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November 4, 2003
"PRIMARY GOAL OF SOS
1. Preserve, protect and enhance the natural environment & heritage
resource of the Seine River"
MILL SITE OF LOUIS RIEL SR.
PARKS CANADA NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
SAVE OUR SEINE AND RAYMOND SIMARD: STUDY
APPEAL TO MINISTER COPPS
DEVELOPER'S PLANS
METIS COMMUNITY RESPONSE
HOW TO HELP PROTECT WINNIPEG'S NATIONAL HISTORIC
TREASURE
During the mid 1990's the City of Winnipeg conducted
a major study of the urban Seine River Greenway. The Seine
River Greenway Study had four sub-studies. One of the sub
studies was called, The Seine
River Corridor Interpretive Study (1995) and was, "An inventory
of the cultural, historical and archeological resources of the
Seine River Corridor…to guide a future interpretive program."
The City has not done anything with the study and now a very
unique historic site on the Seine River in St. Vital is about
to be lost due to a proposed mega-housing project.
 City
of Winnipeg Letters Regarding Historic Riel Mill - 1975
Plan
Winnipeg 2020 Vision
Old Mill Site Map
(click to enlarge)
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The City's historical study identified the Riel
Mill Site along the Seine River on the old river lot number
50/51.
In 1853, Louis Riel senior, and his partner Benjamin
Lagimodiere constructed the overshot gristmill by purchasing the
mechanical apparatus (gears) from Montreal.
This new enterprise used a renewable resource (hydro
power) and also incorporated a carding mill.
click to enlarge
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"Riel père's grist mill was considered
quite an engineering achievement for its time. In order to harness
sufficient water power, he dug a canal to link the Seine to another
water-way, twelve miles to the east. The stream…enabled him to
operate his mill throughout the summer or during periods of relative
drought. The enterprise on the whole was quite successful. Riel
père's accounts with the Hudson Bay Company between 1853 and 1863
suggest that although he was in debt to the company, his balance
compared favourably with other larger entrepreneurs or traders"
Payment, Dian RIEL FAMILY: HOME AND
LIFESTYLE AT ST-VITAL, 1860 - 1910, Parks Canada. 1980
Riel Mill Site
(click to enlarge)
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Propsed site -aerial view
(click to enlarge)
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In the later century the Federal Government removed the structures
near the Seine River and rebuilt them on the west-end of the river
lot at the Red River. Today this small structure is the National
Historic Site, Riel House/Maison Riel .
Maison Riel
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"Occupying river lot 51 along the Red
River, Riel House National Historic Site was Riel's family home,
where his descendants continued to live until 1969. It is here,
in the living room of his mother's house, that Riel's body lay
in state for two days in December 1885."
The original millstones from 571 St. Anne's Road
are now situated in front of the Ste-Boniface Museum.
original millstones
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In 1999/2000 the Riel Development Corporation and
Save Our Seine had Gaboury
Prefontain Perry (GPP) to do a study on the Bois-des-esprits
forest and how it can be protected as a new, natural park. The
President of the Riel Corp. was Raymond Simard.
M. Simard is now the Member
of Parliament for Ste-Boniface. You can email MP Simard at
info@raymondsimard.ca
The Bois-des-esprits
Park Study determined that an Interpretive Centre was key
to ensure that the pristine forest would survive complete development
on all sides. As an educational, recreational and a natural resource
in the City interpretation of the heritage forest was needed.
Visitors to the site must be informed how to treat the 'A' Quality
habitat or it would not remain 'A' Quality for future visitors.
The Park Study also suggested the best location
for an interpretive centre would be on a disturbed site not in
or near the forest. The study recommended the Riel Mill Site and
suggested it would also be ideal to interpret the history of the
early Métis settlers and their culture, and of course the accomplishments
of the Miller of the Seine, Louis Riel (Sr.) and his partner Benjamin
Lagimodiere.
On November 10th 2002, Save Our Seine's Coordinator
hand delivered a letter to Heritage and
Culture Minister Sheila Copps from Former Lieutenant-Governor
of Manitoba, the Honourable Yvon Dumont.
