The Thompson Zoological Society’s Boreal Discovery Centre got a big financial boost from Vale Manitoba Operations Oct. 3, when the mining company announced that it would be contributing $125,000 over the next three years to the organization.
“An employee match campaign in 2019-2020 will provide an opportunity to significantly increase the overall contribution,” said Vale corporate and Indigenous affairs manager for Manitoba and Ontario Ryan Land at the cheque presentation Oct. 3 during Vale Manitoba Operations’ annual open house, hosted at the Heritage North Museum.
The Boreal Discovery Centre will complete its interactive habitat for sturgeon, other fish, crustaceans, amphibians and aquatic plant life by the end of this year and has recently hired a full-time programming co-ordinator. Work also continues on the Wolf Centre of Excellence.
Penny Byer of the Thompson Zoological Society board said the contribution would not only help financially but by providing confidence and moral support.
“We’re so delighted about this,” she said.
Society co-chair Monique Lahaie said Vale’s contribution would help the centre achieve some of its goals ahead of schedule.
“Our vision is that the Boreal Discovery Centre will foster deep connections between people and our boreal through immersive exhibits, educational programming, research and innovation, interaction with flora and fauna, and the sharing of Indigenous knowledge,” she said in a press release.
“We believe that the Boreal Discovery Centre will be Northern Manitoba’s next magnet tourist attraction with the integrated Wolf Centre of Excellence and the interactive sturgeon habitat serving as key elements,” said Land. "The BDC will not only help diversify Thompson’s economy but it will also assist with employee attraction and retention as it will be a great place for families to visit. The long-term goal is that the Boreal Discovery Centre will eventually be sustainable, revenue-generating and an employer of significance in addition to being a must-see top attraction for visitors inside and outside the north.”
