Town driving more recreation around Lakeshore Drive with study

Pontiac Park, along Lakeshore Drive, recently hosted a free winter activities day for the Town.

What developments around Lakeshore Drive and the Jessie Lake trail are the best for the Town?

That sits at the heart of Bonnyville town council’s desire to build a plan for the future of that area.

At Tuesday’s council meeting, elected officials agreed to hire Stantec for a community recreation plan for the Lakeshore Drive Park area.

Council had set aside $75,000 in the recent interim budget to achieve this and the quoted cost comes in just under at $73,974.

“We really see Jessie Lake and our greenbelt area all along the Lakeshore as a real gem,” said Mayor Elisa Brosseau on The Morning After. “We feel that it’s an opportunity to do more around there.

“What can we do there? What do residents want to see? Is it an amphitheater? Is it more splash parks? There’s so many things that we really could do with that area, but we needed a consultant to come in and take a deep dive and what could actually look like, and then that gives us our marching orders going forward.” 

The Bonnyville Splash Park is often the heart of Canada Day activities for the Town, while Pontiac Park has been the site of consecutive winter fun days.

Recent lights installed along Jessie Lake trail are signs the Town is focused spending money to improve these amenities.

The recreation plan will have heavy input from residents, with a survey and stakeholder engagement sessions before its finalized.

Town notes indicate that Stantec’s, “emphasis on culture, experience with the Town’s Downtown Revitalization Committee, understanding of environmental legislation relating to Jessie Lake and background knowledge of the potential opportunities with the existing utilities system were all reasons for the high proposal score.”