SASKATOON — The RM of Corman Park wants to revisit a possible expansion to the parking lot of the Fred Heal Canoe Launch, a popular beach area located along the eastern edge of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Saskatchewan River.
On June 10, the RM’s planning committee voted to recommend to council that the canoe launch parking lot be added to the Carry-forward Action List and that administration determine the cost of expanding the parking lot and how it would impact the RM’s budget.
As well, the recommendation calls on administration to work with the Meewasin Valley Authority (MVA), which looks after the canoe launch, to re-examine the proposed improvements.
This recommendation was later adopted at the June 24 council meeting.
As explained in an administration report, the Fred Heal Canoe Launch is an 8.37-hectare site located on Crown land south of Saskatoon.
Chief Administrative Officer Kerry Hilts said the popularity of beach sites along the river near Saskatoon “is putting a lot of pressure … on available parking in the area.”
Recognizing this problem, the RM had submitted a letter to the province in 2017 requesting the use of Crown land for parking at the canoe launch. The Ministry of Agriculture indicated its support for expanding the lot, pending approval from all appropriate ministries and agencies.
In 2019, Corman Park prepared a plan for expanding the parking lot to 0.5 hectares in order to accommodate 50 to 60 vehicles.
The plan was reviewed by the Meewasin Valley Authority, which re-sized the lot to 0.3 hectares in order to accommodate 62 vehicles. The estimated cost of the expanded lot was $100,000.
The parking lot design was submitted to the MVA board in June 2019 and was approved. However, the matter seems to have fallen by the wayside in the years since then.
Division 3 Councillor Lyndon Haduik said this has been an ongoing issue for as long as he’s been on council, noting that if you go down to the canoe launch on a hot summer day, you can find vehicles parked as far back as a mile up the road leading to the site.
“If there’s an emergency, you cannot get in or out of there,” he said. “I think we should do something before somebody does get hurt or drowns.”
Hilts said the MVA is likely holding off on the project as they pursue designation as a National Urban Park, which could result in some funding for projects like this.
“If we proceed today, we’re probably into it for 100 per cent ourselves as Corman Park,” he said.
Not wanting to let the matter lapse, the committee discussed putting the parking lot on the Carry-forward Action List, which tracks ongoing initiatives and projects, and also reach out to the MVA.
