Splash Pad fundraising spills over with OES donation

Fundraising for Picton’s Splash Pad project spilled over the top Saturday as members of the Order of the Eastern Star made a $25,000 donation.

Scott Wentworth explains some of the splash pad activities to excited children.

“The campaign is over the top by $10,000 and I’m over the top,” said Susan Quaiff, co-chair of the project with Phil St. Jean. “It’s been a long time coming.”

While the $250,000 needed to move forward on the park was raised since 2015, Quaiff first imagined the project in 2002. It received council approval in 2014.

Half of the fundraising was delivered in one giant splash from County businessman Michael Hymus in 2016. Since, numerous service clubs, businesses, organizations and individuals have supported and donated funds to see the project come to fruition.

Quaiff said work on the nautical-themed 600 square-foot pad to be located beside the Youth Skate Park at the Picton Fairgrounds is expected to get under way in July and be open sometime in August.

“A Canada Day opening turned out to be unrealistic but it will be open this summer,” she said.

“We’re hoping for a ground breaking in July,” said Scott Wentworth, committee member and designer of the park, noting many suppliers are backed up by with this year’s special Canada 150 activities.

He explained the plans to some of the children who arrived to be part of the cheque donation photograph. The park will feature play areas for all ages, including a sea serpent that sprays water on a sail boat, water cannons, a tunnel and aqua dome.

The park’s method of re-circulating water will be a prototype ‘bioswale’ system that removes pollution and silt from runoff water with slightly sloped drainage along a wide and shallow ditch. The bioswale wraps around the area, treats the water, then returns it to the system.