Alfred's Sprayground has been open for less than a year. (Susan McNeil/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Crime

Vandals target Prince Albert spray park

Aug 2, 2023 | 4:00 PM

A Prince Albert City Councilor is describing a recent incident in his ward as senseless and a complete waste.

The spray park in Prince Albert’s Crescent Heights neighbourhood has been temporarily shut down due to an act of vandalism. Ward 5 Councillor Dennis Ogrodnick noted the park’s grand opening was held last September.

“We have a lot of children in apartments along Branion and they go there everyday and they enjoy it and they love it,” he said. “The kids were so excited that they have something across the street.”

Noting vandalism has been occurring all over the city, Ogrodick said the increase in incidents and the associated repair, has led to higher costs for the city.

“It’s gonna become a line item in our budget,” he said.

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Expressing frustration with the challenges catching the vandals, Ogrodnick also acknowledged you can’t have police everywhere monitoring.

“It’s just such a waste but who’s gonna hurt the most is the kids that use that spray park,” he said.

The cost of the park was $350,000. Ogrodnick who has campaigned on the need for more green space and parks in the city, explained the city’s master plan over the next 10 to 15 years is to upgrade all of the city’s parks.

“But when something like this happens it puts it in jeopardy a bit to meet those timelines because you now have to spend money repairing stuff that you should not have had to,” he said.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell