The Sod Turning Ceremony to celebrate the Maamawi Park project was held last Thursday at the old Dauphin Brewers diamond. According to Lindsey Kyle, assistant general manager of Dauphin Recreation Services, Maamawi Park is truly about building reconciliation and bringing people together and the space will be accessible to all.
"A spot for the young and old to gather to learn about culture, heritage, language and so much more," she said.
Mayor Christian Laughland spoke at the ceremony and said that when Maamawi Park is complete, it'll be a true monument of what can be accomplished when people come together and work together with respect for one another.
Stacey Penner is — as Lindsey Kyle said — the brainchild behind the project and she has dedicated her heart and soul to it, as she knows how important Maamawi Park is for the city and surrounding area. Penner said that the name of the park, Maamawi, is an Ojibwe word that means us, being together, working together and that the park is a place for everyone to play together.
"We want free recreation for all and we want to be together post-COVID and look at this as an opportunity to heal after what our community and what the world has been through the last few years," Penner added.
According to her, phase one is already in the works. An accessible tobbagan run hill and launch, as well as viewing space, will be included in phase one. People in wheelchairs and people who use walkers will be able to access it. Since they want it to be used year-round, it'll be a summer sled structure as well. It will also be very well lit because of the long winter nights and the park will feature a grand entrance highlighting the large Indigenous presence in the community. A biking pump track is also in the works.
Penner also said that phase two will start five to ten years from now, depending on the progress of phase one.
