It’s a good thing that Estevan’s city council is finding time to turn their attention to some of our city’s failing leisure services infrastructures.
Too often it seems, the need to build new streets, sidewalks and water treatment facilities overwhelms the leisure services budget. Whenever budgets have to be reduced, it often seems it is our parks and recreation facilities that become the first place to look. After all, no sense in planting new trees and flowers if we don’t have water for them.
But eventually, the pressure becomes too great and our councilors are now acknowledging the fact that our civic parks have been neglected for far too long.
Royal Heights Veterans Memorial Park is finally on the radar for a major rehabilitation that will cost about $250,000. The spray pad part of the park will be restored, as will the gazebo, bridges and walking path.
There was some discussion about turning Royal Heights into a more passive park to be in accord with the upcoming Legion Memorial Park status that it will embrace later this year. However, one cannot assume the words passive and Legion necessarily run hand-in-hand. After all, it’s the Legion that has served as a major catalyst for many of our city’s very active capital projects and sporting events.
The development of Padwick Park further north, in the new subdivision, will be a welcome addition. It should not be considered as a distraction or subtraction factor for the current park inventory.
If this city is going to attract more families, and not just temporary oil patch employees, we need to offer them more recreation and leisure services. We can’t rest on our laurels after opening the impressive Affinity Place. We need to keep pace with the demand.
In fact, we hold to the argument that Estevan should be prepared, at this stage of the game, to add at least one playpark to their list of facilities that offer full summer programming with playpark supervisors. The four mature parks that already provide these programs are proof-positive that this is a winning formula, as children flock to these sites during the warm summer days, to participate in craft projects every morning and to enjoy the paddling pools in the afternoons. In fact, we advocate the addition of at least one more full-sized outdoor paddling pool in Estevan, perhaps in lieu of another spray pad set-up, or as an addition to one.
The popularity of these pools and programs are undeniable with daily attendance in the dozens and more than a hundred on the hotter days.
There has been service club sponsorship of these mature parks in the past so if there were to be an expansion of play equipment or facilities in either of the four, or, as we suggest, an addition of a full program and pool at another site, we feel confident that a local service organization (or two) would be there to step up and make the investment in our youth and the city’s future.
As one city planner noted once, visitors don’t come to tour the sewer and water plants or inspect the pavement. They come to enjoy a clean environment and to enjoy the amenities we offer in the form of entertainment and leisure services.
Those who live here, also need to be assured that our parks, grass, trees, flowers and playground equipment are in good condition and ready to be used and appreciated.
