2 Stratford recreation projects are finally a go

Construction has just started on a new splash pad in the town of Stratford, P.E.I., and work will begin in the spring on the long-awaited skate park.

• Stratford moving ahead with new skate park
• Fundraising for Stratford skatepark continues

It's great news for Alex Stokes, 19, who's been lobbying for the skate park for six years.

"I originally wrote an email when I was in Grade 7, I'm currently going into my second year of university," said Stokes.

"I'd like to see something happen tomorrow, as soon as possible but I'm obviously not too disappointed that it's happening in the spring, as long as it happens, I'm okay."

A long time coming

For years, Stokes was part of a committee trying to raise funds for the skate park.

At several points, it seemed as if construction was just around the corner.

"There has always been, it's going to happen this spring, it's going to happen this fall, that kind of feeling," said Stokes.

"But it does really seem as if things are actually going to be put forward. It does feel as if it's going to happen in this spring, which I hope it does."

He admits it has been, at times, a frustrating experience.

"I remember even as a kid being pretty frustrated at how long it was taking and being kind of annoyed that I didn't really have a place to go, that I had done all this work and not been able to enjoy it," said Stokes.

"But then I was reminded that was not why I was doing it, I wasn't doing it for myself, you do these kinds of things for generations below you."

Stokes predicts the new skate park will be popular.

"Stratford is a huge community and it's a young population, it's a lot of families and young children and so I think the park will be packed," he said.

"And I'm really excited to try it out."

Federal dollars

The skate park is finally a reality, thanks to some extra funding from the federal governmentthat the town discovered in its budget.

In June, the town announced it was allocating another $183,000in federal funding to the project, in addition to another $150,000already announced, towards the $400,000total cost.

"We did have a number of fundraising initiatives in the town over the last couple of years and we were able to raise 30 thousand but it still wasn't enough to build the skate park that we wanted," said Gail MacDonald, Stratford town councillor and chair of the recreation committee.

"We were able secure additional money so that the project can go ahead and not be further delayed, it's going to tender in late January so we will definitely have our skate park up and running by the spring of 2018."

Splash pad delayed

Meanwhile, the town's dog park has been temporarily moved to make way for the splash pad. The dog park will eventually be moved, also next spring, to the left side of town hall.

"The splash pad will be under construction, we're hoping, by the end of September, and if not, by early spring at the very latest," said MacDonald.

She said there were a few budget modifications, as well as some public consultations about the location of the splash pad, which was supposed to be in operation this summer.

"To my knowledge, we haven't got any complaints about the delay so for sure it will be ready for them late spring of 2018," said MacDonald.

"Everyone is very very busy with construction projects now this year."

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