Assiniboine Park | Winnipeg | Development

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by harls

He keeps things lively, I agree.

I suppose clowns can be described as "lively"...???

This is why you all keep coming back.

Oh my goodness no. Extremely, EXTREMELY incorrect assumption.

[harls]

Originally Posted by pspeid

Oh my goodness no. Extremely, EXTREMELY incorrect assumption.

Hey.. why did you insert this into my quote?

I suppose clowns can be described as "lively"...???

Were those your words? Certainly not mine.

rrskylar is looking to get a rise out of all you, and he is pretty good at it.

[cllew]

And the Leaf is closed due to a water pipe break on Dec 25. It looks like the earliest opening will be on Dec 28.

I wonder if that will be considered a constriction deficiency that the contractor will have to fix on their dime?

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by cllew

And the Leaf is closed due to a water pipe break on Dec 25. It looks like the earliest opening will be on Dec 28.

I wonder if that will be considered a constriction deficiency that the contractor will have to fix on their dime?

It only cost $130 million and five years to build, what do you expect?!

[DavefromSt.Vital]

Was at the Leaf just after Christmas. I liked it. Not sure where all of the chatter is coming from.

The admission prices are quite reasonable for an attraction of this size. Walk-up adult rate is $15.50 and there are discounts for seniors, students, kids, etc. Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island is $29.20 to $39.50 depending on time of year. Royal Botanical Gardens in the GTHA is $19.50 plus paid parking. Yes, the Leaf is smaller, but the paid portion is open year round while the other places I mentioned are mostly outdoors.

Also, the pipe that burst was not in the complicated garden area. It was in the boxy part of the building with the restaurant, cafe, etc. Given the number of air dryers that were in and around the men's washroom I assume it was there.

I liked how there were various infographics telling the stories of various immigrants to Winnipeg and the plants that they knew from where they were from. The only two criticisms I have is that at each infographic there was a question asking can you spot the named plant. Why not just tell people where it is discreetly? Also, the people in charge of the butterfly area may want to look into adding some Viagra into the butterfly diet. They need more butterflies!

[esquire]

I checked out The Leaf one evening last week. I was impressed, the building itself is quite something.

I have to admit that plants aren't really my jam, an hour in the biomes was enough for me. Although if I went there on a day off and brought some books to read, I could probably sit there for hours just enjoying the vibe. To me, the general environment in the building is more interesting and appealing than the individual plants themselves. There is even a cafe in the lobby, and you can bring your coffee inside. I spotted exactly one butterfly during my visit, but I suppose with a name like "Butterfly Garden" they aren't promising any more than that

I had dinner at Gather Restaurant after my visit and I really enjoyed that. It's a lovely dining room and the food is great with a nice selection of small plates and mains.

The only mistake I made was not bundling up... after spending the evening in a somewhat warm and moist environment, it was jarring to step outside to walk back to the parking lot. It was probably only about -12 but it felt like -30. Next time I go I will wear full parka, toque and mitts even if it's not that cold out, just to reduce the shock of stepping outside after the visit

[Phil's neighbour]

The family took in the Leaf awhile ago. Underwhelming for sure. The space looks good but is too small and not well used. There are two lobes, with one for the main gardens and the other for seasonal exhibits, or at least it was for Christmas. This was sparse and repetitive. Compared to other more established gardens elsewhere, like the one in Minneapolis, the Leaf barely raised an eyebrow, aside from the roof which was worth seeing from the inside. The waterfall was chintzy and as someone else mentioned, the butterfly garden was crowded and tight, but with few butterflies. Lots of space devoted to entrance, eating and special events. This might work better in warm weather when the outdoor gardens are open, but as a stand-alone venue, it’s hardly worth the banner treatment.

[esquire]

^ I would imagine that The Leaf will be a more impressive and interesting sight as the plants grow and mature... it's still a bit on the sparse side right now given how new it is.

[bomberjet]

I was thinking the place just opened so maybe the plants aren't as extravagant as they will be in a number of years.

Some of the more plant oriented people in my social media circles gushed over the place. So I assume if you're into that kind of thing it's awesome. I'll go check it out one of these days with the fam.

