Established in 1909, Winnipeg’s 29.6-hectare Kildonan Park features the Peguis Pavilion, Rainbow Stage, Witch’s Hut, an Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool, duck pond, and soccer field as well as picnic tables and barbecue pits. Modeled in the English landscape style, the original design by Park Superintendent George Champion was intended to highlight the area’s natural beauty consisting of woodland and open pasture, and the water features of Lord Selkirk Creek and the Red River. Champion integrated features such as formal gardens, bridges, sports facilities, playing fields, and curvilinear walkways and drives. Today, it is home to some of the oldest and largest trees in the province.
The Peguis Pavilion, originally called the Kildonan Park Pavilion, was designed by the local architectural firm of Blankstein Coop Gillmore and Hanna and built between 1965 and 1966 by Malcom Construction at a cost of about $152,000. It was renamed in honour of Chief Peguis in 1970.
A Bokeh (Japanese word for blurriness) light installation, commissioned by the Winnipeg Arts Council and created by Takashi Iwasaki and Nadi Design, was installed around the duck pond and skating area in 2018.
The Peguis Pavilion was given municipal heritage status in 2024.
Kildonan Park Gardens (June 2019)
Source: Rose Kuzina
Postcard view of Peguis Pavilion (no date)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2022-0039
Peguis Pavilion with Bokeh lights surrounding the duck pond (September 2018)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.94361, W97.10416
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: George Champion (1870-1946)
Manitoba Business: Waisman Ross and Associates / Blankstein Coop Gillmore and Hanna / Number TEN Architectural Group
Manitoba Business: Malcom Construction
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Van Kirk Gardens (363 Broadway, Winnipeg)
“The pavilions of Kildonan,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 April 1970, page 89.
“Bokeh: Public Art,” Winnipeg Arts Council.
“Boy With the Boot statue, libraries get heritage status,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 July 2024.
This page was prepared by Rose Kuzina, George Penner, and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 6 July 2024
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