Prairie problem solved: $150K donation to help winter park build bigger hill

The Optimist Club of Saskatoon has received $150,000 to overcomea Prairie problem: the group is trying to build a bigger hill.

The club wants to make its existing hill at Diefenbaker Park about 30 feet or around nine metres taller to accommodate winter activities like tubing, tobogganing, snowboarding and skiing.

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The goal is to create an affordable, family-oriented winter recreation site to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles.

The completed project will include a lift system to get to the top of the hill.

"This will help the public of all ages to make their way to the top of the hill so everyone can make the most of what the hill has to offer," said Optimist Hill campaign committee chair Robert Letts.

"Being it's Canada's 150th birthday this year, in this park we are very grateful to Co-Op Community Spaces for their 150,000 reasons to be thankful."

The group now has about three-quarters of the total amount it needs to start building the recreation park.

Letts said it was the biggest donation they had received for the project to date.