About a dozen Warburg residents attended an open house Q & A on June 25 following a presentation of a community splash park development. After much research, the seven-member Splash Park Committee finalized the various water features of the park and settled on the best location—the NE corner of the RV park at 5308-47th Street.
The splash park, proposed by designer PlayWorks Inc. and equipment manufacturer Waterplay Solutions Corp., comes with a $268,342.13 price tag. The committee has submitted four grant applications to help defray the project cost. There also will be fundraising and a quest for sponsors. Hopefully, the project will be completed by 2016.
Residents expressed concern for children’s safety because RVs must drive through the play area to utilize the dump station. Councillor Kevin Maine explained the RV park remodeling plans have not been finalized, so this concern will be considered during those deliberations.
When asked why the Main Community Park was not used instead, splash park committee member Krista Kohl said it was not chosen because the footprint would interfere with the Central Park’s seasonal use—especially during large events such as Heritage Days. “Believe me,” said Kohl, “we looked at every park in the village and weighed its pros and cons and this was the best choice.”
The main aquatic play pad area measures 105 square metres; there is an additional overspray zone to protect the edges. The water system will be on a timer and the water will be recycled and treated. Kids may activate the sprayers by pressing the Maestro master control which will trigger computerized flow on a pre-configured spray pattern.
The park features a 16-foot tall central shower tower with nozzles that spray from the sides and top; the 11.5-foot sunny flower sprays out and down; an 11.5-foot cloud burst rains down onto water players as they run under it; misty twisty has three rotating tiers that allow water players to create characters—or mismatch them—as they play in the spray; the two Lil’ Squirts’ friendly faces have big ears to grab to swivel back and forth; a spray tunnel combines four ground sprays that arch into a six-foot tunnel; spray in the team effect mini erupts larger and larger whenever players work together to cover up smaller nozzles; sound spray pads allow sound effects; and last but not least, puddle pads—who can resist jumping or stomping on them? The splash park will promote healthy outdoor activity and social interaction for all age groups. Kohl noted that Warburg’s playschool and kindergarten numbers are increasing, and having a park like this will be a very welcome additional facility. Best of all—there are no plans to charge admission.
Not only will this splash park be used for generations to come, plans allow updating, but it is perceived as a great way to bring new residents and visitors into the community. The committee believes Warburg Splash Park will be a welcome, convenient attraction for residents other nearby rural communities too.