The history of Rotary Park and how it came to be the gem that it is

 

Whitecourt’s Rotary Park is a history-rich spot. The Woodlands Cree Nation enjoyed the beauty of this area long before any others, calling it Sagitawah, the place where the rivers meet. Sitting just beyond the meeting place of the Athabasca River and McLeod River, it is fitting that Rotary Park is now a meeting place for many all year long.

Throughout the summer months, when the slides are in full swing and the splash park is a hotbed of activity, thousands upon thousands of Albertans and visitors from all over descend on the beloved local hangout to see what all the fuss is about.

The park as it is known today would not exist if not for the partnerships that made it happen. Millar Western, the Rotary Club of Whitecourt and several others worked with the Town of Whitecourt to create something unique that others would one day try to replicate. The pond, a significant piece of the puzzle, which enables the water features to exist, came about uniquely.

In the 1980s, the Town Council of the day felt that the Whitecourt Rodeo Grounds (present-day Rotary Park) would be a good spot to put a big community park. In 1986, six hectares of the rodeo grounds were purchased by the Town of Whitecourt from the Whitecourt Royal Canadian Legion.

Two years later, Whitecourt’s Community Services Department brought consultants on board to draw up a master plan for the park they wanted to build. Original ideas during those brainstorming sessions included a pond, playground, picnic sites, farmer’s market area with a concession, public washrooms, walking trails, an amphitheatre, BMX bike track, and even a par-three golf course. The Town Council of the day accepted the official master plan in 1989.

The park’s namesake, Whitecourt’s Rotary Club, became a committed partner in the park’s creation and vision by 1998, and the name change to Rotary Park became official in September 2000. That same year, the man-made pond came to be. Millar Western Forest Products Ltd. needed gravel to prepare a spot for its new sawmill. Through sheer luck, the specific granular material Millar Western required happened to be right next door, on the rodeo grounds.

Throwback Memory info posts from the Town of Whitecourt, viewable on www.whitecourt.ca, detailed how the unique agreement worked. “The Town was able to contract Millar Western to excavate approximately 80,000 cubic metres of earth, forming a bed for a man-made pond. Through this partnership, Millar Western removed the fill and relocated it onto its site, and the municipality saved approximately $300,000 in construction costs,” reads the infographic.

As quoted in the Throwback Memory, from April 2000, then-Mayor George VanderBurg said the lake excavation project with Millar Western was a win-win situation for everyone and “a tremendous opportunity for all involved.” The Millars shared the sentiment. “We hope the park will be a great recreational and economic asset to the community, one that will be enjoyed by the people of Whitecourt and draw more visitors to the area,” said Allan Millar.

Many upgrades have taken place at Rotary Park through the years, with something new happening fairly yearly. As planned decades earlier, the picnic areas and trails have been realized, as have the washrooms and fishing pond, which began being stocked with Rainbow Trout by Alberta Fish and Wildlife in 2003. The newest addition, Festival Way, brings another of the dreams alive with a place to hold farmer’s markets and small-business events. This summer, residents will see another addition join the ranks at Rotary Park with a massive bouncy pillow going near the playground.

The Sportfield Master Plan, a document frequently updated, which details the plans for Rotary Park into the future, not unlike the original project that kickstarted everything in the first place, now leads the vision. Each council budgets for upgrades and plans for future developments, adding its unique special touches along the way.

Residents interested in learning more about the history of Whitecourt, including the first peoples, early residents, the connection to the Klondike rush, the seasonal post operated by the Hudson’s Bay Company near the present Whitecourt Golf and Country Club, and the controversy of Whitecourt’s name are encouraged to visit www.whitecourtheritage.org.