This redevelopment is being undertaken through a partnership with the Treaty One Nations
This landmark project, known previously as the former Kapyong Barracks, aspires to be the pride of Winnipeg and the rest of Canada, showcasing the best in Indigenous business, design, arts and culture for generations to come.
In 2021, the Treaty One Nations (T1N) named the property Naawi-Oodena, which means “centre of the heart and community” in the Anishinaabe language.
The site is in southwest Winnipeg and sits approximately seven kilometres from the city’s downtown core. Known in the 1940s as the Fort Osborne Barracks South, in 1968, it merged with the Royal Canadian Air Force Station Winnipeg to form the Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg.
Redevelopment of Naawi-Oodena took a significant step forward in 2019 when the federal government and the T1N signed a Comprehensive Settlement Agreement (CSA). The agreement outlines the land division, allocating 32 per cent to Canada Lands and the remaining 68 per cent to the establishment of an Urban Reserve held in common by the seven T1N. To learn more about the T1FN and their plans for the site, visit their website.
In March 2021, after nearly two years of joint planning and public engagement, the T1N and Canada Lands Company released their master plan for the 65-hectare (160-acre) site. The plan details all aspects of the development ranging from green space and recreation facilities to a variety of housing, retail and commercial options. At full completion, the redevelopment of Naawi-Oodena could accommodate between 2,300 and 3,000 homes, and 915,000 to 1.2 million square feet of commercial space.
This landmark development will represent the largest multi-use project in modern Winnipeg history and the single largest, strategically located urban Indigenous economic zone in Canada.
Project Update #1 – February 2023
Welcome to the first of a series of ongoing updates on the Canada Lands portion of Naawi-Oodena. Winter 2022/23 has been a busy one at Naawi-Oodena, with several significant milestones.
On December 19, 2022 it was announced that the 102 acres of the Naawi-Oodena site belonging to our Treaty One partners was officially converted to reserve and repatriated to the Joint Reserve land base of the seven Treaty One First Nations. The lands are now the largest First Nation-led Urban Economic Zone in Manitoba and the only Urban Reserve to be held collectively by the Treaty One Nations. We congratulate our Treaty One partners on this significant and historic event. Additional information can be found at the Treaty One website.
Canada Lands and our Treaty One partners have commenced development of community design guidelines for Naawi-Oodena. Based on Indigenous Design Principles, the design guidelines will guide the ‘look and feel’ of the development in terms of urban design and placemaking at the building, site, public realm, and open space levels.
Concurrent with the start of the community design guidelines, Canada Lands Company has developed a draft Secondary Plan for its portion of the Naawi-Oodena site. The Secondary Plan, which applies only to the CLC lands, aims to realize the vision for Naawi-Oodena Master Plan by establishing a comprehensive land use and development framework to guide its implementation. Naawi-Oodena is designated as a Major Redevelopment Site under the City of Winnipeg’s Our Winnipeg and the Complete Communities Direction Strategy, and adoption of a Secondary Plan is required before any rezoning or development activities can occur.
Public engagement for the draft Secondary Plan is anticipated Spring/Summer 2023. Stay tuned for more updates on public engagement opportunities, the draft Secondary Plan, and the overall Naawi-Oodena project.
