Winnipeg is the Capital of Manitoba and is located at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, with a population (2001 census) of 709,400. Established as the city of Winnipeg in 1870, the area expanded with the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1881.

The region was originally inhabited by First Nations Assiniboine and Cree tribes. In 1738 the French-Canadian explorer Pierre Gaultier de la Vérendrye founded Fort Rouge where Winnipeg now stands. A community of Scottish and Irish settlers, led by Lord Selkirk, arrived in the area from the old country in 1812, forming the Red River Colony, and in 1822 the Hudson's Bay Company established a fur-trading post with the construction of Upper Fort Garry near the site of Portage Avenue and Main Streets. Winnipeg became the main community of the Red River Settlement and in July 1870, was declared the capital of the newly created province of Manitoba.

The city developed rapidly as a prosperous rail hub at the entrance to the prairie lands of the west and immigration from Europe more than trebled the population in the first decade of the 20th century. In 1972 it annexed several adjacent communities, including Saint-Boniface, to become the largest city west of Toronto, and the fourth-largest city in Canada.

A picturesque city with many parks, spacious boulevards and streets, and very friendly people, Winnipeg boasts the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Winnipeg Symphony and many other cultural pursuits. It is also the home of the University of Manitoba.

The Seine River

Imagine a peaceful riverside place only minutes away from a busy metropolitan center, where one is reminded of the history of the First Nations people, the voyageurs, the Métis and the French Canadians, including the legendary Jean-Baptiste Lagimodière and his wife Marie-Anne Gaboury…a place linked to Lord Selkirk and the beginnings of the Red River Settlement in 1812……a place that serves as a testament to the difficult transition from the era of the fur-trade to colonization and agriculture as a way of life……a place where Louis Riel Senior managed a gristmill and where his famous rebel son, Louis Junior was born.

To hear the echoes of this place is to hear the Province of Manitoba being born. Imagine this place whose history has not only helped to define Saint-Boniface, Winnipeg and Manitoba, but also the western prairies.

The part of the river and shrubbery visible behind Ann is believed to be the site of Louis Riel Senior's gristmill. To the left are the actual millstones from Louis Riel Senior’s gristmill located in the front grounds of the Saint-Boniface Museum.

The new pedestrian bridge linking The Forks and downtown Winnipeg to Saint-Boniface opened in late 2003 and a committee of city hall aldermen recommended the walkway be named after Métis leader, Louis Riel (1844-1885).

An "esplanade" is a long stretch for walking or driving along a waterfront. Esplanade Riel will feature a restaurant on the center plaza and final landscaping will be finished at a future date.

Located near the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, the structure provides a crossing over the Red River. The architectural firm of Gaboury Préfontaine Perry provided the design from the project's conception to completion. The bridge is a 5-metre wide and 250-metre long "people path."

Cable-stayed from a single, transversely inclined pylon rising fifty-seven metres above the Red River, the bridge design reflects the lightweight nature of its pedestrian traffic, while the spire signifies a place of meeting in the middle of the river. The cables connecting from the spire base to the spire are reminiscent of the ribs of an outdoor cathedral. The spire base will feature a large, multipurpose gathering plaza and commercial kiosks.

Esplanade Riel is expected to strengthen the connection between The Forks and the Saint-Boniface French Quarter, becoming a symbolic gateway between two of Winnipeg's most historic communities and promoting commerce and tourism.