History of Rotary Sportspark - Behind the Dream!

Rotary Sportspark has been a flurry of activity and the pressure is on to turn this highway portion into a first class recreational area.

Yes, the community has been hearing about plans for Rotary Sportspark since last year and it was disappointing for everyone involved to hear that the grant application had been denied but it wasn't because of lack of effort. The terms of the original grant were that the Federal Government would fund up to 1/3 of the proposed community project. The District had been able to come up with 1/3 of the project but fell short when trying to find the full 2/3rds. Leslie Groulx, Corporate Administration and Economic Development Officer of the District had felt that a lot of community work had gone into the plans for Rotary Sportspark and just kept working to find alternative means of funding. Thanks to the District's excellent working relationship with MLA Cathy Macleod, the Federal Government revisited the grant application and had a second look at the many merits of the project and the positive impact it would have on the community. In November 2009, Council received a glimmer of hope that not only had the government agreed to revist the grant application but would reevaluate the funding at 50%.

Council made a resolution to fund up to 50% of the project and on January 11th, 2010, an agreement was reached leaving just 11 1/2 weeks to complete the project. The funding news is excellent for the community but a condition was placed that the project had to be completed by March 31, 2010

Clearwater is very fortunate to have a strong contingent of community members who have kept the drive behind this project and to now have it as a reality, is tremendous.

The bids and quotes for both the electrical aspect of the project and the new fieldhouse are bringing a great deal of interest and the District hopes that both these projects will have a strong economic impact to local contractors and merchants.

The goals and objectives of Rotary Sportspark are broad but the central theme is to leave a legacy for the community and is deemed to be a place that bonds the community and provides quality recreation for visitors and locals alike. Rotary Sportspark has been a long time in the planning and dreaming but Clearwater can take pride in their patience and the vision. With only 47 days left til March 31st, Rotary Sportspark is well on its way to becoming a reality.

In the past three months, Clearwater has seen some visible changes. A new Welcome Sign, new bus shelters and on March 31, the community will see the transformation of 4 beat up tennis courts, a battered basketball court and a very rough version of a skateboard park into our new Rotary Sportspark. The plan is exciting but the timeline is daunting. As of today, the countdown is on and the District of Clearwater and their contractors have 51 days to complete the project in order to comply with the funding criteria. Is it possible? Can it all come together to make this magic make over possible? This blog will track the progress and keep you updated on all that is happening.