Williams Lake Daybreak Rotary Club has its heart set on building a bouldering park in the city.
Rotarian Andrew Sandberg brought the proposal to city council Tuesday, Feb. 8 asking for support and permission to establish the outdoor climbing structures in one of the city’s existing parks.
“We need a flat location,” Sandberg told council.
The proposed $200,000-project would include a basecamp and summit climbing boulders covering an area of about 62 feet by 25 feet with one of the structures being 12 feet tall and the other one eight feet tall.
Rotary will be fundraising for it by seeking sponsorships from local businesses and donors.
The club will also apply for a grant through the Kal Tire’s Kal’s Replay Fund that helps cover the cost of projects that turn scrap tires into new rubber products for playground surfaces, flooring, roofing, landscape tiles, paving, garden mulch and children’s play structures.
Coun. Scott Nelson commended Sandberg for the proposal, describing it as a “wow factor.”
“You are talking about climbing boulders that communities dream of. This thing is absolutely stunning,” Nelson said. “Any kid would want to be able to climb this.”
Nelson noted any park, in his opinion, would be successful if the bouldering features were added to it.
“We are very grateful for the work that you are doing to raise $200,000 to do this,” he told Sandberg.
Council unanimously endorsed the proposal and directed staff to bring a report back to council once a suitable location is chosen — Sandberg who will be exploring options with the city’s director of municipal services Rob Warnock.
“This is obviously for kids, but it includes everybody of all walks of life and of all abilities,” Sandberg told the Tribune after his presentation.
He said Rotary had looked at the cost of building a new accessible playground, but it was very expensive whereas the boulder park was something the club could achieve and would add something new to the city’s outdoor recreation amenities.
Anyone interested in learning more about the project is encouraged to contact Sandberg at 250-305-4590 or email asandberg@sandtronic.ca.
READ MORE: ROTARY MONTH: Camaraderie, helping others fuels Rotary Club of Williams Lake Daybreak
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