Assiniboine Park

Assiniboine Park (formerly known as City Park) is a major urban park in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, located along the Assiniboine River. The park is named for the Assiniboine people. The Winnipeg Public Parks Board was established in 1893 and acquired the initial land for the park in 1904. Although the grounds were in use earlier, the park officially opened in 1909. Assiniboine Park covers 450 hectares (1,100 acres), of which 160 hectares (400 acres) are designed in the English landscape style. The park includes 280 hectares (700 acres) of Assiniboine Forest, the Assiniboine Park Zoo, conservatory and garden spaces, the historic Assiniboine Park Pavilion, formal and informal gardens, performance and recreational facilities, and a range of cultural and educational attractions. Conservatory and gardens There is evidence that Henry Sandham Griffith designed a landscape layout for the park in April 1894. Conservatory One of the earliest park features and a major indoor attraction, The Conservatory is a botanical garden housing more than 8,000 flowers, plants and trees that are non-native to Manitoba, but which grow profusely under the ideal conditions created in the Palm House and Display Garden. The original Palm House was erected in 1914, and in 1968 a fully modern structure was built over and around the Palm House, enclosing it. It was announced in early 2018 that the Assiniboine Park Conservatory would close permanently in April 2018 due to ongoing renovation costs and it reaching the end of its "useful life". The building has since been demolished, and usage of the existing space has not been determined. In 2018 a group of citizens spoke out about the future Diversity Gardens, that visitors will have to pay an admission fee like at the Zoo, and that this will cause lower income citizens to be unable to afford to visit the new displays. English Garden Known throughout North America for its luxuriant display of thousands of annual and perennial flowers, the English Garden (established between 1926 and 1927) contains nearly 3 acres of flowers, shrubs and trees arranged in the traditional English style. From the outset, the English Garden was designed to serve as a popular park attraction where local residents and tourists could obtain information about specialized floriculture in Manitoba. New plant varieties have been introduced annually. A large rose garden (with more than 400 bushes (there are only a few remnants of roses in this area.) of Floribunda, Grandiflora and Rugosa varieties), broken into four sections, surrounds a central, fish-filled lily pond. (No roses exist in this area, the central pond has a large fountain in it, no fish or lilies exist.) The English Garden is open free of charge to the public every day of the year. Formal garden The Formal Garden, located at the southeast park entrance, was designed in 1907 by Frederick Todd as part of the original park. It features flower beds in sharply defined geometric shapes that stand out from the grassy areas. Each of the beds, as well as the overall design, is symmetrical. Leo Mol Sculpture Garden The Leo Mol Sculpture Garden opened in Assiniboine Park on June 18, 1992, following the donation of a major collection by Ukrainian Canadian sculptor Leo Mol. In 1990, Mol donated more than 300 bronze sculptures, terracottas, paintings and drawings to the City of Winnipeg, providing the basis for the garden's collection. In 1991, the Winnipeg Foundation contributed $50,000 toward the garden's creation. Located near the Pavilion and adjacent to the park's English Garden, the sculpture garden was developed in phases by landscape architects Garry Hilderman, Heather Cram and Natasa Juck of Winnipeg-based HTFC Planning & Design, working in collaboration with Mol and the City of Winnipeg. Its design places Mol's sculptures among flowers, shrubs, walkways and seating areas. In 1994, the landscape architects received a Regional Merit Award from the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects for their work on the garden. The garden also contains the Leo Mol Gallery and the Leo Mol Schoolhouse Studio. Mol had purchased the former Corona School District No. 1706 schoolhouse in the 1960s and used it as a studio during the 1970s and 1980s. The building was moved from Birds Hill to the sculpture garden in 1995 and restored. Its interior retains moulds and plaster casts associated with Mol's major works, illustrating stages in the creation of a bronze sculpture. The sculpture garden has been expanded twice since its opening to accommodate further works by Mol. Its indoor and outdoor displays include bronze and ceramic sculptures, paintings and drawings, while the subjects of Mol's sculptures