Ottawa ponies up cash for tourism

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This article was published 09/06/2022 (929 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The federal government is injecting $10.8 million into a range of projects across Manitoba to boost the struggling tourism economy.

“Over the past two years, we have encountered many challenges in sharing the passion and wonders of our province with the world… Today’s announcement is the beginning of the next chapter,” said Liberal MP Jim Carr at a news conference at The Forks Friday.

Recipients include Assiniboine Park Conservancy ($1 million), The Forks ($918,000), Fort Whyte Alive ($748,000) and Economic Development Winnipeg ($500,000).

In addition, several rural municipalities are set to get a chunk of change to create trails and build tennis courts and playgrounds.

Colin Ferguson, president of Travel Manitoba, said the federal boost will help the tourism economy recover from the pandemic and rise to $1.6 billion in visitor spending by 2024.

The Forks plans to use the funding to expand its waterfront, add lights and seating and develop a treaty knowledge centre at the site of the former Muddy Waters restaurant that will detail Indigenous history and treaties.

“Understanding what our ancestors wanted as they entered into that treaty process is fundamental and significant for us to move forward… understanding the treaties will provide us with much better context so we can address (reconciliation),” said Loretta Ross, who heads the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba.

The centre is set to open in the fall of 2022.

Assiniboine Park will use the money to continue its development of The Leaf, a four-season attraction complete with a butterfly garden and biomes which will showcase tropical and Mediterranean plant life.

The conservancy has said the Leaf could open fully to the public by the end of the year.

Winnipeg Liberal MP Terry Duguid described Manitoba’s tourism sector as “critical for a strong Prairie and Canadian economy.”

The cash comes from the Tourism Relief Fund ($3.4 million), the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund ($900,000) and the Canada Community Revitalization Fund ($6.5 million).

The announcement was made days after Economic Development Winnipeg revealed Winnipeg’s new “Made from what’s real” campaign and logo.

tyler.searle@winnipegfreepress.com