LAURIE WEIR
The splash pad at Smiths Falls’ Lower Reach Park is closed until further notice, and it’s uncertain whether it will reopen this season. Ongoing maintenance challenges, coupled with the aging infrastructure, have prompted town officials to begin considering a full rebuild.
“The splash pad is currently closed for maintenance until further notice,” Stephanie Clark, Director of Community Services, told Hometown News on Friday, June 20. “We require a run of dry days in order for us to make the repairs.”
Clark said the splash pad has reached the end of its lifecycle. Over the past few years, staff patched together features to keep the site safe and operational, removing others along the way, such as the musical piano.
“Our staff … have been able to patch certain things together so that the features are both functional and safe, while removing others (the piano),” she said.
This week, more elements were deemed beyond repair.
“A decision was made this week that additional features we had hoped on start-up would last the remainder of this season, were no longer repairable,” Clark said. “To this end, we have decommissioned more of the features of the splash pad at this time … the water blasters are being removed.”
Though the town had budgeted funds for repairs, a recent consultation with infrastructure experts shifted the strategy.
“Their advice is to refrain from attempting large-scale repairs, as the cost would be prohibitive,” Clark said.
Now, staff are assessing the feasibility of a complete rebuild, possibly as part of the 2026 capital budget.
“We are currently assessing our options, and may be seeking this as a capital item in the 2026 budget,” she said.
Determining a price tag is difficult. Lower Reach Park was a landfill from 1959 to 1971, which could require subsurface remediation.
“There are a number of factors at play,” Clark said, “specifically, subsurface materials… size and complexity of the features… and the type of water unit that is installed. A splash pad of similar size could easily run north of the $1-million mark.”
A full redesign of the park remains in draft form and is expected to return to council later this summer.
“The earliest we would be looking to undertake a capital project of this sort would be next year, however that is subject to council review and approval,” Clark said.
In the meantime, staff continue regular maintenance routines, including annual start-up and shutdown processes and weekly inspections.
“We also engage in weekly inspections and monitoring of performance,” she said. “Any issues that are noted by staff are documented and dealt with in as timely a fashion as possible.”
Clark asked that residents report concerns through official channels.
“It is important to note… that issues reported through the proper channels allow us to identify them much more quickly,” she said. “Emails to our info@smithsfalls.ca inbox are checked regularly… We do not monitor social media channels for concerns, and ask for the public’s help in ensuring that the information is getting to us in the right manner.”
The splash pad used about $40,000 worth of water last year, a figure expected to rise with hotter summers.
“At this time the water flows from the splash pad into the drain directly and is not subject to recirculation,” Clark said.
The town is exploring the possibility of switching to a more sustainable system.
“Newer equipment and advancements in technology may also allow us to consider more sustainable options moving forward,” she noted.
Recirculation would require higher upfront costs and additional staff training under Ontario pool operation regulations.
Clark said her department is conscious of its environmental impact, even without formal water-use restrictions.
“The facility is also on a timer to ensure that it is not left on inadvertently… Leaks that have been detected have been managed… by turning off the features that the lines were feeding or capping that specific line,” she said.
The town is also actively seeking external funding.
“We have applied for some funding to assist us in rolling out our Lower Reach revisioning project, and are always on the lookout for more,” Clark said. “It’s a competitive environment but we continue to build strong applications… especially for infrastructure such as this, that is so important for the community.”
