About the Assiniboine Park Conservancy

Our Vision: Assiniboine Park is a place where people share the wonders of nature in a way that inspires them to conserve it for the future.

Founded in 2008, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization responsible for the operation of Winnipeg’s historic Assiniboine Park.

The Assiniboine Park Conservancy (APC) is also responsible for establishing the future vision for the Park and Zoo and carrying out this transformation while protecting the Park’s cherished character and ensuring its long-term financial viability. APC has a 50-year lease with the City of Winnipeg, which owns the property and assets.

APC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of community leaders whose affection for Assiniboine Park translates into a deep sense of responsibility to our stakeholders. They provide leadership, valuable guidance, and essential connections to the communities we serve. The Board of Directors includes representation from the City of Winnipeg and Province of Manitoba as well as accomplished and respected leaders in our business, philanthropic, and post-secondary communities.

Annual Report

 

About - About Assiniboine Park

About Assiniboine Park

For over a century, Assiniboine Park has served Winnipeg as a hub of year-round activity, a joyful gathering place, and a natural oasis that allows visitors to reconnect with nature and each other.

The Park is home to popular attractions like the English Garden, The Pavilion, and the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden. Winding trails, wide open green spaces, and breathtaking gardens encourage people to get outdoors and be active. Educational programs, free outdoor entertainment at the Lyric Theatre, public art galleries, unique event venues, and a great variety of events and activities provide amazing opportunities for learning, celebration and recreation.

With attractions that blend the best of physical activity, sight-seeing, dining and nature into one unforgettable experience, Assiniboine Park is the perfect place to relax and play in every season.

About - About Assiniboine Park Zoo

About Assiniboine Park Zoo

Home to more than 180 animal species, the Assiniboine Park Zoo is a place for exploration and family fun in every season. Located in beautiful Assiniboine Park, the Zoo has been a favourite destination for families, tourists, school groups, and animal lovers for over a century. 

Assiniboine Park Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums. As an accredited, modern zoological organization, Assiniboine Park Zoo focuses on meeting and exceeding the ever rising standards of animal care and welfare, safety, and veterinary programs and as well as demonstrating a commitment to education, conservation and research.

With over 80 acres to explore, the Zoo is open year-round with both indoor and outdoor exhibits, providing visitors with the opportunity to interact with animal species from all corners of the globe. Educational programs for adults and children, unique event venues, and special events and promotions combine to make the Zoo Winnipeg's premier outdoor attraction!

About - Park & Zoo Redevelopment

Park & Zoo Redevelopment

In 2009, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy unveiled a bold redevelopment plan that is breathing new life into Assiniboine Park and Zoo.

The redevelopment will be completed in several phases. The first phase focused on renewal in the heart of the Park. The second phase involves the ongoing revitalization of Assiniboine Park Zoo, highlighted by the opening of the Journey to Churchill exhibit. In the final major phase of the redevelopment, the focus has shifted from the animal kingdom to the life-sustaining world of plants with an iconic new horticultural attraction, The Leaf - Canada’s Diversity Gardens.

With the support of the private and public sectors, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy has added tremendous value to the Park. By building innovative facilities and exhibits such as the Qualico Family Centre and the Zoo’s Journey to Churchill exhibit, instituting operational disciplines, and developing creative and informative programming, the Park continues to gain a reputation as a world-class destination.

Leadership Group

Assiniboine Park Conservancy Leadership Group

  • Margaret Redmond, President & Chief Executive Officer
  • Bruce Keats, Chief Operations Officer
  • Trish Driedger, Chief Financial Officer
  • Debbie Hannah, Vice President, People Strategy & Services
  • Donna Kowbel, Vice President, Marketing, Communications and Sales
  • Grant Furniss, Senior Director, Zoological Operations
  • Trevor Clearwater, Vice President, Guest Services
  • Archie Pronger, Vice President, Operations
  • Gerald Dieleman, Senior Director, Horticulture

Board of Directors

Hartley T. Richardson - Chair

Hartley T. Richardson, O.C., O.M., LL.D., is the seventh family President of James Richardson & Sons, Limited, a private, family-owned corporation, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Winnipeg, Canada. The company has interests in agriculture and food processing, energy, real estate and financial services.

