The Manitoba government has announced that it will invest more than $450,000 from the Provincial Parks Endowment Fund to aid in improving parks across the province, a report said.
“We are committed to the ongoing maintenance and improvement of provincial parks as places of relaxation, adventure, recreation, and tranquility. Through the Provincial Parks Endowment Fund, we will ensure funding is available in perpetuity for important projects that will enhance these experiences,” said the Minister of Conservation and Climate Sarah Guillemard in a press release.
The funding is intended to support various accessibility enhancements. This includes the installation of a mobility mat for a beach in Clearwater Lake Provincial Park, as well as surface improvements to the Bur Oak Trail in Birds Hill Provincial Park to accommodate wheelchair users. Accessible picnic tables will also be added in parks throughout Manitoba.
Additional improvements comprise repairs for Bakers Narrows main beach, new signage for Pisew Falls, and upgrades to the yurts located at Paint Lake, Bakers Narrows, Clearwater Lake, Asessippi, and Spruce Woods provincial parks.
Upgrades will also be carried out in trails along the Bear Lake Trail in Whiteshell Provincial Park and at Disappearing Lakes in Turtle Mountain Provincial Park. There will also be campground improvements that include replacing electric pedestals or relocations within Stephenfield and Duck Mountain provincial parks.
The CA$20-million Provincial Parks Endowment Fund is anticipated to bring in up to 1 million Canadian dollars annually to offset the rising costs of improving and maintaining Manitoba parks, Guillemard said.
The priorities for the fund are established through a procedure that requires the involvement of both stakeholders and citizens.
The Provincial Parks Endowment Fund encourages donations from philanthropists and private individuals and allows the province to fulfill the wishes of donors who wish to support parks. Through a matching formula that grants one dollar for every two dollars donated from other sources, the fund can increase and help fund even more improvements and projects, Guillemard said.