A legacy from the past, a promise to the future: The Winnipeg Foundation’s Centennial Projects Propo

A LEGACY FROM THE PAST, A PROMISE TO THE FUTURE:

THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S CENTENNIAL PROJECTS PROPOSAL

COMMUNITY ARCHIVES

OSBORNE/DOWNTOWN PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLING BRIDGE

A LEGACY FROM THE PAST, A PROMISE TO THE FUTURE:

THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S CENTENNIAL PROJECTS PROPOSAL THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION IS CANADA’S FIRST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. OUR CENTENNIAL YEAR IS 2021 AND ALREADY, PLANS ARE UNDERWAY FOR CELEBRATING OUR VISION: ‘A WINNIPEG WHERE COMMUNITY LIFE FLOURISHES FOR ALL.’ During the past year, we have considered various opportunities to make signature investments. Our Board is proposing a contribution agreement with the City of Winnipeg aimed at advancing two projects. They are described in this publication. Both of these projects are well known to the City but at this time, they are not planned for completion in the 2021 timeframe. These pages explain why we believe investing in Community Archives and a pedestrian/cyclist bridge across the Assiniboine River are appropriate ways to celebrate our 100th birthday.

The Foundation has invested in signature capital projects in the past and our centennial creates an opportunity to do so again. For example, our largest grant to the City is $1 million for the Saint Boniface Belvedere currently under construction on Tache Avenue. The largest grant in our history for $6 million supported construction of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Given the relative scale of these new projects, it seems reasonable to expect a Foundation investment of $4 to $5 million would interest the City.

At this time, we are asking that the City give favourable consideration to including these two projects in their capital plans for completion in the 2021 timeframe.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Richard Frost CEO, The Winnipeg Foundation 204.944.9474 | rfrost@wpgfdn.org

December 2018

Thank you to Brent Bellamy, Number TEN Architectural Group Associate / Creative Director, for his contributions to this report.

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A LEGACY FROM THE PAST, A PROMISE TO THE FUTURE: THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S CENTENNIAL PROJECTS PROPOSAL

PROPOSAL: COMMUNITY ARCHIVES BACKGROUND Andrew Carnegie, the richest man in the world at the turn of the last century, was a Scottish-American rags-to-riches industrialist who, in 1901, sold his steel company to J.P. Morgan for $500 million ($14 billion in today’s dollars). The eccentric businessman lived with a personal dictum: spend the first third of one’s life getting all the education one can, spend the next third making all the money one can, spend the last third giving it away to worthwhile causes.

True to his blueprint, by his death in 1919, Carnegie had given away 90 per cent of his wealth. His most effective and farthest-reaching philanthropy was a program to build neighbourhood libraries. Believing the best way to help someone was to give them the ability to help themselves, he provided municipalities with funding for library construction, with the requirement they remain freely accessible to everyone in the community.

In the end, Carnegie built 2,507 libraries across the world. Three of them were in Winnipeg, including the city’s first library at 380 William Avenue, just west of today’s Exchange District. The city’s head librarian, who was working in a makeshift space in city hall, wrote to Carnegie in 1901, asking for assistance in creating a new building for his book collection. The response was swift, with Carnegie pledging to erect a $75,000 building if the city would purchase the land and provide operating funds of at least $7,500 per year.

The William Library would remain the city’s main branch and one of the busiest libraries in Canada for 72 years. When the Centennial Library was built, William Avenue would become a neighbourhood branch, until 1995, when it was re-purposed into the home of the City of Winnipeg Archives, one of the most complete civic archival collections in Canada.

With its elegant tyndall stone facade, marble staircase and ornate detailing, the building was given Grade II municipal heritage status in 1984. The objectives of Grade II protection is to preserve the entire exterior of the building and specified interior elements, which in this case are listed as the front two rooms on both floors.

A LEGACY FROM THE PAST, A PROMISE TO THE FUTURE: THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S CENTENNIAL PROJECTS PROPOSAL

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In 2013, a major renovation to the building began, which would have made it a state-of-the-art archival facility. Work was to include a large temperature-controlled storage vault, moveable shelving, workspaces, and area for public-focused programming, research and community engagement. During construction, an opening in the roof was left uncovered and a major rainstorm caused significant damage. Some archives were ruined, but most were saved and relocated to a non-descript building in an industrial area of the city. The new location has proven to be insufficient for preservation work and public engagement and is significantly hampering the operations of an effective archives.

The relocation was intended to be temporary, but for the last five years the City of Winnipeg has been slow to move towards a permanent solution for both a significant heritage building and a valuable municipal archive. In 2016, City Council voted against a plan to restore the building, prompting the Association of Canadian Archivists to write a formal letter to the city, imploring them to find a solution, indicating that Winnipeg’s archival collection is renowned across Canada and stands as one of our nation’s most valued repositories.

