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Slides to be ready when Kinsmen Water Park reopens

May 26, 2015 | 6:41 AM

The four main slides will be open to the public when Kinsmen Water Park reopens on June 5, according to the City of Prince Albert’s community services director.

The expected opening day for the slides is contingent on everything continuing along as planned. Right now, the work is on track.

Jody Boulet told members of council on Monday evening that work on the steel structure has been completed. The 73 steel saddles were fabricated over the course of the winter and crews then recently removed and replaced the old ones. 

But the most significant changes are yet to come.

“What you’re going to see over the next two weeks, leading up to opening day is the refinishing now of the fibreglass portion and the components,” Boulet said.

“So, over the next two weeks, you’re going to see a dramatic change at the park.”

The steel structure portions are about 99 per cent finished, he added. There’s also touch-up work that needs to be done after the fibreglass portion is complete.

The restored slides will be the end result of a fundraising campaign that began last May when the City announced the closure of the slides to the public. An engineering report turned up multiple safety issues, including exposed fibres in the fibreglass slides.

Prior to the park’s reopening last year, council contemplated the expense to restore the slides. Members of council, as the budget committee, committed $60,000 to the project.

Council asked administration to seek the balance of the $260,000 needed to repair the slides through external funding. Throughout 2014 and into this year, funding was secured, including $25,000 through the TSN/Kraft Celebration Tour, $10,000 from Twin-Eagle Resource Management, $50,000 from the Community Initiatives Fund, and $100,000 from the City of Prince Albert.

The Prince Albert Kinsmen Club has since taken over the fundraising campaign and will be hosting a Save Our Slides Day on the water park’s opening day. It aims to raise the remaining amount.

The funding gap highlighted the lack of a contingency fund for the long-term maintenance of the slide structures. But the City is now creating the Kinsmen Water Park Improvement Fund to go towards future maintenance and repair costs.

For the 2015 season, a surcharge will be added to the general admission, lane swim, punch passes and season passes. The surcharge could generate in excess of $30,000 if overall 2015 attendance is in line with the average annual attendance at the water park between 2011 and 2013. The average annual attendance was 33,000 each season during that time period.

In 2014, attendance fell by more than half, year-over-year in June during the slides’ closure. The slides remained closed for the entire season.

The surcharge will be $1 for all individual admissions, except for tots (under one year old). For punch cards, the surcharge is $5 for a five-punch card, and $10 for a 10-punch card. Season passes will all have a $15 surcharge.

However, for the opening two days, the admission fee will be half price, in an effort to attract park visitors.

Mayor Greg Dionne said he’s excited about the slides’ reopening.

“Here’s another example of the … community coming together and making something happen,” he said. Dionne plans to attend opening day – to thank the Kinsmen and other donors.

“And I just can’t wait for opening day and I’m glad that we’re going to give it at a reasonable price to get everybody out.”

Update: Community services director Jody Boulet will provide an update on Monday, including any changes that may occur.

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames