Assiniboine Park Conservancy
The Assiniboine Park Conservancy (APC) is the not-for profit organization responsible for the operation of Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Park. The APC’s mandate is to lead, manage, fundraise, restore, and redevelop the Assiniboine Park and its amenities. The APC operates independently from the City, and their not-for profit status gives the organization the opportunity to fundraise and access different funding sources not available to the City of Winnipeg.
In 2008, Assiniboine Park, an immense 400-acre park located at the western edge of Winnipeg known as the jewel of the Winnipeg park system, was at its lowest point. Established in 1904 by the City of Winnipeg and designed by Frederick Todd, the park reflected the city’s aspirations as a prairie metropolis and gateway to the Canadian west. A large suburban park with expansive green spaces and one of the oldest zoos in Canada, it provided recreation and escape for city folk. However, the park’s size made it hard for the City to maintain and by 2008 it had deteriorated to the point where the City identified that 95% of the facilities were in poor condition. To add to the infrastructure problems, attendance was declining and the Assiniboine Zoo was about to lose its accreditation.
In order to save the park, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy was formed in 2008 as a private/public not-for profit, charitable organization combining three existing not-for profits already present in the park: Friends of the Assiniboine Park Conservatory, Partners in the Park, and the Zoological Society of Manitoba. Assiniboine Park Conservancy was given a mandate to develop, govern, and manage the overall park and its amenities. This new entity entered into a 50-year lease with the City of Winnipeg, which owns the property and assets.
Kaaren Pearce, Director of Grounds & Horticulture, explained to Park People how the Assiniboine Park Conservancy is transforming and revitalizing this urban park that plays such an important and emotional role in the lives of Winnipeggers.
The Assiniboine Park Conservancy (APC) is the not-for profit organization responsible for the operation of Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Park. The APC’s mandate is to lead, manage, fundraise, restore, and redevelop the Assiniboine Park and its amenities. The APC operates independently from the City, and their not-for profit status gives the organization the opportunity to fundraise and access different funding sources not available to the City of Winnipeg.
In 2009, the APC unveiled a visionary redevelopment plan for the entire park to help the organization meet its long-term goals and objectives. “The challenge was to take this historic park and restore it and to make sure it is still relevant for many generations to come.” Kaaren says. “So then we asked ourselves, what do we need to do to fix it?” The park was in a state of decay, and so the vision needed to incorporate the parks immediate needs, in terms of it being a safe place to visit for Winnipeggers, while at the same time creating a long term plan. When asked to speak to the opportunities and challenges to this plan, Kaaren says that the APC’s “opportunity was to take something that was falling apart and people were really upset about, and turn it into something beautiful. A real challenge is gaining trust. We needed to prove ourselves to the stakeholders and to the City.”
The campaign contained three phases, two of which are complete. Phase 1, Heart of the Park, involved improving 30 recreational acres including the Streuber Family Children’s Garden and Nature Playground, expanded Riley Family Duck Pond and the Qualico Family Centre.
The second phase was improving the Assiniboine Park Zoo, and converting a 14-acre section of the zoo into Journey to Churchill, a major attraction for housing polar bears, but also for education and raising awareness around climate change. The third phase of the campaign, currently in process, is Canada’s Diversity Gardens project.
Along with its initial redevelopment plan, the APC also had to create a strategic plan addressing how they were going to inhabit the space and exist in the long term. Through the years, the strategic plan has had to evolve with the organization. Initially focused on immediate infrastructure requirements, the plan now incorporates more aspects of the park, such as the people who work and visit, as well as care of the living things--the animals and plants that grow there, along with the turf fields and the riparian forest. “At first we were most concerned with the question of how do we build? How do we grow capacity, raise money, stay accountable to all our stakeholders?” Kaaren explains. “Now the strategic plan addresses how we make sure we are accountable to the people. Not just the people who come here, but the people who work and volunteer here. The people are the biggest part of the APC.”
The APC is governed by a Board of Directors. This Board provides leadership, guidance and essential connections to the communities the park serves, and keeps the not-for profit focused on its mandate. Many fundraising opportunities are accessed through diverse relationships connected to various members of the Board.The strength of the Board lies in its diversity, as its members come from all walks of life, from business leaders, educators to politicians and Indigenous leaders as well as a City Councilor.
Gaining public trust and recognition was the first step in the Assiniboine Park Conservancy’s path to successful park management. When the City of Winnipeg first handed over management of the park to the APC, the public had many questions as to who this new not-for profit was, and what they would be doing. Having a strategic plan and fundraising campaign was key to including the public in the vision for the park.
