Design of new Alexander Docks set to begin this year

Work on redeveloping Winnipeg's historic Alexander Docks could begin this year, after The Forks Renewal Corporation issued a contract to come up with designs.

The plan includes creating a public space for all-season use with access to the waterfront, that maintains an active transportation connection, and establishes a space for ceremonies to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, according to a request for proposals posted last week.

Built in 1929, the dock was an important shipping and transportation hub for the city, with its location on the bank of the Red River close to the Exchange District.

In 2014, the body of teenager Tina Fontaine was found in the river near the docks, which served as a catalyst for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. 

"Over the ensuing years, the dock underwent frequent repairs until an ice storm irreparably damaged the dock's structural integrity," the request for proposals states in part.

The site has been fenced off since 2015 to prevent public access.

In September 2023, city council approved a motion to lease the site to The Forks for $1 a year for 99 years, as part of the city's downtown recovery strategy.

The city hired an engineering consultant to examine the docks and determine whether any of the original structure could be salvaged. 

The report by AECOM found that overall the structural components were in fair to very poor condition, except for new timber piles and steel beams that were installed in 2004. It presented three options for the demolition and construction of a new dock.

Little left to salvage

One option would involve total demolition and replacement, possibly with a new dock made of steel and concrete. This option would have the longest lifespan and lowest maintenance costs, but "would not reflect the historic look of the dock from the previous 95 years," the report states.

Under that scenario, demolition is estimated to cost $700,000, but that does not include the cost of a new structure.

The other two options involve retaining the newer portions of the dock and removing the rest, and replacing the dock with either a combination of fixed and floating docks, or a two-level fixed dock.

The top area of the dock would be reduced by approximately 65 per cent in those scenarios, but would still have capacity to hold a large number of visitors "and still provide the feel of the original and current Alexander Dock," the report states.

Cost for demolition and construction under those options range form $1.9 million to $2.1 million.

Spokesperson Zach Peters said The Forks has been meeting with elected officials and advocates for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

The city also plans to hold discussions with businesses and people who live nearby later this spring, to get a sense of what the site needs.

"The Alexander Docks has been a derelict site for 10 plus years. It's fenced off, it's a mess," Peters said in an interview.

"The status quo is not working … and so this is why we've sort of joined into this conversation, to be a part of this with the city to help renew this area."

Given The Forks' experience in helping to maintain the waterfront area, and the site's important place in the city's history, taking on the project made sense, Peters said.

"It's imperative that this work be done right, to be done in consultation with the city's Indigenous relations division … and that the site acknowledge that history."

The final design is expected to be completed by the end of April. There is no timeline yet for when the reconstruction of the docks will be finished.