BATTLEFORD — The council of the Town of Battleford heard from Warren Williams, past president and Rotary Club board member, at their June 19 council meeting, as he presented them with a possibility of a new splash park in Battleford.
“We like to support kids ... we want to do something big to start off our second century," Williams noted as the club celebrates its 103rd year in the Battlefords.
This presentation follows a similar one made in February to the Living Sky School Division, seeking to build a spray park in North Battleford on Connaught School property, followed by a recent move forward with the project in North Battleford, prompted by a unanimous city council decision in May.
According to William's presentation, the local club would raise $50,000 for a spray park in about three years, with the town contributing $50,000 in money or land for the project.
“We're proposing to partner with the town ... the town would own the splash park; the town would maintain the splash park, and the town would run the splash park,” Williams said, adding that the club would want some name recognition.
Williams did note that the Rotary Club would like to see the park built in an economically disadvantaged area to better serve children and families who may not be able to enjoy the lake and cabin life.
Councillor Shelley Boutin-Gervais noted her appreciation for the presentation, saying,
“I want to thank you for your presentation, I always thought a splash park would be a good thing for this community.”
Other councillors mirrored Boutin-Gervais' comment, with Councillor Kevin Russell and Councillor Alexis Christensen mentioning tentatively that if the town goes forward with the splash park, they would like to see it in a central location for ease of access.
In comments to the media, Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie said that the council could make a decision at their next council meeting in July but that there are a lot of things to consider, including timelines and whether council feels this is something they'd like to consider.
"A full commitment would have to go through part of budget deliberations for 2024 ... but conceptually, council can give approval as early as July 17th," Mayor Leslie said.
The town already operates a wading pool and playground called the Tot Lot, which is popular with both Battleford and North Battleford residents.
