Work on the Waterfowl Display Ponds began in 1971. The Waterfowl Park Committee, working under the Wascana Centre Authority, recognized the need for a facility for captive waterfowl. The Display Ponds would provide a home for captive and injured birds and an opportunity for people to interact with birds up close. For decades, the Display Ponds have served as an outdoor classroom for Regina and area schools, as well as are a popular attraction for the local public and tourists alike.
In the early years, during the winter months, the captive birds were housed in a storage shed at the Wascana Centre Greenhouse. In 1979, the present day Overwintering Structure was built west of the Greenhouse overlooking Wascana Marsh. Each year a few injured waterfowl that are brought to the Display Ponds are fed, protected and housed in the Overwintering Structure during the winter months. In the faill of 2016, the 40 year old overwintering structure was removed and the injured birds were moved to Winnipeg's Assiniboine Zoo for care. They are expected to return to the Waterfowl Display Ponds each spring.