The City of Owen Sound and the Scenic City Order of Good Cheer will split the $500,000 cost for a new playground and splash pad upgrades at Kelso Beach at Nawash Park.
Owen Sound Community Services Director Pam Coulter welcomed the partnership.
"So the city approached the order with this partnership idea following the club having explored other potential projects in the city," Coulter explained. "The club has generously pledged $250,000 over five years for a playground and splash pad renewal project."
Coulter said the existing playground's wooden structure components have been taken out of service and the splash pad also needs work.
"The playground will be completely removed and replaced," she added. "The splash pad, which is hard to imagine that it's already, you know, it'll almost be 15 years old by the year we do construction, and so we'll be looking at a renewal. So it may be a slight expansion of the splash pad, but a renewal of a number of the components that are aged and cause us grief over the summer months."
Councillor Travis Dodd was also very happy with plan.
"And I'd just like to say that this is a fantastic collaboration between the Order of Good Cheer and the City of Owen Sound," he pointed out. "We've heard from members of the public about the condition of the Kelso beach playground, and we're all well aware of the struggles with the capital funding to support the funds to get that (park) back up where we wanted it to be."
The project is scheduled for design in 2025 and construction in 2026.
