St. Boniface riverbank walkway takes another step after EPC approval

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This article was published 19/09/2017 (2407 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The $10-million pedestrian riverbank walkway in St. Boniface moved a step closer to becoming reality Wednesday after Mayor Brian Bowman and members of his executive policy committee (EPC) unanimously endorsed the project.

The Promenade Tache project goes to council for a vote next week.

Controversy has surrounded the Tache project after it was recently disclosed by the administration that the price tag had almost doubled from $5.188 million to $10 million.

The project involves the creation of a 2 1/2-kilometre-long pedestrian walkway on the St. Boniface side of the Red River, from the Provencher Bridge to the Norwood Bridge.

The administration said the higher cost is the result of additional riverbank stabilization work that wasn’t anticipated in the original estimate, along with road construction, street lighting, engineering work, unspecified overhead costs and a contingency allowance.

The federal government is contributing $500,000 to the project and the Winnipeg Foundation is contributing $1 million for the construction of a tree-top lookout.

While the project was never identified as a priority by any civic department, ward Coun. Matt Allard repeatedly described it as a “core infrastructure project” and as “transformative,” and work necessary to stabilize the area’s riverbank.

The administration is urging the additional costs be approved by council this fall so the necessary riverbank stabilization work can be carried out over the winter, ensuring the entire project is completed by the fall of 2018 to coincide with celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of the arrival of Joseph-Norbert Provencher to establish a mission in the area that became St. Boniface.

The report is also recommending that council give authority to the chief administrative officer to award the construction contract without council or committee approval, and give the CAO authority to fund any further over-expenditures by dipping into savings realized from other projects that come in under budget.

Other initiatives endorsed by EPC include: a request from the Winnipeg Police Board to allow the board to appoint two more members and to hold fewer board meetings; an administrative proposal to submit seven infrastructure projects totalling $348.8 million for federal funding; and additional funds to cover an anticipated Winnipeg Transit deficit this year. All the proposals require council approval.

Police board chairman David Asper appeared before the committee to urge support of the changes to the police board. Asper said the current structure of the board has created an “oppressive” workload, board members are required to serve on multiple committees and there are too many meetings.

The board has 10 regular meetings a year in addition to regular meetings of four committee and community consultations the board is required to conduct, which results in an annual average of 51 meetings for individual members, Asper said.

“The workload has been oppressive for what is supposed to be a civilian governance group of members of the community,” Asper said, noting the workload is proving to be a disincentive to people who might be interested in serving on the board.

Provincial legislation states police boards must meet at least quarterly, and sets the minimum number of members at seven, with two of those appointed by the province and the remainder by the municipality. The city bylaw requires the board to meet nine times a year and the number of members at seven.

The board wants council to amend the bylaw to reduce its schedule from monthly meetings during the year to quarterly meetings, and increase the maximum number of members to nine, with the two additional to be recommended by the board itself, for appointment by council.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca