Nestaweya River Trail at the Forks opens

It is time to dust off your skates and hit the ice as the first leg of the river trail at The Forks opened Tuesday.

The annual winter route has been renamed the Nestaweya River Trail, which is the original Cree name used for The Forks site.

“Nestaweya literally means ‘three points,’ used here to mean that people came together to this site from three directions on the rivers,” said Dr. Niigaan Sinclair, the Indigenous curator at The Forks, in a statement. “Cree came from the north on the Red River; Ojibway from the south on the Red River; and, Lakota/Dakota/Nakota or Assiniboine came from the west on the Assiniboine River. Three points is a name that tells how communities forged a life here for millennia.”

“It’s such a wonderful way to recognize the connection of our rivers to this place,” said Clare MacKay, VP of strategic initiatives for The Forks. “I think it’s a wonderful name. I think it’s really appropriate for us at The Forks with the 6,000 years of history of being a meeting place.”

Additional legs of the trail will open as nature allows with a total distance on the Red and Assiniboine Rivers ranging from seven to 10 kilometres on an average year.

“We start with the port and then move down the Assiniboine and down the Red,” said MacKay.

MacKay said work on extending the trail along the rivers will continue in the coming days.

The Forks noted its team only tests the ice on the river trail.

The Winnipeg Foundation sponsored this year’s trail once again, with the organization committing to an additional five years.

“The Foundation can ensure continued access to this important community amenity and uphold our mission of strengthening community wellbeing. The newly named Nestaweya River Trail honours the Indigenous communities who have come together where rivers meet for thousands of years,” said Sky Bridges, CEO of The Winnipeg Foundation, in a statement.

The trail is not limited to skaters, as you can also walk, bike and ski along the river.

More information on the Nestaweya River Trail can be found online.