After a four-year period of fundraising and planning, a major expansion of Eleanor Kidd Park in Brandon, built at a cost of about $650,000, opened on Canada Day 2002. The work included new walkways, extensive plant beds, a performance stage and fountain, and sculpture. The gardens were developed by members of the Brandon Garden Club in collaboration with Brandon Riverbank Inc. and the City of Brandon. The lush site hosted weddings, summer music concerts, and other events. In 2011 and 2014, most of the site was severely flooded, at least for a brief time, and some areas of the garden were inundated for a prolonged period. The site was cleaned up after 2011 but the city gave up after 2014.
In May 2016, a new 20-year Master Plan recommended: “Abandon the Gardens and move them to the Riverbank Discovery Centre or develop much smaller gardens on high ground at the top of the dike. Make the focus of the renovated gardens more native and adaptive planting rather than purely horticultural species and high maintenance annuals. Relocate all sculptures to the Riverbank Discovery Centre. Decommission washrooms and demolish the defunct picnic shelter.” At the time of an early 2019 site visit, the site was overgrown with weeds and strewn with garbage but the performance stage, some benches, and walkways were still present. A bronze statue by noted sculptor Peter Sawatzky had been removed.
Remains of the former Eleanor Kidd Gardens (April 2019)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Remains of the former Eleanor Kidd Gardens (April 2019)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Location (lat/long): N49.85927, W99.95935
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Eleanor Maude Death Kidd (1881-1978)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Abandoned Manitoba
“Riverbank boats new flower garden, more summer events,” Brandon Sun, 6 May 2002, page 39.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 7 August 2021
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