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Council approves $10M for new gardens at Assiniboine Park amid concerns about access, transparency

City council has formalized Winnipeg's financial contribution to Assiniboine Park's new gardens and plant conservatory amid concerns about the future cost of admission and the transparency of the agency that runs the park.

Site preparation has started on $75M 'diversity gardens'

Bartley Kives · CBC News ·

Council approves $10M for new gardens at Assiniboine Park amid concerns about access, transparency

7 years ago
Duration 1:45
City council has formalized Winnipeg's financial contribution to Assiniboine Park's new gardens and plant conservatory amid concerns about the future cost of admission and the transparency of the agency that runs the park.

City council has formalized Winnipeg's financial contribution to Assiniboine Park's new gardens and plant conservatory amid concerns about the future cost of admission and the transparency of the agency that runs the park.

Council voted 11-5 on Wednesday to approve a previously announced $10-million commitment to Canada's Diversity Gardens, a $75-million project that encompasses both outdoor gardens at Assiniboine Park and a replacement for the aging conservatory.

"It's a celebration of plants and biodiversity," said Bruce Keats, chief operations officer for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, the non-profit agency that runs the park.

"This development will be a horticultural showcase for not only the City of Winnipeg and the Province of Manitoba, but in Canada and certainly in North America."

The development plan for the gardens also calls for the province to contribute $15 million, $35 million from the federal government and $15 million from private donors. The total project cost increased by 50 per cent since it was envisioned in 2010.

A man wearing a black suit with a blue tie outside.
Bruce Keats, chief operating officer of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, calls the new gardens 'a celebration of plants and biodiversity.' (Daniel Igne-Jajalla/Radio-Canada)
Although the conservancy is not asking the city to commit any additional funding, Coun. Russ Wyatt (Transcona) raised concerns on the floor of council about the rising price tag for the project, continuing city contributions to the conservancy and the confidential nature of the business plan for the gardens.

"I don't really sense or believe that the business plan should be kept confidential. I think it deserves to be both analyzed and an analyis brought back to council," said Wyatt, who failed to persuade his council colleagues to demand more information from the conservancy.

Keats said an executive summary of the business plan was presented to all members of council, but only city administrators have seen the full document.

"We compete with all attractions in the province of Manitoba and we hope to have that competitive advantage in terms of our strategic initiatives," Keats said, naming the Manitoba Museum and Winnipeg Art Gallery as competitors.
Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt says he doesn't understand why the Assiniboine Park Conservancy needs to keep the business plan for its new gardens confidential. (Daniel Igne-Jajalla/CBC News)
Wyatt also raised concerns about the future cost of admission to the new indoor facility. Keats estimated admission will be somewhere in the vicinity of $10 for adults and $5 for kids, with package deals for people who take out memberships with both the Assiniboine Park Zoo and the new gardens.

"Anything they can can do keep the cost of admission low for Winnipeg families is obviously something we would welcome," Mayor Brian Bowman said.

"I would pay $10, plus more. I would. I think it's worth it," said Wendy Hiebert, a gardening enthusiast from Niverville, Man. "I love my flowers. And what I see here is really well done."

Site preparation has started on the new gardens. Pending the confirmation of both federal and provincial funding, construction will wrap up in 2019, Keats said.

Along with Wyatt, Couns. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan), Shawn Dobson (St. Charles) Ross Eadie (Mynarski), Jason Schreyer (Elmwood-East Kildonan) voted against the city funding for the gardens.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bartley Kives

Senior reporter, CBC Manitoba

Bartley Kives joined CBC Manitoba in 2016. Prior to that, he spent three years at the Winnipeg Sun and 18 at the Winnipeg Free Press, writing about politics, music, food and outdoor recreation. He's the author of the Canadian bestseller A Daytripper's Guide to Manitoba: Exploring Canada's Undiscovered Province and co-author of both Stuck in the Middle: Dissenting Views of Winnipeg and Stuck In The Middle 2: Defining Views of Manitoba.

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