|
By
Kip
Park
Winnipeg
Real
Estate
News
Friday,
June
6,
1997
Just
about
every
adult
has
a
treasured
childhood
memory
of
that
first
encounter
with
Mother
Nature
and
her
marvels.
It
may
be
as
simple
as
the
first
time
you
ever
grew
a
tomato
plant
or
as
unique
as
being
"buzzed"
by
a
nesting
bald
eagle.
But
whether
we
like
it
or
not,
nature
plays
an
important
role
in
our
development
as
human
beings.
For
those
of
us
who
grew
up
in
times
when
it
was
easy
to
find
nature
within
Winnipeg's
city
limits,
we
sometimes
can't
believe
it
when
we
discover
that
there
are
kids
today
who
have
never
seen
a
teal
or
tadpole.
Yet,
Winnipeg
is
a
unique
city,
in
that
it
has
miles
of
nature
within
its
boundaries,
along
the
banks
of
three
major
rivers.
Some
of
it
is
disturbed,
but
much
has
been
returned
to
a
natural
state.
The
Seine
River
courses
through
our
urban
limits,
but
until
recently,
it
has
been
a
much-neglected
watercourse,
even
though,
it's
a
major
backbone
of
Winnipeg's
early
development.
It's
at
a
bow
in
the
Seine
in
the
heart
of
old
St.
Boniface
where
Jean-Baptiste
Lagimodiere
and
Marie-Anne
Gaboury
built
a
home
to
become
the
first
Canadian
couple
to
settle
in
Western
Canada.
They
were
the
grandparents
of
Louis
Riel,
who
led
Manitoba
into
Confederation
in
1870.
The
farmstead
is
long
gone,
but
the
river
remains,
and
this
year
a
group
of
dedicated
citizens
is
marking
what
may
be
one
of
the
most
significant
historic
sites
in
Western-Canada-the
Lagimodiere-Gaboury
homestead.
Today,
there's
not
much
to
see
at
the
location
except
a
bronze
plaque
from
the
federal
department
of
Canadian
heritage
and
a
grassy
knoll.
But
Jean-Pierre
Brunet
and
the
Save
Our
Seine
River
organization
will
change
that
on
Saturday,
June
7,
with
a
tree
and
shrub-planting
event
which
will
help
"green"
the
Seine,
and
pay
tribute
to
the
early
pioneers
of
Manitoba.
This
is
the
third
year
that
the
SOS
committee
has
been
working
on
restoring
the
Seine
River
corridor.
The
group
has
organized
clean-up
crews
to
haul
garbage
(some
of
it
was
large
hunks
of
concrete
that
were
removed
by
Nelson
River
Construction),
old
tires,
rusty
bicycles
and
almost
anything
else
that
people
wanted
to
throw
away
in
years
gone
by.
The
river
still
isn't
as
pristine
as
it
was
150
years
ago,
but
it's
a
lot
safer
than
it
was.
In
reality,
its
present
state
is
probably
closer
to
the
original
than
upstream
stretches
of
the
river,
which
have
been
turned,
basically,
into
drainage
channels.
This
year
SOS
is
planting
native
trees
and
fruit-bearing
shrubs
used
by
aboriginal
and
Métis
in
the
past
for
their
medicinal,
nutritional
or
tool-making
properties.
"But
this
area
is
so
steeped
in
history
that
we
must
be
aware
of
potential
archaeological
artifacts
(during
the
cleanup),"
cautioned
Brunet.
In
a
way,
that's
an
advantage,
because
it
will
make
participants
more
aware
of
the
historical
importance
of
their
surroundings.
The
SOS
"Green
Team"
will
be
planting
trees
in
two
areas:
at
10:30
a.m.
at
the
Lagimodiere-Gaboury
homestead
(off
Rue
Thibault,
one
block
north
of
Provencher
Boulevard),
and
at
2:30
p.m.
around
Fort
Gibraltar
in
Whittier
Park.
Another
site,
north
of
John
Bruce
Road,
will
be
planted
by
students
and
staff
of
Vincent
Massey
Collegiate.
All
this
is
part
of
SOS's
plans
to
create
an
interpretive
trail
running
along
the
river
banks
from
Marion
Street
to
the
Lagimodiere
homestead
site,
which
the
group
feels
has
the
potential
of
making
Winnipegers
more
aware
of
the
historical
facets
of
the
sometimes
neglected
river
as
well
as
its
natural
delights.
While
many
of
the
participants
will
be
children
and
SOS
members,
every
Winnipeger
is
invited
to
help
clean
the
riverbank
and
plant
a
tree,
said
Brunet.
The
riverbank
plantings
will
be
a
future
heritage
forest.
It
will
also
act
as
a
"classroom"
to
demonstrate
biological
diversity,
historical
interpretation
and
outdoor
classroom
activities.Brunet
said
all
this
is
part
of
the
long-term
goal
of
restoring
the
health
of
the
Seine
so
it
can
become
a
historic
canoe
route.
For
further
information
on
the
Save
Our
Seine
annual
greening,
and
the
activities
of
the
organization,
contact
Jean-Pierre
Brunet
at
233-0294.
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