The Rotary Club of Prince Albert (the “Club”) has a legacy of supporting the Prince Albert and area community with its service work. On March 1, 2020 the Rotary Club of Prince Albert celebrated its 100th anniversary as a service club in Prince Albert. The Club planned to mark this important milestone with a centennial project. After a two-year process to identify and select a project, the Club announced at its Centennial Celebration supper on February 29, 2020 an intention to work with the City of Prince Albert (the “City”) to create the Rotary Adventure Park at the Little Red River Park.
The Little Red River Park (the “Park”) is one of Canada’s largest urban parks with over 1,200 acres of park space. The Cosmo Place river valley is a popular location for many residents of Prince Albert and the surrounding community, with significant usage by new Canadians and northern and Indigenous families. The location has also been the site of numerous provincial sporting and cultural events such as ski and bike lessons and races, music festivals, youth and school programming, etc. Recent changes to the management of the Cosmo Lodge has resulted in a popular destination for dining, to supplement the natural trail and outdoor activities provided by the Park. The Park also has historical significance to the Dakota peoples who have used the area throughout their history.
The objective of the Club’s project is to replace and refurbish existing infrastructure which is either end-of-life, unsafe, or fully utilized, and to add additional infrastructure. During 2019, the small playground installed in the 1990’s had to be removed for safety reasons. The Rotary Adventure Park project will replace and expand the playground facilities with features focused on youth aged 8 to 14, offering a higher level of ‘intensity’ and challenge than currently available in the city for that age group.
Some of the features include a tower centre, parkour style circuit area, elevated slides, and adult fitness area. The Rotary Adventure Park will use natural elevation to support these features as well as limit risk related to river flooding. To ensure a whole-family experience, other features will be included to ensure everyone from toddlers to elders will have a space to enjoy including swings, park benches, outdoor gathering area, and walking trails. Additional features include expanded picnic sites, new bathrooms, an expanded parking lot, and additional lighting.
The Northern Lights Community Development Corporation has contributed $25,000 towards this project, helping the Club to get closer to its fundraising target. Additional support has been provided by the Prince Albert Grand Council and numerous First Nation owned economic development entities.
The play structure equipment is expected to be installed in the spring of 2022.