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By
Bob
Armstrong
Winnipeg
Free
Press
Wednesday,
April
17,
2002
Winnipeg
residents
will
have
an
opportunity
to
discuss
a
community
group's
plans
to
create
a
park
to
preserve
the
natural
and
historic
resources
of
the
Seine
River
at
an
environmental
group's
open
house
to
be
held
April
24
at
7
p.m.
at
Morrow
Gospel
Church,
755
St.
Anne's
Rd.
Save
Our
Seine
River
Environment,
which
co-sponsored
a
park
plan
prepared
by
Gaboury
Prefontaine
Perry
architects,
is
holding
the
meeting
to
gather
support
for
its
goals
of
preserving
the
Seine
River
as
a
park
and
natural
wildlife
corridor
running
from
the
city
centre
to
the
Floodway.
"Studies
talk
about
the
importance
of
green
corridors,"
says
Jules
Legal,
president
of
SOS.
"We've
bought
into
that
philosophy."
The
architectural
study,
released
last
year,
focused
on
the
Spirit
Woods
(Bois
des
Esprits)
between
Bishop
Grandin
Boulevard
and
Warde
Avenue.
The
area
includes
an
80-acre
river
bottom
and
bur
oak
forest
that
is
home
to
whitetail
deer,
rabbits
and
many
other
creatures.
Legal
notes
that
20
species
of
mammals,
101
species
of
birds
and
181
plant
species
have
been
identified
within
the
area.
In
addition
to
preserving
the
forest,
the
Gaboury
Prefontaine
Perry
study
called
for
creation
of
an
interpretive
centre
and
interpretive
panels
at
the
site
of
a
mill
once
owned
by
the
Riel
and/or
Lagimodiere
families.
Picnic
areas,
walking
and
biking
trails
and
a
canoe
launching
area
would
also
facilitate
recreation
in
the
area.
SOS
is
campaigning
against
plans
to
build
two
bridges
across
the
Seine
south
of
Bishop
Grandin,
one
at
Southglen
and
the
other
at
Warde.
Since
the
two
planned
crossings
are
within
one
kilometre
of
each
other,
says
Legal,
the
group
is
lobbying
city
council
to
have
the
plans
changed.
Focussing
on
the
stretch
of
river
that
passes
between
south
St.
Vital
and
the
Royalwood
subdivision
is
relatively
new
for
SOS,
which
has
worked
extensively
on
the
northern
stretches
of
the
river.
Founded
in
1990,
SOS
has
worked
on
projects
around
the
St.
Boniface
Golf
Course
and
north
of
Marion
Street.
The
organization
worked
on
reforesting
Kavanagh
Park,
on
the
east
side
of
the
river
in
St.
Boniface,
and
raised
funds
to
create
a
nature
trail
along
the
river
between
Marion
and
Provencher.
Plans
for
this
year
include
sponsoring
a
six-person
Green
Team
and
organizing
a
treeplanting
June
1,
which
will
take
place
on
a
lot
near
Lavallee
School
that
was
at
one
time
the
St.
Vital
dump.
"We've
got
a
couple
thousand
trees
on
order,"
says
Legal.
The
fact
that
a
garbage
dump
was
once
located
along
the
river-scraps
can
still
be
seen
along
the
riverbank-is
indicative
of
the
way
Winnipegers
have
neglected
the
Seine.
But
now,
says
Legal,
the
waterway
is
rebounding.
One
of
the
key
developments
occurred
after
SOS
hired
a
consultant
to
determine
that
the
pipe
that
carried
the
Seine's
water
underneath
the
floodway
was
leaking.
Because
of
the
leaks,
little
water
actually
made
it
into
the
city
portions
of
the
river.
After
the
group
pinpointed
the
problem,
the
province
repaired
the
siphon
and
water
levels
have
since
improved.
SOS
hopes
next
fall
to
begin
another
project
to
make
the
Seine
better
for
fish
and
canoeists,
says
Legal.
After
seven
years
of
research
and
consultation,
the
group
plans
to
build
a
series
of
15
riffles
(artificial
rapids)
between
the
Red
River
and
the
Floodway,
to
keep
water
levels
in
the
(Seine)
river
higher
during
dry
periods.
"The
Seine
has
been
overlooked
in
the
past,
but
people
are
paying
more
attention
now,"
says
Legal.
In
addition
to
the
open
house
and
treeplanting
events,
SOS
has
an
annual
general
meeting
planned
for
May
13
at
7
p.m.
at
the
Franco-Manitoban
Cultural
Centre.
The
group
also
holds
an
annual
canoe
trip
down
the
river.
For
information
on
the
canoe
trip
or
the
tree
planting,
call
Jim
Gyselinck
at
257-0922.
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