Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg Aqueduct Monument (James Avenue, Winnipeg)

Built between 1913 and 1919, this arch-shaped aqueduct replaced the inadequate well system which had provided Winnipeg with water since 1899. A construction railway was laid to transport equipment and work crews along the route. Because the aqueduct was conceived at a time when local politicians and civic boosters believed Winnipeg would become the “Chicago of the North”, it was so grand in scope that it is still capable of supplying Winnipeg homes and industries with ample quantities of clean, fresh water. The opening ceremony for the aqueduct was performed by His Royal Highness Edward Prince of Wales on 9 September 1919.

The Winnipeg Aqueduct has long been recognized as a unique achievement in the history of Canadian engineering. From its source 156 kilometers (97 miles) east of the city, the aqueduct can carry 386.4 million liters (85 million gallons) a day using only the force of gravity.

Located at the foot of James Avenue in Stephen Juba Park, this commemorative stone monument includes a Historic Sites Advisory Board of Manitoba, a plaque designed in the shape of the aqueduct pipe, a Canadian Water Landmark plaque by the American Water Works Association and a National Historic Civil Engineering Site plaque unveiled in 1994 by the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering.

Winnipeg Aqueduct Monument (2010) Source: City of Winnipeg Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89845, W97.13278 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

The Building of the Winnipeg Aqueduct by Cornelius S. Prodan
Manitoba Pageant, Volume 24, Number 2, Winter 1979

Pressure to Act: The Shoal Lake Aqueduct and the Greater Winnipeg Water District by David A. Ennis
Manitoba History, Number 72, Spring-Summer 2013

Not All Down Hill From There: The Shoal Lake Aqueduct and the Greater Winnipeg Water District by David A. Ennis
Manitoba History, Number 75, Summer 2014

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Shoal Lake Aqueduct (Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Greater Winnipeg Water District Second Branch Aqueduct Plaque (Bishop Grandin Boulevard, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Greater Winnipeg Water District Second Branch Aqueduct Plaque (Bishop Grandin Boulevard, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Greater Winnipeg Water District Railway Station (598 Plinguet Street, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: 50th Anniversary of the Shoal Lake Water Supply Plaque (Broadway, Winnipeg)

Sources:

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.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 21 February 2021

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