Media Release: HTFC Honoured for Excellence in Universal Design

Winnipeg, MB – The annual Access Awards, hosted by the City of Winnipeg’s Access Advisory Committee, honoured local projects that exemplify excellence in accessible design. HTFC Planning & Design was a team member on seven of the ten design projects that were honoured at this year’s award ceremony: 

  • RBC Convention Centre
  • Sport for Life Building
  • University of Winnipeg Downtown Commons
  • Upper Fort Garry Provincial Park
  • University of Winnipeg Leatherdale Hall
  • East Exchange Streetscaping
  • Booth College

Click here to learn more about the above projects.

“The City of Winnipeg is committed to ensuring equal access and participation for all people who live, work or visit our city, regardless of their abilities,” said John Kiernan, Director of Planning, Property and Development with the City of Winnipeg in the City of Winnipeg’s Accessibility Plan. “We are committed to treating people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence from infancy to older adulthood. And although the City has been working toward barrier removal in many areas, we recognize that we still have a journey ahead of us.”

“Universal design makes life more equitable, safe, comfortable and affordable for everyone, including people with disabilities,” written in a release from the City of Winnipeg’s Access Advisory Committee. “These awards honour projects that incorporate physical access, communication access and/or wayfinding into built spaces in our city. Moreover, they provide a way to continue the discussion about the chance for full participation in our community, regardless of ability.”

“Winnipeg has among the highest standards for accessible design in the country. Yet every year the design community rises to the challenge, finding new ways to create engaging and inclusive places, as these awards attest,” said Glen Manning, principal at HTFC Planning & Design. “Universal Design is a core part of our practice, so we are very proud to have played a role in so many of the inspiring projects recognized this year, two of which – The East Exchange Streetscape and Upper Fort Garry – we were lead designers.”

Access Advisory Committee

Universal access to information, services and public properties is a priority of the City of Winnipeg. The Access Advisory Committee is an arm’s length agency that assists the City in striving towards understanding, communicating and accommodating the access needs of its citizens.

About HTFC Planning & Design

HTFC Planning & Design is the largest independent landscape architecture and planning firm in the Winnipeg region, offering an uncommonly broad range of environmental design services from local to regional scale. The firm has been recognized nationally and internationally for its collaborative planning processes and innovative design. While their work is focused on the prairie, boreal forest and arctic regions of North America, HTFC has undertaken projects throughout Canada and as far afield as Eastern Europe, South America, and Africa.

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Media Inquiries:
Jason Syvixay
Email: jsyvixay@htfc.mb.ca
Phone: (204) 944-9907; Cell: (204) 997-3040