Parks and Schools
Qualico’s plans to landscape the park on the east side of Sage Creek Boulevard are on hold pending a review of the suitability of the adjacent school site for a larger school. As of this printing, Louis Riel School Division (LRSD) has no new information regarding schools in Sage Creek. Please keep in mind that LRSD is the only official source for news on schools in Sage Creek. Visit www.lrsd.net or call 257-7827 for more information.
Sage Creek Continues to Grow
Close to 600 families have taken possession of their homes in Sage Creek since the first home was built here in 2007. Several new homes are under construction in Phase 5 along Water Lily Lane and Prairie Smoke Drive and servicing for Phase 6 will be complete this summer. The excavation for a new wetland at the end of the Sage Creek Boulevard extension in Phase 6 will also take place this summer. For reference, see the Sage Creek site plan at sagecreek.ca.
Native Grasses
As you may already be aware, the Native Grasses in Sage Creek do not require the routine mowing that traditional bluegrass sod does and that the need for water and fertilizer to maintain Native Grasses is virtually non-existent. These features are a huge leap forward in an effort to reduce fresh water use and the amount of nutrients from fertilizers going into our lakes and rivers. It also allows the City of Winnipeg to avoid high ongoing maintenance costs and for Sage Creek to have a larger amount of open space for public use.
You may notice that the Canada Goose is not attracted to the tall Native Grasses; they prefer short grass where predators can be easily spotted. While the Geese are a great part of our prairie landscape, their droppings and noise aren’t quite as pleasant when they gather in large numbers. So you’ll notice that in public areas where Native Grasses are prevalent, there won’t be the excessive numbers of Canadian Geese that you might see elsewhere.
The greatest cost associated with Native Grasses is the patience required to bring the plant to its thriving state. Once the grasses are established, they are hardy and resilient to pressures in the environment. But in its developing stages (3-4 years), Native Grasses are vulnerable and susceptible to being crowded out from weeds and other plants. So it is imperative that Sage Creek as a community respects the areas where Native Grasses are being planted. As a resident, this means abstaining from mowing the Grasses in their developing stages, as well as not dumping soil, leaves or lawn clippings on the Native Grasses, as this will promote weed growth.
Native Plant Solutions’ seeding of the Native Grasses is near completion in Phases 1, 2 and 3. There remain a few areas in these phases which will see some attention this summer. Phase 5 will have another seeding of cover crop this spring, with potential Native Grass seeding in June. Phase 6 will have its first season of cover
crop seeding this summer. The cover crops – usually Barley or Oats – are used to enrich and protect the soil from weeds for future Native Grass seeding. For more information, download the Native Plant Solutions Info Sheet from sagecreek.ca under “The Landscape” tab.
Southdale Scouts Clean-Up
The 1st Southdale Scouts Group will once again be doing a spring cleanup in Sage Creek on the weekend of May 12/13th. Qualico will be supporting the Scouts in their clean-up in order to raise funds for travelling to their Canadian Jamboree in Sylvan Lake, Alberta in the summer of 2013. Last year, the Scouts were able to raise sufficient funds to make it out to their Pacific Jamboree in British Columbia last summer. Shown below is a picture of the Scouts doing their spring clean up in Sage Creek last year.
Day Care
Sage Creek Development Corporation has submitted a subdivision and rezoning application for a parcel of land located at the SE corner of Edward Turner Drive and Boulevard des Hivernants.
The development application proposes the creation of three lots. The first lot will be zoned C-1 (local commercial) and will accommodate a new day care facility. Negotiations to have Faith Children’s Centre operate the facility are currently underway. For more information contact Lisa Treft at 253-2587 or faithcc1@mymts.net. Two additional lots will be zoned RMF-S (residential multi-family- small) and will accommodate townhome condominiums. The subdivision and rezoning application (DASZ 5/12) will go before the Riel Community Committee on May 7, 2012 at 5:00pm.
The Pink House
You may have noticed the Pink House being built on Silver Sage Crescent north of Sage Creek Blvd. The home features a fire and mould resistant wood coating, and yes, the project is supporting research towards a cure for breast cancer. Visit pinkwood.ca for more information.
Safe Driving in Sage Creek
Please be cautious on the road and maintain safe speeds when driving throughout your community. We have brought attention to this issue with the trades working in Sage Creek and we hope that residents will adhere to a reasonable speed throughout the community as well.
