Everything you want to know about Buffalo Crossing and what it means for your next visit to FortWhyte Alive.
Learn more about this exciting new development that will prepare FortWhyte for its next 50 years and beyond. Did we miss something? Let us know: [email protected]
Buffalo Crossing is a brand new multi-purpose building and 10-acre site development. The 18,000 square foot, two-storey building will become a new southern gateway to FortWhyte Alive’s property and will allow us to accommodate the tremendous growth in programming we have experienced in recent years. The building will be anchored by a new pedestrian and cyclist bridge across Muir Lake that will allow for a quick, convenient connection to FortWhyte Alive’s trail system.
The new building will include visitor reception, a retail space for FortWhyte’s new Nature Nook store, and a small coffee service. The majority of the space will be dedicated to school and youth programming such as day camps and larger scale events.
For every group of people across this continent, the animal we now know scientifically as Bison bison, subspecies bison has had different names depending on the local language and historical period.
Prior to the scientific species name bison coming into general use in English, this animal was known for generations as the Buffalo. In the local Michif dialect of the Red River Métis, this animal was known as li Bufloo. The first written legal code in the Red River Valley was the Métis Nation’s Laws of the Buffalo Hunt. The Province of Manitoba also awards “The Order of the Buffalo Hunt” as one of its highest honours.
Though bison is the most biologically accurate term, buffalo is the word with the longest usage in English for this animal and is considered historically correct. In recognition of the animal’s near extinction due to settler hunting and the ongoing conservation efforts to restore the species, we use the name Buffalo Crossing to help educate the public about this history.
FortWhyte Alive will now be accessible through two entrances, the Alloway Reception Centre off of McCreary Rd., and also through Buffalo Crossing on McGillivray Blvd. Both buildings will have staff ready to help you check in as a visitor or a member.
The two entrances will be identified as FortWhyte Alive – McCreary Entrance and FortWhyte Alive – McGillivray Entrance. When attending a program or a private event like a wedding, please be sure to check you are arriving at the correct entrance.
FortWhyte Alive no longer has a trail gate on McGillivray Blvd. Cyclists and commuters can now access FortWhyte Alive’s trail system by entering the front doors of Buffalo Crossing to a vestibule, and then exiting to the left to access the site before continuing. There is no automatic gate like at the Alloway Reception Centre.
The trail gate was moved to Buffalo Crossing to allow FortWhyte to better track how many visitors are accessing our site and better secure our southern entryway when we are closed.
With the opening of Buffalo Crossing, Winnipeg Transit has extended their existing Linden Woods bus route to Buffalo Crossing, marking the first time that FortWhyte has ever been accessible by public transportation.
Buffalo Crossing, and the rest of FortWhyte Alive, will be accessible by the new bus stop on site through the 649 and 650 routes.
Buffalo Crossing can be accessed off of McGillivray Blvd. or directly from FortWhyte’s trail system.
When driving eastbound on McGillivray Blvd., you must continue past the traffic lights at the Brady Rd. intersection and take the next left turn into Buffalo Crossing. When travelling westbound on McGillivray Blvd., you may turn right at the Brady Rd. intersection to arrive at Buffalo Crossing.
Buffalo Crossing is open the same hours as the rest of FortWhyte Alive. From fall through spring, FortWhyte’s hours are everyday from 9am – 5pm.
There is no food service or cafe in Buffalo Crossing. There is a small self-serve coffee station.
Want to learn more about Manitoba's most sustainable building? Check out some of the most common questions below.
Buffalo Crossing is the first commercial building in Manitoba certified to the Passive House standard. The building will also be certified to the Zero-Carbon building standard, further demonstrating FortWhyte Alive’s commitment to finding solutions to the climate crisis.
The original building at McGillivray that housed the “Fort Whyte Nature Centre” has been demolished to make way for the new building. Any reusable equipment and materials have been salvaged and will be recycled and utilized by FortWhyte.
Buffalo Crossing is an addition to our site and the Alloway Reception Centre and the Richardson Interpretive Centre will both remain open.
An Indigenous advisor has been a part of the design team from the start of the project and has provided feedback and advice throughout the design process to incorporate elements of Indigenous culture throughout the building and landscape.
On August 29, 2022, FortWhyte invited Indigenous knowledge keepers to the site to perform a ceremony with FortWhyte staff to bless the land in preparation for construction. FortWhyte has also been in contact with local Indigenous communities to solicit their feedback on the proposed development.
In advance of the Buffalo Crossing’s grand opening, FortWhyte Alive invited an Indigenous knowledge keeper to lead blessings and an intentions ceremony with staff in the building.
This project broke ground in October 2022 and opened to open to the public on April 23, 2025.
Passive House is considered to be the most rigorous voluntary energy-based standard in the design and construction industry today. By using passive house design, Buffalo Crossing will use 90% less energy than a building constructed to the National Energy Code.
Passive House design follows these major principles which ensure the building is maintaining a comfortable temperature while remaining at peak energy efficiency.
Continuous Insulation: Insulation is a material in the walls of a building that prevents heat loss or gain. Buffalo Crossing has insulation measuring 12 inches thick, more than twice as thick as insulation in a standard building. The insulation is continuous, ensuring no gaps allow heat to move in or out. An air/vapour barrier prevents air and moisture leakage into the building.
