The proposed redesigns for the Eastglen accessible park have been narrowed down to two options, which Westlock residents will have the opportunity to vote on.
Voting booths will be open at Westlock Kal Tire during their operating hours, with elementary school kids from Westlock Elementary and St. Mary School also given the opportunity to vote on their favourite design.
The Eastglen Park redesign has been in the works since the approval of the project in June 2024. The new park will feature accessibility features such as barrier-free surfacing, ramps instead of stairs, adaptive swings and sensory panels.
The town initially contributed $300,000 of the town budget towards the project with a focus on securing an additional $200,000-$300,000 through grant funding. In total, $287,442 of grant funding has been secured since then through $119,442 from the Enabling Accessibility Fund, $18,000 from the Kal-Tire Replay Fund, $125,000 from the Community Facility Enhancement Program, and a $25,000 donation from the Rotary Club.
“We are ready to go with this project and it's really exciting to see it all come together,” said town CAO Simone Wiley at the most recent town council meeting on May 26. “We’ve been in the planning stages since 2024 which is not very long ago and to put this all together and get this much funding rounded up this quick is a big accomplishment for sure.”
The project still needs to get a quote for replacing the basketball court at the park which has not been included in the overall cost.
The playground is planned to begin building in August with an expected completion in September.
Most of the materials for the playground are manufactured in Alberta which allows the project to have a fairly fast turnaround.
The proposed plans are conceptual and still require some small changes. These include adding something to provide shade for the picnic tables as well as changing the colour of the playground’s surface to a lighter colour to counter excessive heat in the summertime.
“I think the community are excited about is the vast amount of space in this area too. It's not necessarily just a set-and-forget-it type of project,” said Mayor Jon Kramer. “It's one that, like the rotary trail enhancements, we can do improvements on over time, just to keep it in good shape and continue to develop it.”
There were some concerns expressed about speeding on 103A Street where the park is located and possibly erecting larger signage in the area to slow down traffic. A video traffic counting system has also been arranged to gather data on traffic near the park to help alleviate these concerns.
“Council could have built a playground. You had money to build a playground, but it wasn't the one the community needed,” said Kramer. “It’s with partnerships with businesses that we really just opened up which is how things were done in the past. It's a gift to the region that this community is putting together.”
