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It started as a dream shared over decades: a safe, beautiful way to walk, run, and cycle between Winkler and Morden. Today, that vision is finally taking shape in fresh blacktop as crews pave the Stanley Community Pathway; a 10-kilometre corridor that will connect neighbours, families, and friends across municipal lines.
Chair of the Stanley Pathway Committee, James Friesen has been part of this story for the long haul, with roots reaching back to the Stanley Trail Association’s work that began in 2000 to link the region to the Trans Canada Trail.
Years of planning, one shared goal
Five years of monthly meetings have brought together the RM of Stanley, the Cities of Winkler and Morden, local business leaders, engineers, provincial partners, and community members. Aligning utilities, drainage and safety across a long highway right-of-way wasn’t simple, but persistence won out. As Friesen put it plainly, “It’s being built.”
That forward motion is visible now, and intentionally built to last. The pathway base has been strengthened to handle our heavy Pembina Valley soils, with paving advancing as fall temperatures allow. The tender lists November 30 as the completion date, but Friesen is hopeful: “probably by October, I’m staying carefully.”
Until ribbon-cutting day, he’s asking residents to show a little patience. “We’re just asking people to please stay off for now as a construction zone. We appreciate your enthusiasm. But let’s wait for the ribbon cutting, please.”
Health, hope, and a place to meet in the middle
More than a route, this is a relationship. Through the pandemic and beyond, the committee often spoke about how a literal path between communities could also be a path back to each other as human beings. As Friesen reflected, “While walking, biking, or running, you connect with people differently than when you’re zooming by someone in a car.”
That spirit is why future plans include a welcoming rest area near Boundary Trails Health Centre. It’s active transportation, community well-being, and regional cooperation all in one.
The finish line is in sight — help close the gap
Major fundraising has already moved mountains. “We have done a lot of fundraising and grant writing, so 3/4 of the cost of this project has already been raised through grants and donations,” said Friesen. The total price tag is between "4.3 and 4.5 million,” and... “About 3.6 million has been secured to date."
Now comes the part where everyday generosity shines. The Winkler and Morden community foundations are matching public donations dollar-for-dollar up to $50,000 combined. Friesen says this is a chance for small gifts to make big strides, as he summed it up: “If you give $100, it becomes $200. Up to 50,000.”
To give, drop off a cheque at any civic office (Winkler, Morden, or the RM of Stanley), or make a secure online donation at stanleytrailmanitoba.ca for a charitable receipt.
A local trail with a national heartbeat
When the dust settles, this pathway won’t just unite our towns — it will join a continental story. “So this pathway will be designated as part of the Trans Canada Trail as well,” Friesen shared, tying our local steps to a nation-spanning network.
The heart of it all
Projects like this don’t happen because of one meeting or one cheque, says Friesen. They happen because a region believes in itself; volunteers show up, businesses chip in, councils collaborate, and families give what they can. When the ribbon finally falls and wheels and footsteps roll together for the first time, it will be more than a trail opening; it will be a celebration of who we are to one another.