Fees for Assiniboine Park's new conservatory will exclude low-income families, protesters say

About a dozen protesters rallied outside Assiniboine Park's Conservatory Saturday, calling for free admission to Canada's Diversity Gardens, which will replace the soon-to-close conservatory.

This Monday is the final day the current conservatory, packed with tropical trees and plants, will be open to the public. It will be replaced by a building called The Leaf in late 2020, as part of the $75-million Diversity Gardens project.

The Leaf will be bigger, at 6,000-square metres, and will offer multiple climate zones to wander around in, including a butterfly garden. But for the first time ever, the park will charge an entrance fee for the new conservatory.

For more than a century, Winnipeggers have been able to take off their coats on cold winter days and step inside a little piece of the tropics at the conservatory for free. The perpetually warm, humid greenhouse was a popular spot for young families and visits with grandparents alike.

Molly McCracken, one of the protest organizers, says just 15 minutes sitting under the glass roof, surrounded by lush green plants, can feel like a mini vacation.

"There's something about breathing in the warm, tropical air," she said. "I always feel better after leaving the conservatory."

McCracken and the other protesters who gathered outside the conservatory Saturday argue access to that space should be available to everyone, regardless of how much money they have — the land is public and part of Assiniboine Park's operating budget is paid for by the city.

McCracken, who works as a director with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives think-tank, said she's beginning to see a trend when it comes to public amenities at the park. The Assiniboine Park Zoo started charging admission fees in 1993, and now the facility replacing the conservatory will also charge an admission fee.

"Somehow non-profit charities that are running these places need to be self-sufficient but that's a misnomer. Part of the mandate of a park is to be available to everyone, no matter what their level of income is."

About 40 per cent of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy's operating budget is paid for by the City of Winnipeg. The remaining 60 per cent is covered by renting space, charging admission, donations and sponsorships.

Laura Cabak, a spokesperson for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, says the park's goal is to rely less on government grants and more on other sources of revenues.

"This is the reality that we're operating within. We were also mandated by the City of Winnipeg, when we were created in 2008, to go down a path of being continually less reliant on taxpayer dollars," she said.

While visitors to The Leaf will have to pay, Cabak points out the outdoor gardens as part of Canada's Diversity Gardens will be free to visit. The park is also planning to offer a membership plan, like the Assiniboine Park Zoo's, to make frequent visits easier for families to afford.

Assiniboine Park is not ready to discuss how much they are planning to charge visitors. Cabak said it is very rare, however, for a facility as large as The Leaf to offer a pay-what-you-can option.

"We don't know exactly what the fee structure will be at this time. There is certainly more planning and research that needs to take place," she said.

Through a Facebook group, called No user fees at Diversity Gardens, McCracken says she will continue to pressure Mayor Brian Bowman and the board of Assiniboine Park to consider a model that does not require visitors to pay an entrance fee.