include human figures, portraits, animals and figures drawn from mythology. The garden is open throughout the year. Prominent attractions This large park hosts several attractions. Pavilion and theatre The park’s signature feature, the Assiniboine Park Pavilion, was an early centre of Winnipeg’s social life. Originally designed by John D. Atchison and completed in 1908, the pavilion included a dance hall, banquet hall, and lunch and catering facilities. A 27-metre (90-foot) tower housed the pump and water tower for the park’s water system. The original pavilion was destroyed by fire in May 1929. The present, larger pavilion was designed by architects Northwood and Chivers and opened in May 1930. It remains one of Winnipeg’s most recognizable landmarks. The Lyric Theatre is a large outdoor stage located next to the Pavilion. Opened in 1999, it carries on the tradition of bandshell entertainment near the Pavilion that started in the 1920s. Zoo The 90 acres (36 ha) Assiniboine Park Zoo is at the western end of the park just north of the main parking area, and is home to over 300 animal species. It initially opened in July 1908. Foot bridge The first footbridge across the Assiniboine River was built in 1908, shortly after Assiniboine Park opened. As park use increased, the bridge was later considered too narrow to safely accommodate pedestrian traffic. A second footbridge was constructed to connect the St. James district at Overdale Street with Assiniboine Park. The pedestrian and active transportation bridge opened in May 1932 and was officially inaugurated by Winnipeg mayor Ralph Webb. A small portion of the park, measuring 2 hectares (5 acres), lies north of the Assiniboine River. Together with the footbridge, this area provides pedestrian access to the main park grounds from Portage Avenue.. Children's Nature and Adventure Playground Opened in May 2011 as part of the Park's redevelopment, a 0.81 ha (2-acre) Children's Nature and Adventure Playground was built as a children's play area. It is located adjacent to the Pavilion and cost $6 million. The play area features a kid-size doorway, although adult throughway is also provided. The relocated Winnie-the-Pooh statue is inside the Nature Playground area. Railway Adjacent to Roblin Boulevard, the last steam locomotive to run scheduled service in Canada, CNR 6043, CN U-1-d "Mountain", 4-8-2, is on permanent display courtesy of the Winnipeg Railway Museum. A 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway named Assiniboine Park Railroad operates in one section of the park, which features a working steam locomotive made by Crown Metal Products. Duck pond Toward the north of the park, and just to one side of the pedestrian footbridge from Portage Avenue is the serpentine duck pond. Originally a fenced area, in the 2010s the duck pond was upgraded with new plants and benches. Although called a duck pond, it is more common to find Canada geese swimming there. In 2012, a $1.5 million donation was made by the Riley family for improvements. Sports Assiniboine Park contains playgrounds, bicycle paths, baseball diamonds, athletic fields, soccer fields, cricket facilities, and a clubhouse. The Terry Fox Fitness Trail runs through the park's southeast corner and features outdoor fitness equipment and instructional signage. Assiniboine Park Riparian Forest Project The Assiniboine Park Riparian Forest Project purposes to help the riparian forest recover from heavy use and enhance the recreational trail experience. The ongoing riverbank restoration project, begun in 2006, continues each summer. The project concerns the strip of forest along the Assiniboine River within Assiniboine Park, a well-known and much-loved recreational area just east of the footbridge on the south side of Portage Avenue. Over many years, the forest has suffered a loss of vegetation due to flooding, invasive plant species that replace native species, and trampling from recreational activities such as hiking and biking. Generations of heavy usage has resulted in the creation of an extensive trail network, soil compaction and large areas of bare ground. Restoration is underway in the forest through careful planning, cooperation from trail-users and efforts such as tree planting, invasive species removal and creating a main trail. The project's aim is that by reducing the impact of recreation in the forest, this natural area will still be around for generations to enjoy 100 years from now. Gallery See also List of botanical gardens in Canada Winnipeg arts and culture Further reading Spector, David (2019). Assiniboine Park: Designing and Developing a People's Playground. Great Plains Publications. ISBN 9781773370125 References External links Assiniboine Park (official website)