By Steve Hubrecht
The planned Canal Flats Splash Park is set to become a reality this year.
The Canal Flats Community Society is the driving force behind the project and has been working to raise money for it for the past three years. Those efforts have paid off and construction is set to start soon.
“This year is going to be the year it comes to fruition. We’re super excited about it,” society member Shawn Doherty recently told Canal Flats councillors.
Doherty explained that consulting company Water Solutions Corp. has created some initial design concepts, which he shared with council. He also outlined that geotechnical work might even begin in April.
The splash park will be built in the Lions Park, immediately to the east of the Headwaters Academy Arena, and to the south of the Canal Flats Civic Centre.
Doherty asked for input from councillors on where exactly within Lions Park the splash park should go.
“It looks like it would fit quite well in front of the playground and the pavilion,” said Doherty, noting this is not too close to the community hall (Civic Centre), but adding it is up to council to choose the final location.
The splash park will include eight different water features. Each feature will turn off automatically when not in use. If all features are used at once, the park will use about 45 gallons (170 litres) of water per minute.
Doherty explained the current splash park design does not include recycling the water back through the park, as is done in a car wash. That’s because a splash park with recyclable water is “much more expensive” to build and also requires a certified operator to monitor it — something that’s well beyond the community society’s budget for the project, said Doherty.
Given recent community concern around the village’s water system, councillors asked about the park’s effect on fire flows.
Doherty explained that the splash park will be able to tie into one of the village’s smaller six-inch diameter pipes without any problems. He added if the splash park had to, it could make do with a 1.5 inch pipe. The splash park needs a maximum pressure of about 10 pounds per square inch and “I think our water system runs about 40 (psi),” said Doherty. “I wouldn’t think it’s (the splash park) going to make much difference.”
Doherty noted that several local residents have offered their labour, construction equipment, gravel and concrete either for free or at cost. He added this community-minded volunteerism has brought the cost of the park down substantially and is “one of the big reasons we’re going to be able to get it done this year.”
Doherty said construction should start this year. “We’re just dealing with the engineers right now.”
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