Called the Southwood Development Plan, the document (which can be found on page 21 of this open agenda) is essentially two policies that lay the framework for how the former golf course will be developed. The Development Plan was drafted by UM Properties, with input from the University.

The two policies—Community Wellness and Sustainability Policy, and the Design Policy—put people first in the area’s design and operations by prioritizing humans over cars, protecting and celebrating the natural environment and wildlife, creating an innovative living lab environment, and fostering a strong sense of belonging. The visionary policies are unique to Winnipeg and the City has labelled this plan as a model for others to follow

“The point of these policies is to enforce sustainability and wellness measures for the benefit of the community. That is exciting,” says Rejeanne Dupuis, director of campus planning. “I don’t know of any of other development in Winnipeg that has a community wellness and sustainability policy overarching the development framework. That in itself is pretty special, and then the fact that it is so broad—it’s not sustainability in terms of energy only but also social, economic, cultural, and of course environmental.”

Dupuis stressed that an important aspect of these policies is that, although the development of Southwood Circle is expected run a 40-year timetable, the Southwood Development Plan policies will be revisited every five years, ensuring that the development on the land will evolve by considering new technologies and applying what is learned in the first five years to future phases.

Built for Winter, including wind and shadowing considerations, outdoor community play spaces.

Much of the vision of this plan stemmed from years of extensive community consultations and a drive to build an exemplar community that put wellness at the forefront of every decision. The plan, for instance, preserves the waterfront as public space and will maintain twice the area of parkland required by the City. The landscape plan will also demonstrate leadership in Indigenous Planning and Design with Indigenous design elements incorporated throughout the development providing a welcoming and meaningful space for the new home of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

Naomi Andrew, VP (Administration), noted at the BOG meeting that the Development Plan is a key document because it is one of the ways in which UM can ensure its vision for the lands is maintained. In addition, she noted that all Southwood Circle development must conform to this latest Development Plan and that there will be an oversight committee tasked with ensuring this is the case. This committee will have UM representatives on it, as well as an independent architect.  

Now that the Development Plan has been approved by the University, UM Properties can approach developers interested in subleasing land in Southwood Circle.

The good news is that with snow, comes outdoor winter fun. That’s why the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management has arranged for groomed cross country ski trails on the Southwood Lands at UM’s Fort Garry campus.  The trails are free, and open to anyone – UM students, staff and the community.

There are two trails, separated by University Crescent. To ski both you must remove your skis and cross at University Crescent. The trails are open for anyone to use at any time of the day, but you must bring your own equipment and lights are not available for evening skiing.

This may be the winter activity you didn’t know you love or forgot how much you do.

Get out this winter and enjoy the best of what it has to offer.

Discover more ways to be active with Recreation Services.

“The NCTR is beginning a new chapter; we have moved forward quickly in the past year. The NCTR is rapidly expanding to meet the needs of communities and Survivors across the nation. However, it is important not to lose sight of the sacred responsibility the Centre has to honour the truth and sacred objects Survivors entrusted into our care. It was essential for our Elders and Survivors to guide us in ceremony as we embark on the first step in the journey of where a new building will stand one day,” said Stephanie Scott, NCTR Executive Director.

The new website and archive database was launched to get more records into the hands of Survivors, their families, and those who want to understand the history of residential schools. The NCTR has implemented new education programs and presented more public presentations than ever before. We are working hard at new partnerships and agreements to ensure the NCTR’s collection continues to grow and reveal records yet unseen.

The NCTR is currently located on the Fort Garry campus in a historic building on the Red River. Its future site will remain on the river in the newly acquired Southwood lands, which is also part of the Fort Garry campus. The new site will provide NCTR with the space it requires for the work mandated by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Survivors.

Finding thousands of children who died and did not return from the residential schools in unmarked burials across the country emphasizes the need for further truths, which will lead to reconciliation in this country. The new building will support the ongoing work of the Centre, provide a safe space for Survivors and their families, and allow the NCTR to continue the research to find the truth through the records and Survivor oral histories; statements which were valiantly shared by Survivors. The millions of records will further reveal how children in residential schools lost their lives and where they are buried.

“The new home for the NCTR will be Indigenous led, as this is vital in creating the necessary environment. But reconciliation is a shared role. As such, the partnership with the University of Manitoba is vital, as are the partners and funders needed to support this work. To do this we need continued commitment from the federal government for capital funding and partners to make this home a reality,” said Dr. Catherine Cook, Vice-President (Indigenous) at the University of Manitoba.

