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Work begins on new day use area in Turner Valley

Saturday's volunteer clean-up the first step in getting Arrowhead Park off the ground.

Work is now underway on a much-anticipated day use area in Turner Valley after a year-long delay.

Turner Valley’s Arrowhead Park is in the works after 20 volunteers gathered on June 26 to clean up the seven acres of Town-owned land west of Decalta Road on the south side of the Sheep River as one of the first steps in getting the project off the ground.

Work on the park was to begin last year, but the project was delayed due to the ongoing constraints that came with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Arrowhead Park, named for its arrow shape pointing west, was established as a recreational priority by Turner Valley Town council in 2020 after council allocated $100,000 from its capital budget toward getting the project started. The money was later deferred for use this year.

“We wanted to get started last year, but obviously the world had different priorities,” said Coun. Jamie Wilkie. “River access has been a priority of our council. Just having another place for people to get down to the river and enjoy it, especially during the summer, is really nice.”

Wilkie, a council representative on the Turner Valley parks, paths and recreation committee, said the $100,000 will be used for both Arrowhead Park and to develop a pathway around the Turner Valley Golf Club following the recent closure of the paved road that runs through the club, which was used frequently by pedestrians.

“Both of them are underway and we don’t know exactly how it’s going to shake out between the two,” Wilkie said. “Essentially, we want to get as much work done on both as possible. I’m pretty confident we will be able to get a lot of both done with what we have allocated.”

First on the list for Arrowhead Park is building an access road and parking lot, said Wilkie.

What comes next will depend on available funds and time, he said.

“We would love to get some trails cut down by the river and things like that, but it just depends on timing and weather,” he said. “It’s a great little spot and there’s a lot of great little trails already. Just getting access will be a great starting point and we hope that it builds the momentum from there.”

Wilkie said he’s thrilled to see the project move forward and is thankful for the hard work of the Friends of the Sheep River Valley Parks Society in leading the charge.

The society, formed two months ago, is chaired by Joel Den Haan. Its mandate is to engage with the municipalities of Black Diamond and Turner Valley to further enhance and develop outdoor recreation in the towns and the land between them.

The society arranged for volunteers to clean up the park on Saturday, including removing a fence and industrial debris, as well as brush cutting.

“There are already well-established trails and a road allowance that goes through the park,” Den Haan said last week. “What we have to do is clear up some access to the river and that kind of thing.”

When the work is complete, the society will start tapping into resources to help fund future enhancements to the park. Proposed ideas include an off-leash dog park, walking trails, dog agility course, washroom facilities, pump track and observation deck.

The park was proposed to the public at two open houses and in an online survey in 2019, with a positive response from residents. Den Haan was among those in attendance.

“From my perspective this is something that can be a real legacy to the town and a significant asset to the entire corridor,” he said. “We have a huge base to move this forward in a timely fashion.”

Michelle Ouellette, Turner Valley’s director of development and infrastructure, said the Town will focus on developing an access to the park, creating a parking lot and placing picnic tables and garbage cans at the site so residents can enjoy Arrowhead Park this summer.

“We will be maintaining the area and then we can do other public engagements a bit later on,” she said. “It’s a bit of an incremental approach. We will see how it goes this year and we can always add on.”

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