Winnipeg Arts Council

Past Self-Guided and Virtual Walk Library

The walk library is always open! Self-guided and virtual walks can be done at your leisure, alone or with friends or family.

  • An image of the Assiniboine River and its river banks. The sun is setting in the top right corner, and the sky is filled with a blue and orange gradient.

    An Urban Ecology Guide to Wolseley 🗺️

    Strung between two of the most tree-populated parks in the Daniel Mac electoral ward, this walk goes through Wolseley – particularly along the interface of the neighbourhood and the Assiniboine River – paying attention to the ecosystem we’re part of here. As a field biology student/research assistant, my ecological interests have always been outside the city, but working from home in Wolseley during the pandemic turned my focus to urban species and interactions (especially us). This walk consolidates some of the most exciting elements of urban ecology I've found over the past year. Created in 2021.

  • The tops of two building are visible in the sky. The building on the right is being painted lilac, with colourful designs of yellow, pink, and teal. There is a person on a ladder painting the rest of the building lilac. The building on the left appears to be older and made out of wood or brick. The top of it is pointed, while the rest of the building is hidden by a tree.

    Art at the Heart of Higgins & Main: Celebrating Artwork by Indigenous Women🗺️

    This walk will take community members on a tour to visit a variety of murals designed by Indigenous women, to honour their contributions of adding colour and love to the surrounding area of Main and Higgins. This walk is being shared to celebrate a fraction of the many murals within the area, inviting folks to spend intentional time within this neighbourhood, which is often ignored or criticized, to celebrate its beauty and the members of the community. This walk will also coincide with a youth workshop we will develop as a part of our mentorship After School Learners program for youth of Studio 393, a satellite site of Graffiti Art Programming Inc. Created in 2021.

  • A digitally made image shows two grey dolphins and a small white dog jumping over an ocean.

    Assiniboine Avenue Stories 🔊

    By hannah_g

    Winnipeg has been my home for over a decade and there are a few places that have become very familiar to me. Assiniboine Avenue is one of them. For years I have walked and biked along this street observing its rhythms and the people who live and work here. I’m going to tell you about some of them and also about some of things I wish were here. I created the stories in Winnipeg, Treaty 1 Territory which is on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene Peoples and the homeland of the Métis Nation. These Indigenous Nations and Peoples have been here and continue to be here caring for this land, land which has nourished stories for millennia. I hope you enjoy these ones. Created in 2021.

  • A hand holds the cut off bottom portion of a glass bottle up against an outdoors background. The bottle is engraved with the words "contents". In the background there is a body of water and trees. The sky is blue and cloudy.

    Assiniboine River Mudlark Walk🗺️

    This walk takes you down to the riverbank on the north part of the Assiniboine River in Wolseley. It begins under the railway bridge at Omands Creek Park and proceeds east along the riverbank until about where the Aubrey Street pipeline bridge crosses the river. Stop wherever there is potential to find interesting objects in or on the riverbank. Created in 2021.

  • An older wooden one-story house sits amongst green trees and grass. The house is brown and the window and door shutters are a lighter beige. In the background the sky is blue with small clouds.

    Euclid Avenue Tour🗺️

    By Stephanie Chalmers

    Just a quick little walk down Euclid Avenue to a few of our favourite places. Created in 2021.

  • Exchange District/Centennial Food Tour by Andrew McLaren 🗺️

    When I moved to the exchange district the question I got most often was "where will you get groceries"? This walking tour helps answer that question! Bring your backpack to stock up on groceries and treats!

  • A view from the sidewalk outside of a local bakery. There is a small line-up outside the bakery's entrance. A black bike is parked in front of a bed of various rocks.

    Explore Winnipeg Bakeries by Bike🗺️

    Exploring bakeries by bike is a fun way to see the city from a different perspective, both to get motivated to exercise and also for a closer view of the city than you would get in a car. The uniqueness of city blocks stands out on your bike in a way that goes unnoticed when you drive by. It is a way to really notice the people, the murals, the front yard gardens, the signs in windows supporting essential workers, unique signage on businesses, etc... It's a great way to connect with the city we live in. It also a fun way of supporting the local food industry which is so important in this pandemic year. Created in 2021.

  • Kaj stands on the street in front of a large brown and white building holding a drawn colourful map. He is wearing a gold hat and a grey t-shirt with a big smile on his face. In the background there is a road, a bus shelter, and various yellow painted street lights.

