Animal hospital at Assiniboine Park Zoo to be remodeled into new facility with viewing gallery for visitors | CBC News

Plans are underway for the construction of a new and larger animal hospital at the Assiniboine Park Zoo, where visitors will be able to watch veterinary procedures live for the first time. 

Raymond Karasevich, CEO of Assiniboine Park Conservancy, said the upgrade to the veterinary unit was the “top priority,” coming out of a master plan to modernize the zoo and bring it up to speed with new accreditation and standard requirements.

The animal health centre was originally built in 1965, Karasevich said, to “provide a basic level of care” for animals, but the facility, which is 7,000 square feet in size, is aging and nearing its end of life. 

“The work that zoos are doing is very different than it was in the past,” he said. “It’s now very much focused on a conservation mission … raising the bar on animal welfare.” 

The animal hospital will be rebuilt at a new location within the zoo, closer to the visitor’s entrance and almost tripling its size to 20,000 square feet. 

The building will be equipped with an X-ray suite, holding facilities, recovery rooms, and a surgical suite, which Karasevich said will offer the “highest possible standard” to deliver high-quality care for nearly 1300 animals.

A key feature of the zoo’s new hospital will be a glass-enclosed viewing area where visitors can watch certain medical procedures as they are performed and interact with veterinarians. 

Karasevich said the model has been running successfully at other North American zoos, and it is part of having a more “transparent operation” with the public.

“If you were to come when the new hospital is built, your general admission would allow you access to that public viewing area … it would be a part of your overall zoo experience,” he added.

WATCH | Proposed animal hospital at Assiniboine Park Zoo to include viewing area for visitors:

The project is currently in its design phase, that will be running for the next 18 months, with the new facility slated to open in 2029. 

The cost for the remodelling is estimated to be at around $20 million, and the Assiniboine Park Conservancy has requested financial assistance from the city, which once owned and operated the zoo, including its veterinary hospital. 

A spokesperson for the City of Winnipeg said the existing hospital building “can no longer be maintained and requires replacement.” Subject to council approval, the city intends to allocate $2 million every year from 2025 to 2027 for the animal hospital. 

Karasevich said Assiniboine Park Conservancy also has active proposals with other orders of government and private philanthropic partners to help foot the bill. 

“This is a key investment that’s going to really, really shore up and safeguard the zoo for the future and make it a wonderful place that’s accessible for all in our community,” he said.