The Forks

Reconnecting to the Water and Each Other

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Thousands of years ago, people gathered and traded at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. We still long to be close to the water for its mysteries, its stories and its ability to bring community together.

But Winnipeg riverbanks have become increasingly inaccessible. Development and annual flooding have made it difficult and, in some places, impossible for people to get close to the rivers.

After more than a decade of sitting derelict on the edge of our downtown, it's time to bring life back to the Alexander Docks. The Forks is honoured to have been asked by the City of Winnipeg to lead this effort.

Reopening Alexander Docks and creating a new public park will help rebuild our connection to the Red River – a connection that has always defined our city. This is one of the last pieces needed to complete the connection of The Forks to the Exchange District and South Point Douglas. It will create an unbroken trailway extending north to Kildonan Park and provide the community with a new approach to the water.

A Riverbank for Everyone

See the before & after below by moving the slider from right to left.

Download the plans

Why is The Forks Involved?

The Forks has a long history of successfully operating public spaces like the proposed new park. Since opening in 1989, The Forks has continuously evolved and improved as it has become one of the top tourist destinations in the province. Renowned for its world-class public spaces, The Forks is the ideal organization to lead the redevelopment of Alexander Docks.

In 2016, the City of Winnipeg asked The Forks to lead a community engagement process to consult the public about the future of the historic Alexander Docks site. Those consultations led to a recommendation to redevelop the site as a public space that would honour its history and its important place in the hearts of the community.

The opportunity to connect to the water is one of the things that makes The Forks such a special place to gather. For years, The Forks has created that connection by ensuring the site is safe and accessible, and that there's always something for people to see and do.

Shared Cultural Impact

Built in 1929, the Alexander Docks was a vital commercial link for Winnipeg's bustling Exchange District for decades before gradually falling into disuse. Tragically, it was also where the body of Tina Fontaine was found in 2014, an event that led to the creation of the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry and movement.

The docks were closed after a 2015 ice storm made them unsafe and structurally unsound. The structure has been fenced off and abandoned ever since.

A Vital Link: Alexander Docks

Alexander Docks is a natural access point from the Exchange District to the water. Sadly, the docks themselves have been fenced off for a decade for safety reasons, severing that connection. 

Redeveloping the site will transform this large, underused and often forgotten area into a beautiful, accessible and lively riverside park and public space. 

The revitalized site will include:

• Landscaping along the natural slope of the riverbank with tiers of seating where people can pause to enjoy the stunning view of the river.
• Large fixed and floating docks that can accommodate up to 200 people as they fish, river watch, meet up with friends or dock their boats, kayaks and canoes.
• It is expected to be a Waterbus stop for the Exchange District.
• Contemplative space set aside to honour Indigenous women and girls and Two-Spirit people who are missing and who have been murdered.
• Completes an important section of active transportation, connecting Stephen Juba Park, The Forks and St. Boniface with paths leading north.

The design for the Alexander Docks site was informed by the community's deep affection for our rivers and how people see themselves connecting to the water year-round. It draws inspiration from the steady rhythm of the Red River, mimicking its curves and quiet strength. It will bring the community together and invite everyone to use the space as they like.

The site is along an active trail route that forms part of the North Winnipeg Parkway extending from The Forks to Kildonan Park. Restoring this part of the Parkway Trail is an opportunity to complete that connection and invite cyclists and walkers to move through the site freely and safely.

We thank our design team for their creativity, patience, and commitment on this project.

•  Cheryl Oakden and Sarry Klein, Landscape Architect and Lead Designer, Scatliff + Miller + Murray
•  Desiree Theriault, Landscape Architect, Partner, Narratives Inc.
•  Jaimie Isaac, Artist and Art Curator
•  Destiny Seymour, Indigo Arrows design & textile studio
•  Alan Greyeyes, Sakihiwe Festival
•  Bruno Arpin, Geotechnical Engineer, KGS Group

MMIWG2S+ Movement

Importantly, the redevelopment will hold space to honour Indigenous women and girls and Two-Spirit people who are missing and who have been murdered.

The community already maintains a memorial on this site for Tina Fontaine (tree shown above) whose body was found near the dock in 2014 – a tragic loss that became a powerful turning point, prompting the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG2S+). The revitalized site will feature a Spirit Tree Circle that provides a dedicated space for remembrance, ceremony and collective strength. This area integrates a sculptural wall, providing a future opportunity for a memorial in honour of MMIWG2S+, to be developed in collaboration with community.

While the space may be contemplative, it is also about envisioning a stronger future together, supported by landscaping that prioritizes safety, equity, connection and reconciliation.