Variety, the Children's Charity of Manitoba

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The Variety Heritage Adventure Park (VHAP) will be built within an area measuring approximately 50 metres by 55 metres and will be located just northeast of the Manitoba Children's Museum and just south of the new Canadian Museum for Human Rights currently under construction. Strategically located within the hub of The Forks, the VHAP will be within metres of these key attractions, in a beautiful green space, and situated on land formerly occupied by Fort Gibraltar I - a North West Company trading post. The VHAP will provide enjoyable, rewarding and memorable recreational and educational opportunities for visitors. The VHAP will feature a variety of unique, interactive play structures, a water feature, a natural landscaping flow and will also include a small outdoor performance area for interpretive programs and presentations, giving priority to the historic stories that happened here. The heritage themes and other key Forks stories (e.g. floods, archaeology) will play an important educational role for families and school groups. As the young and the "young at heart" experience the park, they can imagine being part of a vibrant meeting place among First Nations people, picture themselves trading and exploring with the adventurers, helping build the first permanent European settlement in the Canadian West, and sharing the vision of the hardy men and women who foresaw Winnipeg as the transportation hub of the West. The playground will be designed in such a way as to be of interest and engaging to both the active participants and those who are passively attending such as caregivers. It will entice repeat use in all seasons and at varying times of the day and evening.

The idea of building a world-class accessible park at The FNHS was first introduced to Variety by Ida Albo, visionary and managing partner of the Fort Garry Hotel. Initial meetings with Jim Burns, Power Corporation; David and Maurene Cohen, Paul Jordan, Chief Operating Officer of The Forks, along with other interested parties helped to turn the idea into a tangible goal that eventually paved the way for Variety and Parks Canada to form a partnering agreement in support of the park.

Community involvement is key to the success of the park. Consultation with educators, heritage advisors, The FNHS business neighbours, interested community members and others provided and will continue to provide valuable comments that will be considered in the development of the park. Focus groups including participation from the Society of Manitobans with Disabilities, children and new Canadians will be consulted throughout the design process and provide feedback.

The VHAP site will include the land on which sat the former Parks Canada playground. However, the VHAP footprint will be approximately three times larger in size! Thousands of Winnipeg families with young children along with hundreds of elementary age school groups will benefit from the recreational and educations aspects offered by the VHAP. The VHAP will enhance the overall Forks experience and will create yet another world-class attraction for people to enjoy during their visit to The Forks and Winnipeg.

The success of the project will be measured in part by increased attendance to The FNHS, by the number of children, families and caregivers who visit the VHAP and by the heightened historical awareness visitors absorb during their time on the site. The completed VHAP will result in improved infrastructure and enhanced services offered at The FNHS. The park construction will create jobs and increase tourism that will benefit and strengthen our community as a whole.

The project goal is $1.5 million. Parks Canada is investing $600,000 towards the project. These funds have been made available through the Government of Canada's Budget 2009 Canada's Economic Action Plan. Variety has committed $250,000 towards the project and is assisting in raising additional funds to complete the fund raising goal.

Variety and Parks Canada are delighted to announce the VHAP design/build contract has been awarded to the contract group of J & D Penner project managers, Hilderman Thomas Frank Cram landscape architects, and Crozier Agencies, playground equipment suppliers.

J & D Penner is a construction firm with over 30 years of experience in landscape contracting and project management. They will be primarily responsible for project coordination and scheduling, budget control, and construction permits and approvals.

Hilderman Thomas Frank Cram, founded in 1969, is a landscape architecture firm from Winnipeg, Manitoba and will act as the key designers for this project.

Crozier Agencies, a leading supplier in the Canadian playground equipment has been designing and installing safe, innovative, and challenging playgrounds for over 20 years.

The project has already received considerable positive feedback from several Variety corporate and individual supporters. Winnipeg area, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd. franchise owners immediately embraced the vision resulting in Variety being selected as the local recipient charity to receive proceeds generated during the 2009 McHappy Day. On May 6th, 2009 McHappy Day raised over $50,000 towards the building of the VHAP. Additional grants have recently been confirmed by the Manitoba Moose Yearling Foundation ($50,000), The Burns Family Foundation ($25,000) and by the City of Winnipeg's matching contribution of $250,000. Private donations including a $50,000 gift from Gerry and Barb Price have brought our total funds raised to over $1 million dollars!

Once construction is completed Parks Canada will assume ownership and responsibility for ongoing operating and maintenance costs associated with the VHAP. Additional dollars raised in excess of the project goal will establish an endowment fund, thus ensuring the sustainability of the VHAP.