THREE RIVERS, P.E.I. — The new splash pad in Montague is on track to cost more than planned, but it's also on track to be open July 1.
The outdoor water park was discussed during the municipality's committee of council meeting at the Cavendish Farms Wellness Centre in Montague on June 22. It's currently under construction at the park on Sullivan Lane near the Wellness Centre.
Debbie Johnston, deputy mayor for Three Rivers, commended everyone who has played a part in the project. There are a lot of people looking forward to seeing it completed, and everybody in Three Rivers is going to use it, she said.
"We're really excited about it."
Three Rivers' capital budget for this year had allotted $200,000 to complete the splash pad.
Jill Walsh, chief administrative officer for Three Rivers, said about $290,000 was projected to be the project's final cost last fall. By that point, the municipality had already spent money on equipment and engineering costs.
"(But) we are on track to spend more than that," she said.
"The splash park has been one of those projects that keeps getting grander and grander. It's going to be beautiful when it's done."
AT A GLANCE
- The splash pad in Montague has been talked about since 2017.
- The project was prolonged, in part, due to the amalgamation of Three Rivers in 2018, which saw Montague grouping together with nearby communities.
- Materials were bought and construction was supposed to start in March 2019 but was delayed because the municipality couldn't find anyone who knew how to construct it.
A request for a decision was made during the meeting to authorize more money to be allocated – about $20,000 to $30,000 – to finish the project. The official decision won't be made until council's next regular meeting.
"The splash park has been one of those projects that keeps getting grander and grander," Walsh said. "It's going to be beautiful when it's done."
Dorothy Macdonald, Three River's community service manager, said this is due to unforeseen costs and changes.
"The project has grown because some of our original estimates ended up being larger than we thought."
As well, it was decided to include an accessible walkway to the pad at some point during construction. Walsh and Macdonald are looking into where this money might come from. Three Rivers may be eligible for additional funding, or it could be re-allocated from another line in its operational budget.
"We do have some lines there that haven't been committed yet," Walsh said.
Johnston noted that some lines in the 2020/21 budget may not need as much money due to the COVID-19 pandemic and thus it would be best to draw from those. And despite construction being underway and council's decision not yet being made, the pad should be ready for play on by the first day of July, she said in a follow-up interview with The Guardian.
"We'll be glad when it's finished because it's been a long road."
Daniel Brown is a local journalism initiative reporter, a position funded by the federal government. Twitter.com/dnlbrown95
