The design and development plans for the Bonnycastle Urban Park Project involved the reclamation and transformation of a 3-acre parcel of land. The project is a high-profile urban park incorporating a state-of-the-art fountain system and plaza, an urban oasis. The park is located on the upper bank of the Assiniboine River, providing a window to the river.

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Rich in history, the site was home to the former Upper Fort Garry HBC trading post. In recent years it has been utilized for various industrial functions including automobile repair shop, which had contaminated the site. Together with KGS, SMM worked to reclaim and stabilize the riverbank to include a riverwalk connection, conducted environmental assessment and mitigation for contamination, and undertook hydraulic engineering to ensure fish habitat and erosion control. The pathway system was carved out of the existing bank which provides gradual separation through a sequence of experiences from the urban context to the river environment below.

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The dog park came next and was in fact Winnipeg’s first urban dog park. Our work included a pre-design public engagement program that vetted several concepts and potential project sites. Bonnycastle Dog Park is located within an existing major downtown riverfront park, surrounded by a dense mix of apartments, condominiums, offices, greenspace, and historic resources. The design, while focused on our canine friends, required a creative blending of play areas, controlled access points, “people places”, signage, waste and water elements, lighting, and visual screening from an adjacent high-rise condominium. The design is fun and playful, but also respects the design and architecture of the park it sits within.

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Awards:

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1995 CSLA Regional Citation – Bonnycastle Park

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