15+ years building in Winnipeg’s climate
With contractors who’ve completed over 1,000 projects between them, in every soil condition this region throws at us.
Serving St. James, Silver Heights, Deer Lodge & Bourkevale
Landscaping in St. James & Silver Heights, Winnipeg
BerryHill Landscaping & Construction renovates post-war St. James yards and builds the engineered retaining and riverbank work the Assiniboine side of Portage Avenue needs. Driveway replacement, regrading, paving stone patios, decks, retaining walls and full yard renovations, all built in-house for Manitoba clay and freeze-thaw winters. For a free on-site consultation and quote, call 204-801-7669.
15+years building in Manitoba’s climate
1,000+projects completed by our crews
300+reviews across Google, Houzz & more
St. James started as a Red River farming parish along the Assiniboine and suburbanised quickly once the streetcar arrived and Assiniboine Park opened in 1904. Deer Lodge takes its name from the site established at 2109 Portage Avenue in 1916 as a convalescent facility for First World War soldiers. Silver Heights came later and all at once: the RM sold the 100-acre parcel to Frank Lount and Son in 1949, and Plan 5090 was registered in July 1950.
Lount’s team deliberately did not lay it out on a grid. Silver Heights is loops and crescents around Mount Royal Road, which is why so many lots here are wedge or pie-shaped, with curved frontages and side yards that do not match the house next door. The City of St. James-Assiniboia was folded into Winnipeg in 1972.
Why Portage Avenue splits St. James into two different jobs
Where your property sits relative to Portage Avenue changes almost everything about how a project gets scoped:
South of Portage, you are in the regulated waterway zone. The City’s permit area runs 350 feet from the Assiniboine and 250 feet from Truro Creek — which covers essentially all of Bourkevale and the Deer Lodge river streets. Retaining walls, grade changes, moving or depositing material, pools and decks all require a waterway permit, and the City may require a geotechnical report stamped by a Manitoba-licensed professional engineer.
The river fringe sits on failure-prone stratigraphy. Alluvial clay, silt and sand layered over lacustrine clay is exactly the profile the City identifies as prone to both deep-seated and shallow slope failures. Deep lots on Bourkevale Drive, Cavell Drive and Parkside Drive fall away to the Assiniboine and need work designed for that, not adapted to it.
North of Portage, it is flat and permit-free. Silver Heights and the Deer Lodge streets north of Portage are essentially level, with no waterway restrictions at all. The work there is straight renovation — and it is due, because the neighbourhood was built in one push between 1946 and 1970.
These houses predate the drainage bylaws. Backwater valves have only been required in new Winnipeg homes since 1979, and sump pits with pumps since 1990. Almost nothing in St. James was built after either date, and part of the area falls in the Ferry Road and Riverbend combined sewer district. That means the yard itself — grade, downspout routing, driveway pitch — is frequently the only real defence the house has.
Our landscaping services in St. James & Silver Heights
On a Silver Heights crescent lot or a Bourkevale river property, we handle:
- Driveway replacement and widening — Sixty- and seventy-year-old single-width concrete replaced and widened for two vehicles. See paving stone driveways.
- Regrading around the foundation — Original 1950s grade that has settled below the sill is endemic here. See grading and drainage.
- Riverbank retaining and terracing — Permitted, engineered work on the Assiniboine and Truro Creek fringe. See retaining walls.
- Paving stone patios and walkways — paving stone patios and walkways and paths laid out for wedge and pie-shaped crescent lots, where nothing is square.
- Front steps, landings and curb appeal — Rebuilt stoops on settled clay, plus front yard landscaping and outdoor lighting.
- Decks and full renovations — deck construction on frost-rated footings, sod installation over compacted clay, and full yard renovations.
Areas we serve around St. James & Silver Heights
We serve St. James, Silver Heights, Deer Lodge, Bourkevale and Jameswood, along Portage Avenue, Ness Avenue, Mount Royal Road and the Assiniboine river streets. Neighbouring areas include Charleswood and Tuxedo across the river, and Headingley to the west. See all our Winnipeg and Manitoba service areas.
