NORTH BATTLEFORD - A proposal for a new splash park made its way to North Battleford city council Monday.
Rotary Club of the Battlefords is making the pitch for the splash park project, which would be in the Connaught School area.
Warren Williams of Rotary, along with former Mayor Wayne Ray, made the presentation to council. Williams said they had a mandate to “support the youth in our community," and are hoping to partner with Living Sky School Division as well as the city on the project.
Williams pointed to Connaught School as a “great location” for the North Battleford splash park because of the large schoolyard as well as a playground and basketball court also nearby.
Williams said Rotary is committing to funding $200,000 to the project and said they will need three years to raise it, adding they were pretty sure they could raise it in two.
Their request of the city was a contribution of $100,000, which didn’t have to all be cash but could include services in kind. There is already an agreement in principle with Living Sky School Division for the use of the land. Williams said that their club president Randy Patrick had made a presentation on the project to Living Sky School Division.
City Director of Parks and Recreation Cheryl DeNeire indicated discussions have been preliminary, and nothing has been decided. But she did indicate administration had experience with splash parks.
Council members were enthusiastic about the proposed splash park.
“In principle, I will support this,” said Councillor Greg Lightfoot, who nevertheless said council needed more information before they can look at how they can partner on this.
Councillor Kelli Hawtin liked the Connaught location, noting that it also was the most highly attended community barbecue location when those were going.
“There’s no doubt that there is a desire in that area of our community to have things that pull them together,” said Hawtin.
Mayor David Gillan also supported the partnership with Living Sky, which he called “very well thought through. I think more of those partnerships should happen.”
The issue will come back at the next council meeting where a more formal motion of support is expected.
