Community Event Park Initiative

The Community Event Park project was designed to:

Key Priorities of Focus

This project focuses on all four of the CDC’s Key Priorities.

In July, the Event Park Committee completed step one of the planning steps:

1. A consultation with the landowners to get them on board with examining an Event Park at this proposed location. All other steps in the planning process must be conducted for the site where the Event Park is likely to be constructed. Different locations will require different development planning, changing the development phases, costs, and time frames.

In August, the Lac du Bonnet CDC received the full support of the Landowners to investigate the proposed Event Park site. After receiving this approval, the Committee grew, with even more organizations coming on board to help create this space for Lac du Bonnet.

Community Partners

Our Committee now includes representatives or support from:

• Amore Cantina
• Community Futures Winnipeg River
• Eastman SnoPals
• Eastman Tourism
• Fire & Water Music Festival
• Lac du Bonnet CDC
• Lac du Bonnet Chamber of Commerce
• Lac du Bonnet Community Garden
• Lac du Bonnet Farmer’s Market
• Lac du Bonnet Historical Society
• Lac du Bonnet Ice Fishing Derby
• Lac du Bonnet Lions Club
• Lac du Bonnet Trails Association
• Lac du Bonnet Wildlife Association
• RM of Lac du Bonnet
• Town of Lac du Bonnet

The Committee is excited to begin the next steps of the project, which include the following:

1. A consultation with the landowners to get them on board with examining an Event Park at this proposed location. All other steps in the planning process must be conducted for the site where the Event Park is likely to be constructed. Different locations will require different development planning, changing the development phases, costs, and time frames.
2. Gathering base information for the potential site location, including, but not limited to: a legal survey, topographic survey, or any other land information.
3. Hosting Public Engagement Sessions with key stakeholders (those organizations most likely to use the Event Park for their community events and our municipal and tourism partners) and the community at large. Key stakeholders will provide details about their operational needs to ensure we build a place that will accommodate all of the Lac du Bonnet outdoor event organizers. The community at large will be asked to participate in surveys to share their ideas with the Committee. We want to know what the community wants to see incorporated into this space.
4. Analyze data collected from key stakeholders and the community and prepare conceptual drawings, development budgets, and the phases of development for the project.
5. Present the conceptual information to the community and begin the next stage of planning, which will include, but is not limited to, developing and securing funding for the project, creating a strategic and business plan, developing sponsorship and naming-right opportunities and more.

After six months of gathering information and identifying various potential site locations for an Event Park, Little Bluestem Landscape Architecture presented the most viable option to the Event Park Committee.

The location includes three parcels of land. The old Town Lagoon site, the Rice Plant site, and Laker’s Ski Club. There are many reasons why these three parcels of land were chosen, including, but not limited to:

• The proximity to the Town of Lac du Bonnet, where other sites were located too far away.
• The development potential of 100 Acres provides an excellent footprint for a project of this scope and size.
• Access to the Winnipeg River will enhance the project’s overall scope and maximize Community Event Planner potential by not eliminating Fire & Water Music Festival or the Lac du Bonnet Ice Fishing Derby from having river access.
• An opportunity to remediate the old Lagoon site into a community asset for bird watching with a trail.

In July, the Lac du Bonnet CDC received $15,750 from the Building Sustainable Communities Grant.

This grant’s funding is used to conduct a Feasibility Study, Site Selection, Conceptual Drawings and Construction Planning for developing an Event Park in Lac du Bonnet.

At this time, the Committee was re-ignited and began working with Little Bluestem Landscape Architecture on the project.

On July 15, the CDC facilitated a group discussion with local outdoor event organizers, business development organizations, and our tourism partners to explore the potential development of an Event Park for Lac du Bonnet. The presentation provided is available online: Lac du Bonnet Event Park Planning Committee.

The CDC’s enthusiasm for this project was sparked by the growing number of outdoor events held in the community every year, the need for outdoor facilities to host more events, and a visit to a small town in the Yukon called Carcross.

The Farmer’s Market, Fire & Water, the Chamber of Commerce, the Winnipeg River Arts Council, the Lac du Bonnet Ice Fishing Derby, the Lac du Bonnet Lions, Winnipeg River Car Club, Eastman Tourism, Community Futures Winnipeg River, and Lee River Snow Riders were present for discussions and presented many great ideas and things to consider.

Entering what we call the Planning to Plan Stage, the committee set out to collect more information from outdoor event organizers.

The Vision

The vision for the Lac du Bonnet Community Event Park was to build a place that focused on the outdoor events currently being held in the community, including:

• A covered structure to host the Farmer’s Market Vendors and support Night Markets
• A permanent, covered stage for Fire & Water Music Festival and support outdoors events hosted by the Winnipeg River Arts Council
• An extended operating area for the Lac du Bonnet Lions Canada Day Celebrations
• Operating grounds to allow for events of all sizes
• Flexibility for multiple uses and additions with pop-up shelters, tents, and Pod Buildings