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Renovation & Design

Walters Gardens Inc. Low-maintenance Purrsian Blue catmint has been planted en masse in the ACCESS Fort Garry therapeutic garden.

A healing place

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

A special garden meant to foster resilience, encourage conversations and support wellness opened at ACCESS Fort Garry on May 29.

The design of the garden by Bhavana Bonde and the landscape architecture team at Architecture 49 is inspired by the Seven Sacred Teachings — love, respect, courage, honesty, wisdom, humility and truth.

“It is important to reflect on the role that land plays in wellness,” says Bonde, who is the national practice leader of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, Architecture49 and president of the Manitoba Association of Landscape Architects.

“This garden has been shaped with the intention of supporting mental health, connection and care — values that are deeply rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems and long-lasting relationships with the land.”

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Renovation & Design

Marc LaBossiere photos / Free Press A three-eighths plywood perimeter is installed above the sub-floor prior to setting the heating coil.

Heat beneath your feet

Marc LaBossiere 4 minute read Preview

Heat beneath your feet

Marc LaBossiere 4 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

On a chilly morning, there’s nothing worse than a cold bathroom floor, especially when you step out of a hot shower. Although bath mats help lessen the shock, it can be difficult to combat chills once they start. This is why, when I’m renovating bathrooms, I feel compelled to mention the possibility of heated flooring to homeowners. Many of my clients hadn’t previously considered the option, but it can make all the difference.

Heated flooring became popular in conjunction with tiled floors, but many projects now involve heating below vinyl plank. There are a variety of heated coil systems that allow straightforward installation, along with a wall-mounted thermostat for heating control. In recent years, thermostat technology has greatly improved, allowing for seven-day and 24-hour scheduling. Some thermostats can even be linked to a mobile app, via Wi-Fi, for greater convenience.

The installation process for heated floors may differ slightly from brand to brand, but the premise is the same. Essentially, the thermostat is connected to a power source (which can differ depending on the square footage of the flooring coil required), which then controls the output to the coil based on the thermostat settings. Much like the thermostat that controls the HVAC system in your house, a sensor along the floor transmits the temperature to the thermostat. When the value is below the preset temperature for that time of day, the heating coil engages and heats the floor until the desired temperature has been met, and then turns off.

Prepping the floor for heated coil installation means removing the existing flooring to the sub-floor. During a recent bathroom renovation, the existing sub-floor consisted of old 1 x 6 planks set at 45 degrees to the floor joist below. As this was not an acceptable surface for the coil installation (which requires a leveller poured over top), the main area to receive heated flooring was removed and a solid three-quarter-inch plywood was installed in its place. With the plywood secured to the joists, the area was then mapped for coil, with unnecessary areas — such as the footprint of the shower and toilet — excluded. Coil is also not needed within six to eight inches of the floor perimeter, since no one would stand that close to the wall.

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Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

Resale Homes

Todd Lewys photos / Free Press The thoughtfully remodelled bungalow at 364 Lockwood St., River Heights North, has a sharp-looking exterior and eye-catching landscaping.

TIMELESS Elegance awaits

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Preview

TIMELESS Elegance awaits

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

It’s a special quality that not every home possesses — a certain vibrancy that naturally draws your eye.

The 1,529-sq.-ft. bungalow at 364 Lockwood St. in River Heights north is definitely one of those homes.

“The outgoing owners have an exceptional eye for detail, and it starts with the front of the home,” says Cory Kehler of RE/MAX Executives Realty. “The landscaping is gorgeous, and the front of the home, with its Hardie board exterior, has a sharp, fresh look to it that catches your attention.”

In this instance, the interplay of design elements around the front of the house — landscaping that incorporates flowers, shrubs and plants as well as low-maintenance gravel and planters — complements the grey, taupe and black exterior. Newer, white-trimmed windows pop on the paint colours, a sign that this is no ordinary residence.

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Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

New Homes

Supplied illustration The two-storey condos at 27 Kestrel Way offer all the amenities and conveniences of a single-family home.

Opportunity comes knocking

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Preview

Opportunity comes knocking

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

With starter homes often selling for $500,000 in bidding wars incited by a shortage of inventory in the resale market, families are desperately looking for options that deliver better value.

Turns out, one has just become available — the second and final phase of an attached townhome project in Charleswood’s RidgeWood West fronted by Randall Homes.

