Splash Dash River Tour

It's going to be a beautiful weekend, Winnipeg!  And we deserve it.  Summer almost threatened to leave us as quickly as it came.  Thank goodness it's decided to return and grace our shoulders, cheeks and noses with its bright and sunny presence.

To celebrate the return of summer, I went for a Splash Dash River Tour at The Forks yesterday.  I'm embarassed to admit I had never previously been.  Working at The Forks, I see the boats launch and pass through the Historic Port all day long, but I'm always working and therefore never seem to get my behind onto said boats to take a little cruise myself.  So yesterday, when things slowed up a bit in the afternoon, I decided it was high time I hit the waterways of Winnipeg to see what these Splash Dash Tours are all about.

The tours leave every fifteen minutes from The Forks HIstoric Port and guides start by taking you down the Assiniboine River first.  The guides offer tourists a bit of a local history lesson where you can expect to hear about Duff Roblin's floodway, the Legislative Building's tie to the Masons and Louis Riel's resistance.  The stops along the tour aren't just for history lessons though, they're also an opportunity to get to know fellow tourists.  On my boat there were several out of towners including some folks from Calgary and Victoria.  They were snapping loads of photos and seemed very interested in our Manitoba history. It reminded me of how fun it is to be a tourist in your very own hometown.

Once at the Legislative, the boat does a 180 and heads back down the Assiniboine, passes by The Forks and turns onto the mighty Red River.  Coming off the Assiniboine and onto the Red really gives you a perspective of how much bigger the latter is to the former.  She's a big river and when you think of all the historical events that took place on and around this mighty waterway, you really get a sense of the incredible heritage that is embedded in our city's culture and history.

I highly recommend taking your sweetheart, your kids or your grandma down to The Forks this weekend and treating them to a Splash Dash River Tour.  It's definitely an activity that can be enjoyed by all ages.  If possible, ask to be on Ian's tour.  His relaxed and friendly style made everyone on the boat feel at ease, and his humour made the already interesting history lessons even more enjoyable.  

Tours leave the docks in the Historic Port every fifteen minutes from 10am until sunset and operate until about mid-October (weather permitting).  Cost is $11/adults and $9/seniors and youth.

Take Shelter

What started four years ago as a simple idea amongst a few of us here in Winnipeg, has blossomed into an event that involves a great many people.   What has changed is the size of the event, the amount of energy required to put it all together, and reach into the broader arts community both here in Winnipeg and around the world.   What has not changed are the simple ideas that instigated the project in the first place.   At a very fundamental level, humans need shelter, and humans need art.   The goal of the Warming Huts really plays with these two needs in a way that is manageable for the youngest child to the oldest grandmother to enjoy.   It is a great pleasure to be on the skating trail and overhear the comments and thoughts of the skaters and walkers who take in the scene.

Rope Pavillion

In the first year of the project we were pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm that many in our immediate community of architects, landscape architects, and artists showed for the project.  In the second year we were overwhelmed by the interest shown from an international community who submitted projects from the far reaches of the globe.   Momentum of interest in the project has continued to grow, and while we are no longer surprised that people from other climes are interested in our project, I do find myself fascinated that someone from Israel, or New Zealand actually learns  our context and then submits brilliant ideas in response to our needs here in Winnipeg.   We have people from these places looking forward to coming to Winnipeg when it is very cold.   There are many in Winnipeg who have known for a long time that one of our great assets in Winnipeg is our winter.   While others would much sooner leave Winnipeg when it is frigid, those who remain have to learn to embrace it.   I think we can prosper from enthusiasm that our winter tourists are showing for the cold.

Weave Wave

During the building blitz in between January 22-25, the temperatures were horrifically cold.   Power tools froze and malfunctioned, fingers and toes got painfully cold, and the brave souls that built the huts during that week were very brave for their relentless attack on the matter of getting the projects built.  On one of the coldest mornings, I observed a grandmother and her two grandchildren skating up the trail.   They did not go far, but to see them on the trail in -25ºC was awe inspiring.   I could be wrong, but I would suggest there is no way this loving grandparent would have considered taking these kids to a hockey rink to skate in circles.   Somehow the frozen river, the trail, and the adventure of it all inspired them to lace up and head out on the ice.    It is for these people that such efforts are made in getting the Warming Huts together.    On that sunny day, out of the wind, with a little physical activity, it was quite possible to stay warm, and they seemed to be having fun.

Woolhaus

From the point of view of curating the event, this year represents and important evolution as we introduced Art pieces that blurred the lines of shelter, architecture, art, and specifically the mediums within the world of Art.   The results of the competition were such that two local teams performed exceptionally well.   The team of Plain Projects, Pike Projects and Urban Ink gave us Hygge House.  I would venture to guess that no single building or work of art in Winnipeg will be photographed as many times at Hygge House.   I am sure there are literally thousands of digital images of friends gathered in the glow of "hygge".   Everyone put themselves into the scene with their very own set of joys and memories associated with the scene that was created on the ice with this special Warming Hut.   

