Where two rivers intersect in the thriving City of Winnipeg, is the historic Upper Fort Garry built in the 1800s known as the birthplace of Manitoba. It’s now a public Provincial park and interpretive center, complete with an immersive soundscape and commemorative installation entitled the “Heritage Wall,” which welcomes visitors to the venue.

Massive wall depicts Manitoba history in vivid color and sound
The 400-foot wall constructed of naturally rusting Corten steel houses a low resolution LED wall that utilizes lighting to display video content depicting moving clouds, running buffalo, and other environmental video. More than 30 icons are artistically woven into the history timeline on the wall. An accompanying app enables visitors to learn more about the fort before they enjoy the sound and light show, which runs hourly from 12:00 pm-8:00 pm.

Click here to view an interactive experience of the Heritage Wall

A perfectly coordinated kaleidoscope
Barry Carr from Inland Audio Visual designed and oversaw installation of the large audio, video, and lighting system, all controlled by Medialon Manager show control software. “The LED wall was the perfect, bullet-proof solution to withstand Winnipeg’s warm summers and harsh winters and showcase the rich history in a vibrant way,” comments Carr. “With 18 channels of digital audio across the wall with 14 subwoofers in ground, we needed a show control system to act as a scheduler, storing all content – video, audio, lighting program – while presenting the show at pre-programmed intervals.” The entire show program can be managed online via the internet.

An interactive experience
Multiple pieces of content can play simultaneously, highlighting different features of the wall’s bas relief artwork. Interactivity with the wall is achieved via apps that communicate with the Medialon show control system, which in turn drives the Medialon MAS PRO Dante multitrack audio server and other components.

The wall project was brought to life by a dedicated committee of retired business, education and crafts people who wanted to revitalize the area with a contemporary, yet historic element. After three years of fundraising, spearheaded by landscape architect Gary Hildemann, the project was built last fall.