Skating rink plan shelved as Kamloops council scales down Riverside Park project

Sep 28, 2021 | 4:28 PM

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops is scaling down a planned revitalization project for Riverside Park.

Initially, staff had proposed a project that would see the spray park replaced, an outdoor skating rink installed on the new spray park footprint and the replacement of the aging washroom building that stands nearby.

The project was planned in conjunction with a flood protection project on the bank of the Thompson River.

While the City successfully secured $750,000 in grant funding for the $2.1 million flood protection project, it was unsuccessful in its grant applications for the park revitalization, which carries an estimated price tag of $4.3 million.

At Tuesday’s (Sept. 28) regular meeting, council expressed disinterest in spending to that tune.

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Capital Projects Manager Darren Crundwell advised council it would be wise to do a version of the revitalization in conjunction with the needed flood protection work.

“Knowing that we have a flood protection project that is funded and going to get constructed, we looked at the overlap of those two projects and they’re really on top of each other,” said Crundwell. “Making the least impact to the park was probably the more significant decision.”

“We do know we’re within that zero-to-five years (spray park life span),” he added. “It is an old spray park.”

Instead of the initial project, council will put the outdoor skating rink on the shelf, proceeding with the spray park and bathroom facility replacements.

That option will cost about $3.25 million total, though $1.75 million is already set aside in the City’s budget.

by James Peters

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Skating rink plan shelved as Kamloops council scales down Riverside Park project

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