As a key part of its commitment to improve the quality and sustainability of provincial parks, the Manitoba government is inviting citizens to share their opinions about needed improvements and priority areas in an online survey, Conservation and Climate Minister Sarah Guillemard announced today.
“Earlier this year, our government announced the creation of the $20-million Provincial Parks Endowment Fund to support projects that enhance the ecological integrity and or public experiences at Manitoba provincial parks,” said Guillemard. “In support of the funds, we are seeking citizen and stakeholder input to help identify priority project areas or themes for funding through the endowment.”
The minister noted the annual public survey will help identify broad priority categories under which specific projects will receive funds as part of the endowment’s grant process.
These categories, formally established under an endowment fund agreement with The Winnipeg Foundation, include:
- development and maintenance of trails, boardwalks and associated infrastructure;
- public-use facilities such as amphitheaters, shelters, day-use sites, playground equipment, docks and launches;
- park road maintenance;
- habitat restoration and enhancement;
- historical assets and cultural sites;
- campground enhancements; and
- interpretive infrastructure to support programming.
The engagement plan seeks input from all provincial park visitors and users, including day-use visitors, overnight campers, cottagers and commercial businesses operating within provincial parks, the minister said. The public will have the opportunity to provide suggestions on specific park projects they would like to see funded.
In addition, the province plans to host annual meetings beginning in January with park stakeholder groups to seek their input. All public engagement results will help guide park modernization and improvement activities, while user satisfaction over time will be monitored via the annual survey.
“With feedback from Manitobans, we can better identify priority areas for improvements so we can make the best use of the endowment fund and ensure our provincial parks continue to be enjoyed by residents and visitors for generations to come,” said Guillemard.
The public engagement questionnaire on provincial park improvement priorities is available at https://engagemb.ca/.