Hygge House

The Sonus Loci was another brilliant project that really challenged the jury to debate the line between shelter and art.   This team, made up of members from Winnipeg's Stantec Architecture group and Leanne Zacharias from Brandon University's School of Music, submitted a proposal that perfectly blended thoughts on art and structure.    Ultimately the jury decided that the project was more art than shelter, we could not pass up the opportunity to propose to the team that they build their project anyway.   The team deserves a great deal of credit for organizing a community of participants and sponsors who helped them realize a truly special project.    It was delightful skating amongst the instruments, and stopping to watch as people discovered the project by playing the instruments.    

Sonus Loci

When all the snow is gone and the river is again liquid, we will have just the memories and the photos to support those memories of the winter fun out on the ice.   Each year that The Forks build the trail, they create the potential for new experiences and the resulting memories that follow. Who would have thought we would lament the melting river?  At least we can look forward to next year when it freezes again!

For more photos, visit Dan Harper Photography

Taking Green to the Next Level

We’ve got an impressive goal with our Target Zero initiative: zero garbage, zero water consumption and zero carbon emissions. This year, we saw some real green when it came to this initiative, both environmental and cold, hard cash. 

There are some pretty cool statistics that go along with our savings:

·       Geothermal – Last year we saved $100,000 in heating bills due to the installation of the geothermal heating/cooling system in The Forks Market. As a direct result nearly 1 kilotonne of greenhouse gas emissions were not put back in to the air.

·       Water – Since The Forks began its water conservation/matching use program, 7.5 million litres of water have been conserved in The Forks Market at a savings of $22,000.

·       Waste – In 2005, The Forks paid $75,000 to put waste into the landfill. Last year, only $30,000 was paid and revenues from other tenants totaled $20,000.

·       Fuel – By converting fryer oil and powering site equipment, 22,000 litres of “veggie oil” were used and $30,000 was saved. That’s why our Zamboni smells like French Fries!

But, we’re not stopping there. We’ve been meeting with active living and recreational groups to find out how they use our site. We met everyone we could think of: biking, walking, hiking, kayaking, running, winter and skateboarding groups. We want to come up with a strategy for everyone that could improve amenities, communication and use.

We also just launched a really cool walking tour for school kids that teaches them about our stuff and then encourages them to think of things they can do themselves. The Target Zero Eco-Kids Tour, presented by MMSM, is led by two great actors from Green Kids Inc.

Inside The Market there’s now a green store too. The aptly named Generation Green specializes in eco-friendly bio-degradable items for household use. They have laundry detergents, baby stuff and tons of cosmetics.

And, we’re not slowing down either. We really do believe that we can make a difference by continuously looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint. No greenwashing here either. When we do it, we do it the best way we can. 

The Waterfront

As many of you may know we are working on a long term plan for Winnipeg’s downtown waterfront – really a 20-30 year vision of what can be done to celebrate Winnipeg as a river-city.  We’ll be providing an update on the plan at our upcoming AGM on October 31*.

The idea for creating such a plan evolved over the last decade or so through a variety of discussions with people from throughout North America (and beyond) at the WaterfrontCenter annual conference. When I chaired the awards selection jury at this US based organization it became quite clear that the creation of a long term vision is an early and important step in city-building.  It was equally clear that Winnipeg has a great opportunity waiting to happen.  So discussions began with senior city, provincial and federal officials and the idea was embraced - create a river-front plan that celebrates Winnipeg as a river-city.

With developments at The Forks we have taken a very important step in that direction. In fact, Winnipeg has received three Waterfront Centre awards including the Riverwalk (Forks to Legislature), The Forks Historic Port and River Trail/Warming huts.  Winnipeg and The Forks have become well recognized at these conferences.

A long term vision needs careful thought and consideration.  Participation in meetings and work-shops at those conferences, where we hear examples of what works and what doesn’t develop prepares us with new insights and knowledge.   

Two weeks ago I attended the 30^th Annual Waterfront Center Conference in Washington DC. Although attendance was lower than usual with approximately 150 participants, it had representation from many parts of the world.  I had the pleasure of chairing a panel on mixed-use development with some very smart people from NYC, Vancouver BC, and Duluth.  Different stories from different places with some very similar messages.

Some of the highlights that hit home are:

• ·       Plan for the big-picture but don’t be overly prescriptive.  Be open to take advantage of new ideas and new opportunities as they arise.
• ·      Although it is big attractions that often draw people to the waterfront we were reminded by our NYC panelist, who designed Battery Park, that the most compelling element is the relationship with the surrounding environment and making the waterfront part of everyday life.
• ·      Big is not always better and it is important to take full advantage of small green spaces that create intimate natural settings for leisure and relaxation.
• ·      Waterfronts are a life’s work and need continuous care and improvement (we experience this at The Forks).
• ·      It takes time and often a number of plans before projects are adopted and built so diligence and determination are required. (Interestingly those we speak to are impressed how quickly The Forks transformed a rail-yard into what exists today – it seems like a long-haul to us.)
• ·      Connect the waterfront to the people first, not the buildings.  And acknowledge the gaps, ensuring linkages to the adjacent neighbourhoods.

These are good lessons many of which we have tried to incorporate into or planning process.  We are appreciative of those that share their stories at conferences like this but are equally receptive to local Winnipeggers sharing their thoughts and ideas. 

-Jim August

*The Forks North Portage Annual General Meeting is being held on Wednesday, October 31 from 8:30 am to 10:00 am at the Children’s Museum. It is open to the public.