James Richardson & Sons, Limited has over 158 years of experience in Canadian agriculture and specifically the international grain distribution industry. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Richardson International Limited, operates the largest privately-owned network of grain facilities in Canada.

Tundra Oil & Gas Limited is involved in oil exploration and production in Canada’s Williston Basin, where it owns and operates over 2,000 wells and related pipeline infrastructure. Real estate interests controlled through Richardson Centre Limited are currently concentrated in the ownership and management of office towers in Winnipeg, and have included a variety of commercial, industrial and resort ventures across North America in the past.

Other businesses include subsidiaries in private equity and financial services. Richardson Capital Limited is the company’s private equity arm, investing in Canadian companies in a range of industry sectors outside of the Firm’s core business. Another entity, Richardson GMP Limited, is responsible for providing personalized family wealth management services and advice.

Mr. Richardson serves as a Director of KingSett Canadian Real Estate Income Fund Advisory Board. He is a Director and Past-Chairman of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and Past-Chairman of the Business Council of Manitoba. In addition, Mr. Richardson is Chairman of Assiniboine Park Conservancy, Co-Chairman of TransCanada Trail Foundation, Chairman of the Board of Governors for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Charter for Business, member of the Me to We Member Advisory Management Committee, and Chairman of the Advisory Committee for Telefilm Canada’s Private Donation Fund. Other affiliations include the World Economic Forum Global Leaders of Tomorrow and the Intercontinental Chapter of Young President’s Organization. He is also actively involved in a number of charitable endeavours and community organizations. Mr. Richardson received an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from each of the University of Manitoba in 2004 and the University of Winnipeg in 2012. He was also appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2007, promoted to an Officer within the Order of Canada in 2013, and was appointed to the Order of Manitoba in 2008.

Don Streuber, Vice-Chair

Don Streuber, FCA, is the Executive Chairman of Bison Transport Inc., an award winning truckload transportation provider throughout Canada and the United States. Don is a Chartered Accountant and has a Bachelor of Commerce, with honors in finance, from the University of Manitoba.

Don is a director and chair of the audit committee of Exchange Income Corporation a TSX listed company.

Don is Chair of the Canadian Trucking Alliance, Vice Chair the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, Chair of CentrePort Canada, governor and Past Chair of Providence University College and Seminary, member and Past Chair of the Business Council of Manitoba, and a member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.

Don is also the Honorary Consul General of Austria for Manitoba.

Hans C. Andersen, Board Member

Hans Andersen, CPA,CA, is a Partner at PwC, a global professional services firm with offices in over 157 countries, employing over 276,000 people. Hans has a Bachelor of commerce from the University of Manitoba and is a Chartered Accountant (CA).

Based in Winnipeg, Hans provides assurance and financial advisory services to public and private companies, not-for-profit organizations and co-operatives of all sizes. Hans has assisted clients in a wide range of industries, including retail, manufacturing, aviation and transportation, technology, real estate, agribusiness, financial services and construction.

In addition to being a board member of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, Hans is a current board member of the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Hans is past board member of Variety, the Children’s Charity of Manitoba.

Hans is an active member of the community and has two sons with his wife Karen.

Jamie Brown, Board Member

Jamie Brown is the Chief Executive Officer & Executive Producer of Frantic Films. As founding CEO of Frantic, Jamie has been proud to see the company become one of Canada’s leading film and television producers, gaining recognition for its creative work and business success. Over the past 20 years Frantic has won over 100 awards for its film and television projects that have sold to over 130 countries around the world. Jamie has also created or co-created over a dozen series in various genres and personally won numerous Gemini, Rose D’Or, Canadian Screen and Banff Rockie Awards, to name a few.

He began his career as a lawyer with the prominent Toronto law firm McMillan, where he focused on corporate finance and entertainment law. After turns at Sullivan Entertainment and Nelvana in business and legal affairs, he moved into a role as an executive producer in 1998 at Winnipeg’s Credo Entertainment.

