If a group of community activists have their way 100 Mile House may soon be the home of a new Waterpark for tots to teens.
Proponents of the new park, represented by Corey Wells and Jamie Hughes, presented their case to District council on Oct. 23rd asking for support, accompanied by Brad Heintz, Regional Play consultant for RecTec Industries of Penticton.
The proposal addresses the lack of summer activity for children in town, noting that many families travel to other communities for water sports. Hughes said the group has “received 50 emails in support of the Waterpark and many more who are interested, all suggesting that they spend $100-$200 on a summer weekend in other communities.”
The Waterpark, explained designer Brad Heinz, could be set up in three different pods, each one servicing different age groups. “Toddlers, for instance, do not like getting a bucket of water dumped on their head, whereas older kids love the challenge of dodging the deluge.”
The park’s proposed location is Centennial Park, near the playground where there is a supply of water, shade and an open area.
Heinz said the total cost would be between $90,000 to several hundred thousand, depending on facilities chosen and water treatment. Water can be dumped straight from drains or have full treatment. Lumby just built a park for $400,000 but it included a complete water treatment plant and an adult section for the facility. Water treatment plans will depend as well on approval from Interior Health.
Properly set up with motion-activated nozzles the proposed park would only use some 50 gallons of water a day, with yearly maintenance of approximately $1500-$2000.
The Waterpark group has raised $1500 so far in a penny drive, have an application in with Aviva and are continuing with other fundraising initiatives.
The facility can also be built in stages, as long as the basic plumbing is installed during initial construction.
Wells and Hughes asked for council support for the proposal. Mayor Mitch Campsall and councillors expressed strong interest in the idea and asked district staff to survey the serviceability of the area, whether there is sufficient water flow and how grey water would be treated and report back to council. Council will then make a decision on support and viability of the Waterpark, hopefully by the next council meeting.
Mayor Campsall also invited the group to make a presentation at a joint meeting with the district and CRD on Nov. 19.