The 2022 capital budget for the parks and recreation department proposes to spend $2,665,291 next year to address areas such as Crescent Park, Pla-Mor Palace and the former Hillcrest Sports Centre.
City administration spoke about most 2022 capital projects during the Dec. 8 budget meeting. Below is a summary of some projects in parks and rec.
Parks and recreation
The department plans to provide $32,600 to Wakamow Valley Authority to upgrade the parking lots and general area of the Kiwanis Pavilion, with the authority providing similar matching funding, said parks director Derek Blais.
The pavilion area needs upgrades since it hosts weekly farmers’ markets in the summer.
- $117,832 for Crescent Park, including general upgrades, spray park decking replacement and tennis court resurfacing, with $12,783 carried forward from this year
- $315,602 for general park upgrades, with $494,319 carried forward; main projects include park and pathway sign replacements, Sunningdale Park building roof replacement, Iron Bridge landscaping improvements, Memorial Field backstop replacement and baseball diamond upgrades
- $919,808 for the former Hillcrest Sports Centre, including a full roof replacement and exterior grading and landscaping
Golden Ticket Sports Inc. — which manages the building — invested $300,000 into the venue this year, so it’s important to protect that, Blais said. The parks department will send out tenders for the roof replacement and believes it can combine this project with replacing the roof at Pla-Mor Palace to save money.
There are 13 roof sections at Hillcrest, with six requiring immediate replacement and the rest in the coming years, he added.
- $36,610 for building improvements, with $114,417 carried forward; main projects include an annual contribution to the buildings reserve account and replacing water fountains — “which have become a thing of the past, especially during the pandemic,” said Blais — with water bottle filling stations
- $15,053 for cemetery improvements, including a new refrigeration system at Rosedale Cemetery for the vault where caskets are stored
- $39,968 to upgrade pathways and extend paths into new areas
- $60,212 toward the new outdoor pool, specifically completing the drawings for new change rooms and mechanical buildings
- $9,287 in carry-forward money to continue planting trees through the reforestation program
- $32,182 toward accessibility upgrades in municipal buildings, with $73,940 in carry-forward money
- $90,317 for upgrades at city hall, such as repointing exterior bricks and sandstone and hiring a consultant to address a roof leak, with $353,236 carried forward
The carry-forward money is being used to replace the cooling system, while the consultant will help city hall discover why an area on the fourth floor leaks, said Blais.
- $33,500 toward the community capital grant program, with $29,385 carried forward
- $30,106 to develop a parking lot for the baseball diamonds near the Western Development Museum, with $53,114 carried forward
- $827,387 for a full roof replacement at Pla-Mor Palace, with $147,102 carried forward
“We’re excited to address this one next year,” said Blais.
- $45,157 to hire a consultant to help with replacing the cooling system at the cultural centre
- $10,900 to improve the emergency exits at Yara Centre; meanwhile, $1 million will be spent in 2025 to replace the turf, with funding coming from the centre’s reserve account
- $36,336 toward adding fall protection to the roof of the city complex, with $480,307 carried forward
- $22,321 to replace the humidifier blower at the museum and art gallery, with $35,356 carried forward
The next 2022 budget meeting is Monday, Dec. 13. The final budget meeting could be on Wednesday, Dec. 15.