In 2018, Winnipeg’s Carnegie Library was listed as one of the country’s most at-risk buildings by the National Trust for Canada, which placed it on its Top 10 Endangered Places list for that year. Heritage Winnipeg is fearful that too many years as an abandoned building will eventually degrade the structure and make redevelopment more difficult and costlier.

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY The mandate for the City of Winnipeg Archives has been primarily focused on the preservation of municipal documents of historic significance. Even with this limited mandate, they have become overwhelmed and underfunded, a situation exacerbated by the lack of a permanent home. Other archival programming has also suffered, with public visits dropping by more than 50 per cent since the loss of the Carnegie Library as a central location. While other cities transform their archives into important cultural institutions, with outreach programming that engages the public and celebrates social connection to the past, Winnipeg’s treasured archives are hidden away.

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A LEGACY FROM THE PAST, A PROMISE TO THE FUTURE: THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S CENTENNIAL PROJECTS PROPOSAL

As Manitoba approaches its 150th anniversary, many of the foundational community organizations of our city and province are finding that their historic records, documents, photos and other information are in need of proper archival documentation and protection. Most lack the funding, expertise and space to properly preserve what are often important historic documents not only for their organization, but for the public as a whole.

With overflowing warehouses, the municipal, provincial and University of Manitoba archives are unable to accommodate the countless community organizations (including The Winnipeg Foundation), charities, religious groups and businesses that have a wealth of historically valuable information in need of archival preservation.

The identification of important archival material that is worthy of preservation is a highly specialized profession that does not exist in most community organizations. With most operating on limited budgets, few options exist for private archival records, which are increasingly in danger of being lost.

The Province of Manitoba offers a matching grant of up to $5,000, but the requirements of application and lack of expertise leaves the program underutilized. In the past Manitoba Archives would provide an advisor to help support community groups in a small way, but with funding cuts in 2012, this service was lost.

A LEGACY FROM THE PAST, A PROMISE TO THE FUTURE: THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S CENTENNIAL PROJECTS PROPOSAL

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The goal of the Community Archives proposal is to look for ways to provide community organizations with access to proper archival services, including storage, preservation and advisor assistance. The goal would be to develop a new program that focuses on solving the issue of community archives, working in partnership with the City of Winnipeg.

The Winnipeg Foundation believes that by taking a ‘learning centre’ approach, a Community Archives could teach the social and Indigenous history of our city including those parts of the story that are not adequately captured in the archival documents.

The hope is that the funding for this program will act as a catalyst to move the City of Winnipeg forward with a redevelopment of the historic building at 380 William Avenue as a permanent home for both collections. A Winnipeg Foundation investment could leverage a much larger project with significant community reach and benefit. The goal would be to house both the city’s and

“ Because our built heritage helps us remember and appreciate our past, and creates a vibrant future.”

Cindy Tugwell, Heritage Winnipeg

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A LEGACY FROM THE PAST, A PROMISE TO THE FUTURE: THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S CENTENNIAL PROJECTS PROPOSAL

charitable sector’s archives in a fully restored building that is a state-of-theart archival facility. It would have the resources to help preserve and interpret Winnipeg’s rich social and Indigenous history. With a centralized location restored, outreach programming, exhibits and public education could become a significant new cultural amenity in the city and province.

Archives and Record Storage Buildings are facilities that provide a proper environment for the purpose of storing records and materials that require permanent protection for historic and lifetime storage, upkeep, and preservation.

Archives and Record Storage Buildings must be high-performance buildings whose systems are designed to operate permanently at a very high level with zero tolerance for failure. The often irreplaceable nature of the materials to be permanently stored and preserved in this type of building requires a life-cycle analysis and approach to its design and construction, with extensive redundancy in its mechanical and electrical systems.

Archive buildings generally include a number of unique spaces including; administrative offices, a archival office area, a research and preservation area, a secure and environmentally protected archival storage area, and visitor support spaces including lobby, reception, display areas and classrooms.

The proposed redevelopment of 380 William was designed by Ager-Little Architects in 2014. The scheme opened up the front spaces on both floors to be reception and public areas, accessed from the street. It included upgrades to lighting and mechanical systems and new spaces such as display, education and work areas for outreach programming and public visitations.

A LEGACY FROM THE PAST, A PROMISE TO THE FUTURE: THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S CENTENNIAL PROJECTS PROPOSAL

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The exterior stone envelope of the historic structure is not appropriate for the environmental protection of historic records, so the scheme anticipated an archival space to be a building within a building. The vault is to be two levels and mechanically isolated, with independent walls, floor and roof designed to withstand flooding, rodent and insect infestation, and other potential threats to the archival materials.

