August 8, 2015
Manitoba Families and Visitors to Benefit from Investments in Spruce Woods Provincial Park: Minister Nevakshonoff
Improvements made to Spruce Woods Provincial Park will ensure the park remains accessible for Manitoba families and visitors during times of high water, Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Tom Nevakshonoff announced today.
“Because of its unique landscape and physical beauty, including the iconic Spirit Sands Desert, we know Spruce Woods is a favourite destination in our province,” said Minister Nevakshonoff. “Because of its proven importance to Manitoba families, we want to make access to Spruce Woods easier and to ensure people can still visit this wonderful place even during high-water events.”
In the spring of 2011, unprecedented flooding and ice jams on the Assiniboine River caused extensive damage to the Kiche Manitou campground and other areas of the park, leaving much of it inundated with high water for months. Since those events, the Manitoba government has embarked on a multi-phase and multi-million dollar plan for repair and restoration to the park’s facilities, the minister said.
The first phase of work was completed last summer and included investments in cleanup and repair to the campground, construction of flood-resistant washroom/shower buildings, a new sewage lagoon outside the flood zone, restoration of all roads and access points in the campground along with improvements to the beach and day use areas.
Minister Nevakshonoff said a total of $7.5 million has been spent on park improvements to date and a further $5.2 million will be spent in 2015-16, with additional funding earmarked for future phases.
He said the second phase of work will commence later this month and will include:
- construction of a new park entrance outside the flood-prone zone,
- road system improvements within the park to maintain access during high-water events,
- construction of a new force main and lift stations to connect to the new sewage lagoon,
- construction of a new maintenance yard, and
- continued work on shoreline erosion control.
When the current work is completed, the province will then start on the final phases of the work in Spruce Woods Provincial Park including more improvements to the day-use area, continued work on flood mitigation and the construction of a new park entrance along with a centralized washroom/shower and laundry building in the flood protection zone, the minister said.
“Not only will these investments result in improved access to Spruce Woods, there will be economic benefits as well,” Minister Nevakshonoff added. “Increased flood mitigation and improvements to infrastructure will mean more days that all parts of the park can be used. It is a winning formula for the thousands of people who choose to visit this wonderful part of western Manitoba.”
- 30 -