Submitted Photo This artist’s rendering shows the turtle area of a playground currently under construction at the International Peace Garden. The playground is themed after animals of historical significance to the region.

DUNSEITH – A big facelift is underway at the International Peace Garden. The improvements were made possible by dollars made available on both side of the U.S./Canada border.

“What it comes down to is $12 million U.S., state, and Provincial money combined,” said Tim Chapman, CEO, International Peace Garden.

Manitoba’s contribution to the Peace Garden was $7.5 million, the equivalent of approximately $6 million U.S. dollars. The remainder of the funds come from the U.S., including $1 million left over from an earlier project to tear down crumbling towers at the famous garden.

“Two key projects with grand opening next year, our 90th anniversary, is our conservatory expansion and a children’s play area,” said Chapman.

The existing conservatory houses a collection of succulents gathered from around the globe. The unique collection was donated to the Peace Garden by Don Vitko of Minot. While the Peace Garden constructed a greenhouse to display the plants, the popularity of the collection has resulted in a need for more room for visitors to browse through the collection. There’s another reason too, said Chapman.

“Our conservatory now is not as energy efficient as you’d want it to be. We’ll have better efficiency throughout the new building and expanded space for plants and visitors,” said Chapman. “One part of it will even have space for meetings where people will be immersed in the collection. That’s pretty exciting and makes us even more of a 12 month draw, not just the warm season.”

Although the Peace Garden has play areas for children, they are generally too far removed from more popular areas of the Garden to be used with regularity. The new children’s play area will be much more conveniently located. Construction of the $1 million project is well underway.

“We’re creating more of a multi-generational, full family experience,” said Chapman. “The play area is situated near the conservatory, gift shop, and cafe to really allow families to enjoy that stretch of the garden a lot more. Also, it is themed around the animals of the region such as turtles, wolves, hawks and eagles. We’ll partner with indigenous people to determine what those animals traditionally meant to those cultures.”

Les Thomas, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and the first indigenous person elected to the International Peace Garden board of directors, says the recognition of indigenous people of the region is a significant step in the evolution of the Peace Garden.

“Leaders from both North Dakota and Manitoba recognized the importance of indigenous people and also that the land, even before the Peace Garden, belonged to indigenous people from both sides of the border. That was good,” remarked Thomas.

Two years ago a ceremony was held at the Peace Garden where the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa raised their flag along with others of first nations. More interpretive displays regarding indigenous peoples are likely to be included in the Garden’s master plan for development.

Another big aspect of Peace Garden improvements is housing, much of which was decades old and in deteriorating condition. The project includes renovation of seven aging duplex cabins and the addition of five new seasonal staff cabins. Previously, said Chapman, finding seasonal help at the Peace Garden was often hampered by a lack of housing.

“This allows us to recruit the right staff each summer, attracting people who don’t have to live within driving distance,” explained Chapman. “Our goal in the off-season is to rent those out to snowshoers, hikers, and skiers when staff is not occupying them. It’ll give more people an opportunity to stay here and enjoy our 2,400 acres. They really haven’t had that in the past.”

Another building project is a new staff building which will accommodate 20 summer staff. It will have lockers, a kitchen, meeting space, and additional storage.

Other projects either underway or soon to be scheduled are less visible, generally deferred maintenance that had been put off for too long. All combined, said Chapman, the improvements will “enhance of the overall draw of the Peace Garden.”