Splash park summer fun on potential chopping block
Posted Mar 12, 2012 7:44 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Three popular but aging Calgary splash parks could soon close if council doesn’t approve a $1.65-million repair bill.
A new report shows fun could be on the chopping block at Bowness, Prairie Winds and Variety spray parks.
It adds the parks would have to shut down until the currently un-funded and necessary maintenance can be completed.
Ward 11 Alderman Brian Pincott believes the repair bill is a small price to pay, given the upgrades.
“When you think about maintaining the pumps, the water filtration, when you think of repairing concrete and the amenities that go with it,” he says. “And you’re doing three large spray parks, 1.6 million dollars is not that much.”
One of the spray parks in question is located inside Ward 11 at South Glenmore Park.
He tells 660News the facilities help to expose kids to water at a very young age.
“They’ll be open to a whole bunch of other things,” says Pincott. “From swimming, to boating to sailing, all of those things, and that’s really important.”
The list of projects was accounted for in the three-year capital budget but aldermen only approved the first year.
It was on the table at last week’s Priorities and Finance committee meeting and referred back to administration for more work.
The issue will be brought up again at a strategic planning meeting in May.
Pincott says he’s hoping he won’t have a hard time convincing his colleagues of their value.
“I hope that my colleagues on council haven’t lost touch with the simple things, and how important it is to have fun as a kid,” he adds.
“I think if you look at the usage, the benefit, and anyone who uses it,” says Ward 12 Alderman Shane Keating. “And you look at the amount of the budget the city has, anyone who opposes it for $1.65 million isn’t thinking of the global aspect of what these parks mean to the city of Calgary.”