Jamie was the first recipient of the Lions Gate Innovative Producer Award, named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, received the I.H. Asper Broadcast Entrepreneur of the Future Award, was nominated as the New Media Visionary at the Canadian New Media Awards and was the CMPA’s Entrepreneur of the Year. Currently, Jamie is the Past-Chair of the Board of Canada’s national producers association the CMPA and was Chair of Canada’s National Screen Institute and Onscreen Manitoba. Jamie also sits on the Boards of the Manitoba Busines Council, Cancer Care Manitoba and the Premier’s Economic Opportunities Advisory Board.

Kevin Chief, Board Member

Kevin Chief is Principal of Chief Partnerships Manitoba Incorporated. He brings a commitment to community and leadership development through his dedication to education, training, and employment.

Born and raised in Winnipeg’s North End, he has considerable public sector and community experience. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, representing Point Douglas, and was the Vice President at the Business Council of Manitoba. Chief is the co-founder of the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre and is chairperson for the Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development Inc.

Chief received a B.A. from the University of Winnipeg with a major in Justice and Law Enforcement and a minor in Physical Activity and Sport Study. He is a sought after speaker both locally and nationally for his views on the importance of building resilience in young people and working towards reconciliation. Kevin and his wife Melanie have three young sons: Hayden, Kellan, and Daxton.

Greg Doyle, Board Member

Greg Doyle attended the University of Manitoba and received his Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Commence and became a member of the Institute of the Chartered Accounts of Manitoba.

After graduation, he joined Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co. (now KPMG) in Winnipeg. And was admitted to partnership in 1982 and was the Managing Partner in Winnipeg from 1984 till 1996.

Greg transferred to KPMG in Warsaw in 1996 and assumed the role of Senior Partner of the Polish practice. While in Poland he was mainly involved with the audits of international banks and other major foreign investors in Poland. I also served on the Board of KPMG Europe and the Board and Executive Committee of KPMG Central and Eastern Europe. Greg retired from KPMG at the end of 2002 and returned to Winnipeg in 2003. He is married with three children and enjoys golf, the arts, and traveling.

Since retiring he has accepted appointments to several Boards, both corporate and non-profit.

Greg is now currently sitting on the Toronto Sock Exchange Companies, Bird Construction Income fund, Huntingdon Real Estate Investment Fund, Assiniboine Park Conservancy, Catholic Health Corporation of Manitoba, Prairie Theatre Exchange, Frontier College Foundation, Walker Theatre for the Performing Arts, Dorais Charities, and Manitoba Cardiac Institute.

Heather Hinam, Board Member

Dr. Heather Hinam is an award-winning naturalist, artist, and interpretive planner. Through her business, Second Nature, she specializes in making science, nature, and heritage engaging and accessible through the creation of interpretive media.

While nature is her first love, Dr. Hinam’s passion is education and finding ways to help people connect with the world in new and interesting ways. She has over 25 years experience as a nature and heritage interpreter to compliment a Ph.D. in Environmental Biology and Ecology. She has a particular knack for taking complex concepts and rendering them into words and illustrations people can understand and relate to.

Dr. Hinam is the past chair of the Interlake Tourism Association and the Mixedwood Forest Society, former TEDxWinnipeg speaker, and is a member of Interpretation Canada, the National Association for Interpretation, and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators.

Dan Hursh, Board Member

Dan moved to Winnipeg in 2011 and joined True North Sports + Entertainment as Associate General Counsel. He became the organization’s General Counsel in 2014 before being named VP, AHL Operations & General Counsel in 2015 when the Manitoba Moose returned to Winnipeg. Over three seasons, Dan helped lead the successful reintroduction of Moose hockey to Winnipeg and oversaw all business matters pertaining to the Jets’ AHL affiliate. In the summer of 2018, Dan turned his focus exclusively to legal matters and other business initiatives pertaining to True North and its subsidiaries as VP & General Counsel.

Prior to joining True North, Dan practiced law with Miller Thomson LLP in Calgary, AB. Dan earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science while playing four years of NCAA hockey at Princeton University and obtained his law degree from the University of Calgary.

David Johnston, Board Member

David Johnston (The Johnston Group Inc.) is the President and owner of Johnston Group Inc., a Winnipeg based administrator of group insurance benefits. Johnston Group administers benefits for over 27,000 Canadian companies. In addition Johnston Group is also a partner in Payworks Inc. a Winnipeg based payroll service provider that was launched in 2001. Johnston Group employs 180 people across the country with 150 of these in Winnipeg.