"I feel compelled to inform you of
a very pressing and important local historic issue…
The "Miller of the Seine," Louis Riel
Sr. and his partner/brother-in-law Benjamin Lagimodiere (son
of Marie-Ann Gaboury, the first European Woman in Western Canada)
were entrepreneurs who built a water-powered mill on the river
in the 1850's. This was a tremendous accomplishment from an
engineering, agricultural and economic point of view for the
Métis community, Manitoba and indeed Canada. SOS believes this
site compliments Park's Canada's areas of strategic priorities,
aboriginal history and ethno cultural history.
The reason for this letter is that
the Riel Mill Site is currently for sale and at risk of being
sold and developed as a condo complex. This would be a terrible
loss of a truly nationally significant historic site. Manitoba
and indeed all Canadians would benefit form having this site
and the accomplishments it represents recognized by the Minster
of Canadian Heritage.
SOS and myself would like to ask you
for assistance to have this site included as a site of National
Historic Significance and protected as such"
Excerpt from letter to Minister Copps from the Honourable, Yvon
Dumont, November 10, 2003.
There has been no response.
In May SOS was contacted by Synyshyn Architects
and invited to a meeting where they explained that they were planning
to build a 165-unit housing project on the Riel Mill Site. SOS
pointed out that public access from St. Annes's Rd was vital as
was adequate land so that an interpretive site could be developed.
The City had told them that if they did so, the City might consider
zoning changes to accommodate more height. SOS also pointed out
that most importantly they needed to consult the Métis communities
regarding proper development regarding the historic site.
Over the summer the City forwarded the developer's
plans to SOS. Their plans had no public access, no space for interpretation
and they were asking for rezoning to build larger than allowed
structures.
proposed project -> removed at request of Synyshyn Architects
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SOS contacted the Manitoba
Métis Federation (MMF) and the Union nationale métisse
St-Joseph du Manitoba to inform them of the pending development.
Neither the developer nor the City had contacted either group
about the threat and intended loss of the Riel Mill Site. Both
groups strongly oppose the development.
The Union nationale President, Gabriel Dufault
wrote a letter to the developer asking for a meeting and to discuss
the project.
"[The Riel Mill Site] could
conceivably serve to illustrate very clearly the entrepreneurial,
agricultural and engineering feats the Métis community developed
in order to survive. This is of prime national historical interest
for future generations and deserves respect, recognition and acknowledgement.
It would be such a shame to lose the property as a historical
site, due to lack of knowledge of its value to the Métis. Ultimately
it would be very difficult for the Union nationale to accept any
development that would deny Manitobans and Canadians the opportunity
to learn about the Métis culture at such a unique site".
Gabriel Dufault, President of the Union nationale métisse St-Joseph
du Manitoba
They received no response.
The Manitoba Metis Federation President, Mr. David Chartrand
sent a letter to the City saying,
"[The Riel Mill site] remains
one of the few existing opportunities to protect and preserve
an irreplaceable part of our city's history for the benefit of
future generations. This mill property is not only of historic
significance to Winnipeg; it is of national importance to both
Canada and the Métis Nation…We are extremely concerned about the
inappropriate and unacceptable development that has been envisioned
by the developer [and] we cannot support this large-scale development…it
must be built on a more appropriate site elsewhere. It is essential
this opportunity not be lost due to poor planning and short-term
or near-sighted gain by a private group or individual. The City
[must] refuse to allow the developer to continue plans to construct
the housing project…the ultimate responsibility for the future
of this national treasure rests with the Mayor and Council."
Objectives of the MMF:
1. "To promote the history and culture of the
Métis people and otherwise to promote the cultural pride of
its membership."
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The last opportunity to oppose the loss of the
historic site is Tuesday, November 4th at 5:45 pm., at
the Riel Community Committee Meeting. The meeting will be held
at the Community Committee Chamber at 604 St. Mary's Rd.
Anyone may attend and vote, for or against the rezoning
of the Historic Riel Mill Site for mega-housing project.
Let your civic politicians know what you think of
the development of the Riel Mill Site. Click here to email the
Mayor and the three City Councillors of the Riel Community Committee.
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