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By
Carol
Sanders
Winnipeg
Free
Press
Sunday,
Dec
15,
2002
A
developer
says
an
environmental
group's
objection
to
the
proposed
construction
of
a
bridge
over
the
Seine
River
could
halt
a
760-home
subdivision
in
south
Winnipeg.
"Many
builders,
trades
and
suppliers
and
all
of
their
employees
and
their
families
will
be
very
seriously
affected,"
said
Alan
Borger,
president
of
Ladco
Co.
Ladco
and
the
province
are
partners
in
Grandin
Park
Developments
Ltd.,
which
had
planned
to
begin
construction
of
Phase
2
of
Royalwood
next
spring.
The
company
wants
to
build
a
bridge
over
the
Seine
River
at
Southglen
Boulevard
near
St.
Anne's
Road.
A
group
called
Save
Our
Seine
is
fighting
the
bridge
proposal,
saying
it
cuts
through
pristine
forest
area
the
group
is
eyeing
for
the
80-acre
Bois
des
Esprits,
a
park
system
of
canoe
and
hiking
trails
from
south
Winnipeg
to
downtown.
"People
try
to
belittle
the
impact
of
the
bridge,"
said
Dave
Danyluk,
co-ordinator
for
Save
Our
Seine
Environment
Inc.
"Its
environmental
impact
is
a
big
concern."
The
planned
river
park
takes
its
name
from
the
spirits
of
the
first
nations
people,
Metis
and
settlers
who
called
the
forest
home.
It
is
an
area
steeped
in
history.
Borger
says
he
respects
the
group,
but
thinks
its
plan
to
attract
120,000
people
a
year
by
building
a
cafe,
a
canoe
launch,
paved
pathways
and
parking
lots
along
the
river
is
potentially
more
dangerous
to
the
environment
along
the
river
than
the
bridge.
"The
SOS
group
has
done
a
commendable
job
enhancing
the
Seine
River
environment
and
has
shown
tremendous
dedication
to
their
cause,"
said
Borger.
"But
on
this
issue,
they
appear
to
be
out
in
left
field."
The
two
sides
will
square
off
Tuesday
at
the
Riel
community
committee
meeting,
during
which
area
city
councillors
will
review
the
plans
for
the
housing
development
and
hear
the
case
for
and
against
the
bridge.
SOS
says
it
isn't
against
the
development
--just
the
bridge
planned
at
Southglen,
where
there
is
"A-quality"
unspoiled
forest.
The
developer
has
owned
the
land
at
Southglen
west
of
the
Seine
since
the
1980s,
when
it
was
directed
by
the
city
to
obtain
it
for
access
to
the
planned
development,
which
was
postponed
until
the
late
1990s.
SOS
says
an
alternative
access
site
at
Warde
Avenue
would
cut
through
a
less
valuable
tract
of
forest.
Danyluk
said
one
traffic
study
showed
a
Warde
Avenue
bridge
would
easily
handle
all
the
traffic
in
and
out
of
the
development.
But
Borger
said
that's
not
a
safe
or
practical
option.
Emergency
vehicles
need
to
have
more
than
one
access
road
to
a
development,
he
said,
so
there
will
eventually
have
to
be
bridges
at
both
Southglen
and
Warde.
Grandin
Park
Development
wants
to
build
the
Southglen
bridge
next
winter.
Borger
said
it
will
allow
three
metres
of
clearance
to
accommodate
canoeists
and
hikers
below,
and
the
company
is
footing
the
bill.
He
said
Royalwood's
economic
impact
is
huge,
with
$174
million
in
construction
being
spent
in
Phase
2
and
the
city
raking
in
an
estimated
$4.1
million
a
year
in
property
taxes.
The
development
is
good
for
the
city
and
the
environment,
said
Borger.
"Our
proposal
is
extremely
ecologically
sensitive."
Ecologists
were
consulted
on
how
to
"naturalize"
man-made
lakes
in
the
area
and
develop
a
wetlands
habitat,
he
said.
Phase
2
of
Royalwood
will
boast
a
buffer
of
native
grasses
to
promote
wildlife
in
the
area
and
help
filter
phosphates
and
nitrates
before
they
enter
the
river,
Borger
said.
SOS's
plan
to
develop
tourism
along
the
river
could
have
a
bigger
negative
impact
on
the
environment
than
the
Southglen
bridge,
he
said,
adding
the
bridge
would
affect
a
very
small
part
of
the
Bois
des
Esprits.
"All
but
2.5
acres
will
be
preserved,"
he
said.
SOS
says
developing
that
section
of
the
forest
will
be
"devastating
and
unnecessary."
On
Monday,
SOS
has
a
meeting
with
the
province,
which
has
a
38
per
cent
stake
in
the
Royalwood
project.
Danyluk
said
SOS
will
ask
the
province
to
step
in
and
help
buy
the
land
to
save
the
forest.
The
city
already
owns
about
44
per
cent
of
the
riverbank
land
along
the
Seine
and
it
will
cost
more
than
$2
million
to
acquire
another
40
acres
for
the
Bois
des
Esprits.
The
city
has
committed
$1
million
to
the
project
and
challenged
the
community
to
raise
another
$600,000,
which
the
city
will
match
to
purchase
the
other
40
acres.
As
of
last
week,
SOS
had
raised
$67,000.
"The
city
knows
this
parcel
of
land
is
important
and
unique,"
said
Danyluk.
"We'd
like
to
see
some
support
from
the
province.
They've
got
a
stake
in
this
land."
The
province
partnered
with
Ladco
to
develop
the
land
inside
the
Perimeter
Highway
in
an
attempt
to
prevent
urban
sprawl
in
a
city
that's
running
out
of
acreage
to
develop.
Developers
have
been
heading
outside
the
Perimeter
for
available
sites,
taking
valuable
municipal
taxes
with
them.
In
May,
the
province
said
it
planned
to
work
with
the
private
sector
to
develop
more
provincial
land
in
the
city.
The
Manitoba
government
and
Ladco
pooled
485
acres
of
land
to
create
the
Royalwood
subdivision.
Phase
1
of
that
project
is
almost
complete,
and
the
remaining
two
phases
were
expected
to
go
ahead
this
year.
All
three
phases
of
Royalwood
are
together
expected
to
generate
$7.6
million
in
annual
property
taxes
when
they
are
completed.
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