    Family tour of Osborne Village🗺️

    Welcome to Osborne Village! It’s the coolest neighbourhood in Winnipeg. Look around and you’ll see colourful people, cute pets and neat boutiques. It also has some of the city's most eclectic architecture. I love the area so much that I drew a cartoon map of Osborne Village for the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation. It comes with kid-friendly descriptions of my favourite buildings, along with fun facts and questions. Check out the map and print a copy. Now fuel up at a local cafe and restaurant, and discover the architectural wonders of Osborne Village! Created in 2021.

  • An outdoor shots shows a few scarce trees sat next to a tall windmill. In the background. the sun is setting and the sun is shifting from light blue to a pale orange.

    Future South Royalwood AT Loop🗺️

    By Dave Watson

    This 2.5-kilometre future gravel road loop is found in South Royalwood, Royalwood’s country cousin. This is a community in transition, a teenager with no clear self-identity as of yet. Executive homes awkwardly mix with abandoned farmhouses. For Sale signs are everywhere, siren calls to beckon passing developers and real estate investors. Turkey vultures and raptors circle overhead in rising summer updrafts. Abandoned to their future fate potholes abound on the soon to be demolished City gravel roads. Midnight dumpers leave morning surprises in ditches. The wind blows through trembling aspen leaves. Kayaks glide beneath you as you stand on a new $1M bridge. In ten years, this area will be entirely changed. Much of what you see today will be gone. Some of the bridges and streets you see on this map have not been built yet. They have already been approved in the City’s Precinct K area structure plan. Exercise care when crossing the unofficially opened Provincial Aimes Road bridge. The new road connecting Aimes Road in St. Vital to Creek Bend Road in St. Norbert/Seine River is slated to be completed by Fall 2021. Map creator Dave Watson is a local resident and one-time environmentalist. Created in 2021.

  • Lyndale River is seen on the right side of the image, with a small path way and grass on the left side. The grass appears to be dry and the small trees are bare.

    Lyndale Drive River Walk🗺️

    This walk follows a curve in the Red River along Lyndale Drive. There are lots of interesting houses to admire, quiet streets and the bustling urban arteries of St. Mary's Road and Marion. A popular route among dogwalkers, runners and families! Created in 2021.

  • A black chain link fence with a wooden painted image of a porcupine on it.

    North Point Douglas Mural Scavenger Hunt 🗺️

    Find the murals designed by Cree/Saulteaux artist, Annie Beach on Graffiti Art Programming's North Point Douglas Mural Scavenger Hunt! Community members are encouraged to get outside and while on a walk, be on the lookout for 10 different animals native to these territories, with the animal names translated into Cree to encourage revitalization of Indigenous languages. Created in 2021.

  • A screenshot from the Pokémon Go App. There is an animated female character in the bottom centre of the image and she is surrounded by various colourful shapes.

    North/East Kildonan 5km Walk - Pokemon GO🗺️

    By Holly P.

    This walk is about 5 km, with 1.3 km along the Northeast Pioneers Greenway, mainly on pavement. Shortcuts through the neighbourhood are available if you need to shorten your walk, just be mindful of the golf course which cuts many streets short. This walk consists of approximately 12 Pokemon GO Gyms and 10 Stops, with an additional 3 Gyms and 12 Stops if you're willing leave the route for a block or two. Most of them are along Kimberly and Gateway/Raleigh. This walk passes 3 excellent parks - Glen McWhinney, Anderson, and McLeod, with the potential to go off the path to also visit Neil Campbell School/Centennial Park, Melrose, and Corinne. Created in 2021.

  • A view of a sidewalk in a lush, green park. In the near distance, there are people stopped on the sidewalk who are looking up at a large black pole that has writing engraved into it. On each side of the sidewalk there are large green trees.

    Northeast Exchange District Public Realm🗺️

    The walk will highlight new and recent things developed in the northeast Exchange including public art, pocket parks, unique spaces and historic interpretation. It will introduce people to an exciting, contextual and active urban public realm that is lively and happening in all seasons. Created in 2021.

  • An image of two young boys riding on bikes with helmets is seen inside of a heart. The heart has a colourful border around it, the colours are red, blue, orange, green, pink, and yellow, and there is a white banner at the bottom that says "Streets for Life #Love10" and a website link.

