The Winnipeg Walkway System, also known as the Winnipeg Skywalk, is a network of pedestrian skyways and tunnels connecting a significant portion of downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The City of Winnipeg described the Walkway as a system of 14 skyways and 7 tunnels connecting 38 buildings and allowing for a maximum protected walk of 2 km. The system also provides year-round climate-controlled access to over 170,000 m2 (42 acres) of space, including over 200 shops and businesses, 10 office complexes, 60 restaurants and snack bars, 700 apartment units, 2 hotels, 11 financial centres, and the Winnipeg Millennium Library, bringing together 21,000 employees. [1] [2] The walkway system has expanded since its initial construction. [3]
The Walkway is subdivided into four interconnected segments: its skyways chiefly cover Portage, Graham, and St. Mary Avenues; and its underground section includes Winnipeg Square and the underground Portage and Main concourse. [4] [5]
It is open every day of the week, typically from 07:00 AM to 12:30 AM, though some individual building hours vary. [1]
Beginning in 2004, in anticipation of the openings of the MTS Centre and Millennium Library, a new unified system of signage was developed for the entire network to assist wayfinding therein. This process brought with it the branding of the system as the Winnipeg Walkway and the subdivision of the network into four interconnected segments.[ citation needed ]
The Main Underground portion of the network is centred underneath the historic intersection of Portage and Main. [5] At street level, this intersection is closed to pedestrians; it is not (legally) possible to cross it without going underground.
On a much smaller scale, this segment is somewhat reminiscent of Montreal's Underground City. Via a network of tunnels, the Main Underground connects the following: [5]
At the southwestern corner of Winnipeg Square, near the intersection of Graham Avenue and Fort Street, there are escalator, lift and stairway connections to the second floor of 200 Graham Avenue, thereby connecting the Main Underground to the Graham Skywalk.
There are several structural pads atop Winnipeg Square, with 360 Main and 300 Main built upon them. Construction of the 42-story residential tower at 300 Main Street began in Fall 2018, [6] and was completed in 2021, making it Winnipeg's tallest building. [7]
The Graham Skywalk consists of a series of skyways connecting the buildings on the south side of Graham Avenue, between Main and Hargrave Street, as well as the Canada Life Centre (the former site of the historic Eaton's store) and the former Eaton's power station on the north side.
From east to west, this portion of the network provides access to the following: [5]
The Canada Life Centre can be said to be a major hub in the Winnipeg Walkway network as it connects the Graham Skywalk to the Portage Skywalk.
The Portage Skywalk segment of the Winnipeg Walkway boasts many of the shopping and entertainment attractions most often associated with downtown Winnipeg. An extensive network of skyways and second-floor pedestrian rights-of-way connects various buildings on the south side of Portage Avenue, with the three-block Portage Place shopping and entertainment complex between Carlton and Vaughan Street on the north side. Several neighbouring residential, recreational and commercial buildings, including the One Canada Centre tower between Vaughan and Colony Street, are directly connected to Portage Place. At the western edge of Portage Place there is a skyway link to The Bay department store and the Power Building on the south side of Portage Avenue. Via an open-air connection through the covered parkade of The Bay, the network reaches further south, providing access to the Saint Mary Skywalk.
More specifically, from east to west, the Portage Skywalk links the following: [5]
As was the case with the construction of Winnipeg Square, structural pads were built atop Portage Place to allow for future upward expansion. [6] There is one atop each end, and there is currently a plan for an office and hotel tower to be built on the western pad. [16] [17]
The Saint Mary Skywalk is both the smallest, and the most tenuously-linked segment of the Winnipeg Walkway System. Its only connection to the network is via the parkade of The Bay department store.
Beginning from The Bay parkade eastward, the Saint Mary Skywalk connects two buildings between Vaughan and Edmonton Street: [5]
The western segment of the Saint Mary Skywalk ends at 400 Saint Mary Avenue; however, it continues again from the RBC Convention Centre, whose entrance faces Edmonton Street, and connects into the Graham Skywalk via Cityplace. [5]
The connection between the pre-existing Convention Centre walkway system and the Winnipeg Walkway system was completed in 2010. [3] On the two blocks bordered by Edmonton Street, Saint Mary Avenue, York Avenue, and Hargrave Street is a residential and commercial complex consisting of the Convention Centre and the various buildings of Lakeview Square.
A network of pedestrian tunnels and skyways connects the following buildings, from east to west: [5]
The Convention Centre is connected by skyways to both 185 and 155 Carlton Street. The Lakeview Square development forms a 'U' around an open central courtyard which faces the Convention Centre across Carlton Street.
In addition to the Winnipeg Walkway, is another smaller enclosed pedestrian network in downtown Winnipeg that is not currently connected to the principal Walkway network.
