Red River Ex marks potential spot for Assiniboine River facility redevelopment

The Red River Exhibition Association is interested in dusting off the home plates at John Blumberg Sports Complex and redeveloping the parkfor multiple sports.

The Ex has made a proposal to the City of Winnipeg to lease the rundown complex in the Rural Municipality of Headingley, a remnant from the years when the neighbouring municipality was part of the city.

Exhibition Association CEO Garth Rogerson sayshis non-profit organization would like to upgrade the complex to create space for the likes of field lacrosse, soccer, archery, flag football and other sports.

"Single-use facilities really are not sustainable, going forward. It's very difficult to make them work," Rogerson said Monday in an interview.

Rogerson said the Ex would also utilize the commercial kitchen at the site and make full use of its location along theAssiniboine River, potentially partnering up with The Forks to make it easy for paddlers to engage in one-way, downstream trips without having to arrange their own car shuttles.

"Alittle tour bus takes you to our facility and then you get a kayak and then you kayak on the river back to The Forks," he said.

The Ex has no interest in buying the land, Rogerson said. The investment would come with zero risk to the city, he said.

"We can develop this thing into a sustainable thing that that the entire community is going to enjoy," he said. "Why wouldn't you develop it? I mean, it'sjust sitting there. It's screaming out for development and ready to go."

The Red River Ex proposal to lease the complex was the only proposal the city received for the site, City of Winnipegspokesperson Kalen Qually said.

A report about the proposal, with recommendations, is expected in 2025, Qually said.

The Red River Exproposal does not include plans to redevelop the adjacent John Blumberg Golf Course, which the City of Winnipeg was prepared to sell for $14 million in 2022 before city council voted against that plan.

The Ex would be interested in bidding on a new lease for the golf course when that contract expires, Rogerson said.

"That's going to come up in another year or so," he said."So I have big plans."