Winter Fun
Embrace winter at FortWhyte Alive
By Derek Gagnon
Fort Whyte’s most famous residents. “W
inter is coming.” No, we’re not talking about Game
of Trones; we’re talking about win- ter programming at FortWhyte
Alive. While many people do their own version of hiber- nation during the snowy season, there is still ample op- portunity to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. Many of the activities that make FortWhyte Alive so appealing in the summer months are still available to be enjoyed during the winter.
Get to know FortWhyte Alive FortWhyte Alive is located on a section of land in south-
west Winnipeg that was formally used by Te Canada Cement Company, which later became Lafarge Inc., to mine clay and gravel to make concrete. Eventually, the site ceased to be viable when other sources of clay proved to be better options. By the 1950s the site was abandoned. Te old quarries filled with water which in turn became Fort-
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Whyte’s five lakes, and nature began to reclaim the land. Te Manitoba Wildlife Foundation saw the potential for the location as a great wildlife habitat, and began work on the terrain. Over time, the site has expanded to 640 acres. FortWhyte has also shifted towards more educational pro- gramming, while expanding the realm of habitats within its boundaries. What was once an industrial district now features prairie grass, forest, wetland and lake habitats. Why there isn’t a fort at FortWhyte
Unlike FortWhyte’s neighbours, Fort Gibraltar and the Upper and Lower Fort Garry, FortWhyte was never a fort or trading outpost during the fur trade. Rather, the name came from a standoff between the Canadian Pacific Rail- way and the people of Manitoba. William Whyte served as the vice president of CPR, and
in 1881 he oversaw CPR’s monopoly on rail transport in Western Canada. Te people of Manitoba disagreed and decided to build their own rail tracks. Whyte sent in a
Winter 2016 • 19
All photos courtesy of FortWhyte Alive.
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