of Four Mile Road.

The rural municipality, which could not afford the price tag for laying down the water and sewer pipes, initially agreed. But former reeve Alice Bourgouin later rejected the annexation plan, much to the frustration of former Winnipeg chief administrative officer Glen Laubenstein, who twice offered Rosser compensation for the loss of property tax revenue related to the first expansion of Winnipeg's boundaries since 1972."

For the rest of the story please go to:

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/winnipeg-rm-of-rosser-end-feud-115625269.html

Just what this means to the park area, we'll have to wait and see. It does open the door for more development all around. Have a read and send me your opinions.

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Published: 10 February 2011
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Hearing Date

A new Hearing date has been sent in reguards to Broda Quarry application. It is on April 28, 2010 at 6:00 pm at the Grosse Isle Hall.

Also, Social tickets are still for sale. One of the major prizes is going to be a Geothermal Heat Pump with a retail value of $10,000, which could be sold if the winner did not want to install it. For tickets, e-mail Liz at jayandelis@yahoo.ca for information.

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Published: 19 April 2010
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Rejection of Land Deal

The R.M. of Rosser has rejected the City's bid to annex land for the Centre-port project. What that means to Little Mountain Park and the area is still up in the air. To read the whole story please go to the Winnipeg Free Press at

www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/rosser-rejects-citys-offer-to-annex-land-80885007.html

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Published: 08 January 2010
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Quarry Operation

It has been brought to my attention by Liz that the R.M. of Rosser is looking at a proposal by Broda Construction Manitoba to seek Approval of Conditional use to develop and operate a limestone aggregate quarry in the RM of Rosser. This company is based out of Saskatchewan and apparently has been sold to a BC company ( Seacliff). They see a need for an aggregate quarry because of the Centreport Development, however, there are at least 4 quarries north of the proposed site ( near Stonewall ) with many years of aggregate supply.

They are proposing to use surface mining equipment instead of blasting. This equipment is expensive to buy and operate. One of the concerns is that it will not be economical to use and the company will end up blasting anyway. There are concerns about groundwater quality as well( both methods may impact groundwater quality ).

The proposed mine site will be on:

- the South half of the northeast quarter-section of section 4 - Township 12 - Range 2 - East of the Prime Meridian (4-12-2-EPM).

- the East half of the Northwest quarter of (33-11-2-EPM).

This area is located approximately 1/2 mile northwest of Little Mountain Park, There are 73 residences located within a 3 km radius of this mine as well as 3 recreational parks/facilities: Little Mountain Park, Little Mountain Sportsplex and Players Golf Course. The proposed mine will be 280 acres and could be as large as 575 acres if it is economically feasible. This would be the largest aggregate mine in Canada if not North America. They will be excavating from 5 - 8 m deep and will most certainly be hitting aquifers. There is concern of flooding nearby properties.

I think the main concern for the users of the park is the dust, traffic and noise that will be generated by this operation. Limestone contains silica dust, which can contribute to a condition called silicosis ( a type of lung disease ) that can be fatal. Silica dust is also a known carcinogen. There is no way that the quarry can mitigate/control dust pollution. The dust, which is very fine, will cover all of the vegetation near the quarry and will be in the air, making it difficult to be outside.

A public hearing will be held on February 10, 2010 at 6pm at the Grosse Isle Hall.

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Published: 18 December 2009
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Article

Reject city's land deal, residents of Rosser told

Winnipeg Free Press Oct. 02 / 09 pg. A4 by Aldo Santin

Grosse Isle - Rosser residents were urged Thursday night to reject a financial offer from the City of Winnipeg for a chunk of the rural municipality's land within the Perimeter Highway.

Former Rosser councilor Jack Oatway told a meeting that the rural community has reached a pivotal point in its history and their decision will have implications for more than a generation.

" This is your municipality," Oatway said as he received strong applause from the 200 residents who crowded into the small Grosse Isle Memorial Hall.

Winnipeg wants the land west of Brookside Boulevard and north of Four Mile Road to allow a single municipality to deal with CentrePort Canada, the inland port and commercial development planned to augment Richardson International Airport.

Most of the airport site lies within the city of Winnipeg, except the northern tip of the main north-south runway. When CentrePort was conceived, the intention was to have one municipality handle the complex task of creating a large development that combines private-sector investment with new government-financed roads and bridges. Winnipeg said it would cost $40 million to extend water and sewer services to the new development, but it wants the land brought within the city's boundaries.

Consultant Bob Brown told the meeting the Winnipeg negotiators had rejected any suggestion of extending water and sewer services to Rosser land for the CentrePort project or jointly administering the land.

Brown said Winnipeg made only one offer: In exchange for Rosser agreeing to present a joint annexation proposal to the Manitoba Municipal Board, the city would give the RM $5.43 million over 10 years, plus a share of new property tax revenue associated with the CentrePort development over the next 15 years.

Brown said the land Winnipeg wants amounts to about 44 square kilometers, about 10 per cent of Rosser's land base that holds 15.6 per cent of its population and generates 38 per cent of its property tax revenue.

Brown said the deal from the city would compensate Rosser for loss of the property tax base - $543,677 a year for 10 years - plus Winnipeg would share a percentage of the new tax revenue developed on the former Rosser lands for 15 years.

Rosser has already rejected a verbal offer from the city and it has not responded to a written offer made in 2008.

Rosser Reeve Alice Bourgoin said she wants to hear from the residents on what council should do.

"Now you see the hand we've been dealt," Bourgoin said following Brown's presentation.

Resident Ernie Futros, who lives on Rosser land close to the airport, said he believes property taxes for homeowners and businesses will multiply three to 10 times once the area becomes part of the city.

