Winnipeg, Manitoba (October 5, 2022) – The Wyndham Garden Winnipeg Airport (Odé Aki) hotel, owned by Long Plain First Nation and located on their Madison urban reserve, celebrated its grand opening today.
The 132-room facility is the first Indigenous-owned hotel in the Wyndham Garden group and just a couple of city blocks from Polo Park shopping centre. Today’s grand opening marks a successful design-build project built by local contractors PCL Construction and designed by f-BLOK architecture inc.
“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 architecture inc. “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.”
“In 2006 Long Plain First Nation purchased the land on Madison. The purchase from Manitoba Hydro was part of a fulfilment of Canada’s outstanding treaty land entitlement to Long Plain First Nation dating back to 1994. The three acre Madison property was officially set aside as a reserve in 2013 and Long Plain immediately established commercial business, which brought in revenue to support various social programs and created many opportunities for employment. We began our discussions with PCL in 2015. With their help we were able to proceed with our custom built Wyndham Garden Hotel. 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,” said Cindy Allard, Long Plain First Nation.
The hotel is owned by Long Plain First Nation and will be operated by Sparrow Hotels.
The full-service hotel features a large ballroom with a total of 5,800 square feet of flexible meeting space including Knowledge Keepers meeting space. The hotel 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 PCL Vice President and District Manager Kelly Wallace. “It represents a step forward for First Nation’s economies and communities across Canada.”
Learn more about the Wyndham Garden Winnipeg Airport here.
About PCL Construction
PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean and in Australia. These diverse operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial, and buildings markets are supported by a strategic presence in more than 30 major centers. Together, these companies have an annual construction volume of more than $8 billion, making PCL the largest contracting organization in Canada and one of the largest in North America. Watch us build at PCL.com.
About f-BLOK architecture inc.
Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, f-BLOK is an architecture and interior design studio emphasizing place-making that is inclusive, meaningful, and respectful. Sharing, sketching, debating and building – internally, and with the community beyond – f-BLOK promotes candid and open conversation as explorations into the problem they seek to solve. Through the engagement of multiple perspectives and lived experiences, they embrace diversity and bring nuance into their work. This emphasis on fostering a collaborative and open approach strengthens and enhances their design solutions. Learn more at f-BLOK.ca