Dozens of trees were chopped down on Tuesday within a popular forest St. Norbert residents have fought to protect.
Cat Macaulay Gauthier estimates about 100 mature trees in the Lemay Forest were felled between roughly 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.
“About 8 o’clock this morning I heard the beeping (of machinery) and the cracking of all the trees directly behind our yard. He just completely clear-cutted that whole little pocket of forest … They did a lot of damage in a short amount of time,” said Macaulay Gauthier, a spokesperson for the Coalition to Save Lemay Forest.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Cat Macaulay Gauthier points out piles of trees that were recently taken down by the developer at Lemay Forest.
The tree removal came as a surprise to residents, since a development proposal for the land has not yet been approved.
“I was in shock. I was furious,” said Macaulay Gauthier, standing near dozens of downed mature trees Tuesday afternoon.
She noted a larger section of forest remained intact.
The treed property has been privately owned for many years but remained undeveloped, serving as a popular public destination.
Many residents have lobbied governments to buy the land and preserve the forest instead of allowing its development.
Tochal Development Group is proposing a 5,000-bed, 2,500-unit assisted living facility for the site, which it argues would go a long way to create much-needed housing.
The project’s planner said the owner has the right to remove the trees and previously warned it would happen.
“The trees are coming down. Regardless of the outcome of any vote this week … he has no interest in owning a wood lot,” said John Wintrup.
Three city council committees have voted to reject the developer’s subdivision and rezoning applications for the proposal so far. City planners suggested the scale of the proposal was too big for the site.
The property is located next to the southwest shores of the Red River, east of 35 De La Digue Ave., west of 100 Villa Maria Pl. and north of the homes at 819-915 Lemay Ave.
City council is scheduled to cast the final vote on the applications on Thursday.
Wintrup said work paused on Tuesday morning for two key reasons. He said neighbours created a safety concern by walking too close to the machines and falling trees, while city officials also called the contractor removing the trees and asked them to stop.
He said the property owner had been repeatedly informed he didn’t require a permit to cut down trees.
“We’re the only private property landowner in Winnipeg that requires a permit to cut down trees or remove vegetation,” said Wintrup.
He said the assisted living units would help boost the city’s housing supply and accused city officials of unfairly delaying its progress.
“Nobody wants housing and that’s why there’s an affordability issue and a housing crisis,” said Wintrup.
He said there were no offers to buy the land and preserve the forest that reflected its full value.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
The removal of mature trees came as a surprise to area residents.
Wintrup said city delays could soon lead the matter to wind up in court.
Coun. Markus Chambers, who represents the area, said residents were “quite surprised” to see tree removal take place, since the city hasn’t approved the project.
While some residents credited Chambers (St. Norbert-Seine River) for making calls that led tree cutting to stop, he declined comment on most questions about the proposal.
“I don’t want to say anything that can be construed as perceived bias,” said Chambers, who was previously accused of having a conflict of interest in the matter.
The councillor said he will recuse himself from the council vote on the development applications.
Coun. Sherri Rollins, chairwoman of the property and development committee, said council is dedicated to creating new housing, though the city also strives to preserve trees wherever possible.
Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) said tree protection advocates have reached out with concerns about the clearing on Tuesday.
“It is difficult for the neighbourhood … to see their beloved trees fall in a forest they really, really love and (they) don’t think should be developed on,” she said.
In a brief statement, city officials did not answer questions on whether the city asked for tree removal to stop, or if a permit or other city clearance is required to cut down trees.
“The city is aware of the activity on the property. The requirements for tree removal have been communicated to the property owners. We have no further comments for now,” wrote spokesman Kalen Qually, in an email.
As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, tree cutting had not resumed.
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Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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