Winnipeg teacher completes ‘random’ city park journey

A Winnipeg teacher took the last steps in an epic travel journey Sunday, but she’s still not quite sure what she accomplished.

“It’s really random,” Julie Navitka said,” but that’s just me.”

Navitka set out to explore her home city after returning from traveling last March. To some, that might entail grabbing a beer flight at The Forks or heading to BDI for ice cream. For Navitka, exploring meant running or biking to every location recognized by the City of Winnipeg as a park or green space.

“It didn’t dissuade me when I found out there were about 1,300,” Navitka said. “[So] I’m running around the city of Winnipeg like a crazy person.”

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There are 1,335, to be exact — and as of 1 p.m. Sunday, she’s visited them all.

READ MORE: Former dump opened as new City of Winnipeg park

It took 11 months and covered about 1,400 kilometers, but Navitka was helped along by some clever mapping. She would knock dozens of parks off her list in one go, and was able to carefully plan where she would visit every day.

“I basically would just map out small pockets or areas on Google Maps,” Navitka said. “I’d go out for a bike ride and catch 20 or 30 at a time.”

But still, after documenting every single park and green space on the map of Winnipeg, she said she still can’t exactly define a Winnipeg park or green space.

“There doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason, to be honest,” Navitka said.

“Some of them are just boulevards. Some of them are dirty riverbanks behind industrial buildings. Some of them are in back lanes or just a traffic circle.”

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The city sent out a message of congratulations after Navitka crossed the last location — Lord Avenue Park — off her list.

“We are not aware of anyone else who has taken on such an ambitious park-related tour,” Dave Domke, Manager of Parks and Open Space, said. “We encourage Winnipeggers to take inspiration from Ms. Navitka’s accomplishment.”

READ MORE: Winnipeg run club helping students from different backgrounds bond

As for what’s next on the teacher’s list, Navitka said she’ll be strapping on the boxing gloves for a charity fight later this year.

She said she’ll approach the next endeavor with a newly-learned lesson.

“Get out there and explore our city,” Navitka said.

“Everybody kind of has a love-hate for Winnipeg — I was one of them — but this kind of made me appreciate what we have more.”

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