What's New

Winnipeg, MB – While Winnipeggers ring in the New Year, designers and planners at HTFC Planning & Design looked back on the year that was and offered some resolutions for the City of Winnipeg in 2017.

“During the holiday season, we found ourselves reflecting on the past year and on those who have helped to shape our city in a significant way,” said Glen Manning, Principal of HTFC Planning & Design. “There has been a lot of progress, not only in our built environment and the creation of great places, but also in the spirit of Manitobans coming together to foster a sense of community. We appreciate living in a city where our elected officials and civic administration, businesses, and members of the public, value quality design and vibrant communities.”

2016 Big Moments for Civic Building (projects supported by HTFC Planning & Design)

• Canada’s Diversity Gardens: The Diversity Gardens at the Assiniboine Park will feature a series of experiences to represent Canada’s multicultural diversity. Designed with direction from First Nations advisors, the Indigenous People’s Garden will celebrate Aboriginal heritage and culture.
• Lane it on the Line: John Hirsch Place has begun its transformation into a shared street for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists, and provides opportunities for programming whether it is for public art or a summer farmers’ market. The project is unique for its inclusion of a living stormwater management system that will be monitored by the City and evaluated to serve as a case study for future neighbourhoods.
• Heritage Conservation District Study: Adopted in early 2015, the Heritage Conservation District Study formed the basis for the City of Winnipeg to plan for the designation of Armstrong’s Point as Winnipeg’s first Heritage Conversation District.
• Municipal Planning Guide to Zoning By-Laws in Manitoba: A 3-part document, the Municipal Planning Guide for Zoning By-Laws in Manitoba, which provides direction on the role and function of zoning in Manitoba, and zoning tools to implement development plan policies.

2017 New Years Resolutions for Planning & Design in the City of Winnipeg

• Open up Portage and Main: With renewed development focus occurring at the Parcel 4 and Railside lands near The Forks, pedestrian connectivity at Portage and Main is an opportunity for greater density, visitation, and walkability.
• Further Indigenous Capacity Building: After a Maclean’s article labelled Winnipeg as the most racist city in Canada; Mayor Brian Bowman proclaimed 2016 as the Year of Indigenous Reconciliation. We see this as a positive step towards equity and inclusion in our city, and as a firm, we will answer the Mayor’s Indigenous Circle’s call for Indigenous reconciliation by continuing our capacity building efforts with many First Nations groups.
• Inspire People with Great Places: Public art has enhanced our city’s core, with more than 18 installations amounting to $1.8 million in investment. This would not be possible without the creation of the Winnipeg Art Council’s Public Art Program long advocated for by HTFC Planning & Design. In 2017, we plan to reach out to the community with regular publicized events to spur civic dialogue, exploration and enhancements: from ‘guerrilla plantings’ in the Exchange District to tours and workshops for people to learn about planning and design.
• Elevate the Profession of Designers: Just recently, the Manitoba Professional Planners Institute (MPPI) and the Province of Manitoba jointly announced provincial designation for professional planners – Registered Professional Planner (RPP) – to help standardize the diverse ideals of community planning among the profession in Manitoba and with the general public. In 2017, HTFC Planning & Design’s staff will support the Manitoba Association of Landscape Architects (MALA) in their pursuit of same name legislation.
• Activate a Love for Winter: National Geographic listed Winnipeg as one of the best destinations on Earth, citing our winter landscapes like The Forks River Trail as a top asset. In 2017, we envision more opportunities for winter tourism, maybe even bringing back the 1920s with the Winter Carnival at The Manitoba Legislative Grounds.
• Go Green: Pantone Color Institute just unveiled their Color of the Year – Greenery, to reflect the current cultural climate: our growing desire to reconnect with nature and disconnect from technology. In all of our design and planning work in 2017, we will work towards rebalancing the nature deficit and giving people compelling reasons to spend time outside.

For more New Year’s resolutions about design and planning for Winnipeg, visit: www.htfc.mb.ca.

– 30 –

Media Inquiries:

Jason Syvixay; Email: jsyvixay@htfc.mb.ca

Phone: (204) 944-9907; Cell: (204) 997-3040