Residents of Winnipeg’s Lions Place speak with new owners

After months of speculation and anxiety over the future of their building. The new owners of Lions Place have sat down to speak with residents.

“I feel comfortable that now we heard the words, now it’s up to us to wait for the action,” said Gerald Brown, Chairperson of Lions Place seniors action committee.

Mainstreet Equity Corporation, a Calgary-based company is now the official owner of the building which is expected to be called ‘Portage Commons’. Brown says he can finally breathe a sigh of relief after what he describes was a successful meeting.

“You can just see people beginning to relax, they got a whole bunch of questions answered today.”

In July of last year, Lions Place management let residents know of plans to sell the non-profit housing complex. Since then, residents who rely on rent-controlled apartments were worried that they would be forced out of their homes.

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Related:

• Protest at the Lions Place (citynews.ca)
• Lions Place residents concerned by potential sale – CityNews Winnipeg
• Residents concerned by potential sale of Lions Place (citynews.ca)

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Brown mentioned that “there’s been so much anticipation, so much speculation, as you can imagine all of the people in here each have an idea of what could happen, and you just spin on that. There’s been thousands of speculations”

Brown says that during the meeting, the new management reassured residents that they will not be charging more than what the residents can afford for the next two years as part of a deal with the provincial government.

“Mainstreet will deal with Manitoba housing for any increases, after two years no body knows,” he said.

Despite not knowing what might happen after two years, Brown, who’s been living in this building for almost nine years says, he’s not too worried.

“I don’t have to pack my boxes for two years, I don’t have to pack my boxes period if I like it here. If things are going well fine, if things are not going well between now and the end of two years I have the opportunity to look somewhere else.”

As for the new change, Brown says residents now have a glimmer of hope.

“They didn’t say they were satisfied but they said they feel much better…that’s all I want.”