Petrolia council has supported plans for a splash pad at the YMCA in the hard oil town.
The Kiwanis Club of Petrolia and Area wants to build the water feature at the YMCA on Tank Street.
Openspace Solutions President Janet Elliott shared details of the design with council at its November meeting.
"We created this pad at 1,500 square feet, which is a very modest size, yet, for a community of this size they say one child per square metre and this pad is 133 square metres, so it would be 133 children kids," said Elliott.
Elliott said the splash pad will include a very unique central feature.
"This one was kind of a no-brainer. I went back to Water Play and said, 'we're looking for an oil rigger and we need to have this tower. Ironically, this had already been in the works for a pad in Fort McMurray. So, it was really just tweaking [the design] a little bit, We wanted to have some dominance there for the Kiwanis Club as recognition."
Elliott expects it will become a community destination.
(An artist rendering of "The Gusher" design for a new splash pad in Petrolia. Image courtesy of the Town of Petrolia.)
"This oil rigger is going to shoot water out the top, shoot water out the legs, it's going to be a pass through. But, it also acts as a central feature, that's going to split the junior features and the senior features. We strategically put it there."
Mayor Brad Loosley said he was excited about it.
The development of a splash pad was listed as a high priority for residents when a community survey was administered as part of the Master Plan process in 2019.
Council already placed $150,000 aside as a repayable loan to the Kiwanis in the 2022 municipal budget.
Staff have been asked to designate funds for the infrastructure, shade, landscaping, engineering fees and a changeroom/washroom facility in the 2023 and 2024 budgets.