Some St. Boniface residents are concerned its neighbourhood is being pushed to its physical limit. A Winnipeg developer, Freedhome Developments, is proposing a 120-unit rental unit at 470 des Meurons Street. “It doesn’t fit in the neighbourhood,” area resident Jim Hoeppner said. “I have no objections to developing this as a residential area, but I don’t want to see a six-storey full-length building which is nothing but windows and balconies.” Hoeppner is concerned the plan pushes the building beyond the property’s literal limit. Freedhome Developments needs the city’s approval to build its current plan, as the building would be closer to the property’s edge than is typically allowed. Property site of former residential school Area resident Barbara Singer-Delorme wants the development to find a way to acknowledge the property’s dark history as the location of a former residential school. The site was part of the 40 acres operating as St. Boniface Industrial School alongside Des Meurons Street between 1890 and 1905. “I see that development as a good thing here, but it needs to be respectful of what happened and the history of this land,” Singer-Delorme said. Freedhome’s president, Johnathan Freed, is aware of the site’s history. He said it was part of an extensive review during planning. “This includes public consultation with neighbouring residents and outreach to Indigenous groups and relevant government stakeholders, supported by technical assessments such as ground-penetrating radar, and review of historical records and information,” Freed said in the statement. The public hearing is happening Tuesday morning during the city’s Riel Community Committee meeting. A statement from St. Boniface City Councillor Matt Allard’s office said he will not comment on the project until the hearing. -With files from CTV’s Harrison Shin
