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 Oakbank, Dugald, Anola & the RM of Springfield
Landscaping in Oakbank & the RM of Springfield, Manitoba
BerryHill Landscaping & Construction builds yards across Manitoba’s second-most-populous rural municipality — where the ground under Oakbank and the ground at Birds Hill behave like two different provinces. Complete new-build backyards, acreage grading and drainage, long driveways, patios, decks, retaining walls and shelterbelts, all built in-house. 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
Oakbank is the largest unincorporated community in Manitoba and the administrative seat of the RM of Springfield, which was incorporated in 1880 and named for the natural springs within its boundaries. The post office opened in 1899, the CPR line came through the village in 1906, and rural electrification arrived in 1949. Today the population centre sits at 5,041 and the RM at 16,142 — second-largest rural municipality in the province and fifth among all Manitoba municipalities.
It is a classic Winnipeg dormitory community, under twenty minutes east on Dugald Road, but the RM itself spans everything from industrial land against the city boundary through farmland to the Agassiz Provincial Forest, with Birds Hill Provincial Park in the northwest corner. That range is exactly why two Springfield jobs can be opposite problems.
Why two Springfield yards can need opposite solutions
This municipality contains two completely different ground regimes and a water supply that changes what materials survive:
Oakbank itself is clay over till, not sand. This is worth correcting, because people assume otherwise. A provincial groundwater investigation at Oakbank found two to five metres of lacustrine clay over 25 to 35 metres of glacial till with localised sand and gravel lenses, with carbonate bedrock at 25 to 40 metres. So the townsite behaves like clay — poor infiltration, shrink-swell, no natural fall. Anyone quoting your Oakbank lot as though it drains like sand is going to get the base wrong.
The sand and gravel is in the northwest corner. The Birds Hill esker-delta complex carries deposits 40 to 50 metres thick and sits about 30 metres higher than Winnipeg. It is where much of the region’s construction aggregate comes from. Ground there drains sharply and fast — the opposite design problem from Oakbank, on the same municipal tax roll.
The whole RM runs on groundwater, and it is hard. Springfield relies entirely on local groundwater for domestic, commercial and industrial use. Historic provincial sampling of private wells in the area found iron above guideline in 27 of 40 analyses, hardness over 600 mg/L in eastern areas, sulphate above guideline in several samples, and hydrogen sulphide complaints. For landscaping that is not trivia: well-fed irrigation rust-stains concrete, stone, fencing and siding orange. It changes which materials and which irrigation setup we recommend.
Most of the RM is on private well and septic. Municipal water serves Oakbank and Dugald — roughly 3,600 residents between them — plus Anola. With around 5,000 people in Oakbank alone, a large share of the municipality is unserviced. Septic field setbacks constrain driveways, patios and tree placement on every one of those properties.
Our landscaping services in Oakbank & the RM of Springfield
On a new subdivision lot in town or a working acreage out in the RM, we handle:
- Complete new-build backyards — Grading, hardscape, lawn and planting as one project. See complete landscaping.
- Acreage grading and drainage — Large-lot water management, swales and approach culverts. See grading and drainage.
- Long driveways and approaches — Gravel and paving stone, built to survive a full Manitoba freeze-thaw cycle. See paving stone driveways.
- Patios, decks and outdoor living — paving stone patios, deck construction, fire pits and outdoor kitchens scaled to a rural lot.
- Retaining walls and shelterbelts — retaining walls for grade changes, and tree and shrub planting including shelterbelt planting for wind and drifting snow.
- Irrigation built for hard water — irrigation specified with local groundwater in mind, plus sod installation and outdoor lighting.
Areas we serve around Oakbank & the RM of Springfield
We serve Oakbank, Dugald, Anola, Hazelridge, Cooks Creek, Garson and the wider RM of Springfield, including the Crystal Lakes area and the acreages toward Birds Hill Provincial Park. Nearby areas we also serve include East St. Paul, North Kildonan and Transcona. See all our Winnipeg and Manitoba service areas.
Why Oakbank & the RM of Springfield 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 read the ground before we quote it.
Clay at Oakbank, sand and gravel toward Birds Hill. Getting the base and drainage design right starts with knowing which one you are actually on.
Acreage work is normal for us.
Long approaches, large-lot drainage, shelterbelts and equipment access on rural properties — we do this across the region every season, not as an exception.
How it works
- Free on-site consultation
We come out to your Springfield property, read the ground and grade, locate your septic field if you are unserviced, and talk honestly about budget. - Design and fixed quote
3D renderings on larger projects. One line-itemed price covering base prep, materials and labour. - Build and final walkthrough
Grading and base prep first, then hardscape, lawn and planting. We do not consider it done until you sign off.
Book a free Oakbank or Springfield landscaping quote
New lot still sitting at rough grade, an acreage that floods every spring, or an approach that has washed out one too many times? Call 204-801-7669 or book a free on-site consultation, and we’ll give you a real plan and price for your yard.
Oakbank & the RM of Springfield landscaping questions
Who are the top landscapers in Oakbank and the RM of Springfield?
BerryHill Landscaping & Construction is among the top-rated landscaping companies serving Oakbank, Dugald, Anola and the wider RM of Springfield, with 15+ years of experience in Manitoba’s climate and 300+ reviews across Google, Houzz, Facebook and HomeStars. We work both the serviced townsite and the acreages, which are genuinely different jobs.
Is Oakbank on sandy soil?
No, and it is a common misconception worth clearing up. Provincial groundwater investigation at Oakbank found two to five metres of lacustrine clay over 25 to 35 metres of glacial till, with bedrock at 25 to 40 metres. The townsite behaves like clay. The sand and gravel people are thinking of is the Birds Hill esker in the RM’s northwest corner, more than 20 km away, where deposits run 40 to 50 metres thick.
Will my well water stain my new patio?
It can, and it is worth planning for. Historic provincial sampling of private wells in this area found iron above the guideline in 27 of 40 analyses, with hardness over 600 mg/L in the eastern part of the RM. Iron-rich irrigation water leaves orange staining on concrete, stone, fencing and siding. We factor that into material selection and into how an irrigation system is zoned and aimed.
How does my septic field affect the yard design?
Substantially. You cannot drive on it, pave it, build a patio on it or plant trees that will find it, and it has to stay accessible. Most of the RM outside Oakbank, Dugald and Anola is on private well and septic, so this comes up on the majority of acreage jobs. We locate it before designing.
Do you build long rural driveways?
Yes. Long approaches in gravel or paving stone, with the culvert and grading work that keeps them from washing out. On a rural lot the driveway is usually the largest single hardscape element and the one that suffers most from a shortcut on base depth.
What is different about landscaping near Birds Hill?
The ground drains sharply rather than holding water, because you are on esker sand and gravel rather than lakebed clay. That changes irrigation needs, plant selection and base design, and it means a drainage plan copied from an Oakbank lot will not suit.
How much does landscaping cost in Oakbank or Springfield?
Town lot work is comparable to Winnipeg pricing; acreage work generally costs more simply because of the scale involved. Grading and drainage starts in the low thousands, and complete backyard packages run considerably higher. All quotes are free, on-site and line-itemed.
Do you plant shelterbelts on acreages?
Yes. On an exposed Springfield acreage a properly designed shelterbelt handles wind, snow drift and privacy at once. We use Zone 3 hardy species with correct spacing so it establishes rather than struggling for a decade.
Do you offer free estimates in Oakbank and the RM of Springfield?
Yes. Free on-site consultations throughout Oakbank, Dugald, Anola and the surrounding RM. We visit, read the ground, locate services, and give you a clear detailed quote.