High Performance Windows and Doors: Windows and doors are any building’s weakest link. It is easy for heat to escape or enter through these areas. At Buffalo Crossing, all windows and doors are specially designed to be a part of the building’s airtight barrier. The triple-paned windows have an insulating air pocket. A warm edge spacer bar between the panes prevents transfer of heat or cold. A transparent coating on the inside of each window reflects heat back into the room. Buffalo Crossing’s specially designed doors are extremely well sealed with rubber on all four sides. Each door also has four latches rather than a single latch found on typical doors.
No ‘thermal bridges’: Building materials such as steel beams can conduct heat or cold very easily. A thermal bridge is created when these materials pass between an indoor and outdoor space. Thermal bridges allow heat to seep outside on a cold day, and inside on a hot day, leading to fluctuations in indoor temperature. This is less than ideal for energy efficiency and the comfort of people inside. Most of the building materials that pass through the walls of Buffalo Crossing are insulated under the roof edges. The beams that support the balconies are made from wood, that has a much lower thermal transfer than steel.
Airtight Construction: Buffalo Crossing is eight times more airtight than other similar sized buildings.
Winnipeg temperatures can dip to -40°c in winter, and rise to +40°c in summer, presenting a wide range of conditions for a sustainable building to adapt to. Buffalo Crossing has many features that allow it to face climate challenges and be sustainable and resilient for many years to come.
Solar Heating: Buffalo Crossing’s large south-facing windows allow sunlight to warm the air, walls, and floor during winter, when the sun is closer to the southern horizon.
Summer Cooling: In summer, when the sun is higher, overhangs and window shades keep the building cool by blocking direct sunlight. Trees planted around the building also cool the building with their canopies.
Geothermal System: The building uses fossil fuel-free geothermal heating and cooling. Buried underground near the building, many loops of pipe circulate liquid through the soil, where temperatures remain stable year-round. These pipes feed into the main heat pump in the building.
Floors with More: In-floor pipes radiate heat or cool from the concrete below your feet, helping to maintain a stable indoor climate. Can you guess how many feet of heating/ cooling pipe were used in the floor?
Stable Temperatures: Even in the event of a power outage or extreme weather, the building’s insulation and ability to store heat can keep indoor temperatures comfortable for much longer than typical buildings.
Sustainable Materials: Buffalo Crossing was built using long-lasting, high quality materials with low environmental impact. Most of the concrete used is Lafarge ECOPact, which reduces carbon emissions by 30 to 70 percent compared to traditional Portland cement.
Instead of a traditional steel frame, Buffalo Crossing uses Mass Timber which is made from multiple pieces of solid wood glued together. It provides exceptional strength and stability, many climate and environmental benefits, and enhances the beauty of the building. Buffalo Crossing is one of the few buildings in Manitoba constructed with mass timber, sourced in Canada from Douglas fir trees.
What is Mass Timber? To create mass timber, smaller pieces of wood are glued together to create larger pieces. This reduces the demand for timber from large, older trees. Buffalo Crossing’s walls, floors and roof panels are made of cross laminated timber (wood boards glued in alternating directions). The columns and beams are made of Glulam (wood boards glued parallel to one another).
Durability and Strength: Wood is a very strong material. Mass timber can be as strong as steel or concrete. It can withstand extreme weather, making it a resilient choice for building in a changing climate.
Energy Efficiency: Wood’s natural insulating properties help maintain comfortable indoor temperatures, reducing energy consumption and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Carbon Sequestration: Trees absorb and store carbon as they grow. By using mass timber in construction, carbon is stored in the building’s materials instead of being released to the atmosphere, which helps to mitigate climate change.
Improved Indoor Air Quality: Wood is a natural material that can absorb or release moisture. This helps regulate indoor humidity levels to create a healthier living environment.
Mental Benefits: Using natural wood in interior spaces creates a warm and inviting atmosphere, which can reduce stress and improve people’s overall well-being.
Some land has been cleared and trees removed to make way for the new building and landscape elements that will be part of Buffalo Crossing. FortWhyte has been working very closely with our landscape architect and construction management team to preserve, where possible, stands of forest to be incorporated into the new landscape plan and to minimize the amount of clearing that is required, but we acknowledge that with any construction activity it is impossible to avoid impacting the land and trees.
FortWhyte is strongly committed to maintaining and restoring habitat. We have planted over 200,000 new trees on our property in the last 10 years, including over 70,000 in the fall of 2022 alone. This is a far greater number than the amount of trees that will be cleared at the Buffalo Crossing site. New trees and native plantings will be an important part of the revitalized landscape when Buffalo Crossing is complete. This will include the development of bioswales for site drainage. Bioswales are sustainable landscape features that use native plants and soils to capture and store water rather than rapidly draining it away. This provides resilience during times of flooding or drought and they also act as a natural carbon sink.
The land on which Buffalo Crossing is built is reclaimed industrial land, and all present vegetation was planted by FortWhyte over the years. The area is not considered pristine forest or high-quality wildlife habitat due to the amount of activity that currently takes place in that forest through FortWhyte programming and the adjacent traffic on McGillivray Boulevard.
There are a few things that factor into bird strike prevention on this building.
All of the windows have grids of dots along the glass, similar to those on the windows of our Richardson Interpretive Centre. As part of the Passive House design, the windows have shutters and blinds, which help control the temperature of the building and when in use can act as another visual barrier.
