City Council won't reconsider splash pad location

Sault Ste. Marie City Council voted tonight against reconsidering the previously approved location of the city's first splash pad.

Councillors had agreed on Mar. 20 to build the $550,000 facility in Bellevue Park, but the Downtown Association pushed to have the project moved to Clergue Park or some other core-area location.

Only Ward 4 councillor Lou Turco and Ward 5 councillor Frank Fata voted in favour of reconsidering the Bellevue Park location.

Downtown Association chair Bryan Hayes appeared at tonight's meeting, arguing that his group was never consulted about the location decision.

Hayes was critical of Sault Star coverage of the splash pad issue, calling it "extremely biased."

Hayes said he wanted to be sure councillors knew Queenstown's side of the issue.

Ward 1 councillor Paul Christian, who has helped spearhead the splash pad project as a member of both the parks and recreation advisory committee and its splash pad subcommittee, was critical of the city’s indecision on the location.

“This isn’t good leadership. This isn’t good governance,” Christian said. “We as civic leaders are playing ping-pong with this thing, while children in this community are waiting.”

Some councillors expressed an interest tonight in having additional splash pads in the city.