New splash park to be built in northern Alberta community
When the taps are turned this summer to open a new splash park in northeastern Alberta, perhaps no one in the crowd will be prouder than Diana Warbeck.
“It’s a really good feeling at the end of day when you know we can contribute to the well-being of our families at 4 Wing. This is the kind of the project that helps us to do that,” says Warbeck, senior manager of personnel support programs at 4 Wing Cold Lake, a Canadian Forces base that serves as the largest centre for fighter aircraft in the country.
Construction is slated to begin in May, and the park is expected to be operational in mid-July. The summertime attraction will be built next to the sports and recreation centre at 4 Wing, which is situated within the city of Cold Lake, and will be accessible to all Cold Lake residents – including the base’s 1,800 military personnel and their families.
Donations from Enbridge and the Medley Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Society, a non-profit organization chaired by the Wing Commander, are funding the $500,000 construction cost of the park. The city has agreed to look after its maintenance and operation.
“The park will be a big benefit to Cold Lake, especially since we are a young community,” says Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland. “I can see a lot of families in 4 Wing and Cold Lake using the facility. It’s going to be a huge hit.”
The project has been a couple of years in the planning stages, but Warbeck says plans for the park quickly took shape in late 2014 after Enbridge stepped forward to offer financial support. Since late 2013, Enbridge crews have been busy twinning the southern section of the Athabasca Pipeline, including a large portion that runs through the nearby Cold Lake Air Weapons Range.
“We wanted to do something in recognition of our relationship with the base and the city, and the splash park came up as something that was important to the local community,” explains Gina Jordan, senior manager of community engagement at Enbridge.
“We see this as an opportunity to help create a lasting impact on the lives of Canadian Armed Forces members and their families, and the people of Cold Lake.”
Now, with construction just weeks away, the park is closer than ever to reality. “If it wasn’t for Enbridge, the Medley Society and the city, the 4 Wing community would not have been so lucky to get a new splash park,” says Warbeck. “It took a lot of people to make this project happen, and we’re really thankful.”
