City highlights homes to be expropriated for rapid transitway

Apublic hearing on expropriation plans tomake way for the second phase of Winnipeg's bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor is underway.

In order to proceed with the controversial dog-leg routeof the transitway, the city needs to expropriate 35 properties including private homes as well as part of the Parker Wetlands.

Eleven of those property owners arecontesting the expropriation, so the province hasappointed George Ulyatt as a commissioner to hold thepublic hearing anddetermineif the expropriations are necessary and justified.

Jennifer Bottima is choosing not to fight the move, but the experience has left her feeling disillusioned with the city.

"We're being kicked out," said Bottima, who has owned her home for five years.

Bottima said the city called her in May and explained that they would need to vacate their home in just a few weeks.

"It was all impersonal and it was all through phone calls. There was no sympathy whatsoever," said Bottima. "I was very surprised at that how it was handled was very unprofessional."

While former Winnipeg mayoralty candidate David Sanders doesn't have standing at the city hearings, he does have serious concerns about the expansion.

"Frankly, I don't believe that the evidence justifies this particular project especially the route that they've chosen, and certainly [not] the cost" said Sanders.

The city isnot obligated to accept the decision byGeorge Ulyatt, whowill have a few weeks to produce his final report.

Bjorn Radstrom, Winnipeg Transit's manager of service development, gave an overview on Tuesday of the various properties targeted for expropriation.He said thehearing could last sixdays.

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The Parker landis needed not only for part of the corridor but to alsocreate a retention pond for drainage to prevent basement floodingin nearby homes.

That expropriation has been particularly controversial because it is an urban wetland, viewed by many as ecologically sensitive.The area is also known to be home to several species of animals and plants, including raretallgrass prairie.

• Group urges Mayor Bowman against Parker wetlands rapid transit line

It is alsopart of anRCMP investigation into a questionableland deal.

The 25-hectare property was swapped by the City of Winnipeg to Gem Equities in 2009 in exchange forfour hectares of land needed for a transit garage in Fort Rouge.

Map: BRT land expropriation

The following map shows the approximate locations of properties that may have to be expropriated to make way for the second phase of the city's bus rapid transit system.