1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Winnipeg
Region
Northern America
Native title of the NBS intervention
Henteleff Park
Short description of the intervention
Henteleff Park is a 'passive park' located along the banks of the Red River and Normand Creek in Winnipeg where the rural character of a landscape that nurtured early Métis culture, Winnipeg’s budding market garden industry and the Henteleff family has been reserved (2). In the 1980s and '90s after being the city's tree nursery it was up for real estate development when "a group of volunteers from the nearby residential area, led by the Henteleff family, presented a convincing plan that showed the value and potential of the site as a public park. As a result of successful lobby efforts, the land was rezoned as a park in 2002 and named Henteleff Park after the original owners of the farm" (1 p21).
With its grasslands, riparian forests, Red River banks and the Normand Creek, the Park is home to a diverse plant and wildlife, providing refuge for songbirds, a spawning area for fishes and a serene sanctuary for community residents to enjoy a quiet respite from the bustle of the city life all around (2).
Address

1964 St Mary's Rd
Winnipeg
Canada

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
Total area
160000.00m²
NBS area
160000.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Residential
Natural Heritage Area/Untouched nature
Cultural Heritage Area
Public Greenspace Area
Website of the intervention
https://henteleffpark.org/
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
1996
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2002
End date of the intervention
unknown
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
- Opposing real estate development on the once tree nursery and market garden area (1)
- Transformation of the area into a public park (1, 2)
- Restoration, protection and enhancement of the ecosystems in the park including a riparian forest, grass meadows, the Red Riverside and the Normand Creek (2)
- Creation of a recreational area (2)
- Establishment of a "Stewardship Program for the park, which includes vegetation management, wildlife observations, community gardens, programming and special events, management in conjunction with the Friends of Henteleff Park, and other opportunities for regular community involvement in the park" (2)
Quantitative targets
Unknown
Monitoring indicators defined
Unknown
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity restoration
Habitat and biodiversity conservation
Green space creation and/or management
Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
Effective management
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Preservation of natural heritage
Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Ecosystem-focused
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Protect and enhance urban habitats
Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
Promote environmentally-sound development in and around protected areas
Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Ecosystem-focused
What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?
Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
Public engagement
Implementation activities
- Plantation of over 5,000 native trees and shrubs
- Fundraising for site development measures
- Improvement and construction of the park entrance gate
- Installation of 1,600 linear wood chip trail with amenities
- Restoration of the Normand Creek, including the reparation of adjacent banks, the improvement of fish habitat and breeding location
- Research on the history of the cite and its relevance in the past
- Establishment of the 'Friends of Henteleff Park' a city-wide network of volunteers working for the improvement of the park (2)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Protection of natural ecosystems
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Parks and urban forests
Large urban parks or forests
Blue infrastructure
Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
Vegetation Type
Grass
Shrubs
Trees
Please specify how many trees were planted
5,000 trees and shrubs
Amenities offered by the NBS
Benches and drinking water stations
Educational or biodiversity trails
Complementing infrastructure (bathrooms, café)
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Carbon storage/sequestration
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Maintenance of genetic diversity
Cultural services
Recreation
Mental and physical health and wellbeing
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Citizens or community groups
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Non-government actors
Other
Please specify other non-government actors involved
Foundation
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
"From its initiation to its current state, the Henteleff Park was community-driven, initially by the Friends of the Henteleff Park, then the Henteleff Park Foundation, both of which has a strong involvement of the Henteleff family, as well as local neighbourhood residents" (1 p28). The park was established with the modification of its land status from a real estate development site into a passive park. This rezoning was the result of the lobby efforts of the Henteleff Park Foundation (HPF), a charitable organisation opposing the housing development and presenting the value and potential of the site as a public park (2). Since its rezoning in 2002, the HPF has been responsible for site development and most of its maintenance (ca. 90%) (1). The Foundation created the "Henteleff Park Framework Plan, and signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the City of Winnipeg to maintain the Park as a joint effort. The Board of the foundation makes strategic and operational decisions, while the city supports these with expert knowledge and material contributions (e.g. water truck and trees from the municipal nursery planting events)" (1 p25).
Key actors - initiating organization
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Crowd-sourcing/Crowd-funding/Participatory budget
Co-management/Joint management
Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
No
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Please specify other type of voluntary intervention
Citizen group motivation for environmental stewardship and cultural heritage protection
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The Naturalist Services Branch within the Parks and Open Spaces Division of the Public Works Department at the City of Winnipeg are supportive to any community-initiated re-naturalization projects in the city. While their resources is also limited, the branch provides assistance in administrative processes, grant application, gives tools and plant material from the City's nursery and offer training as well (1).

