The City of Yorkton is moving forward with plans to revitalize Jaycee Beach at Hopkins Lake with a project aimed at bringing outdoor swimming back to the city, while also transforming the area into a larger recreation destination for residents. The beach, which was a popular gathering place those in Yorkton decades ago, has long been a subject of community discussions. Mayor Aaron Kienle said many residents have shared memories of spending summers at Jaycee Beach and have expressed interest in seeing it restored. Others have been asking for an outdoor pool. “As we looked at the maintenance costs and operating cost that an outdoor pool would take, something shifted [to] where it [became] more about community-building, and [Jaycee Beach] is something that had built community in the past,” the mayor said. He hopes that the city could meet their needs and create a place where people can make memories again without having to leave town. “We’re looking at revitalizing this entire area, not just the water, [which] of course is a big part of it, but also the natural area that exists here,” Kienle explained. “Pathways, park space, picnic tables, just an area that families from Yorkton can go for no cost.” In February, council approved a $250,000 design budget for the project, which is currently moving into its design phase. “Design is going to come once we talk to the residents and once we get their feedback,” Kienle said. “There’s going to be focus groups that are created. There’s going to be an open house where people can visit and take a look at kind of the different ideas that the consultants have come up with.” The city has hired Saskatchewan-based Praxis Consulting Inc. to lead the public engagement process. While some elements of the project have already been identified, city officials say residents will have an opportunity to influence many aspects of the design before plans are finalized. “What does the community want to see here? What is something that they feel would benefit their community and their families?” The mayor asked. The overall cost of the project remains unknown. Kienle said the city has established a baseline plan that includes the infrastructure needed to maintain water quality and a beach area, with additional amenities to be considered based on public feedback and available funding. “The system that’ll be needed to keep the water and the beaches clean, the sand that will need to be brought in, and then after that is the different amenities that people would like to see. And there’ll be a cost associated to that so that the residents, as well as council, will be able to see kind of the cost grow, depending on what amenities they want,” he said. For now, the city isn’t looking to developing the entire lakefront, the initial focus will be on the area where the original beach was located, near the ball diamonds, although Kienle said the long-term vision could extend further throughout the Hopkins Lake area. “This entire area, whether it’s the Western Development Museum, Ducks Unlimited, the tennis courts, the hockey rink, the football field, the high schools ... this whole area is just a beautiful piece of nature that has all those different things included,” he said, joking that he’d like to see the whole area turn into a provincial park within the city. “But understanding there are financial constraints, we’ll probably start with something and grow it from there.” Dog park relocation As part of the redevelopment, the city plans to move its only off-leash dog park, Wiggly Fields, a popular community gathering space by Hopkins Lake. “Once [consultants] did their first initial look at the water space, it was mentioned that the dog park would probably need to relocate just based on the fact of possible contamination and then also the amount of space that it takes on that side of the lake,” Kienle explained, adding that the nearby Jaycee Beach baseball diamonds will stay. Following the feasibility work, the city proposed the dog park to be moved to Logan Green Park, west of the city’s Water Treatment Plant on Queen Street. “I think we picked the very best space in Yorkton for [the new] dog park,” the mayor said. “Maybe a little bit of a mystery as to even why this wasn’t where it was already located. It is simply one of our best walking spaces in the community, especially for those people who get out with their dogs.” Kienle acknowledged the importance of the facility and said the city sought a location that could offer an improved experience for users. The proposed site is expected to be about two acres in size, which is larger than the current off-leash area with room for additional features to be considered through public consultation. “We’re going to go to the dog owners and ask them for their input into what they would like to see,” Kienle said. “How we could grow this bigger and better for that group of residents.” Feedback will focus on topics such as access, parking, fencing, layout, amenities, maintenance and other considerations for the new dog park. In a press release sent to CTV News on Monday, the City of Yorkton stressed that it will maintain an off-leash dog park. Information on focus groups, surveys and public engagement sessions for both the Jaycee Beach revitalization and dog park relocation projects is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