In 2001 Johnston Group was named as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Private companies and has been awarded that designation for the past 8 years, now been named a member of their Platinum Club. Johnston Group is very active in the community with on going major support to virtually every major organization. Johnston Group is one of the United Way top 50 campaigns for both employee and employer participation and was awarded United Way’s 2003 and 2008 Campaign Chair’s award.

Mr. Johnston has been personally involved with many aspects of the community and served on a number of boards. He was president of the Children’s Hospital of Winnipeg Foundation for 3 years, a founding Director of the Foundations for Health campaign for what is now the John Buhler Research Center, a board member of the Business Council of Manitoba and the Campaign Chair for the 2001 United Way of Winnipeg Campaign. He currently is a member of the board of Arts Stabilization Manitoba and the board of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy.

Kevin Klein, Board Member

Kevin Klein, City Councillor for Charleswood - Tuxedo - Westwood, spent over 18 years in the private sector as a senior executive for three of Canada's most recognized companies including his time as Publisher & CEO of the Winnipeg Sun and as a divisional President for MTS responsible for the creation of a new digital division. Kevin was recognized as a finalist for Canada's Top Forty Under Forty and for the creation of a business/community funded K-9 Unit for a Police Service in Ontario.

As an advocate for victims of domestic violence, Kevin sat on the board of the Prairie Action Foundation and has shared the story of losing his mother to domestic violence in published articles and has spoken to on many occasions to groups large and small in an effort to increase awareness.

Kevin is currently Chair of the Police Board, a Board Member of CJNU-FM Winnipeg Community Station, FGNHA - VP of Officials, and continues in his role as a Referee in Chief for Minor Hockey and as a Tae Kwon Do instructor. Previously Kevin served on the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce Board, The Better Business Bureau Board, and as an Associate for the Asper School of Business.

Brian Mayes, Board Member

Brian Mayes has represented the St. Vital Ward since November 2011, when he was elected to Winnipeg City Council in a by-election. He currently chairs the Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development, Heritage and Downtown Development and is a trusted member of the Executive Policy Committee. Brian also serves as the Council representative on the Board of Governors of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, as Board Director of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and chairs the Winnipeg Food Council.

Brian grew up in St. Vital where he attended Dakota Collegiate. He then pursued his studies in Toronto, before returning to Brandon in 2000 where he served as a School Trustee and operated his own law firm.

Brian has served on the boards of many organizations in the private sector. He has also been a pension trustee for the Manitoba Association of School Trustees, a Deputy Chief Commissioner with the Residential Tenancies Commission and was appointed by his peers as a member of the Law Society of Manitoba's Complaints Investigation Committee.

Brian resides in the St. Vital ward with his wife Dr. Alison Marshall and their two teen sons. Brian has been a volunteer coach for teams at the Norberry-Glenlee and Dakota Community Centres. He is a retired marathon runner whose career peaked with a top 15 finish in the Manitoba Marathon.

Priti Mehta-Shah, Board Member

Priti Mehta-Shah (FCPA, FCA, CBV, CF) is the managing director of 49-97 Capital Partners and a leading transaction advisor who has provided valuable guidance to clients in Canada and around the globe for the past 30 years. While Priti’s primary role is facilitating the sale of companies, she also provides support with business valuations, business acquisitions, and transactional due diligence. Priti is frequently invited to speak to business leaders and key decision-makers on various transactions, valuation and financing matters. An entrepreneur at heart, Priti is driven to help her clients maximize value of their business.

Priti is currently the chair of Entrepreneurs' Organization and is on the board of Manitoba Chamber of Commerce, RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg, and the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba. She is the past chair of the Winnipeg Chamber and the Women’s Enterprise Centre.

Doug Pollard, Board Member

Douglas E. Pollard is the Co-CEO of Pollard Banknote Limited, a Winnipeg-based supplier to the global lottery industry, employing over 1,600 people, of which 800 are based in Winnipeg.

Pollard Banknote has been managed by the Pollard family since its founding in 1907. It is currently 67% owned by the Pollard family and 33% publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange.  Pollard Banknote is the second-largest producer of scratch and win lottery tickets in the world and, under Mr. Pollard’s leadership, has been taking a leading role in helping lotteries sell their products via mobile and internet channels, while continuing to grow sales of printed products at retail.

