Just days after unveiling a brand new accessible playground, the Brandon Riverbank area is set to take another giant leap towards fulfilling its potential in the days ahead with the completion of a major addition to the East Wetland area that had experienced major damage during floods of recent years.
During the day on Friday the finishing landscaping touches were being put on a renewed trail that leads to a newly constructed floating dock within the wetland area. By Friday evening the new addition was available for use, providing a great chance for visitors to the Riverbank area to get up close and personal with much of the natural surroundings in the area.
Crushed limestone path leading to the floating boardwalk
Viewing platform
View entering the dock
Construction has been done in a manner that accounts for the need to withstand future potential floods according to Brandon Riverbank Inc General Manager James Montgomery. Future plans are to further extend the boardwalk as additional funding allows.
This week’s upgrades join 2019's major additions of Festival Park and newly added picnic shelters, slowly piecing together the kind of outdoor space that Brandonites have long had to day-trip to experience. All updates are in line with the wider "Back to the River" Assiniboine River Corridor Master Plan that is scheduled to take place into 2035.
The main Riverbank Discovery Centre building re-opened last month and currently maintains hours of 8:30am-8pm weekdays and 11am-7pm on weekends and stat holidays. Amid the ongoing responsive to the COVID-19 pandemic, physical distancing is expected of visitors to the Centre and the grounds as a whole in consistency with signage posted throughout.
View from across the wetland
A wider look at the wetland, which may see future boardwalk expansion
Updated: June 5, 12:14pm. Corrected Centre hours.
Updated: June 5, 8:26pm. Updated to reflect that boardwalk is now open.