A winter hike on the Seine does wonders for the spirit

Photo by Tim Phelan
Kathleen Leathers, Anne Blair, and Denis DePape enjoy a frosty winter stroll on the Seine River, in South St. Vital.

A winter hike on the Seine does wonders for the spirit
Local groups join up to showcase river-side gem
The Lance
By Tim Phelan
January 17, 2008

If there’s one thing you rarely hear in a city, it’s silence.
Then again, going for a walk on the frozen Seine River, it doesn’t feel like you’re in a city at all.
As the river winds it’s way through Bois des Esprits, a relatively untouched urban forest in South St. Vital, it’s easy to be swept away by its natural beauty.
The area is home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna, and on Jan 26 is the site of the fifth annual Discover the Seine Winter Hiking Event.
“It’s healthy, it’s invigorating, and it puts you in touch with nature,” says Denis DePape, a board member for the Save Our Seine (SOS) community stewardship group. “Few people realize just how much undeveloped river bank there is along the river,” he says.
SOS organizes the hike on a yearly basis in conjunction with Prairie Pathfinders, a group of avid hikers who live for the calmness and serenity only a nature trail can provide.
The walk is designed to encourage Winnipeggers to take advantage of the natural beauty of the area, and to shed light on the importance of protecting it from urban development.
Anne Blair will participate for her fourth year.
“I love just being outside with the other hikers, and seeing new parts of Winnipeg,” says Blair.
“As you get older, it’s important to keep up the fitness. Walking is one of the best ways. And here, you’re not breathing in bad air because you’re out in the open,” she says.
The Seine River zig-zags through the city for a total of 26 kilometres. That’s a lot of land to be discovered. And as DePape points out, the hike is organized so that a new section of winter trail is showcased each year.
“To me, it’s important to see that deer can still live in the city. It makes me feel better about the state of the world,” says Prairie Pathfinders founding member Kathleen Leathers.
“You don’t have to drive hundreds of kilometres to be in nature.”
The group will meet at the Canada Hindu Temple, at 999 St. Anne’s Rd., at 9:30 am. The hike will begin around 10 am, finishing up around noon with a buffet style lunch provided by Charisma Authentic East Indian Cuisine restaurant.
“They’ve been very co-operative at the temple,” says Leathers. “The food is wonderful and they are extremely kind and hospitable people,” she says.
The cost of the hike, complete with lunch is $23. The walk will go on regardless of the temperature, so warm boots and layered clothes are strongly recommended.

Stabilizing banks in St. Vital Park is high priority

Site prep has begun on the riverbank in St. Vital Park. The real work of stabilization starts Jan. 7 and is expected to be completed by mid-March.

Stabilizing banks in St. Vital Park is high priority
By Matthew Wright
The Lance
December 27, 2007

Fifty metres of eroding riverbank is set to be stabilized by the City in St. Vital Park.
Two excavators were busy last week creating a temporary access to the lower portion of the riverbank where crews will begin the main work on Jan. 7.
“At that time we’ll be installing rock-fill columns to remove the weaker clay soil and replace it with rock filling. This acts as a buttress to fortify the bank,” said City riverbank management engineer Don Kingerski.
The second phase involves providing erosion protection by laying limestone along the river’s edge to prevent soil erosion.
After re-grading the slope, extensive vegetation re-planting will take place in the spring.
Sharon Cave is co-ordinator of the group Walk-on Energizers, a group that promotes active living for all people and proudly calls St. Vital Park their ‘base of operations’.
She said the upgrades are necessary as many of the paths the group uses have been moved away from the river due to the danger posed by being too close to the eroding bank.
“Over the past 10 years we’ve noticed the banks’ deterioration and it’s quite frightening, she said.
“This won’t only benefit our group, but the city and especially the community as well.”
In fact, Kingerski said that during the past year, the riverbanks in the parks have lost up to 10 metres of bank in some areas alone.
Projects that involve riverbanks are normally completed in the winter.
“We have about a three-month window to get this type of work done. The water levels are lower at a more natural state and the frozen bank conditions make access and the actual work a lot easier,” Kingerski said.
He also said that after a 2000 report on the state of City-owned riverfront property, the stabilization of the riverbank in St. Vital Park was one of the report’s top priorities.
The $2 million project is expected to be competed by mid-March.
For traffic re-routing and trail information while construction is going on, check the City’s website at winnipeg.ca/publicworks/Parks