The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is inviting the public to have their say on the future of Meadow Park as the municipality plans significant improvements to the park in 2024.
The focus of the upgrades is to improve accessibility and utilization and bring the ageing spray park in line with local water conservation bylaws and Vancouver Coastal Health guidelines, which the spray park currently does not meet. The redevelopment will be limited to the 40-year-old park and will not include any work on the adjoining Meadow Park Sports Centre.
“We'll be going through a design process through the rest of the year and looking to start construction next year,” said RMOW manager of resort parks planning Martin Pardoe.
“We're looking at a schematic design for the whole park. So how things might move, and then for construction, we're looking at a limited part of the park, which will likely focus on replacement of the spray park,” Pardoe said.
“It's at the end of its useful lifespan and needs to be modernized, changed, equipment failing, and there are several issues with it. So that's likely what we'll focus on as part of the first build.”
The park's redevelopment aims to help accommodate and broaden the area's appeal to more people and ease some of the strain on other municipal parks, which have become increasingly popular over the last few years.
“Meadow Park is underutilized compared to Rainbow Park. There is a way that we can shift some of the demand or accommodate more people at Meadow Park through making changes to broaden its appeal,” Pardoe said.
The plan also aims to align with the municipality's recently adopted Green Building Policy by improving water conservation and aligning the park with the broader Big Moves Climate Action Strategy.
"We've done a lot of deep thinking around how to align the changes with our climate Big Moves. So really focusing on removing potable water, and making a sustainable, resilient space in the future," said general manager of resort experience Jessie Gresley-Jones.
Whistlerites will be able to provide input, in person, on Jan. 23 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Whistler Public Library (WPL), followed by a session on Jan. 25 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Meadow Park Sports Centre, and the final session on Jan. 26 from 12 to 2 p.m. at the library.
Learn more about the proposed upgrades here.
