the people
The Neeginan Centre, housed in the former Canadian Pacific Railway Station at Higgins and Main in Winnipeg, is an Indigenous-led non-profit that serves as a vital hub for education, training, economic development, and social services. Within this heritage-designated building, a wide-range of programs and organizations operate, including a daycare, training services, and medical clinic, amongst other social services.
Decades of use had left the building’s infrastructure and engineering systems at the end of their service life, necessitating major upgrades. Some of the challenges included a lack of accessibility for all patrons (especially those with disabilities), and significant energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions resulting in high operating costs and misalignment with Neeginan’s sustainability goals.. The improvements needed to be achieved while maintaining building operations throughout construction and in adherence with municipal, provincial, and federal heritage designations.
Led by f-BLOK architecture inc. as prime consultant, this complex renewal brought together a team of experts in:
– Inclusive design and accessibility (Incluzia Inc.)
– Heritage conservation (JRWagner Architect Inc.)
– Mechanical, electrical, and energy engineering (SMS Engineering)
– Structural engineering (LDA Engineering)
– Construction management (Bockstael Construction)
Together, the team is delivering a comprehensive retrofit that integrates inclusive and trauma-informed design, deep energy and systems upgrades, Indigenous inclusion and economic reconciliation, and regulatory compliance in heritage conservation, managed through a carefully phased construction approach.