"Urban Green Team is a provincial program that community groups can apply for to request university and high school students from the July to August period for green space and public space projects" (1 p24). Students' salary is covered from the provincial budget (1,2).
The Friends of the Henteleff Park city-wide network of volunteers working to build and improve the park (2).
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
Yes
Co-financing governance arrangements
Yes
Co-governance arrangement
A foundation
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Set up specifically for this NBS
Financing
Total cost
€500,000 - €2,000,000
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
HPF spent "100,000 EUR to plant trees and install paths, 35,000 EUR to enhance Normand Creek, 20,000 EUR to improve the park entrance, 20,000 EUR for tall grass prairie patches, and 330.000 EUR on the Interpretive Centre and trails" (1 p25). HPF receives donations from the private and public sector as well but according to an estimation, approximately three quarters of its operational costs come from private funds (1).
Source(s) of funding
Public national budget
Public regional budget
Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
Crowdfunding
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Donations
Non-financial contribution
Yes
Type of non-financial contribution
Provision of labour
Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Business models
Local stewardship model
Green heritage model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)
Type of innovation
Unknown
Novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Water management and blue areas
Improved water quality
Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
Green space and habitat
Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
Increased number of protection areas
Increased green space area
Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Reduced biodiversity loss
Increased spread of native/heirloom/open-pollinated seed
Description of environmental benefits
- Henteleff Park is designated as a 'passive park' where visitors to enjoy quiet reflection and low impact recreation in a natural setting excluding activities that might disturb the natural ecosystem and its inhabitants (1,2)
- The restoration of the prairie grasslands, the Normand creek, and riparian forests provides a habitat for diverse plant and wildlife. (2)
- The park is a "refuge for more than 150 different species of songbirds that nest and use the park during their migration. It is an important backwater and spawning area for at least 10 fish species that swim up Normand Creek from the Red River.
- With the plantation of more than 5,000 native trees and shrubs, the intervention contributed to the increased spread of native flora. Native trees include Green Ash, Trembling Aspen, Basswood, White Birch, Plains Cottonwood, American Elm, Hackberry, Manitoba Maple, Bur Oak, Balsam Poplar, Nannyberry. (2)
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved access to urban green space
Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
Health and wellbeing
Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Promotion of cultural diversity
Protection of natural heritage
Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
Education
Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Description of social and cultural benefits
- With the construction of the entry gate, road and parking lot, the Henteleff Park become more accessible for citizens (2)
- The installed 1,600 linear metres long wood chip trails with benches and waste collecting system offers a peaceful recreational opportunity with the protection of the Park's ecosystem (1,2)
- The established interpretive centre and a trail depicting the land contributes to the preservation of the site's rich history (natural history, Indigenous, pioneers, Jewish) (1,2)
- With Guided Nature walks offered for visitors and school children, participants learn more about the natural characteristics and history of the Henteleff Park (1,2)
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
Unknown
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
Voluntary work opportunities
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Improved access to green and/or blue spaces
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Henteleff Park Foundation.
List of references
1) Katona, A. (2018). NATURVATION - Case Study Working Paper: Winnipeg, Canada.
2) Henteleff Park Foundation. (n.a.). HPF Achievements. Henteleff Park Foundation. Accessed on 5th May, 2021. http://henteleffpark.org/hpf-achievements-since-2002/
Comments and notes
Public Images
Henteleff Park, Winnipeg
Source: http://henteleffpark.org/
Henteleff Park, Winnipeg
Source: http://henteleffpark.org/
Henteleff Park, Winnipeg
Source: http://henteleffpark.org/
Henteleff Park, Winnipeg
Source: http://henteleffpark.org/