By Katie Ryan
Sandy Beach Regional Park is set to expand its boundaries.
The Sandy Beach Regional Park board and the Knights of Columbus are working on a joint venture that will see the park’s borders expand on the north end to soon include additional lake front lots. The funds generated from the new lots will be used to build additional nine holes with grass greens and park improvements, while the Knights of Columbus will use their proceeds to develop a long-term project.
“Initially the Knights of Columbus wanted to do the development themselves and just through conversations back and forth we realized it would work well for both organizations if we could do something together that would benefit both,” said Howard Mehain, regional park board chair. “They were in favour of that and we are as well.”
Frank Spenrath, Knights of Columbus spokesperson and development co-coordinator, said the Knights have been engaged in fundraising initiatives to build a camp.
“Initially we organized, planned and held a country-and-western jamboree which was to raise funds. We had hoped it would be a long term source of fundraising,” said Spenrath in an email. “However, the event did not generate the kind of funds needed and after three years, the event was halted and alternate sources of funds were looked into.”
By developing a portion of land into lake lots, the Knights will be able to build both a camp and missions site.
“The entire area is around 70 acres and of that just over 30 acres are involved in the project with the lot development and land to be used for some of the Regional Park golf course expansion,” said Spenrath.
Approximately 33 lake front lots will be added to the popular park and Mehain said he already has a growing list of people wanting to participate in an upcoming lot lottery.
“The initial design we have come up with feature the 33 lots, 19 will have the lake on one side and the golf course behind them, so they’re pretty attractive. The other 14 are just lake front,” he said, adding the board is still in the early development stages seeking government approval.
Mehain said working with the Knights has been a mutually beneficial process.
“It’s been a great experience and it works out well for us and the Knights of Columbus, that we both end up with something we want and good neighbours get along,” he added.
At present there are roughly 109 lots in the park and the additional lots are expected to be available by summer.
Before the Sandy Beach board could continue with its new development however, the board members had to take care of overdue paperwork.
The city of Lloydminster was an original stakeholder in the formation of Sandy Beach Regional Park, provided an annual cash contribution to the administration of the park area and drew their municipal water supply from the Sandy Beach aquifer until the early 1980s. When the city turned the wells and pump house over to the park authority for their own use, claiming no further interest in the authority of the affairs of the park, they still remained a stakeholder on paper.
“It’s a role that the city used to have 35, 40 years ago that diminished over time and really kind of sealed it when the city left Sandy Beach area. They weren’t part of the park authority and that was turned over to the local people there and the wells were turned over to the people at the time,” said senior director of corporate affairs, Tom Lysyk.
“Really, the paperwork said that should have been done at that time, to remove the city entirely, but since they are going ahead with some initiatives that are out there, they need to remove us completely from it. It’s their project and they will go ahead with it.”
During the Dec. 21 city council meeting, city officials approved a request to the province to remove the city from the order-in-council as a responsible member of the Sandy Beach Regional Park.