WILKIE — With the earlier announcement in 2023 of a substantial grant towards construction of a new swimming pool in Wilkie, people have been wondering what’s next.
“The location for the new swimming pool will be beside the Kinsmen outdoor arena,” Wilkie Recreation Director Lori Fenrich tells the Unity-Wilkie Press-Herald and SASKTODAY.ca.
“The tender for our new swimming pool will hopefully go out in the next couple of days.“
Although summer pool staff are not finalized yet, Fenrich says they are working on ideas for the farewell season in the old pool. Wilkie Rec. Dept. plans to have swimming season opening the beginning of June.
An earlier story from January it was reported that Wilkie was amongst 25 communities receiving infrastructure funding through a grant.
The new outdoor swimming pool will include a beach entry, water slide and diving board with the federal input of just over $1M, along with provincial contribution of just under $900,000. The community of Wilkie will add around $700,000 to construct the $2.6 million recreation facility to replace the aging existing pool in Wilkie.
Wilkie has held several fundraisers to date and Fenrich says they will continue fundraising to fulfill the remaining money needed, with half of the remaining $550,000 in funds needed to be raised in 2023 and the other half in 2024.
Fenrich also noted in the earlier article that construction is set to begin in 2023 with completion in 2024.
Responding to inquiries on the downtown Second Avenue Park, Fenrich notes, “The only things left to complete for the park is some landscaping. The new space will be open and available for rentals for barecues or small outdoor gatherings, as well as outdoor tradeshows for small businesses.”
Fenrich acknowledges there are plans to have a grand opening for this new space but no date or details have been confirmed as of yet.
The town of Wilkie was awarded $47,681 in 2022 to develop an under-used downtown green space into a market space through PrairiesCan grant program that was available for recreation and community revitalization projects across Saskatchewan.
Picnic tables, boardwalk, solar lights, planters and portable bathroom are part of this new green space in downtown Wilkie. Sod installation took place in October of 2022 thanks to a dozen volunteers.
Residents have remarked saying that any time construction or new projects are part of Wilkie’s landscape it is a bright light shining to the future of the community.