The NCTR Governing Circle, the Survivors Circle, NCTR staff, and University of Manitoba executives were guided by the Elders in Residence in ceremony to envision the NCTR’s new home. The collective visioning included how the building will be created as an Indigenous space that promotes learning, and cares for Survivors Statements, residential school records, and sacred objects for future generations.

“We are humbled to be the host of the NCTR and to put plans in place to continue to support the NCTR, and Truth and Reconciliation in our country. The new home for the NCTR will open up many opportunities for education and learning on residential schools for students, staff, and faculty as well as the rest of the country,” said Dr. Michael Benarroch, President and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Manitoba.

Silver, a Distinguished Alumni Award recipient of the University of Manitoba, is president and co-owner of Western Glove Works, a Winnipeg based manufacturer of casual apparel; co-owner of clothing chain Warehouse One; and co-owner of the Winnipeg Free Press and the Brandon Sun newspapers. As the former chair of the University of Manitoba’s Smartpark, he played an integral role in developing this successful innovation and technology park.

The other directors of UM Properties GP Inc., include: Rick Adams, David Barnard, Steve Demmings, Bob Ellard, Diane Gray, and Lynn Zapshala-Kelln. The directors will ensure Southwood Lands’ development aligns with the principles articulated in the Visionary (re)Generation Master Plan, creating an outstanding learning and work environment, and forging connections that foster high impact community engagement.

“This mixed-use development will be a jewel in our city, attracting Winnipeggers alongside tourists, students and staff. Our goal is to transform this sector of the Fort Garry campus into a vibrant, environmentally-sustainable hub that will serve as an ideal example of a live-work-learn-play community,” said David Barnard, President and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Manitoba.

Brief biographies of the directors serving alongside Mr. Silver:

Rick Adams

An alumnus of the University of Manitoba in Arts and Law, Mr. Adams [BA/69, LLB/72] is a lawyer and Partner with Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP. In the course of his career he has worked on major development projects, including the development of the Forks.

Bob Ellard

An alumnus of the University of Manitoba in Architecture, Mr. Ellard [BES/70, MArch/73] is a 40-year veteran of the design and architecture industry with experience in both the corporate and post-secondary educational sectors.

Diane Gray

An alumna of the University of Manitoba in political studies and public administration, Ms. Gray [BA/93, MPAdmin/96] is a recognized leader with extensive experience in business and real estate development, trade, intergovernmental relations and finance. She is the founding President & CEO of CentrePort Canada Inc.

David Barnard

Dr. Barnard has served as President of the University of Manitoba since July 2008. From 2005-2008 he was chief operating officer of iQmetrix, an IT company, and prior to this he was President of the University of Regina.

Lynn Zapshala-Kelln

Ms. Zapshala-Kelln has served as Vice-President (Administration) of the University of Manitoba since June 2017. As a Chartered Professional Accountant, she served in the senior ranks of the Province of Manitoba civil service for almost two decades, most recently as Secretary to the Treasury Board.

Steve Demmings

Mr. Demmings [MCP/78] is an alumnus of the University of Manitoba in City Planning and is the founding CEO of the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission. He has served Winnipeg in a number of ways including the City of Winnipeg Board of Adjustment, Heritage Winnipeg, the Fort Whyte Foundation and the Downtown BIZ.

Each of the four speakers presented a five-minute answer to the evening’s topic, “Beyond the Ivory Tower: What should universities do for their cities?” A question-and-answer period with the audience followed.

The Panelists

Snow: What makes us love where we live?

Architect Julie Snow speaks at the Visionary (re)Generation public discussion.

Minneapolis architect Julie Snow (Julie Snow Architects Inc.) began her presentation with another question: “What makes the city a better place to live?” In her practice, she noted, she liked to ask what makes people love where they live.

Her answers included: A city’s social offerings — public life with opportunities for social life and community, conversation and connection; a city’s openness, or a sense of place and welcome for everyone; and beauty, which involved “universals such as people’s ability to connect with nature […] and history.” Her framework, she noted, “reverses the typical question ‘Can we afford it?’ to become ‘Can we afford not to?’”

Micke: Go public

Berlin-based landscape architect Tobias Micke speaks at the Visionary (re)Generation evening discussion.

Tobias Micke, landscape architect, founder and partner of ST raum a., Berlin, brought the topic to the specific context of the university’s relationship with the city. “The U of M is geographically detached from the city,” a challenge that could be mitigated by the university itself, he said.