The scheme would have made the Carnegie Library a world-class archival space, transforming the building into an important centre of research and preservation for the city, and appropriate long-term home for the archives.

In 2014, the cost of the development was $8-million, taken to a Class B estimate. One can anticipate cost escalations of about 5% per year, meaning that a current cost would likely be between $9 and $10-million.

The City of Winnipeg has recently expressed an interest in reviving the 380 William Avenue archives project. A Winnipeg Foundation contribution could be a catalyst to move the project onto the city’s immediate agenda and ensure opening in the 2021 timeframe. In addition to contributing to the restoration of a heritage building, a longer-term partnership might potentially provide multi-year programming support to better tell the city’s social and Indigenous history and to hire an Archival Advisor and to assist organizations in the curation of their materials in preparation for archival storage.

In summary, the Community Archives could be an important cultural asset in our city and it would also preserve an important heritage building in the centre of a downtown community. The Winnipeg Foundation believes this is a most worthwhile community-building project that will stand for generations and therefore is a fitting legacy investment to celebrate its 100th anniversary of community service in 2021.

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A LEGACY FROM THE PAST, A PROMISE TO THE FUTURE: THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S CENTENNIAL PROJECTS PROPOSAL

PROPOSAL: OSBORNE/DOWNTOWN PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLING BRIDGE BACKGROUND In 2017, the City of Winnipeg began the public consultation phase for a new pedestrian and cycling bridge connection between downtown and Osborne Village. The link was recommended in the city’s Transportation Master Plan, which identified the rivers as a significant barrier to the connectivity between city neighbourhoods, creating challenges for those on foot or bike.

The proposed bridge will provide a direct, safe and convenient connection for walking and biking that plugs into the city’s growing active transportation network, including future on-street infrastructure planned for both sides of the river. The site is located mid-way between two vehicle bridges, on Donald and Osborne Streets, that are unable to provide all-ages and abilities cycling access. The bridge will connect the high-density population centres of Broadway-Assiniboine and Osborne Village, as well as become a link to the Pembina Highway cycle tracks and Osborne Rapid Transit Station. It also demonstrates an acknowledgement of and commitment to environmentally friendly transportation options. The bridge will be accessed by two existing riverbank greenspaces, McFadyen Park and Fork Rouge Park.

An important part of the plan is to redevelop the neighbourhood park on each side of the river, to better meet community needs. Themes are being considered, such as naturalized playground components that can be educational and recreational opportunities in the riverbank environment, facilitating imaginative and explorative play. The specific design of each park has not yet been detailed, but ideas have been discussed during the public consultation phase. The addition of a bridge functionally creates one larger park, allowing the amenities of each to serve a much larger population on both sides of the river.

A LEGACY FROM THE PAST, A PROMISE TO THE FUTURE: THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S CENTENNIAL PROJECTS PROPOSAL

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FORT ROUGE PARK (OSBORNE VILLAGE) Fort Rouge Park is one of the oldest parks in Winnipeg, next year celebrating its 125th anniversary. The new design maintains pathway connections to exiting sidewalks and riverbank trails, while upgrading play equipment.

A significant expansion of the spray pad is planned, as it has become a very popular neighbourhood amenity and with the bridge component will also serve downtown residents. Water play has been a missing recreational amenity for families in the Broadway-Assiniboine area. A new riverside dock with an accessible pathway will be created for fishing, canoe launch, access to the winter river trail and water taxi in the summer.

MCFADYEN PARK (DOWNTOWN) The redevelopment of McFadyen Park will include enhancement of the very popular tennis courts, which will be moved closer to the street to improve access and create vibrancy in the area. A street front urban plaza will be established to provide a connection to the sidewalk with seating to increase surveillance opportunities. A new playground area is also moved closer to the sidewalk, to improve safety in the park. Barrier free access will be created to the Assiniboine Riverwalk.

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A LEGACY FROM THE PAST, A PROMISE TO THE FUTURE: THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S CENTENNIAL PROJECTS PROPOSAL

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY The bridge and redeveloped park space have the potential to become a landmark structure in the city. The city envisions a design that is not simply functional but also has the aesthetic qualities that will make it a well-used attraction. In other Canadian cities such as Calgary and Toronto, pedestrian and cycling bridges have become postcard elements that express an image of a healthy and progressive community.

The Winnipeg Foundation believes connecting neighbourhoods in this way is visionary.

This Osborne/Downtown Pedestrian and Cycling Bridge has the potential to be the first in a transformational new model to effectively link many of Winnipeg’s communities at a more intimate scale. With construction costs of about 10 per cent that of a car bridge, cycling and pedestrian bridges could affordably be replicated in strategic suburban and urban areas, introducing a new network of connectivity that transforms how we move around our city, increasing economic opportunity, neighbourhood vibrancy and quality of life.

