Estevan’s Playparks have been a valuable service to the community for decades, and should be a source of pride.
Generations of children have grown up with the opportunity to enjoy some crafts in the morning, and go for a swim in the afternoon. Many fond memories have been made. The bonus? The parks are free to use.
They represent an opportunity for children to get outside, have fun, run around and take a dip in a pool, all in a supervised setting. There’s no commitment to be there every day or every week. Those who are visiting from out of town can access the service.
In other words, they are exactly what so many families need in July and August.
We’re confident this service will remain for a long time to come, but the pools might not always be there, at least for some of these parks. And it leaves the city and city council with some difficult decisions.
Rod March, the manager of parks and facilities, delivered a report on the future of the Churchill Playpark last week. The park’s paddling pool will be closed for the second straight summer. Council approved the spending to repair the pool so it will be ready for next year, but only after a discussion about the state of the other paddling pools in the city, and the best options for outdoor swimming in the future.
March cautioned council that the pools at the Rusty Duce park in Pleasantdale and in Hillside will need to be brought up to standard in the next few years, or they’ll have to close. Rusty Duce and Hillside Park pools were closed for the first week of the playpark season this year, leaving only Hillcrest operational.
The city could build new paddling pools in those parks. They could replace them with splash pads, which are a more affordable option. Or they could construct a new community-wide outdoor swimming pool.
Many have been calling for a new outdoor swimming pool for Estevan for decades, ever since the previous outdoor pool at the Woodlawn Regional Park shut down. If you were to ask people about the top recreation need for Estevan, many would say an outdoor pool.
It’s a great way to spend time during the hot summer months, it can be used by people of all ages, and you can add different amenities to them, such as a slide, a diving board or even a climbing wall.
We’ve seen Bienfait and Oxbow construct new outdoor pools in the past few years, replacing the swimming facilities in those communities that were badly outdated. Ask people in those communities, and they’ll vouch for the value of their pools.
On the surface, outdoor pools are great.
But it took years of planning and fundraising to make them happen. Pools are expensive to build, and they cost a lot of money to operate. And we already have a good indoor pool in Estevan. Many will question the need for both in a small city.
If the city does decide to forge ahead with a new outdoor pool, don’t expect it to be open for at least a few years.
The splash pads have certainly proven to be popular. A few years ago, when the Royal Heights spray park was closed, we didn’t have any. Now we have three. Some will question how many Estevan actually needs. And should they be the only option, even if they’re the most affordable?
You’ll no doubt find a lot of people who want the paddling pools to be repaired. They’re smaller and more affordable than one large outdoor pool, and they’re well used. They offer a different option besides the spray parks.
But paddling pools do cost more.
These are among the factors to be considered moving forward.
On the surface, there is no slam dunk choice, nothing that is going to please everyone.
Nobody should question the value of playparks, or whether they should be free. But now it’s time to ask how they should look in a few years’ time, and which option is the best for their future.
