Outdoor rink in High River to see design work and repairs

High River is starting to see the benefits of the sale of homes in the northwest part of town a couple years ago.

As part of the 2024 budget the Town is putting money aside for the park and outdoor rink on the west side of town.

"So, we have allocated $100,000 to doing a full-blown study and design of that whole park area in McLaughlin Meadows and what a new rink and whatever else might fit into that area might look like," says mayor Craig Snodgrass.

He says besides the $100,000 for design work another $500,000 has been set aside to get the actual work done.

"We've been working on that for quite a few years now, everybody knows the condition of the outdoor rink over there, but I was happy that we were able to get into the budget, get it approved and excited to move that one forward."

The money is coming from the money the Town got from the sales of homes in the northwest a couple years ago.

The homes were not severely impacted by the 2013 flood, but the province took them over because of their position in flood maps.

After years of negotiation the Town bought them back and then put them on the market and got approximately $1.5 million from the sales.

Another million dollars went from that sale to the aquatic centre expansion project.