City calling on Point Douglas community to have a say in neighbourhood’s future

The Louise Bridge in Point Douglas is pictured on on May 1, 2024. (Jeff Keele/CTV News Winnipeg)

Point Douglas residents have a chance to weigh in on the future of their neighbourhood.

The city said it has begun work on an updated land use plan for the community, aimed at creating a “collective long-term vision for the neighbourhood and guide all future development in the area.”

The city has hired a consultant to develop the plan. The budget for the project is $400,000, and is financed by Couns. Vivian Santos (Point Douglas) and Ross Eadie (Mynarski) through their wards’ share of the city’s economic response and recovery plan, funded by a federal community building fund.

In the coming months, a city project team will attend events in the community and meet in person with residents, landowners and area stakeholders to learn about their priorities for the neighbourhood.

Housing Minister Sean Fraser said in a news release the initiative will improve transit access, create new spaces for people to come together, and “start a new chapter for a historic neighbourhood.”

According to the city, the plan will direct how land in the neighbourhood is developed, and will contain a vision, land use concepts, policy statements and a strategy for realizing the vision.

The plan requires council approval. Afterwards, it would become a secondary plan bylaw, requiring development proposals in the area to be consistent with the plan.

Coun. Eadie said the neighbourhood has a lot of potential, and deserves to thrive both socially and economically.

“It’s time that we take a look at how industrial and residential co-exist in Point Douglas and find a way to improve upon that.”

Coun. Santos said she is excited for Point Douglas’ “proud and passionate” residents to have a say.

"I am excited for them to be included in the development of this plan and have their values represented in the future of the neighbourhood. The Point Douglas Neighbourhood Plan will build on the immense character of the neighbourhood and seize on opportunities to make it a greener and more prosperous place.”