Progress is being made in regards to the proposed toboggan hill on the DMCC grounds.

The organizing committee has entered into agreements with the Northwest Métis Council, Dauphin Friendship Centre and the Government of Treaty 2 Territory, who will all have representation on the committee.

Committee member Stacey Penner was at home watching YouTube videos with her children on National Reconciliation Day, last year, explaining what the day was about.

“And there was a common theme that circulated through those YouTube videos, that non-Indigenous people need to do the work to educate themselves and understand better what happened,” she said. “And the idea of putting this together as a collaboration is me doing my work as a way to honour the land which this sits on, the history of our large Indigenous population that is in Dauphin and within the Parkland.”

To the best of the committee’s knowledge, the three Indigenous organizations have never worked together before this. So the committee talked about how getting those three groups involved in the project could help to grow the park as an Indigenous tribute.

“Because they’re the experts. So what would they like to possibly see come from this idea of ours,” Penner said. “And again, that’s a piece that’s been snowballing, as well, talking about having language signs from the Indigenous culture. The name of the park might be reflective of the Indigenous language, having Indigenous artists and art pieces represented there. So we’re in the works, figuring out what we want to do to reflect that.”

The committee has also worked with the Dauphin Agricultural Society, which has the rights to the land.

“We knew in order to tap into that land we needed to work with them to not impede on their activities and festivities when the ag. fair comes around, but how we can compliment what they do and add to it,” Penner said. “It could be a draw for the ag society, as well.”\

The park, which will ultimately be an all-season facility, will be located on the senior baseball diamond on the DMCC grounds.

One of the committee’s goals in regards to the facility is to provide no-cost recreation, which will allow all families to enjoy it regardless of their financial situation.

“We want people outside, gaining the mental and physical benefits of fresh air and the outdoors and finding community spirit again,” Penner said, adding they have also partnered with Northgate Trails to promote Dauphin as a recreation hub of tourism and exploration within Manitoba.

Penner said there have been discussions surrounding other organizations utilizing the space, as well.

“Whether there’s pow wows or physical education classes or field trips within Mountain View School Division coming and using the space. That’s our hope, that other organizations will come on over and utilize the space,” she said.

The City of Dauphin has also partnered with the committee, granting them the land and agreeing to maintain it.

Something the committee is currently working on is a way to get businesses and individuals involved through financial contributions, which Penner said will take place soon.

“And that contribution can be large. That contribution can be five or 10 dollars,” Penner said, adding they hope to create a way to recognize everyone who contributes towards the project.

“There will be a donor wall, where we will have a gold, silver and bronze donor sponsor wall. The major donors, as well, will have the proper signage. And we’ve also talked about having ‘Friends of the Park’ for the smaller donees,” she said.

There are also plans to make the facility accessible for all.

“We want our project to be exemplary with regard to making recreation opportunities accessible,” Penner said, adding Scatliff+Miller+Murray, the company hired to design the facility, told the committee it was important to find ways to make the project as accessible as possible, which they wholeheartedly agreed with.

“So we had talked about making an accessible path that has an appropriate slope for somebody in a wheelchair or somebody who has a physical disability. So it won’t be a super steep incline, unless they want to take the direct approach. But we are building an accessible path that will be maintained on a regular basis,” she said.

A tender package has been put together and will be released soon. Once a company is hired, construction is expected to begin once the snow melts.

“As soon the ground starts to thaw and the snow melts, we’re ready to get building,” Penner said, adding Vermillion Growers has agreed to donate the fill, an in-kind donation Penner estimates to be worth about $150,000.

The committee, Penner said, anticipates the project will span a few different phases over the course of as many of five years.

“Phase one is the hill, the accessible path, the summer slide and winter sliding,” she said, adding phase two will be gradual. "As soon as we continue to have money roll in, we’ll decide in order of sequence what’s important to us and we’ll go from there. But right now we’re focused on phase one,” she said, adding the number of phases will depend on funding.

To make the facility all-season, the committee has discussed various options, such as a climbing wall, a playground, greenery, landscaping, picnic tables and a fire pit.

“We also talked about a skating oval in the winter at some point and a retention pond. All possibilities, but again, things are going to be unfolding in phases for us,” Penner said.

Penner, and committee member Larry Budzinski, have been working on some grant options. They have received a $40,000 from the Fusion Full Circle Fund, as well as other grants.

The project has also secured $272,000 from the federal government and there is a pending provincial grant for as much as $300,000.

The first phase of the facility is expected to be in the neighbourhood of $500,000.

“But we have major goals that we want to do above and beyond the hill,” Penner said.

Dauphin and District Community Foundation (DDCF) has donated $20,000 to the project and Penner said there is a second application they are waiting on from DDCF. The Thomas Sill Foundation of Winnipeg has donated $20,000, specifically for a pump track for cycling.