Children were already busy playing with the new features of a City of Maple Ridge spray park during the grand opening ceremony on Thursday, July 3.
The new, larger, more accessible, and water-efficient spray park was officially opened in Maple Ridge Park, at the corner of 232 Street and 132 Avenue, with dignitaries from the city and Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows MLA Lisa Beare present.
Although unofficially it's been open since Friday, June 27.
"What a beautiful day," City of Maple Ridge Mayor Dan Ruimy exclaimed before introducing the dignitaries whom also included city staff, the project team and contractors.
"We ordered the sunshine," he said.
Maple Ridge Park is one of city's most loved and popular destination parks, Ruimy began.
"A place where families come together to enjoy nature, play, and connect," he said.
The new space, he noted, is designed for children of all ages and abilities to play, have fun, keep cool, and make memories together.
"It's a great example of how community input directly shapes what we build up," he said.
Based on public input, some of the most requested features included: a water slide; spray tunnel; giant soaker bucket; spray cannons; water tube; a dripping shelter; lounge chairs and more seating; fully accessible surfacing and seating; and water saving technology.
The spray park is part of a larger, multi-year improvement plan for Maple Ridge Park. The new $1.9 million water feature was announced a year ago and replaces the previous spray park built in 2005.
Funds for the spray park came from the BC government's Growing Communities Fund, announced on Feb. 10, 2023, to provide a one-time total of $1 billion in grants to all 188 B.C. municipalities and regional districts.
Grants were distributed using a formula that incorporated an initial $500,000 per municipality or district, with further adjustments being made for population size and per-capita population growth between 2016 and 2021, based on BC Stats data.
Grants were distributed to local governments by the end of March 2023. Maple Ridge received around $16.6 million and Pitt Meadows $5.4 million.
MLA Lisa Beare noted she grew up playing soccer and softball in the field at Maple Ridge Park.
"To support infrastructure like this all throughout the community is exactly why we created the Growing Communities Fund," she said.
Myles Clarke, 8, who was part of the opening ceremonies, said he liked the water slide the best.
Emily George was at the spray park with her 15-month-old son Adrian. She was impressed with the amount of attractions in the new spray park, especially the water slide, which, she said, she has never seen anywhere else.
Mission resident Lizzy Howell was watching her four-year-old daughter run through the spray park, and said the park was amazing, adding that she plans to visit every weekend during the summer.
"You don't get a lot of spray parks with a water slide," she said.
Port Coquitlam resident Emily Hatcher whose three-year-old son Demitri Hatcher-Wall wouldn't go on the water slide, liked a rock feature the best that sprayed a mist from the top and children could jump from one to the other, and also the dripping shelter.