“These are the last two-storey attached condos that will be built here,” Glen Harvey of Sutton Group-Kilkenny Real Estate says of the homes, which will check in at 1,398 sq ft. and come with full basements and attached garages.

“We have built six, and two have already sold, leaving four units for sale. These homes offer two advantages over buying a resale home.”

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Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

New Homes

Pixabay Always find out if there are buried utility lines on your property before disturbing the ground.

Always click before you dig

Lanny McInnes 3 minute read Preview

Always click before you dig

Lanny McInnes 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

It’s the time of year for tackling lawn and garden projects.

If your landscaping or yardwork calls for digging to be done on your property, it’s crucial that you know exactly what is below the surface before a shovel hits the ground.

Every year, homeowners in Manitoba damage buried utility lines on their property, resulting in costly repairs, injuries and even fatalities. If your project involves digging, please always click before you dig. The Manitoba Common Ground Alliance (MCGA) has established the “Click Before You Dig Manitoba” program to help you. This service provides underground facility screening and notification for safe excavation, both for people who intend to disturb the ground and the utility operators who register their buried facilities.

To improve safety and prevent damage to underground infrastructure, utilities like Manitoba Hydro and Bell MTS have joined the MCGA’s Click Before You Dig Manitoba service. Commercial and residential excavators can reduce the risk of personal injury and property damage by using the service, reaching more operators of buried utilities with only a single web-based request.

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Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

Renovation & Design

LEANNE DOWD PHOTO This summer, tour Leanne Dowd’s one-acre garden, a.k.a. Alice’s Wonderland, in Neepawa.

Inspiring gardens to see this summer in Manitoba

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Preview

Inspiring gardens to see this summer in Manitoba

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Saturday, Jun. 13, 2026

The first garden tour of the season starts on Saturday, June 20. Celebrating its 27th season, the Urban Retreats Garden Tour will feature 12 gardens in the Norwood area of Winnipeg, each showcasing its own unique landscape and character, says Shirley Godkin, longtime garden tour co-ordinator.

The Urban Retreats Garden Tour, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., is a major fundraiser for 1JustCity, a Winnipeg-based non-profit which supports three core community drop-in centres. “Last year, the tour raised $35,000 in support of 1JustCity,” Godkin says.

Tour tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at www.1justcity.ca/gardentour. Tickets are also available at several local garden centres. A full list is available on the website.

The tour also hosts the Manitoba Tea, Craft and Plant Sale, which will be held the same day at the Norwood Community Centre from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door.

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Saturday, Jun. 13, 2026

Resale Homes

TODD LEWYS / FREE PRESs Situated in a quiet concrete and steel building in the heart of downtown, the elevated suite offers spectacular downtown views, logical luxury and a host of wonderful amenities.

21st-floor apartment-style condo offers fantastic city views

Todd Lewys 6 minute read Preview

21st-floor apartment-style condo offers fantastic city views

Todd Lewys 6 minute read Saturday, Jun. 13, 2026

When most people think of their ideal lifestyle, they usually visualize living just far enough outside the city to enjoy country comfort, but not so far out that convenience is compromised.

However, some folks think a little differently.

To them, living downtown is an attractive thought — to be able to walk to work and have shops, restaurants and other amenities just minutes from their doorstep.

Unfortunately, the thought of living downtown is just that: a fancy that passes after they think of living in an area that can be stark (think too much concrete and dirty sidewalks), devoid of nature, and where it can be a pain to find parking, even if you find a home you love.

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Saturday, Jun. 13, 2026

Renovation & Design

The key to creating proper drainage is a level base perimeter.

Unique shower-base job required a unique solution

Marc LaBossiere 6 minute read Preview

Unique shower-base job required a unique solution

Marc LaBossiere 6 minute read Saturday, Jun. 13, 2026

Creating a bathroom walk-in shower in a basement with a concrete floor can be challenging, primarily because the existing layout of the rough plumbing (provided there even is rough plumbing) is pre-established within the concrete.

Moving services (or introducing them) can quickly inflate a budget, rendering the entire project cost-prohibitive. As such, making do with what’s there is always the best route for the wallet, despite the inherent design compromises along the way.

