The Gros Morne National Park visitor centre now boasts a $12-million makeover that staff say was sorely needed. The space now has more parking, modern washroom facilities, a new reception space and a sustainable design inspired by the landscape in the park. "We have a brand new entrance that gives a big sense of arrival for visitors, a sense they have come to something really beautiful and special, [with] Gros Morne Mountain visible behind the building in the distance," said Sheldon Stone, who works with the visitor experience team.
Stone has worked there since 1991 and says talk of renovating the popular hub started two winters ago. New design "The old visitors centre was more than 40 years old. And when you think of all that's happened in the national park and the region in [those] 40 years, we have a lot more visitors coming.
And the old space just wasn't meeting that need anymore," he said. The visitor centre sees tens of thousands of tourists each year looking for advice on the best hiking trails, accommodations and services in the park. On an overcast muggy summer day, the space is buzzing with people, including Richard Poirier from Eastern Townships, Que.
He and his wife stopped in for a map. "As a retired architect I'm totally impressed. It's fantastic architecture," said Poirier.
The reception space at the newly renovated visitor centre displays an exhibit about Mi'kmaw culture within the national park. The full exhibit will be finished next summer. (Colleen Connors/CBC) The federal government invested $12 million to turn the space into an accessible and inclusive experience for guests and community members.
The renovations also focused on making the building sustainable, with builders installing solar panels on the roof and re-using certain wooden beams. While the visitor centre officially opened in May, a large part of the redesign emphasizes the communities that surround the national park and showcases that collaboration with a large exhibit that will be on full display next summer. Community exhibits Right now the large reception space is home to temporary posters that display the connection to Indigenous groups in the region.
"Gros Morne is the national park and the communities. When people experience Gros Morne, it is the region. And they work so well together, they are so intertwined.
They are such a part of the experience of this place. Right from north to south in the park we have communities that each have their own experiences that really compliment what goes in the national park itself," said Stone. "When you come to the centre, we hope to give you a sense of that, that it is Gros Morne the region that is welcoming you.
" Stone says the large reception area, new kitchen and office spaces can be used by community members in the off-season. Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to visit our landing page .
.
