We have recreation opportunities we should be building on in the area of rural Manitoba just south of Winnipeg.
We already have good recreation opportunities that improve the quality of life in our area. To name just a few
- Morris has developed the Manitoba Stampede & Exhibition into an important tourism and recreation asset
- St. Malo, anchored by its provincial park, attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year
- La Barriere Park
- St-Pierre-Jolys‘ Frog Follies
- the Manitoba Sunflower Festival in Altona
These are all great. Let’s do more.
More
There are a number of other recreation opportunities I think we should explore that, in time, could be as significant as the Stampede or St. Malo. These would further improve the quality of life we have in our area, while increasing jobs and economic opportunities.
Two I’d like to explore:
These two ideas may seem like long-shots, with obvious challenges and uncertain economic benefits.
However, that’s exactly how Folklorama, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the Fringe Festival, and even the Stampede in Morris started—as long-shot ideas. Now, all of them create jobs, build the local economy, and make our province a better place to live.
In addition to these two recreation initiatives, we might also want to think about:
- a horseback trail system that connects the stables that dot our area
- extension of the walking trails that go to Beaudry Park north along the Assiniboine, We could also look at integrating this expanded route with the Trans Canada Trail
- extension of the Winnipeg cycling trail system to (at least) La Salle, Oak Bank, Headingley, and St. Francois Xavier
We have to make sure that any recreation opportunities we develop truly do enhance the quality of life in our area. But, if we pursue these opportunities wisely, and with a clear understanding of the benefits we want and the pitfalls we need to avoid, I believe we can see significant benefit from these opportunities.