Demolition, reconstruction of Air Canada Window Park to start soon

Winnipeggers driving along Portage Avenue downtown will soon notice some changes at Air Canada Window Park.

Work to redevelop the park, originally slated to begin last year, will start at the end of August or in early September, representatives of the City of Winnipeg and the contractor selected to do the work told CBC News.

The $2.5 million plan aims to redevelop the park on the corner of Portage Avenue and Carlton Street into a safe gathering place with areas for performances, storytelling and trees.

"Air Canada Window Parkis an important gathering space for the downtown community and it was ... identified as a high-impact project for the downtown recovery strategy that was developed by some downtown partners during COVID," said Marsha Christiuk, senior urban designer with the City of Winnipeg.

During consultations, downtown residents and workers expressed concern about safety in the park.Designs call for the removal of the fountain and concrete pillars that are currently there, to improve sight lines and access,and to developthemed areas around the centre.

The redesign is meant to make the space more open and better able to host large events, with a focus on celebrating Indigenous culture.

Christiuk says many of the design elements are drawn from Indigenous culture, including the paving design, plantsand public art. Architectural drawings provide an aerial view of the park, designed in the shape of a turtlea tribute to Turtle Island, part ofmany First Nationscreation stories.

The main gathering place is on the area resembling the turtle's shell. There's a performance space near the tail and a storytelling area closer to the head, which is meant to serve as a social area.

The sides have spaces for a food kiosk, an eating area and a natural area with trees and rocks. A water fountain and bottle-filling station will also be included, giving park visitors access to clean drinking water, Christiuk said.

The park has served as a gathering place, often for marginalized people living downtown. City staff visited the park on Wednesday to inform them about the pending work, Christiuk said.

Many of the community partners who provided services to people in the park, including End Homelessness Winnipeg andthe Downtown Community Safety Partnership, collaborated on the redesign projectand will remain involved after constructing is complete.

"So those same resources that existed will be around, and they'll be around during the construction too," Christiuk said.

City staff will work with the Welcoming Winnipeg committee on coming up with a new name for the park.

The City of Winnipeg announced plans to redevelop the park in 2022, as part of a $10 million, three-year strategy to revitalize downtown. It called for a complete revitalization of the park as a public space while advancing truth and reconciliation objectives.

The work has been planned in collaboration with the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ.