After 2-year delay, new Assiniboine Park attraction The Leaf opens to public this Saturday

The Leaf, the long-awaited new horticultural attraction at Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park, is slated to open to the public this weekend, after two years of delays.

The $130-million project had its grand opening on Nov. 20, but theAssiniboine Park Conservancythenon-profit corporation that manages the park was waiting on finishing touches, like a bridge railing and hiring more staff, before the public opening.

Saturday's opening day festivities will feature pop-up performances, workshops and demonstrations, a Thursday news release from the conservancy says.

The Leaf is surrounded by 12 hectares of new gardens and green space. Those outdoor gardens opened to the public in July 2021.

The Leaf buildingitself includes four lush biomes, with plants and trees from around the world.

A tropical biome, named after Winnipeg philanthropists Hartley and Heather Richardson, features a six-storey indoor waterfall that helps keep the environment humid enough for its vegetation.

The Leaf's restaurant, Gather Craft Kitchen and Bar, will open next Monday. Its menu will feature dishes inspired by the plants found at The Leaf, and will incorporate fresh produce and herbs sourced from its gardens, the conservancy said.

Tickets and memberships for admission to The Leaf went on sale at 5 p.m. Thursday, with rates ranging from free admission for kids age two and under to $15.50 for an adult admission at the gate.

When those rates were announced earlier this year, a grassroots group raised concerns the costwill beabarrier that will make the attraction inaccessible for many.

During a media tour in late November,a spokespersonsaid the Assiniboine Park Conservancy iscomfortable with the admission rates, andplans to distribute over 22,000 vouchers for free entry through its community access program.

The Leaf replaces the oldAssiniboine ParkConservatory, which wasfree of charge to visitors. It was demolished in 2018, after the conservancy said the century-old building hadexceeded its lifespan and needed to make way for construction of the new project.

The Canada's Diversity Gardens project, which includes The Leaf,wasinitially announced in 2015,and wasfunded by private donations and all three levels of government.

It was originally hoped to open in late 2020, and had an initial price tag of $75 million, but constructionfaced delays.

Three lawsuits were filed in 2021 related to the construction project two filed by the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, and one filed bya construction company that did work on the project.