Downtown Winnipeg is an area of Winnipeg located near the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. It is the oldest urban area in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is home to the city’s commercial core, city hall, Manitoba’s provincial government seat, and several major attractions and institutions.
The City of Winnipeg’s official downtown boundaries are: the Canadian Pacific Railway mainline on the north, Gomez Street and the Red River on the east, and the Assiniboine River on the south; the western boundaries of downtown are irregular, following along several different streets, back lanes, and across properties. Generally, the western boundaries are rarely further west of Balmoral and Isabel Streets. In 2016, Canadian Geographic produced a map generalizing Winnipeg’s downtown boundaries.
Neighborhoods in the downtown area include the Exchange District, Central Park, The Forks, and Chinatown. The downtown area is roughly 3 square kilometers (740 acres). Winnipeg Square, Canada Life Centre, Portage Place, and the flagship store of The Bay (closed 30 November 2020) are all located on the downtown section of Portage Avenue. On Main Street are Winnipeg’s City Hall, Union Station, and the Manitoba Centennial Centre, which includes the Manitoba Museum, the Planetarium, the Centennial Concert Hall, and the Winnipeg Railway Museum. Although over 60,000 people work downtown, only 13,470 people live downtown.
There are several residential projects under construction on Waterfront Drive and in the Exchange District, and the area’s residential population is projected to increase substantially in the next few years. Bed Bug Exterminator Winnipeg
Waterfront District
The Waterfront District is a newly emerging mixed-use development located in the northeast corner of downtown Winnipeg. The district runs along the west bank of the Red River along Waterfront Drive and features Stephen Juba Park.
Central Park
Central Park is one of Winnipeg’s most densely-populated neighborhoods, with 13,755 people per square km, according to the 2001 Census. Seventy percent of all refugees coming to Winnipeg, MB live downtown, in, and around Central Park. Central Park includes many different ethnicities, including Arabs, Vietnamese, Chinese, Ojibway, Filipinos, and African (more than half being African).
Exchange District
The Exchange District is a National Historic Site of Canada. Just one block north is one of Canada’s most famous intersections. The Exchange District comprises 20 city blocks and approximately 150 heritage buildings in Portage and Main. It is known for its intact turn-of-the-century collection of warehouses, financial institutions, and early terracotta-clad skyscrapers.
Broadway-Assiniboine
Broadway-Assiniboine lies in the southern part of downtown on the north bank of the Assiniboine River. The neighborhood is one of the more densely populated in Winnipeg, with 15,452.2 people per square kilometer. It features many notable landmarks, such as the historic Upper Fort Garry, Hotel Fort Garry, and the Manitoba Legislative Building. In addition, broadway-Assiniboine features the “Assiniboine Riverwalk” and is home to many notable restaurants.
Check out other neighborhoods like Grant Park