Public Input Sought On Parks And Recreation Master Plan

What should be the future and the priorities when it comes to parks and recreation in Moose Jaw is something being addressed over the next few months.

It is a large question that extends not just to the major facilities such as the Yara Centre and indoor rinks but also to neighbourhood parks and green spaces.

Approved as part of the 2022 Budget consultation Council approved hiring consultants who will be creating a Master Plan for Parks and Recreation for the City of Moose Jaw.

“As part of the plan development, representatives from EDS Group and Quantum Recreation will be visiting Moose Jaw over the next several months to conduct community consultation with local residents and stakeholder groups,” a news release from the City reads.

Kinfield Park is a small community park on South Hill, one of many in the community - MJ Independent photo

As part of that community consultation there is an on-line survey where the City is asking residents for their input.

Available from April 6th to April 25th their is an on-line household survey the City is asking residents to fill out as part of the process in developing the Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

The survey may be accessed by clicking the link here.

As an added incentive those filling out the household survey have the opportunity to enter a contest for one of three, three month family recreation passes valued at $300 each.

The household survey will be combined with the meetings with stakeholders and users groups to form an initial findings report at the end of June. A final report and Master Plan to be approved by Council is expected by the end of the year.

“Through extensive public consultation, the Plan will provide community driven recommendations on service delivery, programming, and infrastructure needs which will strategically guide the Parks and Recreation Department over the next decade based on annual funding available for those services and facilities,” Derek Blais, Director of Parks and Recreation said in a statement.

“As a Department, we want to ensure that we have the recreational amenities and services in place that provide a high quality of life for our residents while helping to attract new people to Moose Jaw. We are very excited to partner with EDS Group and Quantum Recreation to leverage the extensive experience they bring in developing Parks and Recreation Master Plans in other communities and we are looking forward to getting the process started in Moose Jaw with the launch of our household survey,” Blais said in a statement.