Image: Randy Thoms/Acadia Broadcasting

The installation of the key components for the splash park in Fort Frances is scheduled for next month.

Interim Chief Administrative Officer Travis Rob says that is still a moving target, but the plan is to have the installers in town on August 10.

“The splash park installers will be here on August 10 to do the layout and get started on the install. The 11th and 12th will be installing the mechanical piping, doing the bonding, planning on taking the 13th off or finishing up whatever they need to, hoping for concrete on the 14th and 15th, and then finish standing the features on the 16th and then they are out of here,” says Rob.

Rob says that schedule corresponds to the availability of park equipment as part of the town’s commitment to the project.

New washrooms are also expected to be installed on August 10-11, but Rob says those dates are not yet firm.

Concrete is being poured for some of the sidewalk work on Lillie Avenue, with the installation of services also completed this week.

“Getting close to the washroom, getting close to the splash park and getting to the playground equipment, it will just leave us having to tie in once all of these features are in place. So that will be really good to have done as well. Plus, with that, we can start some of the landscaping work around the area where we’ve done the services install.”

The splash park could be ready for use by the end of August, but an official opening will not likely come until next year.

Other park improvements may not be in place by that date, such as new basketball courts, a walking track and the signal lights for the intersection of Lillie Avenue and King’s Highway.

“I’m not going to get the basketball goals until the first week of September. The signal controller is not going to be here until the first week of September. Those are the kind of longer delivery things that we ended up having to order late because of funding and other reasons.”

Signage and the installation of shade structures will likely be put off until next year.

“The shade structures, I kind of on purpose wanted to hold on those until we could see trees down, what do we have for open space, what do we have for sun, what do we need for shade structures. Given where we are at in terms of timeline, I’m not even going to bother touching any of that until we get into next year. There’s no sense ordering them, having them sitting here on the shelf for the entire winter to get damaged.”

Image: Randy Thoms/Acadia Broadcasting