Granite Curling Club lease to end in July amid dispute with city

The City of Winnipeg confirmed it would be ending its lease with the Granite Curling Club in July.

The City of Winnipeg is terminating its lease with the Granite Curling Club in July, a city spokesperson has confirmed.

The club, which operates on city-owned land, will also lose access to its west parking lot once the lease ends. According to a club newsletter published last week, the city issued 90 days’ notice on April 30, putting the lease expiry at July 31.

The termination is intended to make way for Granite Riverside Commons, a proposed 111-unit affordable housing development slated for the parking lot site. The city says it has offered to replace 50 of the 60 parking stalls the club would lose and establish a capital reserve for the rink.

A new long-term lease has not been finalized. The city says if no agreement is in place before the lease expires in July, it will enter into an interim arrangement allowing the club to continue operating at the location.

The club has previously said its future would be at risk without adequate parking access.

Last December, the club filed a notice of application in the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba, seeking a court order requiring the city to comply with a Municipal Board ruling that both parties must develop an adequate parking plan before a development permit is issued.

A hearing in the matter is scheduled for June 9.

According to a city spokesperson, UWCRC 2.0 has been chosen to build and manage the housing project. The spokesperson added that the Granite Curling Club will have access to parking on the UWCRC 2.0 site, with construction expected to get underway in fall 2026.

The Granite Curling Club declined to comment, as the matter is before the courts.