Historic Sites of Manitoba: The Passage (Southboine Drive, Winnipeg)

In September 1992, a Manitoba Heritage Council commemorative plaque was installed in a small Charleswood park at this site to commemorate it as the location of a ford used by bison herds, First Nations bands, and fur traders because of its shallow water and relatively short distance across the Assiniboine River. A ferry operated here from 1870 to 1908. A trail leading to the crossing was visible until around 1967 when it was covered by a housing development.

Access to this public park site is inconspicuous. From the intersection of Berkeley Street and Southboine Drive, proceed a few metres north on a gravel right-of-way that looks like (but is not) private property. A walking path meets this right-of-way, leading east to the river. The refurbished original plaque, with two additional interpretive plaques, was unveiled in June 2014 by the Charleswood Historical Society.

Approach to The Passage site

Approach to The Passage site (June 2014)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough

The Passage plaques

The Passage plaques (June 2014)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.86451, W97.30222
denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Location for “The Passage” by J. S. McMahon
Manitoba Pageant, Volume 14, Number 1, Autumn 1968

Sources:

“Assiniboine ford marked as historical site,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 September 1992, page B2.

Information for this page was provided by The City of Winnipeg’s Planning, Property and Development Department, which acknowledges the contribution of the Government of Manitoba through its Heritage Grants Program.

We thank Len Van Roon for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 21 February 2021

Historic Sites of Manitoba

This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only.

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