Jane’s Walk Winnipeg

We believe that sharing a walk (or ride or roll) is a powerful tool for community change, and we hope that you'll take part...

Jane's Walk is an annual festival of free, citizen-led walking conversations inspired by Jane Jacobs. On the first weekend of May every year, Jane's Walk festivals take place in hundreds of cities around the world. Jane's Walks encourage people to share stories about their neighbourhoods and discover unseen aspects of their communities. Celebrating Jane's ideas and principles, we encourage walking together to create connections between creativity and community, to engage experiences as both observers and participants, and for shared reflection, questioning, and re-imagining.

Jane's Walk 2022 will be held from May 6th - 8th, 2022. This year's festival will be a hybrid event, featuring both live and virtual walks. Join a walk in person or choose a map and head out on your own. All Jane's Walk virtual walk maps are accessible throughout Jane's Walk weekend and beyond. Come back and try a new route anytime!

Get outside and engage with us on Instagram! @JanesWalkWinnipeg #JanesWalkWinnipeg

2022 CALL FOR WALKS - Live or Virtual

Do you know the hidden shortcuts in your neighbourhood? An unknown history that makes your area unique? A favourite stroll that has helped you through the pandemic? Do you know the perfect spot to catch a sunset, or the street with the best trees?

Wherever your walks lead, we hope you'll consider sharing them. There's no need for formal training, an elaborate script, or detailed historical knowledge - just your personal experience, ideas and perspective, and an interest in sharing them!

Host a Live Walk
Fill out our I want to lead a LIVE Jane's Walk Form, which allows you to clearly explain your walk. We will use this information to promote your walk on our website and through social media @JanesWalkWinnipeg #JanesWalkWinnipeg.

Share a Virtual Walk
To create a virtual Jane's Walk, fill out our I want to share a VIRTUAL Jane's Walk form. We will use this information to build a virtual tour through Google Maps anyone can use to follow along. You may also build your own Google Map and send us the link.

Would you like some tips for how to lead a Jane's Walk? Check out the walks on this page and visit JanesWalk.org

Read stories from a few past Winnipeg walks.

Thank you to all of the creative and generous community members for sharing these wonderful routes and ideas with us!

Art at the Heart of Higgins & Main: Celebrating Artwork by Indigenous Women by Graffiti Art Programming Inc (@graffitiartprog)
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.

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.

Assiniboine River Mudlark Walk by Sally Ito (@sallyito)
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.

Euclid Avenue Tour by Stephanie Chalmers
Just a quick little walk down Euclid Avenue to a few of our favourite places.

Explore Winnipeg Bakeries by Bike by Jennifer Cox (@jenandvita)
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.

Family tour of Osborne Village! by Kaj Hasselriis (@kajhasselriis)
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!

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.

A Hidden Gem - Riverview (Osborne South) by Connie Chappel (@bodyhasfled)
Since 1990 I have lived in Riverview, in the South Osborne Area. I can’t imagine living elsewhere within the City of Winnipeg. Riverview is a cozy neighbourhood bordered by the horseshoe shape of Churchill Drive that echos the watery curve of the Red River. This friendly and safe neighbourhood is magical for exploring river paths, tree-lined streets and quiet parks. It is a relaxing place to walk, to listen for birds and to watch the mischievous squirrels and rabbits scurrying around. Along the river bank you might see a busy beaver or at least its deft tree work. Unfortunately it’s not just the beavers felling trees. You will see many stumps from trees felled because of elm bark beetles or some other infestation. Nevertheless, you will discover stately trees as well as character homes and little free libraries. Many of the homes were built before 1945 with some as early as 1908. New infill homes and renovated homes built with contemporary materials such as steel, metal and glass provide an interesting contrast to the older homes built with brick, stucco and wood. The walk takes you along Churchill Drive all the way to the Bridge Drive-In (BDI) on Jubilee Avenue. There are opportunities for resting on benches and for children to play in playgrounds. And of course there are roads that will lead you back to Osborne Street before reaching the end of the route. This walk is 4.1 kilometres and allows for ‘short cuts’ if you do not want to walk the entire route. For the most part, Churchill Drive does not have sidewalks so please walk facing traffic. There is a small stretch of paved sidewalk along Churchill Drive that extends between Balfour Avenue and Casey Street. The river is not visible from the sidewalk. The best experience is walking on the grass along the road edge or closer to the river on the gravel path or dirt trails nearest the river bank. There are no bathroom facilities along this route. Please bring a beverage and snack or stop at one of the many restaurants in the area along Osborne Street. Churchill Drive is accessed from Osborne Street at Brandon Avenue. Walk east on Brandon Avenue to Hay Street. This is where Churchill Drive begins.

