BONNYVILLE – The Kinosoo Ridge Adventure Park may see residents and tourists climbing to new heights in less than a year.
During the MD of Bonnyville's June 10 council meeting, general manager of planning and development Caroline Palmer said the attraction's tentative opening date is scheduled for the May long weekend in 2021.
Lloydminster-based company McElhanney was awarded the engineering services for the design and consultation of the park, and Palmer noted they had some ideas that could see it open sooner than originally thought.
“In the preliminary discussions with the manager of the ski hill, McElhanney said they found some time-saving possibilities in the beginning parts of the process to be able to do more than one thing at a time in each step,” she explained. “He’s actually in consultation with McElhanney, so hopefully we can shave even a little bit more time off and still come out with the best product.”
The first phase of the project will see an environmental overview assessment completed, along with consultations conducted by McElhanney throughout June. It's expected to go to tender by the end of the month, and a recommendation will then be brought to council in July before it’s awarded.
Design for the aerial adventure structure is slated to be completed in August, with the goal being to start site work in September and finish installation in the new year.
MD Reeve Greg Sawchuk noted the timeline seems a little tight but he's hopeful.
“I think we’re covering all of our points to make sure that it’s done right, so in this case, I think we’re on the right track.”
The MD will be footing the bill for the project, which has a budget of $1.6-million, themselves after deciding in February they didn’t want to wait for the federal government’s Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP).
Making Kinosoo Ridge into an adventure park has been a few years in the making, and council decided they didn’t want to wait anymore.
“I’m glad it’s coming because we kind of publicly said last year we would have it ready this year, but thank God it’s coming. I’m happy about that,” expressed Coun. Dana Swigart.
The large climbing structure will be located on the ski hill, which will give users an amazing view of the area. It will be made up of mostly of poles and cables, with platforms and obstacles that participants can climb across. Users are strapped in using a harness and carabiners. An important factor for council is ensuring people of any age and accessibility can enjoy the facility.
