Can a bench resurface the history of a park, its context and a nation?

For the Trans Canada Trail in Winnipeg, we proposed a series of benches that would reveal the context of the site along one of the country’s early trading routes.

The Assiniboine River served as part of the Canadian canoe routes centered around Lake Winnipeg during the 18th century. The selected site of Sir John Franklin Park sits along the southern bank of the Assiniboine and is part of the Great Trail, traversing the entire country of Canada.

The design of the benches stems from the unique location of the trail, the river and the park and should be appreciated within this context. The design reference the early explorers of the country with its canoe-like form. Versatile, robust and reliable, the canoe allowed explorers to travel across the nation from east to west in ways similar to the Great Trail does today.