Link to Protect our Parks Page
Link to Golf Page
WRITE TO WINNIPEG’S MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS AND ASK THEM to save public greenspace from development and to protect and enhance greenspace and natural areas for future generations.
1. Cut and paste from list of email addresses
2. cc to ourswinnipeg@live.ca
3. Add text below to create your email letter
Please feel free to write your own words as to why greenspace and natural areas matter to you personally… or edit this letter. Your own words are far more powerful than a form letter, but this works too!
Mayor Bowman mayorbowman@winnipeg.ca
Cindy Gilroy cgilroy@winnipeg.ca
Sherri Rollins srollins@winnipeg.ca
John Orlikow jorlikow@winnipeg.ca
Kevin Klein kklein@winnipeg.ca
Scott Gillingham scottgillingham@winnipeg.ca
Janice Lukes jlukes@winnipeg.ca
Ross Eadie readie@winnipeg.ca
Devi Sharma devi@winnipeg.ca
Vivian Santos vsantos@winnipeg.ca
Jason Schreyer jschreyer@winnipeg.ca
Jeff Browaty jbrowaty@winnipeg.ca
Shawn Nason snason@winnipeg.ca
Matt Allard mattallard@winnipeg.ca
Markus Chambers markuschambers@winnipeg.ca
Brian Mayes bmayes@winnipeg.ca
February 21, 2021
Subject Line: Protect Public Greenspace
Dear Mayor Bowman
Councillor ___________
I am writing to ask you to save public greenspace from development and protect greenspace and natural areas in Winnipeg for future generations.
The Winnipeg City Planning document OurWinnipeg 2045 and its companion document Complete Communities Direction Strategy lay out a multi-step process that enables the conversion of public parks, golf lands and nature parks to development, as outlined in the Major Open Space Chapter.
The City is contracting out a report to repurpose up to 30% of public golf lands including for residential housing.
I ask the following:
1. An amendment to the Major Open Space Chapter of Complete Communities Direction Strategy to remove all development options for park zoned land. (natural areas, golf lands and large parks)
2. Remove the development option from the Repurposing Golf Lands report.
3. A Master Plan for Greenspace for city wide greenspace planning
4. A Biodiversity Plan that protects natural and park assets
Examples of major Canadian Cities that have Master Plans for Greenspace : Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Vancouver Mississauga
Examples of major Canadian cities that have Biodiversity Plans: Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver
Thank you for acting on these concerns.
___Your Name___________________________
Please thank your Councillors in your letter if they support protecting greenspace.
Councillor quotes from Jan 28, 2021 Council Meeting
Sheri Rollins
"What we do need to consider between now and final reading, in my opinion Madame Speaker, is climate change and how our greenspace is positioned the health and welfare of our city for future generations."
"...OURS Winnipeg, who is already calling Winnipeggers, on this mayor and on us as City Councillors Madame Speaker, to act now to save greenspace for future generations."
"I also want to acknowledge that there's already calls for an amendment to the major open space chapter to complete community's direction strategy to remove development options for park zoned land."
"I want to acknowledge the rally that is already happening."
Cindy Gilroy
"I have very little greenspace in my area and I want to keep that greenspace."
"Maybe groups like OURS Winnipeg...will be able to hear that dialogue and be able to mitigate some of the issues and concerns being raised..."
Matt Allard
Quotes from "City of Triumph": "There is nothing greener than asphalt."
"...pleased to see there are protections in this draft document for preserving our park spaces..."
Brian Mayes
Quotes Cindy Gilroy: "I don't have any golf courses. I didn't get elected to destroy greenspace."
"So you know what, I'm with her on that one. Because if you simply say, "Hey, let's start demolishing all the greenspace because our city won't grow", is a complete misstatement of fact and reality in my view."
"I don't think there's nothing greener than asphalt. I think greenspace is greener than asphalt. And I'm going to go down on that if I have to...".
Kevin Klein
"...there are groups already standing up and suggesting that we have some issues they would like to see addressed. That the protection of natural and recreation areas of major open spaces right now, according to the plan, is left to a secondary development plan..."
