40 Mile Park visitors to enjoy new washroom facility

By Scott Schmidt

Southern Alberta Newspapers

A much-needed washroom facility at Forty Mile Park is coming along better than expected, and should be open before the end of the month.
The facility — which will add another six showers (three women’s, three men’s) to the park — has been long overdue, one local councillor says, as just one washroom building currently exists, housing a combined four showers.
“It was scheduled to be finished on Sept. 1, but the company has been really good and they are way ahead of schedule,” county Coun. Craig Widmer said. “We want to get this washroom in and done, because it’s really needed right now.
“There are a lot of people here on long weekends and such — you can get up to 5,000 people in that park, and that’s too many for just a couple showers.”
He says the new facility has been strategically placed to maximize its use alongside the older washrooms.
Widmer couldn’t provide an exact completion date but did promise to announce a grand-opening date soon. The project is thanks in part to a local organization that works tirelessly to support Forty Mile Park.
“It’s a collaboration between Forty Mile Park Foundation and the Forty Mile Park board,” Widmer said. The foundation fundraises entirely on behalf of Forty Mile Park, with 100 per cent of its proceeds going toward projects like this.
“It’s really nice, because when people want to donate, they can just donate to the foundation, and then that money goes to capital projects.”
Capital projects like new camping loops, which Widmer says will continue to be added for the next couple years; or sections of the boat dock, which the park increased this year by six. Adding the space at the dock not only allows for more boats to pull up, but also makes it easier for those simply looking for a pit stop to use the washroom or visit concessions.
Recent council meetings have heard some discussion regarding roadwork and the possibility of a dust-decreasing asphalt layer, but Widmer says that isn’t on the park’s immediate radar.