[Boreal]

Originally Posted by Phil's neighbour

The family took in the Leaf awhile ago. Underwhelming for sure. The space looks good but is too small and not well used. There are two lobes, with one for the main gardens and the other for seasonal exhibits, or at least it was for Christmas. This was sparse and repetitive. Compared to other more established gardens elsewhere, like the one in Minneapolis, the Leaf barely raised an eyebrow, aside from the roof which was worth seeing from the inside. The waterfall was chintzy and as someone else mentioned, the butterfly garden was crowded and tight, but with few butterflies. Lots of space devoted to entrance, eating and special events. This might work better in warm weather when the outdoor gardens are open, but as a stand-alone venue, it’s hardly worth the banner treatment.

Interesting. The waterfall I thought was robust. It’s not Niagara Falls, but I was definitely not underwhelmed in any way. I do agree that the Mediterranean and Seasonal space are more modest. The tropical space is the majority of the space and I’d argue that it’s nothing short of exceptional. That’s with tons of room for growth - no pun intended. Ok, some pun.

I’m a big fan of conservatories and while this isn’t Kew, I thought it was a jewel. The sunset and sunrise decks in the other 3 seasons will only help the experience. The rest of the public outdoor gardens give the entire operation some serious scale in the summer.

[BAKGUY]

You just have to love the arm chair quarterbacks that critique everything. LOLOLOLOLOLOL. They have degrees & diplomas in everything too!

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Boreal

I’m a big fan of conservatories and while this isn’t Kew, I thought it was a jewel. The sunset and sunrise decks in the other 3 seasons will only help the experience. The rest of the public outdoor gardens give the entire operation some serious scale in the summer.

I think that's a key point in all of this. The Leaf as a building is OK, but when you combine it with the outdoor gardens that are part of the whole thing, then it's huge. Even someone like me who doesn't know a rhododendron from a lady slipper could spend hours just walking around the garden and then exploring inside The Leaf. There is definitely critical mass there.

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by BAKGUY

You just have to love the arm chair quarterbacks that critique everything. LOLOLOLOLOLOL. They have degrees & diplomas in everything too!

The Facebook crowd isn't going because they're holding out for a waterpark. Seriously.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by BAKGUY

You just have to love the arm chair quarterbacks that critique everything. LOLOLOLOLOLOL. They have degrees & diplomas in everything too!

With the amount of public money poured into it and the fact that it sits on public land it should be open to critique both criticism and acclaim!

I’ll reserve judgement until I visit!

[blueandgoldguy]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

With the amount of public money poured into it and the fact that it sits on public land it should be open to critique both criticism and acclaim!

I’ll reserve judgement until I visit!

I thought you were sticking to LaCoste since it's free?

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

I thought you were sticking to LaCoste since it's free?

Ha!

[blueandgoldguy]

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/br...mpaign=TheWrap

A $130-million horticultural attraction beset by cost overruns and design problems has triggered a new $17-million lawsuit — the latest in a string of legal issues plaguing the Assiniboine Park facility.

Bird Construction Group has filed suit against the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and the City of Winnipeg, which leases land to the conservancy, for the more than $16.8 million it claims it is owed under a builders’ lien for construction management services during the build of Canada’s Diversity Gardens, including the Leaf facility.

Lawyers for Bird filed a 29-page statement of claim in Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Oct. 16 alleging the conservancy breached its contract with the firm, misrepresented aspects of the project and breached trust.

The construction company is seeking judgment on those allegations, as well special and punitive damages to be proven at trial and legal costs.

The cost of construction was estimated at $75 million in 2017, but ultimately cost $130 million, about $60 million of which came from all three levels of government. The attraction opened in Assiniboine Park last December, two years later than planned.

[Jeff]

no matter what, the leaf has been successful by a lot of metrics since it finally opened. once the lawsuit is settled and passes, the facility should continue to be a symbol of pride to all winnipeggers. it cost a lot, but just like the zoo renovation - you get what you pay for!

[WinCitySparky]

The Freep seems to have an axe to grind with The Leaf. They leap all over anything that goes even slightly awry there using print language that seems biased against them. Another example being the like one or two days it had to shut down because of extreme heat this summer.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by WinCitySparky

The Freep seems to have an axe to grind with The Leaf. They leap all over anything that goes even slightly awry there using print language that seems biased against them. Another example being the like one or two days it had to shut down because of extreme heat this summer.

$60 M in tax dollars so yeah it does need to be scrutinized especially since it came in almost twice the original cost!