A recent basement bathroom “project within a project” presented a minor shower footprint hurdle, whereby the entry to the shower stall would have to negotiate an existing support telepost. Although the entry point remains at an acceptable 27 inches, the curb upon entry is much wider than usual, at nearly 12 inches.

This was necessary to properly conceal the support post, while maintaining esthetic integrity. The downside, however, was a reduction in the actual shower-pan footprint. No matter, the ceiling rises above the lower elevation of the main duct upon entry, and the overall volume of space within the shower feels much roomier than the old shower-surround unit that occupied the area prior to the renovation.

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Saturday, Jun. 13, 2026

New Homes

The 2,172 sq. ft. bungalow, which is situated on a private, pie-shaped lot, offers plenty of function and has a quiet wow factor.

Dream home at Taylor Farm offers luxury, convenience

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Preview

Dream home at Taylor Farm offers luxury, convenience

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Saturday, Jun. 13, 2026

When building a show home, builders need to walk a fine line.

On one hand, they want to impress prospective home buyers with their handiwork. On the other, they don’t want to work too hard to achieve that goal.

Consequently, it’s incumbent upon builders to make a statement with the home’s design without going over the top to make it.

Step inside Irwin Homes’ new show home at 3 Hunter’s Close in Taylor Farm and it’s immediately apparent that its design team got that balance just right.

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Saturday, Jun. 13, 2026

Renovation & Design

NANCY MACKAY PHOTO Veronicastrum Culver’s root stands up to the strong winds at Riding Mountain National Park and is a long-lived perennial.

Prairie gardeners offer tips and advice on planting to withstand windy conditions

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Preview

Prairie gardeners offer tips and advice on planting to withstand windy conditions

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Saturday, Jun. 6, 2026

What do gardeners talk about more than plants? The weather.

“When is it going to rain? When is it going to stop raining? When is it going to warm up? How long is the heat wave going to last?”

A huge topic of conversation this spring, though, has been about the persistent strong winds that have blown across the Prairies in the months of March, April and May — especially the extreme winds experienced in mid-May. The forecast earlier this week for severe thunderstorms and potentially strong wind gusts moving across southern Manitoba prompted many gardeners to take immediate steps to protect their gardens.

Spring is historically the windiest season on the Prairies.

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Saturday, Jun. 6, 2026

Renovation & Design

A built-out wall features two large stacked aquariums for the homeowners’ pet turtles and fish.

Basement renos necessitate moving aquariums

Marc LaBossiere 6 minute read Preview

Basement renos necessitate moving aquariums

Marc LaBossiere 6 minute read Saturday, Jun. 6, 2026

On occasion, a renovation project presents an interesting twist on an existing concept. During a recent basement gut and remodel, the main rec room would include a feature wall unlike anything I’ve created in the past. Although several Reno Boss columns have highlighted feature walls that included a wall-mount fireplace and/or a flatscreen TV, surrounded by decorative stone or tile, this lower-level wall is sure to turn heads.

My fondness for animals knows no bounds. And anyone who truly knows me expects my attention during the first few minutes of most workdays to be directed toward my clients’ family pet(s). Those brief yet meaningful moments, bonding with newfound fur friends, are soothing and often create some of my favourite memories of a jobsite, beyond the satisfaction of the project’s successful conclusion.

The planning for this basement renovation included some standard upgrades: a better wall configuration to create efficient use of space for each room; bathroom and laundry room overhauls; and expanding upon the usable space in the rec room by creating wall insets for both the fridge and upright freezer.

But there was one lingering issue that created a few hurdles — where to place the two, 48-by-18-inch aquariums? Until this reno, these (and a few smaller aquariums) had been bunched together, hidden away within a gloomy laundry room. It was understood that once the laundry room was upgraded, the aquariums could no longer be conveniently housed there.

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Saturday, Jun. 6, 2026

Resale Homes

Todd Lewys Photos / Free Press This stately, 3,523 sq. ft., two-and-a-half storey Crescentwood classic immediately captures your attention with its striking exterior.

Kingsway residence offers seamless combination of old and modern design themes

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Preview

Kingsway residence offers seamless combination of old and modern design themes

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Saturday, Jun. 6, 2026

Walk down any street, on any given day, and most homes you pass will simply blend into the landscape.

Then there’s that one home that captures your attention.

A stately 3,523 sq. ft. two-and-a-half storey house nestled neatly on a 60-foot-wide by 140-foot-deep lot at 66 Kingsway in Crescentwood is one of those homes.

