Riverbank improvement project gets boost

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This article was published 16/04/2019 (2576 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The east-end wetland at the Brandon Riverbank Discovery Centre just got a little a greener with the awarding of government funds.

The Brandon Riverbank Wetland restoration and Access Improvement project will receive $100,000 to support the restoration of wetlands damaged by flooding and the installation of a floating environmental education and nature appreciation feature. The total cost for the project is expected to be approximately $250,000.

Brandon Riverbank Inc. general manager James Montgomery was in Winnipeg Monday to receive the funds on behalf of the organization.

“This is an outstanding announcement for Brandon Riverbank and we’re looking forward to getting the project started,” Montgomery said.

The east-end wetland is an important wildlife habitat, Montgomery said, as it aids in the education of school groups and serves as a welcoming green space for residents who use the area recreationally.

The east-end restoration is one of many ongoing projects at the Riverbank Discover Centre, joining the newly-constructed Festival Park and a new tourism website, along with a planned sculptural garden and regular gardens.

“There’s a lot of balls here in the air at the Riverbank and it’s all very positive,” Montgomery said. “We’ve got a lot of things on the go here.”

The majority of planning and design has been completed for the restoration of the wetland.

The next step for the project is to have hydrology testing done to ensure the project follows the most cost-effective, feasible and environmentally-responsible way to keep the water levels up.

The goal is to stop the ponds in the area from draining every summer and fall, and the first order of business is surveying and getting experts including engineers and Duck Unlimited to begin the process.

“Any day now we should be doing some testing,” Montgomery said.

Work to the boardwalk, trails and bank enhancements are planned for later this summer.

They hope to have the project completed by October.

“If it ends up taking a little longer it’s not the end of the world,” Montgomery said.

The Riverbank Discovery Centre was among the first projects approved under the Manitoba government’s Conservation Trust on Monday.

The first round of initiatives included 41 projects receiving a total of $2.2 million in funds for areas that included watershed, habitat and wildlife, along with connecting people to nature and innovation and conservation planning.

The funding is based on a two-to-one matching formula, with the first round of projects receiving between $4,000 and $125,000.

The Conservation Trust was announced in Budget 2018 and has been permanently endowed in order to support conservation projects for generations. The fund is run by The Winnipeg Foundation, with projects administered, tracked and evaluated by the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation. The fund is expected to generate approximately $5 million per year.

The restoration of the wetland is indicative of an active Riverbank Discovery Centre, Montgomery said.

“With Festival Park opening and with the new wetland to the east being restored to fully functional use and with all the other pieces of the 20 years master plan on the horizon it’s a really exciting time. … It’s like a rejuvenation of an area that is very important to Brandon as a green space.”

» ckemp@brandonsun.com

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