CHAT News File Photo

By Chris Brown

Clean-up from storm continues

Echo Dale swim lake to reopen Saturday

Jul 29, 2022 | 10:13 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – With at least a few more days of temperatures above 30 C in the forecast here is some cool news for the weekend.

The City of Medicine Hat says the swim lake at Echo Dale will reopen on Saturday.

The park was closed after it suffered considerable damage in the storm on July 18.

Along with the swim lake, the concession will be open, the beach volleyball nets will be in place and the soccer fields will be ready for play. Echo Dale Farm will also be open and doing their farm tour from the Woolfrey House and up to the Ajax Mine.

The boat lake and boat launch however remain closed, with no vehicle or pedestrian access east of those. The campground and off-leash areas are also still closed.

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Crews are still on site cleaning up the area south of the boat and swim lake and assessing irrigation infrastructure and the pump house.

“We lost more than 60 mature trees throughout the park and crews are still assessing others as the clean-up continues,” explains Scott Richter, acting director of city parks. “We expect the work will be ongoing for a number of weeks as crews work to remove trees and stumps before focusing on replanting and seeding.”

The city has been under a heat warning since Wednesday. A high of 36 C is forecast for today and Monday before tapering off later in the week.

“We know that summer in our city isn’t the same without Echo Dale and the swim lake, and crews have been working quickly in order to safely reopen the park to residents and visitors alike,” Richter adds.