Winnipeg Curling Club Battles City Over Affordable Housing Plan

URGENT UPDATE: A fierce conflict between the City of Winnipeg and the Granite Curling Club escalates as the Manitoba Municipal Board prepares to hear arguments regarding a controversial affordable housing project. The board meeting is scheduled for August 26, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. at the Norwood Community Centre and could last for up to three days.

The city council has approved plans to rezone and subdivide a parking lot adjacent to the curling club for the development of a 111-unit apartment complex, including 56 units with rents set below market rates. This initiative aims to address the pressing housing crisis in Winnipeg, where many residents struggle to find affordable accommodation.

However, the curling club’s board has expressed significant concerns. They argue that the project will eliminate more than half of their parking spaces, which could jeopardize their revenue and membership, threatening the club’s long-term viability. “The city has known our concerns for over a year, and they still have not provided a single solution,” stated Christian Pierce, the board’s secretary.

The Granite Curling Club, located just across the street from the Canada Life building in West Broadway, is not against the idea of affordable housing but insists that the city’s plans must not come at their expense. Pierce emphasized, “The ideal outcome is that the city and the developer can address Granite’s concerns… so that the Granite could continue to operate for decades to come.”

The project is spearheaded by the University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corporation 2.0, which proposes a mix of units, including 55 market-rent apartments, 12 units at 79 percent of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s median market rent, and 14 units at 69 percent of that rate, with the remainder being geared to income.

Planning, Property and Development Committee Chair Coun. Evan Duncan expressed surprise at the referral to the Manitoba Municipal Board, noting it was unexpected given the earlier council directive aimed at resolving the curling club’s concerns. He remarked, “I thought that at the end of the day, when they left council, that it was at a good spot and that everybody would move ahead.”

The hearing comes as Winnipeg faces a critical housing shortage, with many residents unable to afford rent or mortgages. Duncan highlighted the urgency of the situation: “There are Winnipeggers out there who cannot afford rent, they cannot afford a mortgage, they cannot find housing… Housing is no longer affordable in this city.”

With the Manitoba Municipal Board stepping in, the outcome of this dispute could significantly impact both the future of the Granite Curling Club and the affordable housing landscape in Winnipeg. Residents and stakeholders are urged to stay tuned for developments as the board hearing approaches.

This situation exemplifies the ongoing struggle between community needs and urban development, and the decisions made in the coming days will resonate throughout the city.