The final details on the long-awaited splash park and playground have been decided, and it looks like only one of the two will go ahead
Now before parents panic, the good news is the splash park is still on its way to Brennan Park; however, the District of Squamish council has decided not to include a playground at the site—yet.
At a special business meeting on Oct. 15, council members voted in support of the staff recommendation to prioritize the construction of the splash park and increase the project budget by $200,000 to include a water recirculating system to reduce water usage.
Council was presented with four options for the project:
- Increase the project cost by $200,000 and install only the splash park and recirculating system.
- Increase the project cost by $1.2 million and build both the splash park, playground and recirculating system.
- Maintain the existing budget and build the playground only, with the potential for groundwater play.
- Cancel the project and return the $1.8 million funds back to the community amenity contribution fund.
Council decision
Council members unanimously supported the first option and said with confidence that they believed it was the decision the community would also endorse.
“We know that adding the recirculation system to a splash park is really important given where we are at with regards to a climate emergency and ensuring fair and equitable water use. We also know that a splash park is a hot topic in our community and something that our community has asked for, for many, many years, and so I think delivery on this project is of utmost importance to me,” Coun. Jenna Stoner said.
“While I would really love to have a playground co-located next to a splash park, we have the oceanfront, we have the waterfront park, we have another community park being built in Dentville at the end of No Name Rd., so there’s lots of park development underway.
“I think that this is a good placeholder for a future park, but I think what our community is expecting and anticipating is the delivery of a splash park, so I would like to support that moving forward.”
Coun. Lauren Greenlaw agreed that the decision to put pause on the playground was in the best interest of the community.
“I think our community would be happy not to allocate this extra $1.8 million for a park at this moment. I’m happy to hear from staff that this can be constructed in phases and if we do decide in the future that we would like to build a park there, we can just keep that door open,” she said.
Coun. John French said there was only one clear decision for him.
“For me, Option A (the splash park only) is the only option here. Some of my friends would argue that this splash park is not two years behind schedule, more like 20 years behind schedule,” he said.
“This is a long-term conversation around having a facility like this, and we’ve set an expectation that a splash park was going to be here by now, so there’s many disappointed families that were hoping they might get to use a splash park back in August. Clearly, that’s come and gone, and we’re not there.
“I heard clearly that we should not have the expectation that this facility will come this summer, it's the summer of 2026 and if we do get it for a couple of weeks in 2025 that would purely be a bonus—I hope that’s how it plays out.
“Pushing [the playground] out a few years works just fine for me because our community surveys have clearly indicated that a splash park is the highest priority for young families in our communities.”
The installation of a recirculating system was first tossed around at a committee of the whole meeting on July 9 as a way to reduce water usage with the splash park.
According to the U.S. National Recreation and Park Association, “larger aquatics facilities rely on recirculation systems to keep the water clean. They use a series of tanks and pipes to supply water, then capture that same water and convey it to a collection tank where it is treated so it can be safely reused.”
For more information on the splash park, visit the District of Squamish website.
