Parks & Gardens

Be sure to check out our parks and garden on your visit to Prairie View:

Walker Park - Vine Street in Birtle

Walker Park is a heritage park amongst some of the community's oldest character homes. The park was developed at the site of the historic stone stairway that leads down to the river's edge where a fresh water spring bubbles from the ground. This spring was once the reason pioneers chose this location to stop for an overnight stay or for a lifetime. Here you will see some of the community's oldest trees including beautiful elm and spruce. Gardens are planted with heritage perennials and fruiting shrubs- so valued by early settlers. The boulders on site are but a few of the ones dug up when the beds were created. The public are welcome to pick the fruit in this garden. Picnic tables invite you to stop and rest a while.

Birtle Memory Garden - Corner of 7th and Main Street Birtle

This garden surrounds the old Town Hall Bell which once hung in the tower of the Town Hall at this location. On a lower tier of the property is the Friendship Garden.

This corner is one of many green spaces created and maintained by Birtle in Bloom volunteers. The Memory Garden was created in phases in 2000 and 2001. It is planted with roses, lilies, daylilies and peonies below rosybloom crab apple trees. The garden is planted in memory of loved ones. Names continue to be added to the plaques. If there is someone you wish to have remembered on a plaque in the Memory Garden, please speak to a Birtle in Bloom committee member.

Brian Salmon Memorial Pocket Park - Main Street Birtle

The Pocket Garden is the perfect place to rest, linger and smell the roses or whatever might be in bloom. Flowering shrubs, bulbs, perennials and colorful foliage ensure an attractive display all season long. A dry stream bed drains the runoff from bordering buildings.

This Pocket Park was created by Birtle in Bloom in 2002. The wrought iron fence and gate was painted in 2007 by Birtle Collegiate students. In 2010 this garden was dedicated to the memory of Brian Salmon. For many years Brian was the foreman of the Town of Birtle and took great pride in the appearance of the community. After work hours and during retirement, Brian would care for over 20 private yards.

Town Square - Corner of 7th and Main Street Birtle

This park is the perfect place for community gatherings or just to stop and visit with friends you meet up with on Main Street. It was created to beautify the property when an old building was removed. The horses were added in recognition of Birtle as the "Heavy Horse Capital".

Birtle Riverside Park

This park is the pride of the community. It is home to a welcoming picnic area with open grass, shade trees, fire pits, picnic tables and a "cook shack” and washrooms. Also within the park is the campground, fish ladder and Birdtail River and the beach which is accessible from the campground and picnic area by foot across a bridge.

History

Tommy Copeland, the son of an English gardener, came to Canada in 1888 with his parents. On his arrival, he would not have guessed he would one day donate acres of land to the Town of Birtle to create Birtle Riverside Park- the jewel of the town.

Tommy Copeland had a vision of what the park could be. He saw the foot bridge and traffic bridge be installed and the tennis courts established. While on council in 1931, Mr. Copeland instigated the rebuilding of the dam and spent many hours in the 30's and 40's to beautify and develop the park.

Excerpts from the Birtle Eye Witness state that "Much thought and work was spent to make what was once a dense, swamp jungle into a park of restful, well shaded beauty hard to equal for extent and comfort." In 1950, in appreciation for his work, the Park Association presented him with an electric kettle and a pound of tea.

Since then, the Birtle Lions Club, the recreational organizations with activities in the park and the Town of Birtle have continued to develop and maintain the park.

We are fortunate that Tommy Copeland had the vision and dedication to create the park, and thankful for all those that ensure we can continue to enjoy it to this day.

Miniota Memory Garden

The Miniota Memory Garden is located on North Railway Avenue in Miniota. In 2003 the LUD of Miniota committee started the project with the assistance of municipal grants. The project was completed with funds from the Home Town Grant. The garden features a gazebo with plaques in memory of loved ones and provides a picturesque green space in the community.