“Go public,” he suggested. “Become an active part of urban life” — by holding lectures in public, open discussions, throwing temporary interventions and using the university as a public meeting point. Micke demonstrated his points by showing several slides of Berlin and Copenhagen examples of urban interventions or involvements that could be mounted or otherwise supported a university, including a community garden, a pop-up public lecture space designed by architecture students and an alternative lifestyle, collectively-run living space.

Mercredi: Aboriginal reconciliation and accommodation

Ovide Mercredi speaks at the Visionary (re)Generation discussion.

U of M alumnus and lawyer Ovide Mercredi was the next speaker. Mercredi, who is former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations and a member of Misipawistik Cree Nation, suggested that the question was “too narrow.” It could better reflect the U of M’s student population, he pointed out, which is from the entire province, and not only urban.

His presentation focused on the importance of “a sense of belonging” for Aboriginal peoples, and how the university could best accomplish that. “Rather than alienation in feeling ‘this is not your place,’ we need to find ways to accommodate people, and a way towards [Aboriginal] reconciliation to the future of the university,” he said.

“Because the university is on traditional territory lands,” he continued, “we need to find a way of partnering and collaborating beyond urban experience and design, on the issues of land use and resources beyond the colonial practices of architecture.” Besides “continual consultation” with Aboriginal peoples about the Visionary (re)Generation project, he said, the university should go “beyond the borders to reach out into[Aboriginal] communities,” recruiting students, putting Aboriginal people in key administrative positions and extending welcome to Aboriginal peoples.

Keesmaat: The university as lifeblood of a place

Jennifer Keesmaat, chief city planner, City of Toronto, speaks at the Visionary (re)Generation evening discussion.

Jennifer Keesmaat, chief planner and executive director, City of Toronto, suggested that the university is essential to the lifeblood of cities or places.

Universities are “tasked with the arduous formation of a critical, creative and compassionate citizenry,” she said. According to Keesmaat, universities should be involved with questions alongside cities: how to facilitate innovation and sustainable economic development; populations health facilitation; helping us understand the places we share and hold in common; facilitating prosperity that is sustainable and resilient; facilitating inclusion and the transition to the middle class. Both cities and universities, she pointed out, are involved in the negotiation of inclusion and exclusion of people.

AUDIENCE DISCUSSION

In the question-and-answer period that followed the presentations, audience members asked questions about areas of concern, including an emphasis on the principles of winter cities,

Another issue that was repeatedly raised was about maintaining the wildlife, forest and indigenous fauna and flora in the new space that would be gained with the Southwood Lands. One audience member expressed concern for building places for “quiet and reprieve” on campus.

“The wildlife I see and have contact with gives me a connection to the land,” one audience member pointed out. “What can be done to preserve this when there is so much pressure to develop densely?”

Keesmaat suggested that people can participate in mapping the wildlife corridor, and raise awareness and planning for preservation through social media.

Later in the discussion, Mercredi added that perseveration of wildlife was also a concern for Aboriginal peoples. “We aren’t much into urban density,” he said.

“This is an opportunity to do something different — not just a park, but reclaiming the river as a meeting place…. Let people support the rural areas with farmer’s markets and Aboriginal artist markets, with buildings that speak to the place itself.” He suggested a house of Indigenous knowledge as part of the conceptual design for the new space.

Deborah Young, the U of M’s executive lead for Indigenous achievement, agreed, asking “How do we indigenize this [campus]?” She pointed to the importance of reflecting the diversity of the First Nations and Metis cultures in Manitoba and the necessity of “seeing with their eyes.”

“The Southwood lands purchase and design process give us an opportunity to engage with this question,” she said. Snow agreed, adding that a design process is “dialogic” and allows for “channelling of” and “embracing how others see space and materials” beyond the merely symbolic, and suggested working with an Indigenous architect, for example.

The two things needed, said Mercredi, were “the intention to do it” and a “process to do it” — open, “ongoing consultation with the [Aboriginal] people” and a “fluid” process that doesn’t constrain the conversation, he said.

Mercredi concluded with the example of the architect who designed the space for the Inuit collection at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. The architect spent a couple of weeks in Nunavut, he said: “he has gone through a transformation — he has been re-educated.”

Competition finalists will be announced later this fall.

This article first appeared in the September 26, 2013 edition of The Bulletin.

Visionary (re)Generation at the Fort Garry campus

On November 9, 2012, U of M President David Barnard announced the Visionary (re)Generation Open International Design Competition to members of the media and community stakeholders. During this announcement, the president officially introduced the competition, outlined an exciting new partnership and introduced members of the competition jury, many of whom were in attendance.