    Open Streets / Neighbourhood Greenway #love30 loop🗺️

    I'm passionate about making our streets safer for walking and riding a bike. I helped create this family-friendly bike route! SafeSpeedsWPG is a grassroots initiative to engage citizens about the impact of vehicle speed on people and Winnipeg neighbourhoods. We uphold mobility as a human right - in all the ways people move within our city. We value the safety of all Winnipeg’s residents. We are urging the City of Winnipeg to amend the Speed Limit By-law to enforce a default speed of 30 km/hr in all Winnipeg neighbourhoods. Created in 2021.

  • A woman wearing a backpack stands with her back towards the camera and her hands on her hips. In front of her are a mixture of large rocks and grass, a large column, and two buildings with pointed roofs that overhang.

    Plane Jane: A Walk to the Airport 🗺️

    It's a crazy idea, something you're not supposed to do. But walking to YWG, whether for pleasure or to catch a plane, is entirely possible. Gail and David have done it for the adventure of exploring places that are normally off the pedestrian road map as well as several trips with our carry-on backpacks, to fly to Europe. Created in 2021.

  • A sculpture rests on a raised platform along a sidewalk. The sculpture appears to be an abstract take on a buffalo, made out of rusted pieces of metal. In the background, the beginning of a bridge is visible and there are bare trees scattered about.

    Three River Run/Walk 🗺️

    By Andrew McLaren

    As the race director for the Pride Run - I wanted to develop a walking/running course that shows off the trails in the centre of the City. I developed this course that crosses the Assiniboine, Red and Seine rivers. It also takes in The Forks, Taché promenade, Whittier Park and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. I live in the Exchange District and I love that I can run trails along all three rivers in Winnipeg within a 10km loop of my home. Created in 2021.

  • A shot of a street shows a large Victorian style house, the sidewalk in front of it with someone walking along it, the street, and the bare trees in front.

    West Broadway Spooky History Walk🗺️

    By Robert Shaw

    Follow along as West Broadway resident Robert Shaw shares neighbourhood histories and ghost stories... Learn about haunted bathtubs, turrets and musical dolls. Thank you to the West Broadway BIZ, Hildegard’s Bakery, Manitoba Historical Society, West End Dumplings, and the Winnipeg Public Library! Created in 2021.

  • A shot from the back parking lot of a building shows two trucks, one teal and white and one black, parked in front of a mural on the backside of the building. The mural features blue and yellow beams emerging from the sun and a cloud.

    West End Whimsies🗺️

    As someone who lives car-free, walking is one of my main modes of transportation. In my first few years in Winnipeg, I walked everywhere! One of my favourite routes going to work is Sargent Ave. I love Sargent Avenue because of so many interesting things to see. When curiosity got me, I started researching them online and learned about the interesting stories behind these spots. This walk features my favourite murals, buildings, and everything in between. Created in 2021.

  • Bannatyne Campus Walk 🎦

    By University of Manitoba's Office of Sustainability
    Friday, May 1, 2020

    This tour explores the history of the University of Manitoba Bannatyne campus and Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg (HSC) and its relationship to the community through its buildings, campus design and sustainability features. This walk will feature Jacob Penner Park, Central Energy Plant and the Medicine Garden for Indigenous Learning. Created in 2020.

  • Fort Garry Campus Walk 🎦

    By University of Manitoba's Office of Sustainability
    Friday, May 1, 2020

    This walk explores sustainability topics such as Energy, Transportation, Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainability Education, Health & Well-being, and Indigenous connection to this land on the University of Manitoba Fort Garry campus. This walk will feature the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, the campus Re-Shop, UMCycle and Migizii Agamik. Created in 2020.

  • West Broadway self-guided art walk 🗺️

    By Rob Shaw
    Friday, May 8, 2020

    This Jane's Walk comes from West Broadway resident and walk enthusiast Rob Shaw, who loves to share his love for Winnipeg by creating and leading tours of all of the hidden and unique parts of our city. West Broadway is a community rich in diversity, culture, and people. This self-guided, socially-distanced walk will give you a new insight into this vibrant, inner-city neighbourhood while discovering some of its beautiful public art. Created in 2020.

  • Winnipeg's public art and architecture 🎦

    By Sarah Hodges-Kolisnyk
    Tuesday, May 26, 2020

    The final virtual Jane's Walk of 2020 was created by Sarah Hodges-Kolisnyk, a photographer and art educator who is passionate about making art accessible and engaging to everyone. Sarah has taught creative photography techniques for over 10 years, delivers public art tours in Winnipeg, and is continuing to learn about diversifying the viewer experience while pursuing her Master's Degree in Cultural Studies. This tour was designed to introduce key art concepts and give you critical tools to form a personal response to the artworks.