Susan Myers and her city council colleagues will have very pruney toes late next month as councillors take another kick at the longstanding splash pad issue.
City staff are working on a splash pad presentation that's expected to go to city council at its March 20 meeting.
Ward 2 Councillor Myers and her Ward 1 counterpart Paul Christian asked last August that a splash pad feasibility study be undertaken.
The city's parks and recreation advisory committee directed last week that two parks be evaluated as possible locations: Clergue and Bellevue.
At first, committee members were only going to consider Bellevue Park, but Robert Carricato pushed hard to have Clergue Park also considered.
"I haven't made up my mind," Carricato said.
"I'm leaning one way. I think we should be given the advantages and disadvantages of both locations before we reach a decision."
Ward 4 Councillor Rick Niro argued for Bellevue Park.
"Clergue Park is considered by many as a more passive park," Niro said.
"To introduce a splash pad, you change the whole concept of the park."
A splash pad would be better suited for Bellevue, which is already a major attraction for children, Niro said.
Activities at Clergue Park tend to be limited by the presence of nearby senior complexes, he added.
Another committee member, Susan Milne, expressed concern that a splash pad might take up too much space at Clergue Park.
Early estimates place the cost of a splash pad in the $550,000 range.
Money for the project would be raised with help from community partners and grants.
An earlier proposal for a 'splash to ice' concept that would remain open in winter as a skating rink has been ruled out in favour of a summer-only water attraction.
City staff are hoping to get a splash pad built over the next year and a half.
Meanwhile, Ward 4 Councillor Rick Niro dropped some interesting driblets last week about a possible return of the Clergue Park fountain, this time as a land-based feature.
"We took the fountain out, for reasons," Niro told last week's meeting of the parks and recreation advisory committee.
"We're looking at putting a fountain back in at some point. It's not on the books right now, but it's being looked at."
As SooToday reported last December, the 15-year-old Millennium Fountain was axed to cut $24,700 from the this year's city budget.
"We're looking at putting it back on land, and probably in the same place at Clergue Park," Councillor Niro said.
"That's not something that's in a report right now, but it's being looked at."