The competition was officially launched in December 2012 after an open house and feedback event for staff, students, members of the faculty and general public on October 11, 2012. The Visionary (re)Generation Open International Design Competition will help transform the existing Fort Garry campus, along with the 120-acre Southwood precinct, into a sustainable campus community with a 24/7 “live, work, learn, play” environment.

On January 18, 2013, participants in the Visionary (re)Generation Open International Design Competition were invited to attend an introductory event. Participants were given a tour of the competition site and surrounding adjacent areas to learn about the site context and key characteristics. Following the tour, there was an afternoon discussion session, moderated by Benjamin Hossbach, the competition advisor from Phase One. Competitors were given the opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification on the competition design objectives and process with members of the jury and competition management team. Topics were addressed in the order of the various sections of the competition brief. Responses have been posted online in minutes of the event, available to all registered competitors.

David Barnard

As our vision for the development of the Fort Garry campus evolves, the conversation within our community will continue. Below are answers to some of the questions I have heard from students, staff, faculty and other stakeholders in recent months.

What does the University of Manitoba plan to do with the Southwood precinct?
Taking ownership of the Southwood precinct offers a chance for the University of Manitoba to transform the entire Fort Garry campus and how people think about it. It is a rare opportunity to do something unique and transformative; to be aggressively sustainable in our thinking as we integrate the future development of the existing campus space with Southwood’s 120 acres, to allow for the future needs of the university while developing a vibrant interface with the community, in the form of a new, sustainable, multi-use neighbourhood. We see the potential for our campus community as a whole to become a 24/7 live/work/learn/play environment, shaped by five goals and guiding principles: connected, destination, sustainable, community, transformative. We will move away from being a commuter campus towards a vibrant campus community destination. Development will be determined by the result of an Open International Design Competition.

What is the Open International Design Competition?
The university is sponsoring VISIONARY (re)GENERATION, an Open International Design Competition, with the objective of transforming the Fort Garry campus into a new, sustainable 24/7 “live, work, learn, play” community, comprising its existing components and new developments. The design process will be guided by the five principles (connected, destination, sustainable, community, transformative) and organized in two design phases with submissions evaluated anonymously by a jury of professional planners, architects, landscape architect, and primary stakeholders in the process. Jurists will select finalist teams based on their vision and response to our guiding principles. Finalists will advance to a second, more detailed design phase. The winning multi-disciplinary team will be awarded a master plan contract to engage in a campus master planning process with the university and community stakeholders.

What are the benefits of developing the Southwood precinct?
It gives us a chance to think about several important things:  the future academic needs of the university, the way we connect to the city proper, and the opportunity we can offer potential students, residents, neighbours and visitors to be part of a new, vital and attractive community that blends our existing campus infrastructure with new and innovative development. The area can be designed to be attractive to students and staff, to residents from across Winnipeg and to tourists, thus helping with the city’s economic and social development. A well-designed community could have all amenities within a few steps, offering a comfortable and desirable lifestyle. This community will not be defined by an automobile-dependent plan; rather, the master planning process will begin with a focus on public space and ‘landscape first.’ In this approach, pedestrian access is a priority and single-vehicle roadways are secondary. It is more important to integrate human movement and living space within a vibrant, mixed-use, sustainable community.

Could the U of M simply retain the Southwood precinct as a greenspace and focus development on other precincts around the Fort Garry campus?
The Southwood precinct provides an opportunity to create a thriving neighbourhood that will both enhance the campus experience and support the university’s core mandate for excellence in teaching and research. This area is an opportunity to create a model sustainable community with a mix of greenspace, public space and higher-density buildings. Rather than turn our backs on the city and its people, development of the Southwood precinct will be an organic extension of the Fort Garry Campus and, through good stewardship and planning, create a pedestrian-focused community that will be an inviting and desirable destination. Maintaining the Southwood precinct solely as greenspace would enforce the physical barrier between the university of Manitoba and the rest of the city, perhaps even reinforcing any perception of the University of Manitoba as an area of the city cut off or otherwise set apart from the surrounding community.

How does Rapid Transit play a role in the development of the Fort Garry campus, and specifically, the Southwood precinct?
Locating a Rapid Transit station within the Fort Garry campus will allow for the development of a dense, mixed-use transit and pedestrian hub that offers convenient access to the Fort Garry campus and reduces personal vehicular traffic in the Southwood precinct, thus allowing for the development of medium- and high-density housing. Access to our campus shouldn’t require a car, and we shouldn’t have to plan our development around parking.

