Upgrades to the pavilion at South Bear Creek Park will make the building usable throughout the long Grande Prairie winters. South Bear Creek Park Manager Kirsten Maher says the $825,000 will be used to create a heated facility and expand washrooms along with other upgrades.
“We all know that South Bear Creek is a gem. During the summer months, the park is extremely busy. We see around 9,000 people a week visiting. The potential for the area is great. Grande Prairie is a winter city.”
The construction will be done over the winter continuing into the spring and summer. Maher says they hope to have it complete by the end of summer.
“The idea is that the pavilion will be a place for people to gather, warm up, and use the washroom while they are out using the park year-round.”
Once there is more snow, she says there will be some groomed cross country trails around the park for people to enjoy this year.
She explains that they are working on a plan to eventually get snowshoe and cross country ski rentals through the pavilion.