Town of Huntingdon surprises residents with zero-debt Splashpad

Sarah Rennie

Last summer, the Town of Huntingdon resorted to opening one of the fire hydrants on Dalhousie Street during a heat wave to offer residents without pools some much needed relief from the sweltering heat. This year, they’ve upped the ante with the installation of a 2,785-square-foot Splashpad installation in Prince Arthur Park.

The total cost for the new installation was just under $200,000. The municipality was able to negotiate the price down by around $70,000 to ensure the park was exactly what they wanted while remaining within budget, meaning there is absolutely no debt associated with the project.

“We had been thinking about it for the last three years,” Huntingdon Mayor André Brunette says of the soon-to-be-inaugurated water park installation. With the surplus that was generated through recent sales of municipal properties as well as the arrival of the cannabis facility, the town decided to offer residents a perpetual gift with the installation of a new Splashpad in Prince Arthur Park for all to enjoy this summer.

The equipment for the Splashpad was purchased from Vortex Aquatic Structures International, which is headquartered in Montreal. The installation includes several above-ground features, such as spray loops, water cannons, a sun spray and super splash bucket feature, as well as numerous ground sprays.

Part of the planning that went into the Splashpad was to include neighbouring municipalities, the mayor says, explaining that it is “too large a water park for the population of Huntingdon alone” and is in fact open to everyone throughout the surrounding region. With temperatures likely to rise quickly with the approaching summer months, the chance for families to cool off will no doubt be appreciated.

The Splashpad was especially designed to be an inclusive space that is accessible to all age groups. “It’s a focal point,” says Brunette, noting that the park is now even more attractive as a meeting place for families, with the Splashpad adding to the existing playground structures, gazebo and picnic tables.

According to Vortex Aquatic Structures International, which emphasizes play with all of their installations, the Splashpad offers “sensory experiences encouraging motor skills development, cross-generational play, social development, collaboration, and cognitive and physical development.” The installation was also developed with safety in mind. It is considered zero-depth, so there is no risk of drowning and no need for a lifeguard.

“I am so stunned and amazed,” Huntingdon resident Christina Fasoula says of the new water installation. Fasoula, a mom of three, admits she used to take her children to Valleyfield to play in the park because of the Splashpad there. That will change this summer. “Every day they ask me to go,” she says with a laugh, adding that her children are impatient for the site to open come warmer weather.

While grateful to the Town for the initiative, Fasoula is concerned about the possibility of more children in the park, which is currently unfenced and bordered on three sides by well trafficked roads. “It’s missing a fence and an access point for strollers and those with special needs,” she says, suggesting the Town could improve the security and accessibility of the park fairly easily.

The Town is in expansion mode, with several development plans in the works as well as new housing initiatives that could soon see new buildings going up. The addition of the Splashpad is also something the municipality is hoping will help to attract new families to the region.