The brand new Woody’s Spray Park outside the newly renovated G.H. Dawe Coummunity Centre opened over the weekend with huge fanfare.
More than 800 people attended the grand opening for the $1.3 million spray park on Saturday, which was jointly funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, and The City of Red Deer.
“I’m thrilled to announce the opening of Red Deer’s newest spray park,” said Mayor Ken Johnston in a press release. “This exciting amenity not only provides a fun-filled destination for people of all ages and experiences to come together and create memories, but it also fosters a sense of unity and joy for Red Deerians.”
Along with multiple play zones, the spray park features slip-resistant broom finish texture across the concrete surfaces to prevent slippery conditions, a washroom/changeroom facility with six individual stalls containing a toilet, sink and bench, with one accessible stall offering a baby change table, two outdoor showers, water fountain and bottle filling station, concrete seating and picnic tables, open green spaces suitable for family gatherings and clear sightlines to the spray pad from all areas of the park.
Woody Paylor said the family environment that the spray park will foster is exactly the type of thing his family is happy to support.
“Red Deer and Central Alberta have been very kind to my family and supported our business in tremendous ways. I feel privileged to give back to a community we care about. The outdoor trails and parks have been the jewel of our city and my family wants to see that continued,” he said.
“My wife Val and I have spent many hours at community playgrounds, on the trails and using the fabulous recreation facilities. We are honoured to have the opportunity to be part of this wonderful spray park.”
Edmonton-area MP Randy Boissonnault was also on hand for the opening Saturday.
“Our government continues to invest in recreational infrastructure to encourage healthy lifestyles for communities in Alberta and across the country,” he said.
“Public recreation facilities, such as the new Woody’s Spray Park in Red Deer, are essential to providing safe, accessible, and enjoyable spaces for residents to gather and connect with their communities. This important new feature at the G.H. Dawe Community Centre will allow children and families to enjoy outdoors activities and find relief on hot summer days for years to come.”
Although the park was busy over the weekend, in a tweet Monday, the city said the park will be closed for the next week “while they source parts for repair”.
