The Assiniboine Park Conservancy’s decision to attach an entrance fee to the new conservatory is drawing the ire of some Winnipeggers.

The new building, called The Leaf, is replacing the old conservatory, which has no charge and closes its doors for good today. The Leaf is part of the $75-million Canada’s Diversity Gardens project, which is one of the last stages of a massive redevelopment of Assiniboine Park.

Molly McCracken is an organizer with the “No user fees at Diversity Gardens” Facebook page and planned a rally over the weekend to call on the Conservancy to scrap the fee.

She says parks should be for free for everyone, and charging a fee may exclude low-income families.

“It’s been free for over 100 years and it’s a pretty big change to start charging a fee,” McCracken says. “We really appreciate the conservatory and it’s been so important to Winnipeggers, but we want all people to benefit from it for the next 100 years.”

McCracken says there are similar spaces in other cities that don’t charge a fee. She says some places, such as the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul, Minnesota, use a suggested donation model, where people can make a donation of their choosing but aren’t obligated to pay a fee to get in.

She says this new fee – coupled with admission increases at the Assiniboine Park Zoo over recent years – will make a trip to the park more unaffordable for a lot of people.

“Now for a family of four it costs around $75 to get into the zoo and some people can’t go because that adds up and it’s expensive,” McCracken says. “I’m very concerned a fee model will set up a barrier for people. Even $10 per person can deter people from using the facility.”

McCracken says another reason to scrap the fee is research showing indoor green spaces can reduce anxiety, stress and depression. She says that’s especially important for people looking for a reprieve from Winnipeg’s bitter winters.

Assiniboine Park spokeswoman Laura Cabak says Canada’s Diversity Gardens will provide a mix of free and admission-based experiences. Access to the biomes in The Leaf will be admission-based but the exterior gardens, English Garden and Leo Mol Sculpture Garden will remain free.

She says they are still developing a fee structure for The Leaf, so they aren’t sure how much they will charge.

McCracken says they will continue to pressure the Conservancy and Mayor Brian Bowman to scrap the admission fee. The city is responsible for 40 per cent of Assiniboine Park Conservancy’s funding.

The project has received funding from the municipal, provincial and federal governments as well as private donations for the construction phase. Cabak says admission fees will be one of a number of revenue streams to offset operational costs.