Edmonton's nature centre officially reopens after $340K renovation

The John Janzen Nature Centre officially reopened Wednesday with more than $340,000 in renovations after a two-year closure.

The nature centre initially closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and then remained closed for renovations which included a new exhibit room and a refreshed Tegler Discovery Zone.

"It was the perfect time to get those projects all moving forward, and with us being closed to the public, it didn't disrupt the experience so we were able to get it done in a really efficient way," said Gary Dewar, director of the Edmonton Valley Zoo and special facilities for the City of Edmonton.

The new exhibit room features critters like garter snakes, goldfish, a Pacman frog and an axolotl.

Other updates include new signage installed along the Birch Tree Trail behind the facility, updates to the green roof and observation beehive.

"It now will give kids a chance to see, within that particular discovery room, they're actually going to the bees coming in, and you can see the hive itself through glass," he said. "It's really amazing."

The John Janzen Nature Centre opened in 1976 and underwent renovations in 2011 before the most recent refresh.

David Merino and his two-year-old son Rafael spent Wednesday morning at the nature centre.

"Everything looks very flashy with colours, which is good for kids," said Merino. "And there's so many different things to catch his attention long enough for me to read what's on the walls."

The president of the Edmonton Nature Centres Foundation said the facility is a great way to connect kids with nature.

"It shaped my career, I work in the environment and that started off with me coming here," said Victor Bachmann. "To see that in the next generation is really important."

"It's really about making sure kids understand nature and their environment," said Dewar. "They're having so much fun yet there's an educational message underlying it all and that's I think what's so powerful about this facility."

The renovations were fully funded by the Edmonton Nature Centres Foundation.

John Janzen Nature Centre is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on statutory holidays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are available at the door or online.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jessica Robb