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By
Carol
Sanders
Winnipeg
Free
Press
Wednesday,
April
3,
2002
Bulldozers
cutting
a
swath
of
forest
along
the
Seine
River
were
silenced
yesterday
as
politicians
rumbled
over
the
destruction
of
forest.
At
issue
are
trees
cut
by
the
province
and
its
private
partner
anxious
to
build
an
access
road
to
a
new
700-home
subdivision
in
south-west
Winnipeg.
"I
believe
they're
very
eager
to
get
started,"
Dan
Vandal,
chairman
of
the
city's
property
and
development
committee,
said
of
the
project
headed
by
Ladco
Company
Ltd.
It
has
plans
to
build
Phase
Two
of
the
Royalwood
subdivision
in
partnership
with
the
province.
Land
along
the
river
nearby-part
of
the
parcel
owned
by
the
province
and
Ladco-has
been
earmarked
for
a
32-hectare
park
by
the
city
and
Save
Our
Seine,
a
group
trying
to
preserve
the
river
and
its
banks.
But
on
Monday,
bulldozers
were
clearing
a
path
through
that
part
of
the
forest,
which
outraged
members
of
SOS,
who
contacted
Vandal.
"I
think
it's
very
premature,"
said
the
St.
Boniface
city
councillor.
He
said
the
city
hasn't
yet
approved
a
bridge
at
that
site,
and
called
on
the
developer
and
the
province
to
back
off
clearing
trees
for
now.
"My
goal
is
to
create
a
first-class
park
in
that
quadrant
of
the
city."
The
park
would
include
trails,
canoe
launches
and
a
Métis
interpretive
centre.
A
bridge
at
that
location
would
be
like
building
a
freeway
through
Assiniboine
Park,
according
to
SOS
president
Jules
Legal.
Vandal
says
he's
written
a
letter
to
Ladco
and
the
province
asking
them
to
stop
knocking
down
trees.
"Be
aware
you're
risking
doing
this
for
naught,"
Vandal
said
he
wrote.
The
bulldozers
were
removed
yesterday
after
they
were
found
in
violation
of
a
city
bylaw
that
requires
a
permit
for
disturbing
land
within
107
metres
of
a
river,
said
Councillor
Harry
Lazarenko,
chairman
of
the
riverbank
management
committee.
"The
waterway's
engineer
went
out
to
take
a
look
and
they
were
within
50
metres
of
the
river's
edge,"
said
Lazarenko.
The
engineer
and
the
surveyor
met
at
the
site
off
St.
Anne's
Road,
just
west
of
Bishop
Grandin
Boulevard,
he
said.
Mayor
Glen
Murray
said
he's
asked
that
the
province,
as
a
partner
in
the
project,
exercise
its
influence
to
prevent
further
destruction
of
the
forest.
He
said
he
spoke
with
Premier
Gary
Doer
yesterday
asking
him
to
ask
the
developer
to
back
off
until
the
issue
of
access
to
the
subdivision
is
settled.
"He
was
quite
concerned
and
very
supportive,"
he
said.
A
spokesman
for
Doer
said
the
premier
is
looking
into
the
matter.
She
said
the
Filmon
government
entered
into
the
partnership
with
Ladco
in
1989
and
has
a
37
per
cent
stake
in
the
project.
A
bridge
to
the
new
subdivision
is
already
planned
at
Warde
Avenue.
It
will
cross
the
Seine,
but
where
the
forest
isn't
as
valuable
to
wildlife.
And
at
Warde,
it
wouldn't
bisect
the
proposed
park.
Legal
wants
the
city
to
forge
ahead
and
obtain
more
property
for
the
park.
The
city
owns
about
44
per
cent
of
the
riverbank
land
along
the
Seine
and
it
would
probably
cost
between
$3
million
and
$4
million
to
acquire
another
16
hectares
for
the
park.
A
first-class
park,
the
housing
development
and
access
to
it
can
co-exist
in
the
same
area,
said
Murray.
"These
are
not
mutually
exclusive
things."
A
Ladco
spokesman
did
not
respond
to
requests
for
an
interview.
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