The Forks (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

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Welcome to The Forks, an urban oasis for residents and tourists alike. Nestled in the heart of downtown, The Forks is one of Winnipeg’s most beloved and pre-eminent meeting spots, at the junction of the Assiniboine River where it meets the mighty Red.

The Forks possesses a rich 6000-year old history. Early Aboriginal peoples traded at The Forks, followed by European fur traders, Métis buffalo hunters, Scottish settlers, riverboat workers, railway pioneers and tens of thousands of immigrants.

Today, framed by the banks of the two rivers, The Forks is Winnipeg’s number one tourist destination with more than four million visitors annually.

Winter, spring, summer or fall, The Forks is must for a stunning array of dining experiences, incomparable shopping, a constantly changing slate of entertainment and events, and many unique attractions that encompass the site’s natural, historic and man-made features.

The Forks, so named because of its position where the Assiniboine River flows into the Red, yields a rich history of early Aboriginal settlement, the fur trade, the advent of the railway, waves of immigration and the Industrial Age.

The following timeline details its successful rebirth as one of Winnipeg’s most important landmarks and illustrates the changes at The Forks over the years.

The Forks 6,000 years ago
Extensive archaeological investigations prove that early Aboriginal groups arrived at The Forks site 6,000 years ago. Between 1989 and 1994, a series of archaeological digs were carried out at The Forks that prove camps of Aboriginal bison hunters flourished here. Unearthed were 6,000 year old catfish bones and stone tool flakes of an old hearth and numerous campsites afterwards, providing a rich record of Aboriginal occupations up to the fur trade when Nakoda (Assiniboins), Cree and Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) and Dakota visited the site.

The Forks during the fur trade 1738-1880
The first Europeans came via canoe in 1738, when La Vérendrye erected Fort Rouge, the first of many forts and trading posts erected in the area. Known as the Red River Colony, the forts were within striking distance of The Forks because of its significance as an Aboriginal meeting place. The prime locale also provided rich food resources along an important transportation route including fish, waterfowl, game and, most importantly, bison. The Forks was the hub for the fur trade up until the 1880s, when grain production became Western Canada’s principal industry.

The Forks and the Railway 1886-1923
Beginning in 1886, The Forks emerged as one of the key sites of early railroad development on the Prairies. The rail yards of the Northern Pacific and Manitoba Railway Company, the Canadian Northern, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad and the Canadian National Railway dominated the site. Many of the buildings now seen at The Forks date from this time. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway stable and the Great Northern Railway stable were joined together to fashion The Forks Market and the National Cartage Building is now home to the Johnston Terminal. Northern Pacific and Manitoba Railway Company’s Bridges and Structures Building now houses The Manitoba Children’s Museum, while Union Station (built by Warren and Wetmore, the same architects who designed New York City’s Grand Central Station) is still in operation.

The Forks and Immigration 1870-1920
In the late 1800s, the Canadian government began actively promoting immigration, settlement and railway development in the Canadian West. Winnipeg became known as the “Gateway to the Canadian West” because the Canadian government erected two immigration sheds, which could accommodate 500 people each, at The Forks. Legions of immigrants to the Canadian West came through the site and ultimately changed the landscape of the city and the country.

The Forks Today
Today, The Forks is a vibrant downtown Winnipeg setting where people gather for celebrations, recreation and, much like the early Aboriginals, to meet one another. It encompasses an interpretive park and offers a host of year round outdoor and indoor attractions. With over four million visitors each year, The Forks is the city’s number one tourist attraction.