Town plans to create community gathering space at Slawuta Pond

Images like this were presented to residents at the open house in February. Credit: Town of Bonnyville.

Plans for the Slawuta Pond area along the Jessie Lake trail are getting major dollars to see through from the Town of Bonnyville, and work is aimed to begin this summer. 

During capital budget discussions on April 22 at the regular council meeting, the Town included real figures from tendered projects, which came out to an additional $2.2 million roughly. 

This included one of phases of the Lakeshore Drive Park Concept Plan, which had previously gauged resident feedback in surveys and an open house in the past several months. 

The five-phase master plan begins with work around Slawuta Pond to create an urban plaza, and community gathering place environment, which has a parking lot currently out of use.

“[It’s] a place that folks can gather and have that sense of community. I believe on the vision boards, community was the word that was thrown used a lot,” said Town councillor Kayla Blanchette on The Morning After.

“One of the priorities of this council was to come up with a master recreation plan for that Jessie Lake space, and it was broken out into phases and different areas along Jessie Lake.”

The idea is to beautify that area, taking that currently closed parking lot and re-opening it, but with more green space. The Town believes events that could center around food trucks, or vendor markets, for example, could have a home here.

What’s included in the amenities are:

• Installation of playground,
• Upgraded parking lot,
• Paved walking trail and decorative light extension to include the backside of the Slawuta Pond,
• Multiple touch points on to Slawuta Pond to enhance the fishing experience,
• Year-round bathroom,
• New seating area with park benches and flowers,
• Increase level of enjoyment that is accessible for everyone.

Work is expected to get going over the summer and be done in early 2026.

The Town says that crews will start preparing the site by removing the existing bathroom and relocating solar lights in preparation for the bulk of the work being done this summer.

The construction related to the water touch points will occur over the winter when the ice is thick enough to install piles, they said. 

“I know that a lot of folks are concerned about the lack of parking down there. Currently, there is a parking lot included in the designs for that, and the concept drawings are online,” said Blanchette.

With that said, no trout will be stocked in the pond due to the upcoming construction.

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