City of Peterborough Makes Waves With New Splash Pad in Turner Park
/The perfect summer day occurred for the City of Peterborough to debut its sixth splash pad located in Turner Park on the corner of Chamberlain Street and High Street on Thursday morning.
Three-year-old Moana Lewin enjoys Turner Park’s new splash pad, totalling six water pads in Peterborough. The pad replaces the former wading pool that was over 50 years old. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The pad features several arcs with sprays, suspended buckets, several geysers, water guns and a pole that emits water like an umbrella. The water is considered to be safe and drinkable according to Councillor Lesley Parnell.
The new water facility replaced the wading pool that occupied the park for over 50 years.
The City had a ten-year plan to replace all wading pools with splash pads which saves money said Parnell.
“It is much more water-efficient this way, you're not filling up a great big pool and emptying it every single day and waiting for it to warm up,” she said. “We do not have to have a lifeguard for a splash pad so that does save us on the operations expenses, they're just incredibly popular and safe clean fun.”
The City’s plan is to replace all the town’s wading pools with splash pads with one remaining at John Taylor Memorial Park between Hamilton Street and McKellar Street. There are plans to install more splash pads according to Parnell.
“We're going to replace the water spray in Hamilton Park so that's going to be a smaller splash pad than what we have here,” she said. “Then we're looking for a location in the west end for a splash pad and then were are looking after the McKellar Park’s wading pool and switching that into a splash pad.”
Splash pads are open from noon to 7 p.m. every day. They are located at:
King Edward Park, 455 George St. S.
Nicholls Oval, 725 Armour Rd.
Rogers Cove, 131 Maria St.
Kinsmen Park, 1 Kinsmen Way
Barnardo Park, Barnardo Avenue
Turner Park, 673 Chamberlain St.
