Page 27 - Trending Magazine 2018 Summer

From left: Extensive gardens are planned near the Riverbank Discovery Centre, which will
include a venue for small weddings and other events. “Back to the River” Master Plan is a 20-year
vision for the Assiniboine River corridor. The Riverbank master plan includes a trail system, and
a Peter Sawatzky Sculpture Garden. (All images courtesy of HTFC Planning & Design)

Phase 1 is Festival Park, and is slated for After going through some difficult years,
completion by the end of the summer. Key MacDonald and others close to the project
features include a permanent, covered are thrilled to see construction underway.
stage, as well as an amphitheatre with “From 2011 to 2016, it was five years of a
terraced seating for up to 3,000 people. lot of damage, a lot of loss, a lot of uncertainty,”
Monica Giesbrecht, partner with HTFC MacDonald said. “And now it feels fantastic
Planning + Design, said the company to have a plan, to have something to be
prides itself on understanding the working towards that we know we have the
biophysical conditions. entire community’s support.”
“We don’t tend to design anything that A loan agreement of up to $1 million
sort of goes against nature,” she said. “It’s between Brandon Riverbank Inc. and the city
super important with climate change and allows the accelerated completion of Phase
just the volatility and the expected changes 1. In addition to the amphitheatre, it will also
in our weather patterns…to design all include two new picnic shelters, as well as
projects now so that they are fairly resilient.” establishment of native prairie grasses.
In some spots along the river, more “I feel really good about the fact that this is
naturalized areas will be developed, to allow going to get done and the community will get
flood waters to move in and out. to start enjoying it before too long,” Chrest
“Let it come and go, rather than trying said. “When potential donors are now
to engineer something that would try to starting to see the project come together,
withstand it,” she said. they’ll be more apt to want to get on board
Discovery Gardens will eventually to help fund it when they can see what the
surround the Riverbank Discovery Centre, finished product is going to look like.”
creating a horticultural oasis that features There are many ways the public can
a variety of gardens, outdoor programming lend support to the Festival Park project,
space, as well as an arbor for outdoor including a seat sale campaign. For $2,500,
weddings. This will replace Eleanor Kidd an individual, family or business can sponsor
Gardens, as it was not feasible to try and an amphitheatre limestone seat. For
restore it. The plans for the entire project $500, a tree can be planted in your name.
have been designed with flooding in mind, Sponsorship opportunities are also available
and are above the flood-of-record elevation to name the stage and amphitheatre.
in an effort to keep it safe from high water in “We’ve received some real good corporate
the future. support and we look forward to businesses

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