Stettler Town Council has approved the release of $250,000 in reserve funds to launch an overhaul of the community’s 23-year-old spray park.
Under the plan approved at the Aug. 18 council meeting, the Rotary Club of Stettler will take the lead on project management, fundraising, and grant acquisition.
The Town’s $250,000 capital contribution, accumulated across the past three municipal budgets, will be handed over to the service club to leverage additional provincial and matching grants.
The refurbished facility at West Stettler Park will nearly triple the existing play features, growing from nine to approximately 24 elements.
Final renderings are still being refined, but the design focuses on expanded spray options for young children, and a matching aesthetic to nature elements and the nearby Kin playground.
The new spray park would keep the same footprint as the current park, although a key feature of the refurbishment would address water conservation.
Rather than sending the an estimated 4,000 cubic metres of annual water run-off into the municipal storm system, the water will instead be diverted.
Following consultation with Alberta Health Services, a seasonal pipeline laid in the nearby creek bed will route the used water directly to the Stettler Golf Course storage ponds for turf irrigation at no cost to the club.
Originally built in 2003, the current spray park had reached the end of its typical 25-year lifecycle.
An underground leak discovered during winterization in late 2023, prompted the town and Rotary Club to look at a rebuild.
Mitch Koehler, who chaired the original construction board 23 years ago, expressed confidence in meeting the project’s financial goals through community donations and matching grant programs.
Council heard municipal crews will complete the demolition of the existing infrastructure and site preparation as an in-kind contribution.
The Rotary Club expects to issue a Request for Proposals to prospective builders in the fall, aiming for construction in 2027.
Author: Landin Chambers
Landin Chambers is a news reporter for Hometown Media Stettler. He has a background in broadcast news, with previous roles in Prince George, Red Deer and Calgary. You may also see him as a cameraman for the Stettler Wildcats and Stettler Imperials. Have a story idea? Email: lchambers@htproductionsmedia.ca
