(file photo/CHATNewsToday)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Bow Island excited for development of spray park, and new Centennial Park concept plan

Nov 23, 2021 | 5:29 PM

BOW ISLAND, AB – It looks like a volleyball court right now, but by this summer it could be filled with kids beating the heat. The Town of Bow Island is aiming to start construction on the Kale Porteous Spray park this spring at Centennial Park, which is bringing relief to young families.

“I think it is a great idea that we will be getting a water park. and we will have more things to do out here for sure,” said resident Bryce Wikkerink.

Funding for the Kale Porteous spray park was done entirely through donations from the Troy Loney Charity Golf Classic.

Bow Island Mayor Gordon Reynolds said council recently signed an order for the equipment, and now they are looking at what the future of the park may look like.

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At their Nov. 8 council meeting, Council approved the development of a park concept plan which they hope will be complete by the beginning of next year. The plan will cost the town $25,000 and will be funded with park reserve money.

“The purpose is to take a look at the overall design of the park especially now that we are making a big addition to the park, and the infrastructure of the park,” Reynolds said.

In the warmer months, the park is a community hub, with a campground, playground, and space to host community events.

The mayor said camping in particular has become a boost to the town. They added an overflow camp area a number of years ago which has housed windmill workers, and highway construction workers the past few summers, along with the typical summer campers.

The concept development plan, Reynolds said could look into whether or not the park could add more campground spaces, or move some of them back.

And with a new water park coming in, the concept plan also aims to address potential water and sewer infrastructure issues, along with parking.

“When we host big events at the park here like our children’s festival, every fathers day, market in the park every Wednesday evening in the summer, the parking lot is very full and we think there will be more demand on parking with the addition of the splash park. There might be a way to park elsewhere on the property and we want the engineer to look at that as well,” Mayor Reynolds said.

But parents with young children, that CHAT News spoke to aren’t too overly concerned about the issue.

“Not really. You have to be creative but I have family that live on the other street. So I don’t have an issue parking close to Centennial,” one parent said.

As parents and kids eagerly wait for the sod to turn for what will soon be the town’s new splash park.