Winnipeg Free Press

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TEN months after city council gave the go-ahead to the long-contested Parker lands development, a $30-million law- suit against the city and four of its of- ficials accused of deliberately delaying the project is before a judge. At the heart of the case is a plan by developer Gem Equities to build up to 1918 housing units, to be known as Ful- ton Grove, on 47 acres of south Winni- peg land surrounded by the CNR Rivers line and the southwest rapid transitway. “But for the misfeasance of the de- fendants… the Fulton Grove develop- ment should be nearing completion,” lawyers for Gem Equities allege in a statement of claim that is the subject of a six-week civil trial now being heard by Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Shauna McCarthy. Named defendants in the lawsuit in- clude planning director John Kiernan, former chief planner Braden Smith, senior planner Michael Robinson and zoning and permits administrator Mar- tin Grady. The statement of claim alleges Ki- ernan instructed the other defendants to prevent Gem Equities applications from being processed and sent for con- sideration to a public hearing. Gem Equities acquired the land in 2009 and by 2013 was working with the city to obtain the necessary permits and approvals for the development, says the statement of claim. By 2015, the city had moved to ex- propriate a portion of the land, raising concerns within the urban planning and design division that plans to move ahead with the Fulton Grove develop- ment were “premature” as they would increase the value of the land to be ex- propriated and the cost to the city, the statement of claim alleges. “From 2014 until mid-2017, the sloth, incompetence and negligence of city employees was sufficient to thwart and delay the Fulton Grove develop- ment,” the statement of claim alleges. By March 2017, actions of the defend- ants “resorted to deliberately unlawful conduct,” including an order by the city that Winnipeg police not remove “il- legal trespassers” who tried to prevent the developer from removing trees on the disputed property, the statement of claim alleges. “Faced with the refusal of the Winni- peg Police Service to enforce the rule of law at the city’s request, the plain- tiffs sought and ultimately obtained in interlocutory injunction… prohibiting trespassing on their property,” says the statement of claim. In August 2019, the city was found in contempt of a court order because it considered the development proposal through a bylaw process, instead of the policy-based one Queen’s Bench Justice Candace Grammond had ordered coun- cil to follow. In October 2020, Grammo- nd found the city remained in contempt, having failed to consider Gem Equities’ applications “without delay.” City council approved the develop- ment the following month. “The intentional failure to comply with (the judge’s orders) has delayed the Fulton Grove development by two years,” the statement of claim alleges. dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca DEAN PRITCHARD SOME of Manitoba’s museums are about to get a little more wind beneath their wings. On Monday, at a news conference at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, Manitoba Premier Kelvin Goertzen, along with provin- cial Heritage Minister Cathy Cox and co-chairs of the Manitoba 150 host committee, announced $166,600 in grants to be spread among the prov- ince’s seven signature museums. The grants, one of the legacy projects of the pandemic-dampened Manitoba 150 sesquicen- tennial celebrations, will see each museum re- ceive $23,800, money that can be used for things such as improving facilities and exhibits, or up- grading programming for youth. “It’ll support their efforts as they continue to ensure that our history... is preserved in Manitoba and shared for generations to come,” Goertzen said. “It’s one of many things that Manitoba 150 has been a part of, that people are going to benefit from for many many years… hopefully to Mani- toba 300.” Manitoba 150 host committee co-chair Monique Lacoste said the organization is “thrilled” make the investment. “When we started planning Manitoba 150 well over two years ago now, we wanted to cultivate a new pride within Manitobans, and give them a new opportunity to celebrate, to build, to learn and to explore all the great things that Manitoba offers,” Lacoste said. “All of these things are what the Aviation Museum, and all of Manitoba’s signature mu- seums do every single day.” The seven signature museums are dotted across southern Manitoba, and represent many facets of the province’s natural and human history. They include Gimli’s New Iceland Heritage Museum, the Manitoba Agricultural Museum in Austin, the Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach and Morden’s Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre. In Brandon, the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum is one of the signature facilities, and there are two more in Winnipeg: Le Musée de Saint-Boniface Museum and the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada. The latter is set to open the doors to its gleaming new $45-million Wellington Avenue facility next March. The pandemic has challenged these museums, Goertzen noted, as it has many public attractions in the province. “They haven’t been able to welcome as many people as they would have liked to,” he said. “But they have continued on, and they’ve continued to build their individual museums and institutions, because they know that in days ahead they will be able to share them with more people from around the