There should be a new way of cooling off this summer in the Village of St. Peter’s – they are getting a new splash pad.
Jennifer McNamara is the committee chair, and she tells our newsroom, the community is really enthusiastic.
“It’s something we’ve been talking about since a little while now. Lots of businesses and children and families are so excited about it because it’s going to be an inclusive and accessible space for everyone to enjoy,” says McNamara.
Couple years in the making
The idea was born about two years ago.
McNamara says she figured the children needed something more to do in the summer, so why not a splash pad?
“I brought the idea straight away to the St. Peter’s Lions Club because I thought they had a perfect spot to put a splash pad. And then [me] being a member of the Village on the Canal Association, they thought this was also a great idea,” says McNamara.
Photo: St. Peter’s Splash Pad/Facebook
Greatly needed
As of right now, there are not a whole lot of options to get water relief in St. Peter’s.
McNamara says she has two smaller children and was travelling at least 30 minutes to go to a splash pad in Port Hawkesbury.
“So, we really felt that it would be great to have in our community, not only for St. Peter’s but our surrounding communities,” says McNamara.
All hands-on deck effort
It’s literally taking a village to get the splash pad up and running.
McNamara says not only has the Lions Club been very generous, providing the land and donating toward the project, the Village agreed to own it and do maintenance.
A group of volunteers have been working on the facilities, and the province has even stepped in.
“So far, we have raised $400,000 with the help of funding from the provincial government, many sponsors and fundraisers,” adds McNamara.
However, they still need another $50,000.
Photo: St. Peter’s Splash Pad/Facebook
For anyone who is a sponsor, there are different levels called Starfish, Lobster and Kraken, depending on how much you donate, which will be posted around the splash pad, once it’s complete.
In addition to that, McNamara says, the legacy of Eva Landry will be recognized, who was a “beloved and esteemed educator”.
She was also a founding member of the Village on the Canal Association.
They hope to have the splash pad up and running by this summer.