Transitioning to a conservancy model, City staff working in the park had the choice to transition to APC staff or remain with the City, and while Kaaren estimates that approximately 95% of staff made the change, the transition from municipally governed management to the not-for profit model had its challenges. Long term City staff had to adjust to the new management model, and to manage the long term re-development goals while at the same time maintaining daily upkeep of the park.
While the APC is a not-for profit organization, they do have an entrepreneurial perspective, and their funding structure is quite diverse. The City provides funds for maintenance of amenities on an ongoing basis, as well as funding for capital projects, which is projected to diminish over time as the APC continues towards self-sufficiency. Other revenue sources include three restaurants, rental fees (e.g. field and event rentals), admission fees for certain park activities, and a variety of ongoing fundraising initiatives. The admissions fees are a delicate balancing act, and sometimes there is controversy. What is the appropriate balance of free and paid activities? The APC is building an endowment called “Parkshare” designed to make park and zoo programming, admissions, and transportation more accessible for child, youth, and seniors groups facing financial barriers.
As they diversify their revenue, the APC’s long term financial goal is to be increasingly self-sufficient and able to manage a higher percentage of park operation costs through their own revenue. “The APC is different from a public park because of the way that we get money and how we can use it,” Kaaren says. The APC reports annually on its operations to all stakeholders, including numerous City of Winnipeg departments.
A final key approach to the success of the APC’s governance model is the involvement of volunteers. With over 300 volunteers engaged in the park, their role is integral to park life. “We couldn’t do half of what we do without volunteers” Kaaren says, “We couldn’t have a proper Conservancy without them.” Volunteers engage as nature, garden, and wildlife interpreters, assist with special events, and help with exhibits. Staff also engage with the volunteers on an ongoing basis, and often the two groups participate in training and education opportunities together, strengthening their relationship, and in turn creating a better park environment for all.
Since the formation of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy in 2008, the park has undergone a remarkable transformation with significant improvements. The park holds emotional significance to Winnipeg residents, and Kaaren describes the APC’s work through the words of their CEO Margaret Redmond: “Giving life back to an old friend, how often do you get to do that?”
The Imagine a Place campaign and other fundraising initiatives have supported significant park improvements. As an example, the revitalized Pavilion has a partnership with Winnipeg Art Gallery and houses rare and world renowned art collections. The Assiniboine Park Zoo is managed by the APC, and continues to be a popular tourist destination holding national and international zoological accreditation. Income from the admission fees go directly back to the operation of the park. There have also been countless other improvements to the park, including communication infrastructure upgrades, new gates, fences, trails and paths, forest and field renovations.
The APC’s model of inclusivity and accessibility is transferable to parks across Canada. Parks are vital to public life, and it is important that the public can access and enjoy them. Offering free activities and events so the park is accessible to all, while at the same time bringing in revenue in order for the APC to sustain its operations, is a fine balance.
Respecting the different communities present in the park is also important to its accessibility. The APC recognizes that it is on the territory of Treaty 1, and Indigenous people’s presence is incorporated to the annual cycle of the park, including park blessing and smudges, as well as extensive consultation for the development of the Diversity Garden. In order to address communities that may experience financial barriers in accessing Assiniboine Park, the APC created the Parkshare Endowment Fund in 2016.
Building trust and being transparent has helped the APC develop a good working relationship with the City of Winnipeg so that they can work together on certain park management issues. For example, when the Emerald Ash Borer was discovered in Winnipeg, the APC was able to take over the maintenance of the ash trees in the park, based on the City’s management strategy. This enabled more resources to be used for parks managed by the City. Of this unique governance model, Kaaren says that “The biggest part in the Conservancy model is cooperation and collaboration…. It shows what people can do when they put their heads together and really put a committed effort to a common goal.”
- The Assiniboine Park Conservancy’s mandate is to lead, manage, fundraise, restore, and redevelop Assiniboine Park and its amenities.
- The APC entered into a 50-year lease with the City of Winnipeg, which owns the property and assets.
- The APC operates independently from the City, and the APC’s non-profit status gives the organization the opportunity to fundraise and access different funding sources, not available to the City of Winnipeg.
- Revenue sources include three restaurants, rental fees, admission for certain park activities, and a variety of ongoing fundraising initiatives.
- A key approach to the success of the APC’s governance model is the strong commitment to the mandate, transparency, trust, and involvement of volunteers working side by side with paid staff to deliver on the mandate through its strategic plan.