Visitors would be able to watch operations on animals in a proposed new, larger hospital at the Assiniboine Park Zoo.
Plans are underway for a new structure that would feature glass-enclosed viewing areas that help educate the public, Assiniboine Park Conservancy leaders say.
“The veterinary care we provide to the animals here has been ongoing for decades and it has happened behind the scenes. … We really see this as an opportunity to bring it out and have that day-to-day high standard of care be something that our public can experience and see … and learn from (to) really build empathy for the animals,” said Chris Enright, senior director of zoological operations.
SUPPLIED
A conceptual rendering of the proposed new animal health centre at Assiniboine Park Zoo. The 20,000-square-foot space would offer a better layout for its patients.
Enright said some operations could also be recorded or photographed for later viewing when a live treatment isn’t underway, while a curtain could provide privacy when required. The new building would be located just off the main pathway and just inside the main zoo entrance to make it easily accessible to the public.
The zoo’s 7,000-square-foot hospital was built in 1965 and is nearing the end of its life span, creating a need for a new building to keep up with current standards, said Enright.
“The program is beginning to outgrow the (original) space. … This (new) facility for us is important to continue to provide high levels of care,” he said.
While some details are still being worked out, the conservancy estimates the new building, at about 20,000 square feet, will cost about $20 million.
It would also offer an improved layout and better cater to animals that need treatment, such as by ensuring each room’s temperature could serve tropical or northern species as needed.
The new facility would include a surgical suite, treatment room, advanced imaging room, quarantine space, a laboratory and a pharmacy.
The conservancy said an updated facility is needed to ensure the zoo remains accredited. Losing that designation would leave it unable to house certain animals. A renovation wouldn’t be enough to address issues with size, quality, function and layout of the current building, the organization said.
To stay accredited, the zoo hopes to replace its aging animal hospital by 2029.
Ray Karasevich, president and chief executive officer of the conservancy, said a new, more transparent operation would highlight zoo efforts the public may not otherwise be aware of, including care for animals that people tried to smuggle across the border and others that Wildlife Haven drops off for treatment.
“The care for the animals in the zoo is critically important but our vet team does a lot of other important things that help support animal welfare more broadly within our society,” said Karasevich.
The conservancy hopes to start construction within the next 18 months and expects it would take about two years to build.
However, its success in securing funding will play a “critical” role in the final timeline, he said.
The City of Winnipeg’s 2025 preliminary budget includes $2 million in each of 2025, 2026 and 2027 to support the new facility, pending a final council vote next month.
Karasevich said the municipal government provided $500,000 to support the design.
Funding from the provincial and federal governments, as well as private donors, is being sought.
Zoo visitors likely won’t have to pay more to help cover the tab.
“We’re not planning to increase (ticket) prices directly to fund the zoo hospital at this time,” said Karasevich.
In an email, a city spokeswoman noted the municipal government operated Assiniboine Park Zoo before the city entered a long-term lease and funding agreement with conservancy in 2010.
“As part of the agreement, we provide an annual capital grant to (the conservancy) to support the ongoing maintenance of these transferred buildings. The animal hospital is one of these assets,” wrote Julie Horbal Dooley.
Mayor Scott Gillingham said the city has a clear role in maintaining one of Winnipeg’s key attractions.
“Locals and visitors always find the zoo to be a key highlight. The investments cost money,” said Gillingham.
The mayor said limited tax dollars are warranted to fund the project, instead of leaning more heavily on ticket revenue.
“One of the things that, I think… is important is that we try to ensure that the zoo remains affordable… To do that, we have to do our part to assist in keeping the ticket prices from increasing significantly,” said Gillingham.
The annual $2-million pledge is part of $7.9 million in capital funding the city budget proposes to provide Assiniboine Park Conservancy in each of the next three years.
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Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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