world.” The new grant comes a little more than a year after the province launched a $1.4-million endowment fund for each of the signature mu- seums, designed to support them with long-term funding. The signature museum program was launched in 1998. melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca Manitoba’s seven signature museums to share $166,600 in provincial grants MELISSA MARTIN MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Kelvin Goertzen says funding for the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada will help preserve history. P FIZER said Monday its COVID-19 vaccine works for children ages five to 11 and that it will seek U.S. authorization for this age group soon — a key step toward beginning vaccina- tions for youngsters. The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech already is available for anyone 12 and older. But with kids now back in school and the extra-contagious delta variant caus- ing a huge jump in pediatric infections, many parents are anxiously awaiting vaccinations for their younger chil- dren. For elementary school-aged kids, Pfizer tested a much lower dose — a third of the amount that’s in each shot given now. Yet after their second dose, children ages five to 11 developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as teenagers and young adults getting the regular-strength shots, Dr. Bill Gruber, a Pfizer senior vice-president, told The Associated Press. The kid dosage also proved safe, with similar or fewer temporary side effects — such as sore arms, fever or achiness — that teens experience, he said. “I think we really hit the sweet spot,” said Gruber, who’s also a pediatrician. Gruber said the companies aim to apply to the Food and Drug Administra- tion by the end of the month for emer- gency use in this age group, followed shortly afterward with applications to European and British regulators. Earlier this month, FDA chief Dr. Peter Marks told the AP that once Pfizer turns over its study results, his agency would evaluate the data “hope- fully in a matter of weeks” to decide if the shots are safe and effective enough for younger kids. An outside expert said scientists want to see more details but called the report encouraging. “These topline results are very good news,” said Dr. Jesse Goodman of Georgetown University, a former FDA vaccine chief. The level of immune re- sponse Pfizer reported “appears likely to be protective.” Many Western countries so far have vaccinated no younger than age 12, awaiting evidence of what’s the right dose and that it works safely. While kids are at lower risk of se- vere illness or death than older people, more than five million children in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began and at least 460 have died, according to the Amer- ican Academy of Pediatrics. Cases in children have risen as the delta variant swept through the country. “I feel a great sense of urgency” in making the vaccine available to chil- dren under 12, Gruber said. “There’s pent-up demand for parents to be able to have their children returned to a normal life.” Pfizer said it studied the lower dose in 2,268 kindergartners and ele- mentary school-aged kids. The FDA required what is called an immune “bridging” study: evidence that the younger children developed antibody levels already proven to be protective in teens and adults. That’s what Pfizer reported Monday in a press release, not a scientific publication. The study still is ongoing, and there haven’t yet been enough COVID-19 cases to com- pare rates between the vaccinated and those given a placebo — something that might offer additional evidence. A second U.S. vaccine maker, Mod- erna, also is studying its shots in ele- mentary school-aged children. Pfizer and Moderna are studying even young- er tots as well, down to six-month-olds. Results are expected later in the year. — The Associated Press Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine works in kids ages 5 to 11 LAURAN NEERGAARD PFIZER Canada says it plans to provide Health Canada with data showing its COVID-19 vaccine works for children in a bid to seek authorization “as early as possible.” Christina Antoniou, the company’s director of corporate affairs in Canada, says they “share the urgency” to provide data that could lead to a shot for young kids. She could not say when that infor- mation would be submitted, but notes Pfizer has been sending new vaccine data to Health Canada as it becomes available. Pfizer’s latest findings have not been peer- reviewed, nor published. Health Canada says several studies on children are underway by various COVID-19 vaccine makers, and that it “anticipates vaccine manufacturers to provide data in children in the coming months.” The medical lead with Manitoba’s COVID-19 vac- cine implementation team said it was too early to know what the findings could mean for kids under the age of 12 in the province. “At this time, we don’t even know the extent of how well it protects, what number of side effects they saw. We’re very early in the planning,” said Dr. Joss Reimer. However, Reimer said the team has started planning in the event Health Canada approves the Pfizer vaccine for children. She said this may include providing doses in schools or having alternative clinics in place for youth. — The Canadian Press Pfizer Canada cites ‘urgency’ in kids’ COVID vax JOHN LOCHER / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES According to Pfizer, a lower vaccine dose in elementary school-aged kids proved effective. Parker lands developer’s $30-M suit against city, officials begins A_04_Sep-21-21_FP_01.indd A4 2021-09-20 8:38 PM ;