By Darren Lum

The Rotary Park in Haliburton is going to receive a $100000 makeover as part of the Rotary Beach Revitalization Project.

With $50000 from the Canada 150 Project grant Dysart is kicking in $50000 to bring a variety of improvements to the park expected later this year.

Dysart et al CAO Tamara Wilbee said the project includes new signage 10 solar powered bollard lights for the walking area a sprinkler system to allow swimming at Rotary Beach an enhanced experience at the three courts for beach volleyball basketball and tennis and simple exercise machines for adults and children.

The township hopes to complete the different components to the projects as soon as they can.
“We’d like to have everything done by least at the end of the summer but the sooner the better” Wilbee said.

Right now the project is in the early stages of planning.

If the project can save money it can be allocated to other parts of the project.

The implementation will not begin until after the grant money is available on April 1. This project includes the purchase and installation of a sprinkler system in the ground under the water off the shore of Rotary Beach which is hoped to aerate the water keeping it moving and reducing the bacteria levels that have prompted the local health unit to close the beach in the past.

“People swam there all last summer with good water. We want to keep enhancing that and find ways to make it healthier and more used” Wilbee said.

This system will be permanently installed in the ground and will be shut off for the winter. This part of the project is pending approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

The propulsion of the water will be similar to the pond outside Pinestone.

“It won’t affect anything. If anything we would mark it off if there was some reason but it shouldn’t affect anything” she said.

Over at the tennis court the practice wall which lacks lateral support will be reinforced.

The basketball court will be resurfaced and levelled. It will also receive new painted lines for basketball and other sports making it a multi-purpose playing area to possibly include pickleball. The footprint will remain the same Wilbee said.

Sand will be added and posts replaced at the beach volleyball court.

Nearby a 10-by-10 foot sun shelter with a picnic bench is also planned.

A green gym is also part of the project.

This is expected to include four outdoor pieces of exercise equipment (rowing machine cross-country/sky walker machine variation of a balance beam and a walking treadmill) and three or four more pieces of children’s equipment such as a spring loaded balance beam teeter-totter and a swing for an adult and child. This collection of equipment is planned to be installed close to the beach next to the new restroom.

Wilbee said the aim is to encourage adults and children to be active together.

“Hopefully we have all of this in close enough proximity that everyone can be together doing it as a family as opposed to kids have to go there and parents watch” she said.

At this time it is unknown what surface the equipment will be installed on.

Part of the project includes the construction of the Haliburton Junction Skate Park.

The project appears to include a long list but Wilbee said much of it will be completed by township staff.

“We’re doing as much as we can with our own resources. It’s mostly supplies and renting equipment and stuff to do it so our guys are pretty talented at the installation of equipment … and repairs. Pretty good work crew” she said.