City council is throwing its support behind a spray park project that the Northwest Community Association (NWCA) wants to build in Regal Heights Park to better meet the needs of families.
During the June 28 executive committee meeting, council voted unanimously to designate the initiative as a municipal project so city hall can issue charitable donation receipts to individuals and businesses that contribute to the project. The designation will remain in place until Dec. 31, 2023, with either party able to terminate the designation with 90 days’ notice.
The association has initiated a community fundraising campaign to raise $253,000 to construct a fully accessible spray park in 2023. The proposed spray pad will cost $185,946.09, while city hall estimates that landscaping will cost $67,250, bringing the total to $253,195.09.
While not asking for financial support from the municipality, the organization asked council for future assistance to promote and advertise the spray pad throughout the city.
The water venue would be constructed between the soccer field, baseball diamond and hockey rink in that area.
Presentation
“A new spray pad in Regal Heights Park would be beneficial to the population surrounding it,” association representative Craig MacLeod told council.
A 2025 demographic study that the City of Moose Jaw completed projected that there will be 557 kids between the ages of zero and 14 within a 1.9-kilometre radius of the park from Lindale School to Caribou Heights, he continued. Meanwhile, the next closest spray park is at Elgin Park, which is 1.4 kilometres to 1.7 kilometres away from Regal Heights.
The association plans to raise the money through fundraising, donations, grants and other opportunities that come along, MacLeod added.
Council discussion
“That’s (Regal Heights) in my area of the city … on (hot) days like today, that could be kind of fun,” laughed Coun. Dawn Luhning.
Many people live in that area of the city, so the association will likely receive plenty of support for this project, said Mayor Fraser Tolmie. Not only did he think this was a great project, but he thought this was a great opportunity for the entire community to support.
“I think this is fantastic,” echoed Coun. Crystal Froese. “I’m sure you can probably raise a lot of money in the next few weeks when temperatures go above 40 (degrees Celsius).”
Project highlights
The proposed location aligns with the parks and recreation department’s priorities for future recreation enhancements and would include accessible pathways and walkways, along with picnic tables and benches, a council report explained.
The proposed spray park also aligns with the five goals of the Framework for Recreation in Canada: active living, inclusion and access, connecting people and nature, supportive environments and recreation capacity.
The City of Moose Jaw has 10 designated municipal projects that each require an accounting of funds, receipt of funds and tax-deductible receipt production, the report continued. Once funding is in place, parks and recreation will manage the construction and installation of all park amenities, including issuing all project-related tenders and requests for proposals.
After the spray park is constructed, the municipality will look after water and maintenance costs of the venue.
The next executive committee meeting is Monday, July 17.
