The Manitoba government is investing more than $450,000 from the Provincial Parks Endowment Fund to support improvement projects in parks across the province.
“We are committed to the ongoing maintenance and improvement of provincial parks as places of relaxation, adventure, recreation and tranquility,” said Conservation and Climate Minister Sarah Guillemard. “Through the Provincial Parks Endowment Fund, we will ensure funding is available in perpetuity for important projects that will enhance these experiences.”
The new funding will support a variety of accessibility improvements, such as an installation of a mobility mat for a beach in Clearwater Lake Provincial Park, surface improvements to the Bur Oak Trail in Birds Hill Provincial Park for users of wheelchairs and an addition of accessible picnic tables in parks across Manitoba.
Other improvements include repairs to the Bakers Narrows main beach, new signage for Pisew Falls and upgrades to yurts at Paint Lake, Bakers Narrows, Clearwater Lake, Asessippi and Spruce Woods provincial parks.
Further upgrades to trails will be made along the Bear Lake Trail in Whiteshell Provincial Park and at Disappearing Lakes in Turtle Mountain Provincial Park, while campground improvements include electrical pedestal replacements or relocations in Stephenfield and Duck Mountain provincial parks.
The $20-million Provincial Parks Endowment Fund is expected to generate as much as $1 million per year to assist in offsetting the increased costs of enhancing and sustaining Manitoba’s provincial parks, Guillemard said. Priorities for the fund are determined through a process involving engagement of citizens and stakeholders.
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 Guillemard.
To learn more about Manitoba’s provincial parks, visit gov.mb.ca.