Futros said Winnipeg is being too ambitious in wanting all of the Rosser land within the Perimeter, adding a good chunk of that land isn't slated to be developed for decades.

"I understand why they need the land for the airport, but the rest is just B.S.," Futros said.

Futros said the Rosser council should allow all residents to vote on the offer from the city.

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Published: 03 October 2009
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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CentrePort

Hey kids if you read the Free Press this morning there are two sections ( pgs. A3 and B7/8 ) for the development of CentrePort. Our park looks like its still going to be there but the landscape around the park is going to be nothing but warehouses, truck yards and Highways. So much for our farmland and history, I hope the the city understands what it's doing to the people. On Oct. 01 out at Grosse Isle the city will be making their presentation. Maybe we should sit in on it as well.

www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/plans-for-centreport-taking-shape-61727107.html

www.winnipegfreepress.com/Local/expressway-for-centreport-43022502.html

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Published: 26 September 2009
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Interesting

CJOB 68 , July 20 10:00 Richard Cloutier Show was talking about the residential townhouse development along the Wilkes Ave. woodland area. The story seems to parallel the City development of Win Port. It's worth a listen, any thoughts on the subject. Send in your comments.

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Published: 20 July 2009
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Expressway for CentrePort

Winnipeg Free Press 4/15/2009

Expressway for CentrePort

Harper announces funding to connect cargo hubs

By: Carol Sanders

" When the going gets tough, the heart of the continent gets going.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced help for Winnipeg to do just that, with $212 million in federal-provvincial funding to build an artery that's vital to the creation of an inland port in Winnipeg.

Dubbed"CentrePort Canada Way," the four-lane, divided expressway will connect Inkster Boulevard, the James A. Richardson International Airport and the CP Weston rail intermodal facility to the Perimeter Highway near Saskatchewan Avenue. The plan includes a new cloverleaf connecting Inkster to the Perimeter. Construction is to begin early in 2010, be completed in 2011, and will help Manitoba battle the recession, Harper said.

"Today's announcement is about building on Winnipeg's place at the heart of the continent," said Harper, standing next to Premier Gary Doer at Winnipeg's Airport. "And it's about ...coming together during a period of extraordinary global economic uncertainty to transform a crisis into an opportunity," Harper said after touring flooded southern Manitoba with Doer earlier in the day.

"The port is an ambitious, far-sighted initiative -- a massive transport,trade,manufacturing,distribution, warehousing and logistic cetre on 20,000 acres of northwest Winnipeg," said Harper.

The trucking and rail depot will be linked to runways and aircraft coming and going from all over the globe, and the funding commitment is a vote of confidence in Winnipeg and its economic strengths, Harper said.

"This action plan will put Canadians to work building the infrastructure needed to achieve greater priorty when the recovery takes hold," said Harper.

The corridor is vital to developing the 20,000-acre CentrePort northwest of the airport, and Harper's announcement is crucial to get the ball rolling, said Doer."This will be a very,very important statement to all the private investors that are looking at making their down payments on their investment as part of the CentrePort Canada."

Winnipeg will be able to take better advantage of its location. The city is at the centre of the continent, the crossroads of the major railways, is home to hundreds of trucking firms, and a 24-hour airport with more cargo moving through it than any other terminal in Western Canada, Doer said.

The problem has been that the city hasn't had the services to deliver, said Barry Prentice with the Transport Institute at the I.H. Asper School of Business.

"What's really important is that those 20,000 acres of land have sat there for the last 15 or 20 years. People have thought,'Let's have an industrial park,' but the public sector has to act first. Business will act after that. They'll come in and pay for lots but they're not going to put up money for the road. I guess you could say they're getting the horse in front of the cart the way it should be. It's taken a long time to come," said Prentice.

"When you fly into Toronto and many cities you look out the window and see factories surrounding airports," said Prentice. When you fly into Winnipeg, you see bare fields, not industry. "This is one of the few places where there is available land. What's been lacking is the services. That's what's now being put in," said Prentice.

"Nobody should expect to see buildings pop up as soon as the road is built. But 20 years from now we'll look back and we'll say,'wow..."

The funding for the expressway that will kick-start CentrePort comes from the largest infrastructure program in 50 years, said Harper.

"By looking forward today and investing in key infrastructure like Winnipeg's inland port, we are seizing the initiative, seizing opportunities that will get us through these tough times and ensure that our country remains strong and becomes stronger than ever," Harper said.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

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Published: 19 April 2009
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Chief Peguis Trail

Notice of Public Hearing Executive Policy Committee

Date: Wednesday, December 3 ,2008

Time: 9:00 a.m.

Loction: Council Building, 510 Main Street

Re: Proposed plan Winnipeg Amendment By-law No. 147/2008

Chief Peguis Trail extention alignment in the Amber Trails and Leila North neighbourhoods.

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Published: 19 November 2008
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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Industrial Park

On Monday September 15 2008 the Winnipeg Free Press business reporter Murray McNeill ( murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca ), submitted a story ( pg. B6 ), about DTZ Barnicke Winnipeg Ltd.'s Martin McGarry 's plans for the East side fields development and future expansion. What that means for Little Mountain Park and the surrounding area remains unclear. Stay tuned as I get details I will post them, we have a roadway plan aready posted in our map section.

Details
Published: 16 September 2008
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
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East Side

It looks like construction has finally started on the East side field. Bird Construction is creating access roads to allow development to the area.

Details
Published: 06 August 2008
Last Updated: 03 November 2013
Hits: 1972
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Winnipeg Free Press Oct.15 2022