Mr. Pollard is a Past Chair of FortWhyte Alive. He has served on the Campaign Cabinet of the United Way of Winnipeg. He is currently a member of the board of CancerCare Manitoba Foundation and the board of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy.  He has a BA from the University of Manitoba, an MBA from the University of Western Ontario, and is fluent in French and Spanish.

Harvey Secter, Board Member

Following a lengthy career in the retail industry, Harvey returned to university in 1988, graduating with the Gold Medal in Law in 1992. He then spent two years at Harvard Law School receiving his LL.M. and working with the Program on Negotiation. In June 2009, he retired from the University of Manitoba where he had spent 10 years as a Professor of Negotiation and Dispute Resolution and Dean of the Faculty of Law; he continues his practice in mediation and arbitration and serves as a corporate director.

In addition to APC, Harvey is Past President of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba and a current member of the Premier’s Economic Advisory Council, the Board of the Health Sciences Centre Foundation, and the United Way Advisory Committee. In the past, he has served as Chair of the Board of Regents of the University of Winnipeg, Chair of the United Way Campaign, Chair of the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation, a Bencher of the Law Society of Manitoba, a Trustee of the Law Foundation of Manitoba and on the boards of a number of corporate, professional and philanthropic organizations. Harvey received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Winnipeg, the Sol Kanee Distinguished Community Service Award, and, with his wife, Sandra, the Negev Award.

Bram Strain, Board Member

Bram Strain is the President and CEO of the Business Council of Manitoba, a not-for-profit organization that consists of a diverse and prestigious group of leaders of companies who have demonstrated a commitment to Manitoba’s economic growth and community development. Collectively they represent the economic engine of Manitoba.

Prior to his arrival at the Council, Bram was most recently the City Manager in Lethbridge, Alberta, prior to that, he served as Deputy Minister in the Manitoba Government as well as serving as Assistant Deputy Minister and other senior roles within the Federal Government of Canada. Bram is a strategic leader who utilizes a relationship-based leadership style that focuses on results and outcomes beneficial to stakeholders and has a breadth and depth of experience across all levels of government.

Bram is past President of the Greendell Community Centre and is currently a board member for the 2022 World Police and Fire games. Bram Strain is a Manitoban, raised in Elm Creek, is a graduate of Brandon University and is fluent in English and French.

Chantal Sturk-Nadeau, Board Member

Chantal Sturk-Nadeau leads tourism development as Senior Vice President for Tourism Winnipeg and has been an integral member of the team for 16 years. In this time, she has put her experience and passion for Winnipeg to work by spearheading major projects and campaigns, driving sales & marketing efforts, acting as an industry liaison and advocate, and collaborating with key stakeholders. Prior to joining Tourism Winnipeg, Chantal’s extensive experience in sales and marketing included: International Sales with Nygard International and International Marketing Director for DBC Productions. Chantal holds an Arts Degree from the University of Manitoba, an Advanced Diploma in International Business and has received the Certified Destination Marketing Executive from Purdue University.

Sheree Walder, Board Member

Sheree Walder is a lawyer specializing in all aspects of family law and a partner at Myers LLP, a law firm located in Winnipeg, which offers extensive legal services to individuals, families, companies, unions and First Nations. She has appeared at all levels of the Manitoba court system and has training in dispute resolution techniques.

Ms Walder has been involved with many aspects of the legal and general communities. She has volunteered her time to assist in the preparation of materials for legal education on behalf of the Law Society of Manitoba, spoken to community groups on legal issues, was appointed by the Law Society to investigate and report on complaints against lawyers and has also volunteered as an adjudicator at the University of Manitoba Law School. She is a member of the Manitoba Bar Association and the Canadian Bar Association and has been on the boards of Jewish Child and Family Services and Family Mediation Manitoba. More recently, Ms Walder was appointed by the Government of Manitoba to be a Panel Member on the Vulnerable Persons Hearing Panel.

Sheree Walder and her husband, Richard Morantz, have long been proud supporters of major institutions in Winnipeg, including the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, the Health Sciences Centre and the University of Manitoba.

 

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