Welcome to the Coalition to Save Lemay Forest
Or should we say… The Coalition that SAVED Lemay Forest!
Our name reflects the journey that brought us here. For years, this community came together to advocate for the protection of Lemay Forest, raising our voices to ensure this historic and ecologically significant land would be preserved for future generations. Today, while our website still carries the name that guided our work, Lemay Forest has been saved, and we are in a new chapter.
As we await further details on the development of the future provincial park, this site continues to serve as a bridge between past and present. It honours the grassroots efforts that protected this land while supporting our ongoing role as advocates and stewards. In the months and years ahead, we will update and evolve this space to reflect the next phase of Lemay Forest’s story, one rooted in care, respect for its history, and a shared vision for its future.
What's Happening
One Year Since the Expropriation Announcement
One year ago, we received the news that changed everything: the announcement that Lemay Forest would be expropriated to protect this precious land for the public good. That moment marked a turning point in a long journey shaped by community voices, persistence, and a shared belief that this forest was worth saving.
Today, we reflect with deep gratitude for the neighbours, supporters, advocates, and partners who stood together to help make this milestone possible. While much has been accomplished, our work continues as we honour the history of this land and look ahead to its future as a place of learning, healing, and connection.
Thank you for being part of this story. The first year is behind us, and the future of Lemay Forest is growing stronger every day.
Join Us For a 2026 Jane's Walk
What is a Jane’s Walk?
Jane’s Walk is an annual festival of free, citizen-led walking conversations inspired by citizen activist Jane Jacobs. On the first weekend of May every year, Jane’s Walk festivals take place in hundreds of cities around the world. Jane’s Walks encourage people to share stories about their neighbourhoods and discover unseen aspects of their communities. Celebrating Jane’s ideas and principles, we encourage walking together to create connections between creativity and community, to engage experiences as both observers and participants, and for shared reflection, questioning, and re-imagining.
Stories Our Forests Tell
Options:
- Friday May 1, 2026 at 4:30pm
- Saturday May 2, 2026 at 10:00am
Led by: Ann Loewen
Summary:
The suburban riverbottom forests of St Norbert possess a special combination of resilience, vulnerability, history and biodiversity. Their winding paths and decades of struggle reflect larger environmental challenges, past and present. From grass fires and lumber harvesting operations to clear-cutting developers and invasive species, these forests continue to survive and contribute to our city’s well-being. Join the walk leader to learn more about how humans benefit in body and soul from the forests along the Red and LaSalle Rivers.
St. Norbert and the Birth of the Red River Resistance
Options:
- Friday May 1, 2026 at 6:00pm
- Saturday May 2, 2026 at 1:00pm
Led by: Philippe Mailhot
Summary:
Over the latter half of 1869, thé Metis residents of St. Norbert, their Parish Priest, and eventually Louis Riel, launched the movement which led to the creation of Manitoba as Canada’s fifth province. Having written and spoken extensively on thèse topics, Mailhot will share some of these stories at the locations where they actually occurred.
Everything We Need is Here
Brilliant documentary film maker Katharina Stieffenhofer has released her newest documentary Everything We Need is Here.
Synopsis:
Tiffany forages Manitoba’s forests on a quest for culinary mushrooms and peace of mind.
She engages with Indigenous and Settler Land Defenders, who seek to protect intact Nature for our collective well-being.
Gradually a story of trauma and resilience is revealed, while united resistance wins the day.
Learn more and watch the trailer here.
Watch the full length documentary on Bell MTS Fibe TV.
Out on a Limb Book Launch
Help us celebrate Erna Buffie’s newest book!
When: Wednesday May 20 2026 7:00 pm
Where: Winnipeg, McNally Robinson Grant Park in the Atrium
Details:
Join Erna Buffie for the launch of Out on a Limb, Book 3 of The City Project (Great Plains Press). This event will include a reading and Q&A hosted by Ariel Gordon, followed by a book signing.
It’s often said that trees are the only form of city infrastructure that actually increase in value and capacity over time. So why have so many North American cities historically underfunded their care and maintenance? And why do we continue to indiscriminately mow down trees – and entire urban forests? Out on a Limb answers these questions and more as it explores the secret lives and extraordinary infrastructure benefits of trees in cities, the critical role urban forests can play in increasing climate resiliency, and how grassroots organizations can empower city leaders to invest in the urban trees and forests we love–and need.
Provincial Park Updates
March 19, 2026
Things are moving along with the Lemay Forest Provincial Park process!
The public consultation process began on on March 19 where residents were asked to share:
- What you love about Lemay Forest.
- How you spend your time in Lemay Forest.
- Your ideas for how the park can support the wildlife, the vegetation, the visitors, the history, and the future.
The feedback was collected on this dotocracy board.
Check out our website and social media channels for updates on future consultation opportunities!
You can also sign up for our mailing list to stay in the loop on important updates.
Land Acknowledgement
As members of the Coalition to Save Lemay Forest, we acknowledge that we benefit from this land and the dispossession of Indigenous Peoples. This land that heals our minds and our bodies, where we seek refuge and find peace. This land that was stolen from Indigenous people but shared in agreement with settlers.
The Lemay Forest sacred land that Indigenous and Non Indigenous folks fought to protect in what we call Manitoba is the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anishininu, Dakota Oyate, Nehhehthowuk Nations, et la terre ancestral du peuple Métis de la Riviere Rouge. Ce territoire est également important aux peoples Dené et Inuits dont certains y vivent depuis longtemps.
We have a responsibility to build relationships of respect and compassion with Indigenous People and to learn from Elders and First Nations who, for thousands of years have been stewards of this land.
We are forever grateful for all the water and land defenders who have shared their stories and their history of the land with us in ceremony.
Merci, Thank You, Miigwetch, Ekosi
