Spruce Woods hiking trails, campground on tap for improvements

SPRUCE WOODS PROVINCIAL PARK — A floating boardwalk and viewing platform will be added to the trail network in Spruce Woods Provincial Park, part of more than $2 million in upgrades announced by the province Friday.

Parts of two hiking trails will be upgraded, along with improvements for Kiche Manitou campground’s electrical services.

“We want to ensure that whether you are taking a hike, pitching a tent, or attending a campfire talk, that your park experience is safe, accessible and memorable,” Environment Minister Mike Moyes said after announcing the funding at the park visitor centre.

“These projects reflect our government’s commitment to maintaining high-quality recreational spaces and support for park operations, while preserving the ecological and cultural integrity of our parks.”

The improvements include the floating boardwalk and viewing platform on Isputinaw Trail.

Bridge repairs will be carried out on Spring Ridge Trail, where a flooded bridge has been out of commission since at least the 2011 and 2012 floods, said Ann Stout, president of the Friends of Spruce Woods Provincial Park.

The funding will pay for 70 new electrical hookups at Kiche Manitou.

Stout said the new funding is “beyond my wildest dreams.”

“Our hiking trails and biking trails are so important — that’s why our park is used, like, all year-round,” she said.

Moyes said repairs on the Spring Ridge Trail will make it a full loop.

“This bridge is going to complete the loop of the trail and will allow visitors to safely explore springs along the Assiniboine River, and is a key feature along the Trans Canada Trail here in the park,” he said.

Sloan Cathcart, head of interpretation for Manitoba Parks, said that’s one of the most important things the park offers.

“Park interpretation is at the heart of what makes a visit to our parks meaningful,” Cathcart said. “It’s not just about seeing our parks. It’s about understanding them.”

He said interpreters offer guided hikes, discovery tables, campfire talks, amphitheatre presentations and school tours. The upgrades, he said, will allow people to get closer to nature.

“The new floating boardwalk and platform will allow visitors to safely access and appreciate the sensitive wetland areas here in the river-bottom forest, critical for bird watching and ecological education,” he said.

“Park interpreters will now be able to bring school groups and families closer to the unique habitats without damaging them, creating immersive, up-close learning experiences in nature.”

Cathcart encouraged people to explore the park, along with the other provincial parks Manitoba has to offer.

Moyes said there’s no significance to the timing of the announcement — one of many in and around the Spruce Woods constituency, where a byelection has to be held by Sept. 16.

More announcements would be made, he said, if the province weren’t in the midst of its worst wildfire season in 30 years.

He said additional announcements will be made after the emergency has ended.

“We’re looking forward to really outlining some of the other improvements that we’re going to be able to make in our provincial parks right across the province,” Moyes said.

— Brandon Sun