Indigenous-owned hotel opens on Winnipeg reserve
By Adam Freill
Commercial ConstructionLong Plain First Nation worked with PCL Construction to build the Wyndham Garden Winnipeg Airport (Odé Aki) hotel less than 10 km from downtown.
(Photo courtesy of PCL Construction)
Winnipeg has a new hotel; the first to be on the Madison urban reserve in the city. The Wyndham Garden Winnipeg Airport (Odé Aki) hotel, which celebrated its grand opening this week, is owned by Long Plain First Nation.
The 132-room facility was a design-build project built by local contractors PCL Construction and designed by f-BLOK architecture inc. It is the first Indigenous-owned hotel in the Wyndham Garden group and is located a short distance from city’s Polo Park shopping centre.
“Long Plain First Nation has succeeded in building a hotel on an urban reserve that both achieves a world-class brand standard and embeds Indigenous cultural meaning throughout,” said Brock Klassen of f-BLOK. “The building serves its guests every need and also immerses visitors in a cultural experience. One cannot miss the fact that they are on Treaty 1 Urban Reserve land when they visit this hotel.”
The Long Plain First Nation purchased the land that would become the Madison urban reserve from Manitoba Hydro in 2006. The three-acre property was set aside as a reserve in 2013. Commercial businesses were soon located on the property, providing revenue and employment opportunities.
“We began our discussions with PCL in 2015. With their help we were able to proceed with our custom-built Wyndham Garden Hotel,” stated Cindy Allard of Long Plain First Nation. “This is the largest project our nation has completed. We are grateful to have partnered with PCL and for their commitment to exceeding our expectations.”
The hotel is owned by Long Plain First Nation and will be operated by Sparrow Hotels. It features a large ballroom and a total of 5,800 square feet of flexible meeting space, including Knowledge Keepers meeting space. It also includes a swimming pool and water slide, fitness centre, dining room, lounge and cafe.
“The vision of Long Plain First Nation and Arrowhead Development Corporation is an inspiring model for urban Indigenous development in Winnipeg and across Canada,” said Kelly Wallace, PCL vice-president and district manager. “It represents a step forward for First Nations economies and communities across Canada.”