Lyndale Drive River Walk by Amber O'Reilly (@amber.am.oreilly)
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!

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.

North Point Douglas Mural Scavenger Hunt by Graffiti Art Programming (@graffitartprog)
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.

Open Streets / Neighbourhood Greenway #love30 loop by Ian Walker (@ianwalkerwpg)
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.

Northeast Exchange District Public Realm by James Hudson (@htfcwpg)
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.

Plane Jane: A Walk to the Airport by Gail Perry and David Firman (@dfirman)
It's a crazy idea, something you're not supposed to do. But walking to YWG, whether for pleasure or to catch a flight, is entirely possible. Your hosts, Gail Perry and David Firman, have done it for the adventure of exploring places off most pedestrian road maps and, on many occasions, to fly to far off places. Want to try it? Then join us on our virtual tour, a 3 hour, 11.5 km round trip, starting in the Wolseley neighbourhood and winding through residential, commercial and industrial areas on our way to Winnipeg's new airport. And then return by way of Omand's Creek as it takes us by strip malls, big box stores—all those place you usually drive to—as well as surprising stretches of restored prairie. Along the way, we'll explore architectural gems, such as St. James Church, find hidden vest-pocket parks, investigate austere industrial parks, reflect on airports lost and new. But, most importantly, we will take ownership of places in our city where no pedestrian was meant to tread. And, who knows, maybe your next trip to Hawaii will start with a walk to the airport.

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.

An Urban Ecology Guide to Wolseley by Tazi Rodrigues (@wolseleyfieldnotes)
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.

Walk Wolseley by Choi Ho (@WalkWinnipeg)
Walk Wolseley is a free, self-guided, and mostly-accessible tour in Winnipeg’s Wolseley neighbourhood. The walk will highlight the street's happenings, history and hidden gems. Weaving along Wolseley Avenue, participants will gain insight into one street's changes, constants, and charms. I invite you to join me for a (virtual) walk along Wolseley!

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!

West End Whimsies by April Carandang (@peggrammer)
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.

Thanks to the community members who shared these walks! The routes and opinions shared are solely those of the walk creators.

Winnipeg organizations have developed a wide variety of resources to help guide you around our city:

• Bike Winnipeg's Self-Guided Bike Tours
• Central Winnipeg Bike Loop
• The Exchange District BIZ audio tours
• The Forks, a self-guided audio tour
• Heritage Winnipeg 1919 Strike Tours
• The Loop Downtown Walking Trail
• Manitoba Historical Society Walking Tours
• Manitoba legislative building, grounds, memorial park and memorial boulevard
• Seven Oaks and Ross House
• St. Boniface Historical Tour
• Upper Fort Garry
• Walking Winnipeg’s Past – 6,000 Years in Eight Sites
• West Broadway BIZ Walking Map
• West End BIZ online mural tour
• Where Magazine Louis Riel Walking Tour
• Winnipeg Architecture Foundation Mobile-Friendly Tours and Archi10 App
• Winnipeg Architecture Foundation Kids Maps
• Winnipeg Trails Association
• Winnipeg Public Art Works mobile app

• THIS PLACE Public Art Tour
  

• Millennium Library Public Art Tour
  

• BLUE Line Public Art Tour
  

Check out the guided walking tours below from 2020. Follow along from the comfort of your own home or by heading out onto the same route on your own time.

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.

Take the tour!


May 8, 2020
Our next 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.

Follow the map and read along!

May 1, 2020
Check out these two Jane's Walks from the University of Manitoba's Office of Sustainability:

Bannatyne Campus Walk
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.

Fort Garry Campus Walk
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.