The County of Stettler has agreed to provide $50,000 in funding and up to $10,000 in in-kind support toward a rebuild of the local spray park.
Rotary Club of Stettler president Mitch Keller and fellow club member Kathy Henkins appeared before the county council on Sept. 23 to request support for the project.
The current facility, built 23 years ago at West Stettler Park has reached the end of its typical lifespan.
Though the Rotary Club originally planned to add shade structures and a wrapped snack shack to mark its 100th anniversary, winterization checks in 2023 uncovered underground pipe leaks.
The Town of Stettler has already committed $250,000 to the project, drawn from capital reserves set aside between 2024 and 2026.
The Rotary Club has assumed responsibility for raising the remaining $250,000 through grant applications and community donations.
County council approved advancing $50,000 immediately from the Rural Development Fund under Section 6 of the Town Recreation Agreement, to be offset against future recreation allocations.
Council also committed up to $10,000 in in-kind support, including site preparation, machinery, operators, and sub-base gravel supplies.
The cash transfer allows the Rotary Club to leverage capital when applying for matching provincial and federal grants before spring deadlines.
The refurbished facility 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.
A key highlight of the new facility’s design is an environmentally friendly “flow-through” water conservation system.
Following consultation with Alberta Health Services and the Stettler Golf Course board, the park will capture an estimated 4,000 cubic metres of used water annually.
The captured water will be pumped via a seasonal pipeline in the creek bed to the nearby golf course storage ponds to be reused for fairway irrigation.
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
