A walkway leading from Queen Elizabeth Way to the Historic Rail Bridge at The Forks will incorporate Indigenous art, history, and spaces.

On Friday, representatives from The Forks, Liberal MP Dan Vandal, project lead Niigan Sinclair and others held a news conference to talk about the new walkway, which is under the working title of Reconciliation Walk. 

"It's intended to be a public space and a space where both indigenous and non indigenous people to come here and do things they've already done like bicycling through, jogging through," said Sinclair. "But we also want to make this a place where people can come here and recognize the history of what's happened in this place for thousands of years." 

The plans for the site will:

  • preserve the existing forested South Point across the Historic Rail Bridge
  • improve the pathway for universal accessibility
  • relocate trees for a reconfigured character pathway
  • include a drum park ceremonial space
  • improve lighting
  • restore native plants
  • install interpretive elements to recognize the Indigenous history 

Future phases, requiring fundraising, will include an outdoor bush gallery and boardwalk within the forest canopy.

Elders have been consulted and will re-name the South Point to appropriately reflect its history and purpose, in an Indigenous language. 

Sinclair says the official name is going to be very important and they're hoping it will be unveiled soon. 

"There was probably already a name of this space but we either don't know it yet or it's been forgotten," he said. "And so we'll offer tobacco for someone to try and work on that name for us." 

The first phase of the project will cost $1.2 million dollars. When all the phases are finished, the pathway will feature a public art space, Indigenous history, treaty history and a ceremonial gathering spot. 
 
The artist team includes art curatorial support provided by Julie Nagam, Associate Professor and Chair Indigenous Arts of North America, University of Winnipeg and Winnipeg Art Gallery and the three artists selected through a call to artists:  K.C. Adams, Jamie Isaac, and Val Vint.