(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Pandemic recreation

Council looks to create new sliding hills

Jan 26, 2021 | 12:10 PM

Prince Albert city councillors are enthusiastic about the idea of using snow to create new sliding hills in parks around the city.

Coun. Terra Lennox-Zepp says the idea came to light because council recognizes COVID-19 has limited residents’ options for recreation. However, the hills could be popular beyond the pandemic.

“We hear from members of our community that they want to be more winter active,” she told paNOW after the meeting. “So the more things that we can do to provide that, the better.”

She suggested some of the snow the city regularly collects and dumps could perhaps be used to make the hills.

The creation of new recreation offerings to help residents weather the COVID-19 winter has been a frequent topic of conversation around the council table in the past months, often championed by Coun. Ted Zurakowski.

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“We’re seeing a lot of stress in families, a lot of stress and anxiety in the kids and the youth,” he told paNOW Monday. “What can we do in a cost-effective way to get the kids active and outside in a COVID-safe way?”

In December, council unanimously passed a motion asking each city department to submit ideas for what more the city could do for families during the pandemic.

On Monday night, city administration returned with a comprehensive list of existing recreation amenities and activities available to residents during the pandemic.

Zurakowski expressed disappointment.

“Don’t get me wrong I appreciate the effort that was made… but that wasn’t the motion, that wasn’t the purpose,” he told the meeting, questioning why no new ideas were submitted.

Council decided to narrow their focus to just sliding hills. City administration will prepare a new report on the feasibility creating them for discussion at a future council meeting.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom