Manitoba

Mayor poised to support Sterling Lyon Parkway switch, even though costs not yet known

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Winnipeg officials not ready to say how much more money it will cost to appease South Wilkes property owners

Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman said South Wilkes residents were greatly upset by the proposed extension of Sterling Lyon Parkway and he supports a change to the route. (John Einarson/CBC)

Mayor Brian Bowman says he plans to support a new alignment for the extension of Sterling Lyon Parkway even though council has not been told how much more money that will cost the City of Winnipeg.

On Tuesday, city council's public works committee voted to extend Sterling Lyon Parkway to the west along Wilkes Avenue instead of running the road several hundred metres to the south, along an alignment that would cross Loudoun Road and Liberty Street.

This change, intended to avoid the prospect of expropriating homes and farms in the South Wilkes neighbourhood, still faces approval from executive policy committee and council as a whole.

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Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman said Wednesday he will support the change to the Sterling Lyon Parkway alignment because people living in South Wilkes were concerned about the potential loss of property and greatly upset by the manner in which they learned about the proposed route, which chief administrative officer Doug McNeil called a mistake.

"It's had a pretty negative impact on the residents and on community and the motion is a reaction to that, and that's why I support it," said Bowman, adding he personally heard from property owners in the area.

The soon-to-be-abandoned south alignment, proposed by consulting firm WSP and public works officials, would have required the city to expropriate all or part of dozens of properties. Under pressure from South Wilkes residents, Charleswood-Tuxedo-Whyte Ridge Coun. Marty Morantz authored a motion to kill that alignment in favour of a route that would run further north, along Wilkes Avenue.

City officials have thus far refused to say what this decision will cost, should the Sterling Lyon Parkway extension ever become a reality.

McNeil said Monday that WSP provided the city with a Class 3 estimate for this route — that is, an estimate of sufficient accuracy to allow the project to be considered for funding — but refused to divulge the figure.

The city proposed three Sterling Lyon Parkway routes, but in September, WSP proposed what city officials describe as a fourth option that combined aspects of the Wilkes alignment with this route further south. (CBC)

Under questioning from North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty on Tuesday, McNeil told public works committee, "I don't know what the number is offhand," but said the more southern alignment opposed by residents would be less expensive than extending Sterling Lyon Parkway along Wilkes Avenue.

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"The Wilkes Avenue [alignment] was considered more expensive just because of all the infrastructure that is already there," he said, referring to presence of hydro lines, gas lines and businesses along Wilkes Avenue.

Browaty then asked McNeil how much more money it will cost to extend Sterling Lyon Parkway along Wilkes Avenue versus three other alignments studied by WSP.

"I'm sorry, I just don't have [that]. We'll have to get you that information," McNeil said.

Changes make extension less likely: Browaty

​On Wednesday, Winnipeg communications director Felicia Wiltshire said the city still does not know how much more money taxpayers would be asked pay to extend Sterling Lyon Parkway if city council agrees to move the alignment up to Wilkes Avenue.

"We are currently working with the consultant to compile the cost estimates on all the options that were presented. Once we have all the information together, we will be providing it to council," said Wiltshire, declining to say when that would happen.

Bowman said Wednesday he needed to learn more about the proposed change. Asked why he would support the move to the Wilkes alignment without knowing the financial implications, Bowman said he needed to learn more and deferred to councillors Morantz, Browaty, Matt Allard (St. Boniface) and Devi Sharma (Old Kildonan).

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"These questions could now be directed to each member of the [public works] committee who unanimously voted yesterday for the widening," Bowman said.

Charleswood-Tuxedo-Whyte Ridge Coun. Marty Morantz implored South Wilkes residents to cheer him on during Tuesday's public works committee meeting. The councillor chairs the committee. (Trevor Brine/CBC)

Sharma said Wednesday she still has questions about the cost implications and would like them answered before the council vote.

Browaty said Wednesday the changes made by the committee will make it far less likely the city will ever fund the Sterling Lyon Parkway extension.

"I think it makes the project more difficult to move forward. It also lowers the performance it will give in terms of being part of the inner Perimeter," said Browaty.

Browaty said that would be unfortunate for southwest Winnipeg, but other areas of the city could be developed instead.

On Oct. 4, public works committee was told it would cost $250 million to extend William Clement Parkway south from Grant Avenue to Wilkes Avenue and connect the north-south roadway with an extended Sterling Lyon Parkway.

Morantz, who implored South Wilkes residents who attended Tuesday's public works committee meeting to cheer him on, said it does not matter how much more the move would cost.

"It's important we do the right thing here and sometimes the right thing may involve paying more or less. I don't know what ultimately that will be," he said.

Show more Mayor Brian Bowman says he plans to support a new alignment for the extension of Sterling Lyon Parkway even though council has not been told how much more money that will cost the City of Winnipeg. 1:51