In this instance, a variety of details combine to create its distinctive look — a fetching front porch, swooping roofline and white trimmed windows (some square, some with rounded tops) which pop perceptibly on a sharp, medium grey exterior.

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Saturday, Jun. 6, 2026

New Homes

Todd Lewys / Free Press The intelligently designed Aqua Townhomes have sold out phase one (with the exception of the show home); phase two is 50 per cent complete, with its 18 units being ready for possession sometime in November.

The Aqua Townhomes a fine option for first-time, move-up buyers

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Preview

The Aqua Townhomes a fine option for first-time, move-up buyers

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Saturday, Jun. 6, 2026

This is a challenging time for buyers looking for a starter or move-up home.

Two factors are making it incredibly difficult for first time buyers or young families to find an affordable home.

First, there’s the local real estate market, where competition for resale homes has been frantic due to a lack of inventory.

There have been several instances in which homes in desirable areas have sold for $100,000 or more over the asking price, with more than 20 offers, leaving many a first-time buyer out in the cold.

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Saturday, Jun. 6, 2026

Resale Homes

TODD LEWYS PHOTOS / FREE PRESS 259 Churchill Dr. is situated on a mature, extra-deep lot across from the river in gorgeous Riverview.

Charming family home in Riverview is a peaceful retreat

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Preview

Charming family home in Riverview is a peaceful retreat

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Saturday, May. 30, 2026

One of the most desirable qualities in a neighbourhood, aside from convenient location, is that it offers a palpable feeling of peace.

Yet, many desirable neighbourhoods within Winnipeg — River Heights, River Park South and Linden Woods, to name just a few — really aren’t that peaceful. That’s because they see significant traffic, which creates a sense of busyness that can be disconcerting. While you will get used to it eventually, it’s something you would gladly live without.

There are select few neighbourhoods around the city that are true enclaves, areas in which street traffic is mostly local and moves at a leisurely place.

Riverview is one of those neighbourhoods.

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Saturday, May. 30, 2026

Renovation & Design

Marc LaBossiere photos / Free Press After: new cabinets, countertop and sink have improved the space dramatically.

From drab to fab

Marc LaBossiere 5 minute read Preview

From drab to fab

Marc LaBossiere 5 minute read Saturday, May. 30, 2026

An untidy, dingy or even dirty laundry area is an oxymoron — an insult to cleanliness.

An uninviting laundry room can also lead to procrastination when chores demand action. During a recent gutting and remodelling of a basement, there were subsidiary projects that needed to be tackled, and the laundry space would prove to be the most dramatic transformation.

It’s quite likely that many homeowners have endured a less-than-favourable laundry space. Typically, home renovations start elsewhere, with the kitchen, bathrooms, flooring and painting usually taking precedent. The laundry room is often tucked away in a corner of the basement behind a closed door. It took years, even decades, before my own laundry room was upgraded, and boy, what a difference it has made in our day-to-day rituals. My wife said it best: “I used to hate doing laundry until the reno, and now I look forward to being down there.”

The basement renovation for my clients involved repositioning most inner walls to enhance the layout of the existing rooms. Although the laundry room square footage would diminished slightly as a result, the functionality would be greatly improved with the introduction of upper and lower cupboards for storage. A secondary “faux” wall would create a flat vertical surface upon which the cabinets could be mounted.

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Saturday, May. 30, 2026

Renovation & Design

Chris Lepard photo Rudbeckia Goldsturm (top left), Echinacea White Swan (lower left) and Echinacea Magnus coneflower (right) are built for resilience.

Smart planting

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Preview

Smart planting

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Saturday, May. 30, 2026

A garden may look effortlessly beautiful, but as with other facets of life, beauty is often shaped and cultivated.

No matter the size of the space you manage — whether it’s a large landscape or a postage-size patch — effort and strategy are required to achieve and protect the garden you create.

Wild swings in temperature, strong winds, heavy rainfall or long dry spells can disrupt the best laid plans. Whatever the weather, keep your garden looking beautiful by choosing reliable plants for areas that are at the mercy of the elements.

Practical methods that are employed early in the season will fortify your garden against water loss, improve drainage and help to maintain your garden’s beauty.

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Saturday, May. 30, 2026

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