Winnipeg, MB – Committed to a future of providing transportation improvements and a connected network of pedestrian and cycling facilities in Winnipeg, partners from the City of Winnipeg, Province of Manitoba, Manitoba Hydro, Trails Manitoba, and Bike Winnipeg celebrated the official ground-breaking of the Northwest Hydro Corridor Multi-use Path Project today.
City Councillors Matt Allard, Ross Eadie, Vivian Santos, and Devi Sharma were joined by Sarah Guillemard, Provincial Minister of Mental Health and Community Wellness; Colleen Galbraith, Manager of Customer Energy Services for Manitoba Hydro; Dean Kriellaars, Chairperson of the Trails Manitoba Grant Committee; and Mark Cohoe, Executive Director of Bike Winnipeg. All partners broke ground today on the joint project that will expand the multi-use pathway network and improve transportation options in Winnipeg for people of all ages and abilities.
The project will include construction of a pedestrian and cycling facility that better accommodates multiple user groups, including cyclists, active commuters, and residents requiring accessible pathways. The project will provide a safe, comfortable experience for people of all ages and abilities traveling from Leila Avenue to Church Avenue. This project closes an important network gap as identified in the City’s Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies.
“The City of Winnipeg is proud to partner with Manitoba, and Manitoba Hydro on improving pedestrian and cycling facilities in Winnipeg,” said Councillor Matt Allard, St. Boniface, Chairperson of the Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works. “When we embrace the opportunity to invest in our transportation network, we are striving to provide everyone with healthy transportation options that are more important than ever in the climate crisis.”
“We congratulate Trails Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg on the construction of the Northwest Hydro Corridor Multi-user Path,” said Mental Health & Community Wellness Minister Sarah Guillemard. “The Manitoba Government is pleased to provide funding to Trails Manitoba to launch this important project that will benefit so many cyclists, pedestrians, and active transportation users of all kinds for generations to come.”
“Manitoba Hydro is proud to be a partner with the City of Winnipeg in the Northwest Hydro Corridor Multi-use Path Project,” said Colleen Galbraith, Manitoba Hydro’s Manager of Customer Energy Services. “Active transportation is one of the best uses for a transmission right-of-way. Once complete, thousands of families in northwest Winnipeg will be using it, getting exercise and exploring their city safely.”
“Thank you to all of the advocates who we have been working with to ensure the northwest quadrant of Winnipeg has a quality and connected active transportation route,” said Councillor Devi Sharma, Old Kildonan. “It will allow users from all walks of life to enjoy the benefits of health, wellness and connectivity a multi-use path and transportation route brings.”
This year, during the first phase of the project, work will consist of the construction of a 2.4 km of multi-use path located within the Hydro corridor west of McPhillips Street, between Leila Avenue and Church Avenue. The path will be 4.5 metres wide to better accommodate the anticipated high usership, and will also feature enhancements such as lighting, benches, connections to surrounding neighbourhoods and new controlled crossings for pedestrians and cyclists at Leila, Inkster and Jefferson. The overall project cost is $2,564,346, which includes a grant in the amount of $450,000 from Trails Manitoba and the Government of Manitoba.
The second phase of the project is currently slated for the 2024 construction season, with the next section of pathway yet to be determined based on available budget.