June 2, 2021
Province Completes Significant Park Accessibility Improvements
– – –Upgrades Support Goals of National AccessAbility Week May 30 to June 5
The Manitoba government continues to make investments and improvements to enhance the visitor experience in provincial parks, including with increased installations of mobility mats that greatly improve accessibility to several of the busiest park beaches, Conservation and Climate Minister Sarah Guillemard announced today.
“Our provincial parks are designed for all Manitobans and we have made significant investments to improve their accessibility,” said Guillemard. “From mobility mats at beaches to accessible trails, buildings and other infrastructure, we support the goals of National AccessAbility Week and Manitoba Access Awareness Week, and want all park visitors to be comfortable and able to enjoy the great outdoors.”
The province has expanded the number of beaches that will improve access to the water with mobility mats. Often described as mobi-mats, they were introduced in Manitoba at Birds Hill and St. Malo provincial parks and have been added this year to Pioneer Bay Beach in Clearwater Lake Provincial Park, Falcon Lake Beach in Whiteshell Provincial Park, West Beach in Grand Beach Provincial Park and Kiche Manitou Beach in Spruce Woods Provincial Park, as well as in Lundar Beach, Winnipeg Beach and Rainbow Beach provincial parks.
At Lundar Beach, other upgrades include a ramp along the trail, wider doors on the washrooms and accessible pathway construction. A new accessible washroom at the south end of the campground is expected to be complete and operational this month.
Duff Roblin Provincial Park includes a $2-million accessible viewing platform near the Red River Floodway Inlet Control Structure in St. Norbert, ensuring full access to all who come to marvel at the floodway, the minister said, adding future plans at the park include an accessible walking trail and expanded seating.
Across the province, park redevelopment plans have included accessibility improvements such as an addition of fully accessible washrooms and showers in Paint Lake Provincial Park.
Recreation is an important part of the park experience, so accessible components have been added to playground structures at the Gyles, Brereton and Adam Lake campgrounds, at the Gull Harbour beach in Hecla and at Moose Lake. The play structure at the community centre at Grand Beach is being made fully accessible.
Trail users will see further improvements, such as a more accessible trail installed to replace a boardwalk and stair system at Pisew Falls, and improvements in the works at the Cedar Bog Trail in Birds Hill Provincial Park. Boardwalk sections will be added this year to frequently wet areas, which may not make the trail fully accessible but will improve the general accessibility of the area, Guillemard noted.
The minister added the week of May 30 to June 5 is National AccessAbility Week and Manitoba Access Awareness Week.
Manitobans can stay up to date with provincial parks news, activities and events by following Manitoba Parks on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MBGovParks or Twitter at https://twitter.com/MBGovParks.
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