‘They illegally took my property’: Municipality seeks court order to remove man from historic building

The former Grey Nuns' Convent in the Rural Municipality of St. François Xavier is pictured on May 7, 2026. The provincially designated heritage building is at the centre of a legal dispute. (Milan Lukes)

A rural Manitoba municipality is seeking a court order to remove a man from property it says he is “unlawfully” occupying—including a provincially designated heritage building—after he allegedly lost title to the land following a tax sale more than six months ago.

The Rural Municipality of St. François Xavier filed a notice of application in the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba on April 30, asking a judge to grant vacant possession of three buildings on two parcels of land along Highway 26 and Rosser Road. The municipality claims it purchased the properties at a tax sale on Oct. 30, 2025, but the alleged former registered owner, Robert Rose, has since refused to vacate.

Among the buildings is the former Grey Nuns’ Convent, a provincially designated heritage site built in 1916. The structure once served as both a home and chapel for the Grey Nuns and housed a school for First Nations and Métis children. The current convent—described on the municipality’s website as a “major focal point for the community”—was built to replace one that had previously burned down.

The Grey Nuns’ connection to the area stretches back more than 175 years. According to Manitoba’s Historic Resources Branch, the nuns arrived in the Red River Settlement to teach, nurse, and care for the elderly and orphans and, by 1850, had opened a mission school in the parish. By 1968, the nuns had moved back to St. Boniface as the nunnery fell into disrepair.

Court filings state the properties were registered in the municipality’s name on Dec. 10, 2025, but that Rose “failed or refused to vacate the properties.” A letter demanding he leave no later than March 16 was served on Jan. 6, along with documentation of the new titles.

Throughout March, the filings say Rose removed vehicles from a barn on the property—which has been under a closure order since September 2021. The municipality granted an extension to March 23, the filing says, based on his efforts to remove belongings.

As of March 24, however, the filings allege Rose and his personal belongings remained on the properties and that he “did not make any effort” to remove items from other buildings.

“The municipality has been more than reasonable in its attempts to allow Mr. Rose sufficient time to vacate the properties,” the filings state. “It is the municipality’s position that they hold the titles of the properties as registered owners, and that the respondent does not have countervailing title or right to possession of the properties.”

‘They illegally took my property’

Rose told CTV News Thursday he presently lives on the property and maintains the municipality transferred it to its own name illegally.

“They illegally took my property,” he said, adding that he has owned the convent and land for more than two decades. “My lawyers don’t think they can legally remove me.”

Rose also alleges the municipality had vehicles on the property improperly declared derelict and that items were wrongfully removed, with storage charges he says have since climbed to more than $500,000.

He says the municipality called a tax sale for over $572,000 he refuses to pay, insisting he owes only $21,000 in annual taxes—an amount he says is itself under dispute.

“I say my taxes are paid, they say they’re not,” Rose said.

Court documents from a separate lawsuit Rose initiated against the municipality in 2023 allege he was found in violation of two municipal bylaws, and that over 50 vehicles and pieces of equipment were removed from the property to a storage lot in June of that year.

Assessment information obtained through Manitoba Assessment Online, the province’s public property assessment portal, shows the property—identified by the roll number cited in court filings—covers 3.3 acres.

The municipality is seeking a court order requiring Rose to leave and surrender his keys, and is asking that a sheriff be authorized to enter, take possession and change the locks if he fails to comply.

Attempts to sell property: lawsuit

In addition, the municipality’s filing indicates Rose had also been attempting to sell the properties. According to an affidavit from Lynne Chapellaz, the municipality’s acting chief administrative officer, the municipality was notified in December 2025 that a Re/Max realtor was acting on Rose’s behalf, with clients reportedly interested in purchasing the properties.

“The municipality was not agreeable to sell the properties or any portion thereof,” the affidavit states. “To date, there continues to be a ‘For Sale’ sign on the building.”

On Wednesday, Blaine Martin with Martin Team Re/Max told CTV News the property was no longer for sale and that the sign on the exterior of the convent would be coming down.

The filings also state the properties have not had hydro services connected since November 2021 or sewer services since May 2022.

Certified extracts from the Land Titles Registry, filed among the court documents, show the properties as registered to the Rural Municipality of St. François Xavier. Court filings show one of the titles carries an active heritage designation instrument registered in 1994.

According to Manitoba’s Historic Resources Branch, a municipal heritage designation offers some legal protection from “unsympathetic development” while providing limited access to financial assistance.

CAO John Visser told CTV News the rural municipality declined to comment, as the matter is before the courts.

None of the allegations in the municipality’s court application have been tested in court. A separate lawsuit Rose filed against the municipality in 2023 is ongoing.