Where exactly will the Rapid Transit station be located?
A specific station location has not been determined, as it will be a focus of the Open International Design Competition, sponsored by the university, to propose one or more Rapid Transit hubs. The City of Winnipeg is the authority that will determine station locations as part of the Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor Phase 2 routing planning.

How many people do you eventually see living in the Southwood precinct?
If medium- or high-density living spaces are developed, approximately 6,000 residents may eventually reside within the Southwood precinct.

Buses already travel to the Fort Garry campus along University Crescent, King’s Drive and Chancellor Matheson. Why do we need a Rapid Transit corridor too?
Through a proper planning process, the area outlined within the Visionary (re)Generation Open International Design Competition, including the Southwood precinct, can be transformed into a world-class showpiece of collaborative, sustainable, mixed-use development focused on pedestrian movement, rather than automobile use. It would improve connection and access to and from other areas of the city, enhancing the attraction to living and working on campus. Rapid Transit would be the spine in a vibrant network of pedestrian walkways, interconnected facilities and greenspace that could stretch from Pembina Highway to the Red River — growth that will attract visitors and residents alike. Examples of successful development like this include the Portland Transit Mall and the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor in Arlington, Virginia. Rapid Transit provides the opportunity for fast, reliable, convenient service for students, staff, future residents and visitors. In addition, reduced automobile use in the Southwood precinct would be a positive attraction for residents and be in line with the area’s sustainability mandate.

What about the residential components? What kind of housing are we talking about?
To make the Southwood precinct a true pedestrian-friendly community, housing would be a combination of medium- and high-density buildings, such as apartments or townhomes, and possibly condominiums. Ground level units could include amenities such as professional offices (doctors, cafes, grooming, etc.), allowing for rooftop recreation facilities such as tennis courts, gardens, etc. The buildings could be separated by a highly-developed public space, with walkways and innovative landscaping. Fountains, sculpture gardens and other attractions could also help to make the area an attractive destination for people from across the city. The river and how we interact with it could feature prominently in the plan. However, these specific features and details are completely dependent on what is produced as a result of a soon-to-be-announced design competition.

What about the greenspace itself?
It is the desire of the University of Manitoba to have much of the Southwood precinct remain as greenspace. Typically, new urban developments include only about ten per cent greenspace, but because we are starting with a “clean slate” in designing the Southwood precinct community, we are envisioning a much more extensive greenspace network through an inclusive planning process for the area. The key to achieving such a high proportion of publicly-accessible greenspace is to design the buildings and structures in an efficient and compact manner.

Will there be access to the Red River?
One of the things we have thought about in considering the future development of the campus, which has been backed up by feedback from consultation sessions, is that the river is an asset and we need to make it a priority to build it in to our plans.  You can spend a lot of time here and not even notice the river, because presently there is no public access to any of the river that borders the existing Fort Garry campus, or within the Southwood precinct. However, with the creation of a master plan involving all precincts of the University of Manitoba, including The Point, for example, we think there is a significant opportunity for additional river access on the Fort Garry campus. Winnipeg is a city of rivers:  we would like to see river access in the Southwood precinct opened up to create a public destination environment that is connected to a greater city greenspace network. The proposal could contemplate a marina, docks, restaurants, boardwalks, etc., but we are open to proposals brought forward from the design competition.

What will be developed along Pembina Highway in the Southwood precinct?
Just as the university could open itself up more to the river, it could do the same with Pembina Highway.  It is a major arterial route connecting the south end of Winnipeg to its centre, yet the current campus is removed from Pembina. It should be more visible. We would like to see development designed around easy access, encouraging two-way connectivity between the city and the university. There could be a new entrance to the university created along Pembina Highway that would allow Rapid Transit vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians into the new community. Connections between the university and the Markham and Waverley Heights communities could also be possible. New entranceways and linkages between the campus and nearby neighbourhoods will be part of the development of an area master plan through the Visionary (re)Generation competition.

That could be years from now. What will be going on in the Southwood precinct before development begins?
In the short term, the Southwood precinct will be available for light recreational use, but not organized events. Such recreational use could include birdwatching, walking and bicycling. The university is currently constructing an interim access road off of Sifton Road to service maintenance requirements related to the interim use of Southwood Lands as a passive recreation area. The construction of the access road is necessary as we scale back vehicular access to Southwood Precinct. This road will be used only by our Physical Plant workers and our contracted maintenance supplier.  This road is temporary and is not part of the future Southwood Precinct development plan. Maintenance of the Southwood precinct will respect the university’s sustainability model of best practices, using an Integrated Pest Management Program driven by education and research during this interim period.