Even before the University of Manitoba’s head of the Department of Planning introduced Tuesday evening’s guest speaker, he introduced who wasn’t in the room: Winnipeg city councillors.
As if on cue, St. Norbert councillor Janice Lukes made her entrance. The audience laughed and applauded. The timing was coincidental but Lukes’ attendance was planned, despite advice from the city clerk’s office to avoid the lecture.
Earlier in the week, CTV News obtained an email sent out by the city clerk’s office advising councillors to avoid the lecture focused on transit-oriented development, a planning term for building transit-friendly communities. City officials believed showing up could compromise a future vote because the lecturer, Jennifer Keesmaat, is also a consultant for Gem Equites -- the company behind the Fulton Grove project on the Parker Lands.
Janice Lukes went anyway.
“I’ll deal with the repercussions. I’m not engaging with her. I’m not communicating with her. But I’m here to listen and learn,” Lukes said.
Lukes had said if Keesmaat brought up the issue of Parker Lands Project she’d leave the room. But that didn’t happen. Instead, Keesmaat focused her discussion on transit-oriented development in general. She highlighted successes from other cities, such as New York, where the High Line has turned what was once a big dream into a big attraction. Keesmaat also encouraged the audience to remember Winnipeg’s past as it plans its future.
“Winnipeg was a leader as a street car city 100 years ago. And there’s an opportunity to really go back to being a truly transit-oriented city,” Keesmaat said.
The urban planner disagreed with the city’s advice to steer clear of her lecture.
“Frankly reclusing yourself from those conversations I think is highly problematic. These are precisely the conversations that civic leaders ought to be engaged in,” Keesmaat said.
