The Port Dover Kinsmen Club wants to fundraise up to $700,000 to build a splash pad in the community but Norfolk councilors will have to consider taking on the annual cost of water use and maintenance of the facility.
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“We’re going to do all the legwork and all the fundraising,” Kinsmen Club member Amie Ferris told councilors at a council-in-committee meeting on Tuesday. “Then we’re going to hand it over to Norfolk County to be county owned and maintained.
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“I think we can all agree Port Dover, and Norfolk in general, is lacking in recreational outlets.”
The proposal calls for the splash pad to be built in the southwest corner of Kinsmen Park on Hamilton Plank Road.
Ferris said the club is committed to launching a major fundraising campaign that would cover the cost of the splash pad construction, installation of sidewalks connecting the pad to other areas of the park, installation of a chlorinator and a one-year supply of chemicals.
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Although the club isn’t asking the municipality for any capital investment for the project, it is asking for council to consider paying to improve underground infrastructure servicing the park at an estimated cost of up to $20,000; and for some in-kind services, including waiving fees related to fundraising events, assistance in applying for grants, and collecting of donations and issuing of tax receipts.
Ferris said the splash pad would use about 150,000 liters of water a day – two to three per cent of the total daily use of the Port Dover water treatment plant – for about 100 days a year.
Norfolk staff have estimated the cost of water for the splash pad at $20,000 a year and the cost of chemicals and maintenance at $10,000 annually.
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“The biggest question for this council is what does it mean from a water capacity perspective,” said Andrew Grice, general manager of environmental and infrastructure services. “It does use a significant volume of water. It will be a balance of do you want a subdivision or a splash pad?”
Grice said county staff will prepare a report on the proposed project that will come back to council in June.
“It’s a great proposal but there are a bunch of things we need to consider,” said Norfolk CAO Al Meneses. “The report will include pros and cons so council can make an informed decision.”
Ferris said the estimated cost of the splash pad is about $611,000 but the Kinsmen are committed to raising up to $700,000 if there are expenses the county can’t cover.
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“I know things are tight,” she said. “I get it. If it’s something the county can’t do, we need to work it into our budget.”
Ferris said if the project is approved by council, the club would like to start fundraising by July 1. The projected opening of the facility is the second quarter of 2026.
Port Dover has been experiencing water supply issues since 2019. The issue was so severe, the county temporarily halted approvals for new development in the community. The first phase of improvements to the treatment plant were completed in 2022. Phase 2 of the improvements, to be completed by December, will result in an additional 2,100 cubic meters of water per day, bringing capacity of the plant to 7,500 cubic meters per day.
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