OUTLOOK - The annual general meeting of the Outlook & District Regional Park has shed some light on events that are being planned for the immediate future, as well as the targeted plans for once-used infrastructure in the popular camping and summertime destination.
On Tuesday evening, March 25, the AGM was held in the court room of the town offices building and had 13 people in attendance who learned of the park's financial picture and where things are headed as far as a number of events and initiatives that they're looking to undertake.
It was said that events like the Mother's Day Market in the park from last May were a big hit and helped generate good feedback from visitors, while other events like the Spooky Halloween displays attraction in October was another monster success that brought out a lot of people to the park.
The park has also switched their financial partners, going from Scotiabank to Bank of Montreal in the light of Outlook's Scotiabank location having closed up shop last fall.
The fill-in job of the old swimming pool location, with Wright Construction performing the job at a cost of $21,000 + taxes, is now seeing suggestions being taken by the public to decide what to do with the location, with a number of more recreation ideas already coming to the forefront, such as a mini golf course, staging, and a split basketball & tennis court surface.
The park's 2025 Budget has their total revenue projections coming in at $328,100 and their total expenses coming in at $351,525.37, putting them at a projected net income loss of $23,425.37, but it was said that this number could very much change with the number of grants being sought. As well, park officials are optimistic that upcoming events such as the country music cabaret in the park's performance bowl on Friday night, July 11 on top of the same-day SUMA golf tournament will help bring those numbers back up substantially.
In her annual report, park administrator Kaitlyn Gifford reflected on the success of 2024, which included funded events that the public enjoyed, and looked forward to what the park is bringing people in the coming months ahead.
"We held two events weekly throughout the entire summer," the Admin Report reads. "The first was 'Art in the Park' which was funded through the Community Initiatives Fund. Each Tuesday featured a local artist who taught their craft to about 15-20 local kids. We also held 'Wild Wednesdays' which was funded through the Sask. Parks and Recreation Association.
These evenings featured an outdoor themed presentation such as geocaching, knife and fire building skills, and visits from turtles, crows, and a huge toad! Other events throughout the year included our annual Mother's Day Market, we had a couple fun days with waterslide bouncy castles, an outdoor movie in September, our Creepy Halloween Walk-Thru (which was a total hit!), and our annual Winter Wonderland Drive-Thru. Events have become a big part of what we do, and many of these events are partially funded by Sask Lotteries and SaskTel. Our local businesses also play a huge part in sponsoring these events, and I would like to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to all of those who have contributed!
2024 was a beautiful camping season - we had favorable weather, and the park looked great, thanks to our hard-working crew! We did see a slight decline in camping and park entry income from the previous year, likely due to the high fuel prices and cost of living. We hope to see a boost in camping numbers this summer with the Van Raay & Community Swimming Pool open again, and a couple of exciting community events that may help bring visitors in.
One new and exciting event for this summer is our first-ever Cabaret! We have booked the band Restless Texas who specialize in creating an experience that sends the audience back to the greatest decade in country music, the 1990s! So, mark your calendars for Friday, July 11th, it's going to be an amazing evening in the park! The Cabaret will be a fundraiser, and all proceeds from the night will be going towards our 'Let's Fill the Pool and Make Something Cool' project.
In December 2024 we hired Wright Construction to fill in the old swimming pool - this was a much anticipated first step to the 'Let's Fill the Pool and Make Something Cool' project! We hope to create a multi-purpose facility in the old pool's place and have applied for a few large grants. We will continue gathering information and ideas from the community, as well as applying for more grants and fundraising, as the project is still in its early stages.
Another thing we've been considering over the past few years is to offer seasonal camping in the park - and last year we made it happen! We have designated eight campsites as seasonal, drawn up an agreement, started advertising, and there has been steady interest in the sights. There are a few left to be claimed for 2025, and I'm sure we'll see them snapped up in the spring.
2024 was a year of planning and building foundations in the park. We still have lots of work to do, with ongoing capital projects, as well as upkeep of the existing infrastructure. Dutch Elm Disease is also an ongoing battle, every year we are required to take the necessary steps to mitigate the risk within the park, including along the Trans Canada Trail. We also receive some funding through the Trans Canada Trail for upkeep and planting new trees, and that should be mentioned here as well. We will continue working hard to find ways to keep these projects going, all while keeping the park a fun and inclusive part of our community."
