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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.
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.
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.
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 Rosa 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.
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.
The Leo Mol Sculpture Garden displays more than three hundred works by Dr. Leo Mol, including bronze and ceramic sculptures, paintings and drawings. Opened in 1992, the sculpture garden has been expanded twice since.
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.
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..
The park also includes picnic areas.
The Terry Fox Fitness Trail, dedicated to the Canadian humanitarian's memory, is designed for disabled and non-disabled individuals alike. Assiniboine Park is wheelchair-accessible.
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.
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