The Manitoba government is investing $1.1 million from the Provincial Parks Endowment Fund to support park enhancement projects across the province, Environment, Climate and Parks Minister Jeff Wharton announced last Friday (Aug 26).
“Manitobans love their provincial parks and our government is excited to announce the latest round of park improvement projects,” said Wharton. “Through the Provincial Parks Endowment Fund, our government is ensuring that funds are available in perpetuity for important projects to help preserve public parks for future generations.”
In all, this year’s funding will support 64 improvement projects across Manitoba, the minister noted.
“Manitoba’s strengths are its people and its natural wonders, and nowhere is this more evident than in our stunning provincial parks,” said Lesley Anne Fuga, board member, Friends of Birds Hill Park Inc. “We applaud investments that improve accessibility and visitor experiences while also helping ensure the long-term ecological integrity of the parks we love.”
The funding will support a variety of accessibility improvements at Birds Hill Provincial Park, such as building an accessible path to the washrooms at the West Beach and paving the Bur Oak parking lot.
In Whiteshell Provincial Park, accessibility projects include the addition of eight new accessible campsites along with upgrades to 17 existing accessible campsites and the installation of 10 new accessible button door openers on public buildings such as camp offices, washrooms and shower facilities. Three accessible campsites will also be added at Grand Beach Provincial Park.
Other improvements include upgrades to yurts at various locations including Asessippi, Camp Morton, Stephenfield and Spruce Woods provincial parks.
In Nopiming Provincial Park, improvements will be made to picnic tables and campfire pits at backcountry canoe route sites along the Bird River, Seagrim’s Chain and the Rabbit River.
Improvements will also be undertaken at several boat launches in the northwest region, including Bakers Narrows, Clearwater Lake and Grass River.
At Hecla/Grindstone Provincial Park, projects include adding a viewing telescope and minor maintenance to the walkway through the marsh along with trail signage improvements and the addition of a new amphitheatre for interpretive programs. Renovations will also be made to the Hecla Village fish museum.
Funds will also support conservation and biodiversity enhancement projects including prairie management initiatives at Spruce Woods and Beaudry provincial parks.
For the complete list of 2022 Provincial Parks Endowment Fund projects, visit www.manitobaparks.com
Launched in 2021 with an initial investment of $20 million, the Provincial Parks Endowment Fund is expected to generate approximately $1 million per year to help enhance visitor experiences at Manitoba’s provincial parks. Priorities for the fund are determined through a process involving engagement of citizens and stakeholders, Wharton noted.
In addition, the province released a report today summarizing a public survey on the Provincial Parks Endowment Fund. In all, 2,232 people responded to the EngageMB survey. Results showed that Manitobans love parks, with many park projects identified as priorities, including trails, habitat restoration and enhancement along with improvement to campgrounds and other recreation facilities. This feedback played an important part in the decision-making process for allocating the funds, and park users will continue to have opportunities to provide input in future years. A link to the report can be found here: https://engagemb.ca/provincial-parks-endowment-funds
The Provincial Parks Endowment Fund encourages private and philanthropic contributions and enables the province to follow the wishes of generous donors who want to leave a legacy of support for parks. With a matching formula that provides one dollar for every two dollars donated from other sources, the fund has the capability to grow and support even more projects and improvements, noted Wharton.
Manitobans wishing to donate to the Provincial Parks Endowment Fund can find more information at www.manitobaparks.com Donations are administered through The Winnipeg Foundation.
Manitobans can stay up to date with provincial parks news, activities and events on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MBGovParks and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MBGovParks