Another series of interconnected buildings straddle Main Street, approximately 1 km north of Portage and Main. On the west side of Main Street is the Winnipeg Civic Centre and on the east side is the Manitoba Centennial Centre. This pedestrian network's tunnels link the following public buildings:
Unlike the Convention Centre pedestrian network, creating a pedestrian link between the Civic Centre and the principal Winnipeg Walkway System is unlikely in the foreseeable future. Not only is the distance great between the Main Underground and the Civic Centre, but any connection between the two would require sensitive tunneling underneath turn-of-the-century heritage buildings over several blocks.
A skyway, skybridge, skywalk, or sky walkway is an elevated type of pedway connecting two or more buildings in an urban area, or connecting elevated points within mountainous recreational zones. Urban skyways very often take the form of enclosed or covered footbridges that protect pedestrians from the weather. Open-top modern skyways in mountains now often have glass bottoms. Sometimes enclosed urban skywalks are made almost totally from glass, including ceilings, walls and floors. Also, some urban skyways function strictly as linear parks designed for walking.
An underground city is a series of linked subterranean spaces that may provide a defensive refuge; a place for living, working or shopping; a transit system; mausolea; wine or storage cellars; cisterns or drainage channels; or several of these. Underground cities may be currently active modern creations or they may be historic including ancient sites, some of which may be entirely or partially open to the public.
Path is a network of underground pedestrian tunnels, elevated walkways, and at-grade walkways connecting the office towers of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It connects more than 70 buildings via 30 kilometres (19 mi) of tunnels, walkways, and shopping areas. According to Guinness World Records, Path is the largest underground shopping complex in the world, with 371,600 square metres (4,000,000 sq ft) of retail space which includes over 1,200 retail fronts (2016). As of 2016, over 200,000 residents and workers use the Path system daily with the number of private dwellings within walking distance at 30,115.
Portage and Main is an intersection in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, located where Portage Avenue and Main Street intersect. The corner is known as the "crossroads of Canada", due to its relative proximity to the longitudinal centre of Canada.
The Plus 15 or +15 is a skyway network in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is the world's most extensive pedestrian skywalk system, with a total length of 16 kilometres and 86 bridges connecting 130 buildings, as of 2022. Calgary often has severe winters and the walkways allow people to get around the city's downtown more quickly and comfortably. The busiest parts of the network saw over 20,000 pedestrians per day in a 2018 count.
Pedways are elevated or underground walkways, often connecting urban high-rises to each other, other buildings, or the street. They provide quick and comfortable movement from building to building, away from traffic and inclement weather. Two of the largest networks of underground walkways are located in Canada, with RÉSO in Montreal and PATH in Toronto each consisting of approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) of underground city-centre walkways.
The Downtown Halifax Link system is a network of climate-controlled pedways connecting various office buildings, hotels, parkades, and entertainment venues around downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is similar to Toronto's PATH or Montreal's RÉSO system, but on a much smaller scale. These walkways are all open to the public, and are convenient during inclement weather and the winter months.
Downtown Winnipeg is an area of Winnipeg located near the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. It is the oldest urban area in Winnipeg, and is home to the city's commercial core, city hall, the seat of Manitoba's provincial government, and a number of major attractions and institutions.
The Exchange District is a National Historic Site of Canada in the downtown area of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Just one block north of Portage and Main, the Exchange District comprises twenty city blocks and approximately 150 heritage buildings, and it is known for its intact early 20th century collection of warehouses, financial institutions, and early terracotta-clad skyscrapers.
The Winnipeg Bus Terminal was an intercity bus station, located beside the Winnipeg International Airport.
Cityplace is a nine-storey office and retail complex situated in Downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The number of weekly shoppers is 150,000.
Portage Place is a mixed-use shopping centre located in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Covering 439,600 sq ft (40,840 m2), it is located on the north side of Portage Avenue, between Vaughan and Carlton Streets and opened in September 1987.
The Millennium Library is the main branch of the Winnipeg Public Library system, located in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The library is located at 251 Donald Street, and serves approximately 5,000 visitors each day.
The RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg is a major meeting and convention centre located in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Winnipeg Square is an underground shopping mall located at Portage and Main in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It was built in 1979 by Smith Carter Parkin for the Trizec Corporation, and has 45 stores and restaurants.
360 Main is a 32-storey office tower located at Portage and Main in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Lakeview Square is a full-block, mixed-use development in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It opened in 1974 and was developed by Lakeview Properties, Ltd.
True North Square is a public plaza and mixed-use development in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba. Managed by True North Real Estate Development, a joint venture between James Richardson & Sons and True North Sports & Entertainment, it is still under construction, with two buildings officially complete and open.
The Graham Avenue Transit Mall is a 9-block transit mall in downtown Winnipeg that is mostly reserved for Winnipeg Transit buses, as well as cyclists and pedestrians.
300 Main is a multi-family residential high-rise building Main Street in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Standing at 141.7 metres and 42 storeys, it is the tallest building in Winnipeg as well as in Manitoba.