Its beauty cannot be compared to any other location in the Smoky River Region.
The quiet, peaceful, Zen-like atmosphere of the Kimiwan Bird Walk and Interpretive Centre is the perfect location for people to go clear their heads after a long day of work, dealing with the daily stressors of life, or just a place to enjoy the sounds and sights of birds and their surroundings.
Located on Highway 2 in McLennan, once visitors start walking on the rocks north of the Interpretive Centre, they will soon forget that they are in a town at all. The peacefulness and nature envelopes one as the outside world quickly falls to the backdrop.
“The bird walk is a great place to recover one’s peace of mind and getting back to nature,” says Kimiwan Lake Naturalists committee member Marion Lessard.
“The bird walk also helps to promote people’s physical and mental wellness. We want people of all ages and physical abilities to be able to have a place that can help ease their worries and have an escape from the everyday grind.”
The bird walk ventures out toward Kimiwan Lake and boasts a natural beauty that is beyond comparison. Lessard explains the Kimiwan Lake Naturalists are now working hard to restore pieces of the facility via the Kimiwan Boardwalk Restoration Project.
“We’re trying to restore the railings along the bird walk so that it is safer and more accessible to everyone,” explains Lessard.
“The entire cost of the project will be about $55,000.”
Currently, the railings are in dire straits and desperately in need of replacement. Lessard says their group understands the importance of ensuring the longevity of the facility, knowing that it provides a place of solace for a lot of people in the region.
“We have about $5,000 in donations right now and we are applying for grants all the time,” explains Lessard.
“We are hoping those grants will come through,” she adds. “We are reaching out to the service clubs and businesses to see if they would like to donate to our restoration project.”
The facility caters to group tours including school tours. It also receives nearly 5,000 visitors to the facility every summer.
“Often times people use the bird walk in the evening after we’re closed, walking on their lunch break to clear their heads and get fresh air, hospital patients sometimes come over with family members,” says Lessard. “We also have a lot of tourists stop by.”
Lessard says they keep track of visitors during day hours via a guest book, but she assumes plenty of people stop after hours to enjoy the beauty. She urges people to download the Merlin Bird ID application on their phones if they are interested in identifying birds while at the bird walk.
“As soon as you start walking on the rocks that lead to the boardwalk, you can just kind of feel yourself unwind and you’re in touch with nature,” she says. “We’re hoping folks will help us to raise enough funds to help restore life into the railings of the bird walk.”
Lessard also reminds people in the area of the July 1 Canada Day Celebration at the Bird Walk and Interpretive Centre starting at 11 a.m. with a flag raising and O Canada. A barbeque and Canada Day cake will follow at 11:30 a.m., and then entertainment by Joel Lavoie, followed by Dwayne Isert, Cheryl Isert, and Roger Bruneau. Games and a candy drop will also be held in the early afternoon.
“We invite folks to then venture to the O’Mahony Conservation Centre at 1:30 p.m. for a fabulous scavenger hunt where you can win fabulous prizes,” concludes Lessard.
If you’d like to donate some money to the Kimiwan Bird Walk Restoration Project, would like to join the Kimiwan Lake Naturalists group, or would like to inquire about the facility, please contact kimiwan.birdwalk@gmail.com.
Tax receipts will also be provided to anyone who provides financial contributions to the project.
Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter