Sioux Road West is the forgotten middle child in the current Precinct K development discussions. The Creek Bend Residents Association is eponymously named after its sister roadway to the north, Creek Bend Road. Creek Bend Road is often mentioned by the CBRA and the Qualico/Landmark team. Why is there no mention of our other local roads, Sioux Road West and the Province’s Aimes Road found next to the Perimeter Highway? Boomers like me feel like crying out, “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” Why are there no current discussions about the other tracts of undeveloped lands found between the Perimeter and Creek Bend in South Royalwood. When the City de-facto privatized suburban residential planning in Winnipeg, they entrusted the City’s aim or goal of “orderly development” to a select group of developers and planning consultants. Private industry was expected to create plans for large greenfield areas of the City, including the various private lands that they had not purchased during their land assembly phase. In my unschooled imagination they were planning a plug-and-play system that allowed each new subdivision to connect to the previous one, with the necessary infrastructure being available for hookup at the end of key collector streets.
In a recent joint meeting with Qualico and Landmark, its favourite planner, I asked questions about the remaining lands in Precinct K not part of the upcoming Qualico DASZ. Landmark’s minutes record our exchange. “Questions were raised regarding the broader stormwater management system envisioned for the area and whether proposed ponds would serve only the subject lands or a larger service area. The project team noted that while some connections between systems are common, future drainage requirements for adjacent lands will depend on detailed engineering analysis retained by each landowner as well as specific City requirements for each parcel.” (Landmark Planning)
I had asked if prospective new owners of the Sampson Lands for sale south of the future Warde Avenue extension would be able to hook up to their proposed land drainage system. (As needed sewer and water pipes will need to connect southwards from Warde Avenue to the Qualico Lands through the Sampson Lands, that particular utility interconnectivity is a given.) Qualico did not give me a simple “Yes.” They said that they would provide such connectivity to the Sampson Land’s Developer X only if so requested by the City.
I asked the new Riel Community District Planner for clarification on June 24th, but I have not received a response from him to date. With summer holidays and a new job, that is totally understandable.
The original engineering concept for the Precinct K area structure plan had shown a notional retention pond placed between Sioux Road West and the Seine River. That makes sense to a layperson, surface water flowing from South Bonavista towards the river under the CPKC railway tracks through a series of retention ponds. There is currently a RR5 five-acre property available for sale on Sioux Road West that would allow for the building of such a retention pond, a pond that is not in Qualico’s current plans.
While I have yet to receive confirmation from the City, it is my belief that Qualico will be expected to install over-sized underground pipes able to provide the capacity for the future potable water and sanitary sewers needed for the undeveloped portions of Precinct K on both Creek Bend and Sioux Road West. This expensive over-build will be expected to be done by them without a rival developer providing them with “detailed engineering analysis.”
When asked about potential community access to their new retention ponds, Qualico told me that the existing residents of the Creek Bend community will have simply have to build their own retention pond and construct their own outflow to the Seine River. The fifteen or so small landowners simply have to agree who amongst them has to give up their land in order to allow the others to develop their properties.
Forgive me, but I don’t think that is very realistic. If the City ever wants remaining rural South Royalwood to develop new housing, to abandon its aging septic fields and to hook up to their sewage treatment plant, the City is going to have to at least temporarily reassume its role as planner of future urban growth.
The question is, who can we to talk to about this? South Royalwood currently has a lame-duck City councilor who, quite unexpectedly, is now door-knocking this summer for a new job as an LRSD school trustee. The new councilor for St. Vital, to be elected on October 28th, will reportedly be voting on Qualico’s DASZ application for Precinct K subdivision and rezoning at their very first public meeting.
There is no Riel Community Meeting scheduled for this October or December. The last Riel CC meeting of 2026 is scheduled for November 17th.
It seems that suddenly we have very little time to respond to Qualico’s DASZ application. I better put some more SeptoBac powder into my toilet. It looks like I am going to have to keep my 30-year-old septic field operational for a long, long time.
