New Garden and Gathering Spaces at Nelson McIntyre Collegiate

WINNIPEG, MB, Dec. 17, 2025 /CNW/ - Students and community members will soon benefit from new outdoor spaces at Nelson McIntyre Collegiate – Louis Riel School Division, thanks to an investment of $50,000 from the federal government.

This was announced by Parliamentary Secretary Ginette Lavack and Kimberley Adair-Gagnon, Principal at Nelson McIntyre Collegiate.

The project creates a garden to support land-based learning, with trees and bushes that provide shade and privacy, and an orchard for the community's use. It also includes a pathway, a gathering space with naturalized seating, and a dedicated area for Indigenous teachings and ceremonies.

These new outdoor features will provide students and community members with welcoming spaces to gather, learn, and connect with nature.

Quotes

"Investing in projects like this helps create safe, welcoming, and educational outdoor spaces for students and the community. We are proud to support Nelson McIntyre Collegiate as it brings land-based learning, community gathering areas, and green spaces to life."

Ginette Lavack, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services and Member of Parliament for St. Boniface--St. Vital, on behalf of the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada

"Through deep consultation with community members, divisional partners, health and design experts, and Indigenous Elders, students have co-created an inclusive, accessible, and sustainable space grounded in reconciliation, well-being, climate action, food security, and belonging. Intentionally designed to enhance land-based learning and bring Indigenous lenses forward across content areas, this space allows students to learn with the land through gardens, ceremony, science, movement, and storytelling. Situated in the heart of Winnipeg, nestled along the Red River and near The Forks, a place traversed since time immemorial by Indigenous peoples, this project honours our history, our geography, and the diverse communities who continue to gather, learn, and belong here. We warmly invite students and educators across the Louis Riel School Division to access, learn from, and benefit from this shared space as a place of connection, learning, and collective well-being."

Kimberley Adair-Gagnon, Principal, Nelson McIntyre Collegiate

Quick facts

• The federal government is investing $50,000 in this project through the Natural Infrastructure Fund (NIF), while the Nelson McIntyre Collegiate – Louis Riel School Division is contributing $12,500.
• The Natural Infrastructure Fund supports projects that use natural or hybrid approaches to increase resilience to climate change, mitigate carbon emissions, protect and preserve biodiversity and wildlife habitats, and promote Canadians' access to nature.
• Examples of natural infrastructure include urban forests, street trees, wetlands, living dikes, bioswales, and naturalized coastal restoration.
• Hybrid infrastructure incorporates elements of engineered grey infrastructure to enhance or support natural infrastructure and/or the use of ecosystem processes. Examples of hybrid infrastructure include green roofs and walls, and naturalized stormwater ponds.
• A minimum of 10% of the overall program envelope will be allocated to Indigenous-led projects.
• As the world moves towards a net-zero economy, people living and working on the Prairies are taking action and are leading to take advantage of growing economic development opportunities.
• On December 18, 2023, the federal government launched the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy, which highlights the need for a collaborative, region-specific approach to sustainability, focusing on strengthening the coordination of federal programs, and initiatives with significant investments. This Framework is a first step in a journey that will bring together multiple stakeholders. PrairiesCan, the federal department that diversifies the economy across the Canadian prairies, has dedicated $100 million over three years to support projects aligned with priority areas identified by Prairie stakeholders to build a stronger, more sustainable, and inclusive economy for the Prairie provinces and Canada.
• Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada is supporting the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy to encourage greater collaboration on investment opportunities, leverage additional funding, and attract new investments across the Prairies that better meet their needs.

Associated Links

Natural Infrastructure Fund
https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/nif-fin/index-eng.html 

Strengthened Climate Plan
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/climate-plan/climate-plan-overview.html 

Housing and Infrastructure Project Map
https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html 

The Prairie Partnership Initiative (PPI) - Canada.ca
https://www.canada.ca/en/prairies-economic-development/programs/prairie-partnership-initiative.html

Building a Green Prairie Economy
https://www.canada.ca/en/prairies-economic-development/programs/green-prairie-economy.html 

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SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Renée LeBlanc Proctor, Senior Communications Advisor and Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, [email protected]; Media Relations: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; Emmalee Blackadar, Communications Manager, Louis Riel School Division, Phone: [phone] x88415, [email protected]