|
||||||||||
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Birds Hill Provincial Park Plaque (Birds Hill Provincial Park, RM of Springfield)A monument in the Rural Municipality of Springfield near the east beach in Birds Hill Provincial Park commemorates the official opening of the park during the 1967 Canadian centennial year. Named for Bird family, including James Curtis Bird and Curtis James Bird, the park was first conceived as a tourist destination by the City of Winnipeg. In 1964, the provincial government embraced the concept and, following expropriation of around 155 property owners, work began at the site. Following three years of landscaping and development at a cost of some $4 million, a grand opening on 15 July 1967 was attended by Premier Duff Roblin and Tourism & Recreation Minister Sterling R. Lyon. A ceremonial ribbon was cut by a homesteader’s broadaxe that was subsequently secured to the monument’s side. The monument and axe were eventually located at a fork in a pathway near an artificial lake in the park. They were removed for restoration in 2017.
See also:
Sources:“Birds Hill Provincial Park opens next Saturday,” Winnipeg Free Press, 8 July 1967, page 12. “Birds Hill: new feather for Manitoba’s spa cap,” Winnipeg Free Press, 22 July 1967, page 9. Birds Hill Provincial Park, Parks and Protected Spaces Branch. We thank the staff of Birds Hill Provincial Park for their help in locating this plaque. This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer. Page revised: 9 October 2017
|
||||||||||
|