Sault Ste. Marie's first splash pad is going to catch you by surprise.
It's been designed with a 'Sneaky Soaker' feature that quietly fills with water and then tips over, soaking the uninitiated.
Sault Ste. Marie City Council will be asked Monday night to accept a bid from CRCS Recreation of Sudbury to build the new Bellevue Park attraction.
Proposals were also considered from ABC Recreation Ltd. of Paris, Acapulco Pools Ltd. of Kitchener and Diamond Head Sprinklers Inc. of Elmvale.
The project will include an adjacent shelter, thanks to two $42,500 donations from Kiwanis Club of Lakeshore and the Kiwanis Club of Lakeshore Foundation.
CRCS will build the splash pad for $267,250 plus HST.
Total cost of the project with supporting infrastructure is estimated at $550,000.
Design renderings of the splash pad released today show play features for toddlers, intermediate children and high-action features for older water-players.
The layout and design meet the requirements of Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities, with all disabilities defined in the Ontario Human Rights Code taken into consideration.
One high-action feature is an Aqua Drop, a translucent bucket that fills with water and then drops it.
Also included are spray tunnels, jets that change heights when users interact with them, others that are activated by jumping on them.
City staff have said they expect the Bellevue Park splash pad to be ready for use this summer.
Monday's City Council meeting will be livestreamed by SooToday starting at 4:30 p.m.