NEXT STEPS: La Barrière Park

Oct 14, 2015

BACKGROUND

On September 24, 2015, Councillor Mayes (St. Vital Ward) and I held an open house to gather input and ideas from the community on how to improve La Barrière Park. With the growth of Waverley West, La Barrière Park has the potential to become a more heavily used park. For more information, please refer to the following information and maps:

Over 30 people attended the meeting and provided a wide range of ideas. Each brought different perspectives from areas of interest they represented. It became very clear that many, many folks with many, many different interests all use the park and have a wide range of ideas they would like to see implemented. Attendees’ interests focused on:

Ecological significance
Scouts Canada Camp activities (Camp Amisk)
Cycling
Heritage opportunities
Picnics and family gatherings
Water activities (canoe, kayak, fishing)
Equestrian usage
Dog walking
Baseball diamonds
Firepits and benches
Winter activities (cross country skiing, skijoring, snowshoeing)
Habitat restoration (riparian plantings, reforestation, water quality, etc.)
Disc golf
Increasing trails, trail use, trail connectivity to other sites
Raptor Rehabilitation Centre requirements
Washrooms
Residential and community development opportunities
Safety, vandalism, vehicular parking, access to waterways
Emergency services
Cyclo cross
Ice trail development (ice testing / etiquette signs in winter)

ACTION

Following the community meeting, discussions were held with the City of Winnipeg’s Public Service. This has resulted in the following actions:

1. DEVELOP A PARK MANAGEMENT PLAN: La Barrière Park is considered an ecologically significant area due to the extent of the pristine river bottom forest. In light of the ecological significance and the many, many diverse park users, the Public Service recommended a Management Plan be developed for La Barrière Park. This process would consider the needs and desires of various groups/individuals using the park, and take into consideration all environmental/habitat protection and preservation aspects. Funding would be required to develop this plan, which would lay the foundation and serve as a guiding document for decisions going forward. As an example, refer to the Park Management Plan that was developed for Bois des Esprits, a City Park located on the Seine River corridor in St. Vital: Management Plan for Bois Des Esprit

Councillor Mayes and I have asked the Public Service to provide an estimate on the cost of the Management Plan. The goal would be to develop the plan over the winter (2015/2016).

2. WASHROOM UPGRADE ESTIMATE: The Winnipeg Public Service has been tasked to provide:

An estimate of the cost of upgrading the existing washroom facilities
An estimate of the cost of replacing the existing washroom facilities (with and without running water)
The hope is to have costing included in the 2016 budget process

If you have any comments or would like to be added to my E-Mail list for future updates, please contact jlukes@winnipeg.ca

Thank you,
Councillor Janice Lukes