Why St. James & Silver Heights homeowners choose BerryHill
300+ reviews and recommendations
Across Google, Houzz, Facebook and HomeStars.
No subcontractors, ever.
The crew that quotes your job is the crew that builds it — except licensed gas fitting, where the law requires it.
We know which side of Portage you are on.
Two streets apart, one job needs a stamped engineer’s report and the other needs a skid steer. We establish that before quoting so the price reflects the actual work.
Comfortable with irregular lots.
Silver Heights was laid out in loops and crescents, so wedge lots and curved frontages are the norm. We design the hardscape to the lot you have rather than forcing a rectangle onto it.
How it works
- Free on-site consultation
We check the grade, the state of the original concrete, drainage and access — and whether your property falls inside the waterway permit area. - Design, permits and fixed quote
One line-itemed price. Any permit or engineering requirement is identified and costed up front. - Build and final walkthrough
Excavation and compacted base first, then the build. Site swept daily, and we walk it with you before we call it done.
Book a free St. James or Silver Heights landscaping quote
Original driveway crumbling, grade sitting below the sill, or a river lot that needs a properly engineered wall? Call 204-801-7669 or book a free on-site consultation, and we’ll give you a real plan and price for your yard.
St. James & Silver Heights landscaping questions
Who are the top landscapers in St. James and Silver Heights, Winnipeg?
BerryHill Landscaping & Construction is among the top-rated companies serving St. James, Silver Heights, Deer Lodge and Bourkevale, with 15+ years of local experience and 300+ reviews across Google, Houzz, Facebook and HomeStars. In this area, ask whether a contractor knows which side of Portage Avenue triggers a waterway permit — it is the difference between two very different quotes.
Do I need a waterway permit for my Bourkevale or Deer Lodge yard?
If you are south of Portage near the river, very likely. The regulated area runs 350 feet from the Assiniboine and 250 feet from Truro Creek, and it covers retaining walls, grade changes, depositing or removing material, pools and decks. The City may also require a geotechnical report stamped by a Manitoba-licensed professional engineer. We check your address against the regulated area before quoting.
My house has no backwater valve or sump. Does that change the landscaping?
Yes, significantly. Backwater valves have only been required in new homes since 1979 and sump pits since 1990, and almost all of St. James predates both. Without that hardware, your grade, downspout routing and driveway pitch are the house’s primary defence against water. We treat them as structural, not cosmetic.
Can you widen my original single-width driveway?
Yes, and it is one of the most common jobs here. Most St. James and Silver Heights homes were built for one car. We excavate, rebuild the base properly and widen in paving stone or concrete, taking the curved lot geometry into account so the finished shape actually looks intentional.
Why are the lots in Silver Heights such odd shapes?
Because Frank Lount’s 1950 plan used loops and crescents rather than a grid. That produces wedge and pie-shaped lots with curved frontages and side yards that vary house to house. It means a patio or driveway design cannot simply be copied from the neighbour’s — and it is a large part of why we measure everything on site.
Was Silver Heights built as veterans’ housing?
It is often described that way, but it was actually a private speculative subdivision by Frank Lount and Son, responding to postwar population growth — St. James went from about 13,000 people in 1940 to over 24,000 by 1955. The genuine veterans connection in this area is Deer Lodge, established in 1916.
How much does landscaping cost in St. James or Silver Heights?
Driveway replacement, regrading and patios typically run in the several-thousand range depending on size. A permitted riverbank wall on a Bourkevale lot is a considerably larger project. All quotes are free, on-site and line-itemed so you see the whole number first.
Do you work on the deep river lots along the Assiniboine?
Yes. Those lots fall away toward the river and often have genuine walk-out potential and real slope in the back third, which makes them some of the most interesting properties in the city to design. They also need permits and engineering, and we handle that side of it.
Do you offer free estimates in St. James and Silver Heights?
Yes. Free on-site consultations throughout St. James, Silver Heights, Deer Lodge, Bourkevale and Jameswood. We visit, read the grade and drainage, and give you a clear detailed quote.