Cold winter impacts cost of building polar bear exhibit at Winnipeg zoo

Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Photo by Shahnoor Habib Munmun / Wikimedia Commons.

WINNIPEG—It was so cold this winter that the heating costs during construction of an exhibit for polar bears and other northern species at Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Park Zoo put the project way over budget.

City council was told Thursday that the Journey to Churchill exhibit has exceeded its budget by $4.5 million.

The city is now looking for savings to help cover the costs.

The city has already promised to give million for the overall park rehabilitation project.

Coun. Brian Mayes says there is enough money left in that budget to possibly scale something else back so the Journey to Churchill can be fully funded.

The exhibit is scheduled to open July 3.