City approves controversial plan to rezone Granite Curling Club site

The Granite Curling Club on March 27, 2025. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg)

City council has approved a plan to rezone land being used by the Granite Curling Club, bringing a controversial housing development one step closer to reality.

On Thursday, council gave the green light to a land rezoning plan at 22 Granite Way—land the city owns and leases to the curling club.

It’s looking to put an 11-storey affordable housing unit on the curling club’s primary parking lot. However, the curling club has been fighting the city’s efforts to approve the development, arguing that the reduction in parking would put the club’s operations in jeopardy.

The curling club ultimately appealed the development plans to the province’s municipal board, which ruled in its favour last month in a 47-page decision.

The municipal board determined the city must first develop an adequate parking plan to support the club’s operations before going ahead with the planned development.

However, a report earlier this month to the city’s Executive Policy Committee suggested council can disregard the municipal board’s decision and legally rezone the lot.

“The Board has no authority to impose a condition on a development permit,” the report, prepared by city planning officials, stated. “The Board can only make recommendations in respect of the proposed zoning by-law.”

Despite supporting the housing development application, Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital) expressed concern ahead of the vote.

“My concern is that we are being told by our own in-house legal staff that we can simply ignore the recommendation of the Manitoba Municipal Board and proceed,” Mayes said in the council chamber.

“You can’t have the City of Winnipeg as applicant ask the City of Winnipeg legal staff if you can ignore a decision of a regulatory body that goes against the city. That’s just way too close for comfort. That’s a conflict.”

Mayes said he would’ve liked external legal counsel to weigh in on the matter.

“I assume this will end up somehow in the courts, but I’ll be able to say, ‘you know what, I didn’t proceed to ignore the municipal board.”

Granite Curling Club previously said it would explore all available options, including a potential legal battle, to reach an agreement with the city.

-With files from CTV’s Jeff Keele and Daniel Halmarson