The City of Winnipeg's potential plans to extend the William R. Clement Parkway drew mixed reactions from residents who attended an open house on Tuesday evening.

City officials hosted the public session at the Charleswood United Church so people can look at the extension's functional and preliminary design study and talk to the authors of the study before giving their feedback.

Winnipeggers check out information boards related to the proposed extension of the William R. Clement Parkway at an open house hosted by the city on Tuesday. (Courtney Rutherford/CBC) The parkway extension would form part of the city's future transportation system, essentially providing a north-south link in west Winnipeg.

The first phase would run from Grant Avenue south to Wilkes Avenue, but officials say the long-term plan would be to extend the roadway to McGillivray Boulevard.

"It's going to reduce traffic on neighbourhood streets," said Scott Suderman, a transportation facilities planning engineer with the city's public works department.

"It's going to provide economic development and provide recreational opportunities. It's about moving cars onto streets that are more appropriate."

The project has raised concerns for Jody Firth, who has been bringing her dog to the Charleswood Dog Park twice a day for the past 3½ years.

The park is along Grant Avenue, across the street from where the William R. Clement Parkway currently ends.

Firth said she fears the park, which sees dozens of dogs and their owners daily, would be destroyed if the extension is approved.

A sign is posted at the Charleswood Dog Park with information about Tuesday's open house. The off-leash park is along Grant Avenue, across the street from where the William R. Clement Parkway currently ends. (CBC) "We're not talking about, you know, just a group of people that kind of waves hello every now and then. It's a family of people and dogs," she said.

"I'll be darned if I'm going to let that be destroyed because they need to develop a road."

Meanwhile, Charleswood resident Darlene Conte said she's in favour of the expansion because she's tired of traffic in her neighbourhood.

"Wilkes has gotten extremely busy. At 7:30 in the morning, eight o'clock, sometimes you have to wait five or 10 minutes," she said.

"Elmhurst [Road] and Wilkes is a zoo between 4 and 5:30. And then you have the trains going through."

The city will begin a preliminary design study for the extension's first phase this spring, and another open house will be held in the summer.

City officials would not comment on the price tag for the possible extension, saying funding is not in place at this time.