During the public consultation phase, the City of Winnipeg solicited feedback on three unique bridge designs. This information will be used to develop a final, detailed design. The three options – girder, suspension and cable-stayed – represent different opportunities and costs.

NEW BRIDGES IN STRATEGIC LOCATIONS REPRESENT AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THE DIALOGUE ABOUT MOBILITY IN WINNIPEG. DONE WELL, THEY CAN BE A SYMBOL OF A PROGRESSIVE AND INCLUSIVE CITY. SOCIAL INCLUSION

PUBLIC AMENITIES

Improved active transportation connectivity can increase social inclusion by expanding access to schools, employment, food options, retail, and recreational opportunities.

With access from both sides of the river, the number of public amenities such as splash pads could be reduced and communities could be brought together in a single place.

TRANSIT Pedestrian and cycling bridges can also improve access to a wider number of public transit routes, reducing commuting times and effectively widening the catchment area within which a transit user could reasonably commute to work or school.

A LEGACY FROM THE PAST, A PROMISE TO THE FUTURE: THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S CENTENNIAL PROJECTS PROPOSAL

ECONOMIC IMPACTS Uniting communities through active transportation could grow neighbourhood economies by reducing pedestrian distances and expanding the potential market for local shops, restaurants and services.

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OPTION 1: GIRDER BRIDGE The girder bridge is the least costly, but also least dramatic style being considered. The design proposes a 5-metre-wide deck that expands to 7-metres in two locations to allow opportunity for stopping and views. The alignment is a straight diagonal configuration that provides a direct connection between the two parks. This scheme presents a slender look that would rely on lighting and artistic features to enhance its aesthetic qualities.

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A LEGACY FROM THE PAST, A PROMISE TO THE FUTURE: THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S CENTENNIAL PROJECTS PROPOSAL

OPTION 2: SUSPENSION BRIDGE A suspension bridge design incorporates a tall pier at each side of the riverbank with suspension cables spanning between them to support a suspended bridge deck. The configuration is also a straight diagonal run between parks. The deck bows out in the centre to create a 7-metre-wide area for viewing. There are no other suspension bridges in Winnipeg, which could make this design a landmark in the city that draws visitors and increases use. The vertical components and elegant shape provide an opportunity for dramatic lighting. The cost would be greater than option 1 and similar to option 3.

A LEGACY FROM THE PAST, A PROMISE TO THE FUTURE: THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S CENTENNIAL PROJECTS PROPOSAL

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OPTION 3: CABLE-STAYED BRIDGE A cable-stayed bridge uses tall towers with supporting cables that run directly between the deck and tower (Esplanade Riel is a cable-stayed bridge).

The proposed scheme is a unique two-tower configuration that supports an S-shaped deck. This design is the most unique of the three options, as there are very few curvilinear cable-stayed bridges in North America and none in Canada. It would certainly be a landmark in the city and would become as much a destination as a bridge.

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A LEGACY FROM THE PAST, A PROMISE TO THE FUTURE: THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S CENTENNIAL PROJECTS PROPOSAL

The City of Winnipeg has outlined a process for design and pricing of the Osborne/Downtown Pedestrian and Cycling Bridge and park redevelopment project. Phase 1 and 2 public consultation has been completed and feedback assembled. Very high community support was found for the project.

Public consultation focused on; bridge design, park redevelopment and pedestrian and cycling connections. The information will be used to develop a preliminary design that will be presented to City Council.

There is no funding for the project beyond the study phase and no timeline has been developed for implementation. This could be many years down the road. A funding incentive from The Winnipeg Foundation could be the catalyst to move the project up the priority list, inspire earlier construction to meet required timelines, and enable selection of one of the more attractive options (options 2 or 3).

The cost of similar bridge projects across North America vary widely, but generally fall in the range of $10 to $15 million and can take between 18-months and two years to construct. Detailed design would need to commence early in 2019. The cost for the park redevelopment cannot be determined until a more detailed design is completed.

The Osborne/Downtown Pedestrian and Cycling Bridge is an exciting development that could be not only transformational for two inner-city communities but also an important symbol of a progressive, forward-looking city investing in more sustainable transportation options.

Pedestrian and cycling bridges have become highly visible landmarks and symbols of many cities around the world. Dedicated infrastructure that is elevated to a special experience has been found to increase participation rates and make communities healthier and better connected. The Winnipeg Foundation believes this is a most worthwhile community-building project that will stand for generations and therefore is a fitting legacy investment to celebrate its 100th anniversary of community service in 2021.

“ Because recreation helps us become healthier and connect socially. ” Connie Newman, St. James Assiniboia 55+ Centre

A LEGACY FROM THE PAST, A PROMISE TO THE FUTURE: THE WINNIPEG FOUNDATION’S CENTENNIAL PROJECTS PROPOSAL

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