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Kinsmen Water Park slides reopen

Jun 16, 2015 | 6:24 AM

The water slides at Kinsmen Water Park reopened on Monday, after sitting fenced off from the public since last spring.

The four main slides underwent repairs to the steel structure and the fibreglass slides. An engineering report’s findings led to safety concerns about the slides, which led to the City’s decision to close the slides for the season.

The slides’ reopening did face some delays on Monday so that finishing work could be completed, community services director Jody Boulet said.

“We’re pleased that that has finished and we’re open back at full capacity and welcoming the season. It’s been a long time coming, and we’re appreciative of all the sponsors and everybody else that helped the campaign, along with city council that [saw] it as a priority as well along the way.”

The cost to repair the slides was $275,000. The City committed up to $100,000 to the repair, after initially agreeing to put $60,000 towards it. The remainder came through community support – grants, fundraising and $25,000 for the water park making it to the final round in the TSN/Kraft Celebration Tour.

The Kinsmen Club led the Save Our Slides Campaign, raising the remaining amount needed to pay for the repairs.

In addition to the repairs, the slides were repainted.

There will continue to be ongoing monitoring of the slides now that it has reopened. The contractor wanted the City to make sure that a monitoring program was a priority because the finishing work has been curing.

The water slides’ reopening is something the city can be proud of, Mayor Greg Dionne said on Monday.

“We took heat a year ago, you know, when we decided to do it, but today, I think we’re all celebrating. Even simple little things. The best comment I’m getting: ‘God, it’s noticeable now. It’s yellow, blue and green,’” he said.

The old-look slides, he said, were a faded baby blue. “Where, now, we’ve added colour to it and excitement, and it’s really looking good and again, I have to reach out and thank the Kinsmen Club for stepping up.”

The City is offering half price admission to the water park’s visitors from Friday to Sunday. Its grand opening day is on Friday.

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames