Innisfail skateboarders and horseshoe tossers are getting financial help from Red Deer County.
Earlier this week, county council approved $255,000 for the town’s new skatepark and $28,800 for horseshoe courts.
The county agreed to the full funding — 30 per cent of each project’s cost — requested by the town. That number was based on Red Deer County user statistics for town schools, the library, aquatic centre and other programs.
Nearly 5,000 county residents live within Innisfail’s catchment area.
Work on the $850,000 skatepark has been completed and was helped with a $78,000 donation from the local Kinsmen, Kinettes clubs, as well as in-kind donations.
To build the skatepark, the horseshoe courts had to be moved to a new location in a $96,000 project. The Innisfail Horseshoe Club has members from the town and Red Deer County and hosts a large annual tournament.
Jo-Ann Symington, the county’s community services manager, says in a report that the county has supported other area skateboard projects, including a $305,000 commitment to a proposed skateboard park in Springbrook.
Innisfail’s project meets the guidelines of its Support to Urban Municipalities Policy.
The money will come from a $3.9 million community services reserves fund.
Dave Brand, the county’s community and protective services director, said the county has increased its recreation support for communities within its borders in response to a 2017 community needs assessment survey.
Under the terms of a recreation and culture agreement approved by county council in 2018, the recreation grant to Innisfail was increased to $341,030, well above the $131,100 provided in the previous agreement.
County council has approved similar five-year agreements with Red Deer, Sylvan Lake, Elnora and Delburne that involved significant increases in grants.
The Red Deer agreement, passed earlier this week, boosted the county’s recreation support to nearly $830,000 from the previous $285,600.
pcowley@reddeeradvocate.com
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