The province has completed extensive repairs and refurbishing of the Memorial Park fountain and it is once again on display for Manitobans to enjoy.
The fountain began malfunctioning and was found to be too costly to repair so it was decommissioned. The province announced that it would be repaired as part of the massive refurbishment project for MB 150 celebrations in 2019 but many factors put the project on hold for years.
“This fountain project has faced some challenges due to supply chain issues due to the pandemic and to the age and condition of the fountain basin,” Central Services Minister Reg Helwer said in a press release.
“However, everyone worked as a team and met the challenge, and the almost 60-year-old fountain is once again ready to delight visitors for many years to come.”
Restoration and repairs ended up costing $3.7 million and the fountain returned to operation this past week.
Legislative and Public Affairs Minister Kelvin Goertzen said the fountain is the centrepiece of the park and has entertained Manitobans and visitors for decades.
Conceived in the late 1950s, former premier Duff Roblin envisioned Memorial Provincial Park as “a fitting tribute to those who gave their lives for Freedom.” The provincial park, including the City Hydro Fountain, is recognized as a Canadian military memorial.
The original water feature included a central mechanized fountain, which was state of the art for the time and included sweeping waterscapes and light shows that alluded, in colour and movement, to the northern lights.
“Our government made a commitment as part of our MB 150 celebrations that it would be refurbished and we are pleased to see the work has now been completed,” said Goertzen.
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