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Fernie Whitewater Park gaining momentum
Plans to create a whitewater park on the Elk River at Fernie are beginning to come alive.
On Friday, May 4, Regional District of East Kootenay board of directors unanimously agreed to direct regional administrative staff to meet with the Fernie White Water Society and S20 Design and Engineering to discuss opportunities for the potential integration of the West Fernie Dike and Fernie Whitewater Park.
“The community is interested in the location, size, shape and dynamics of the dike and is most likely interested in the whitewater park; therefore, the integration would allow them another opportunity to be engaged in the projects,” stated a report to the RDEK board by regional engineering services manager Brian Funke, who also outlined that the regional government has been successful in getting funding from the Building Canada Fund – Flood Protection Program for flood protection works in West Fernie.
“Phase two of the West Fernie Bank and Infrastructure Protection Project is currently in the design stage with construction to start this late summer,” Funke said, explaining the Fernie White Water Society has asked to meet with regional officials about possible integration of the two projects.
“The society is proposing to construct an in-stream whitewater park which is achieved by strategically placing rock in the river to manipulate stream flow to form riffles, pools, back eddies and fails,” Funke said, adding that Building Canada Funds cannot be used to construct the whitewater park. “However, there are opportunities to integrate the two projects.”
In a March 28 letter to RDEK Electoral Area A director Mike Sosnowski, Fernie Whitewater Society member Dan Savage outlined the vision and hopes for the park.
“Whitewater parks are used by a myriad of people from avid kayakers, to floated, to surfers, to international events, or two simply watch and read a book. These parks are designed in the streambed to be community parks where everyone can enjoy the river corridor,” he noted.
He pointed out that the City of Fernie and Fernie Leisure Services Advisory Committee support the design concept of the park.
Whitewater Park open house Thursday
The Fernie Whitewater Park project is hosting an open house this Thursday (May 10), starting at 6 p.m., at the Fernie Golf and Country Club’s Clubhouse Restaurant.
On hand will be Scott Shipley and S2o Design and Engineering, from Boulder, Co., to share information about the concept design process.
Shipley is a three-time world champion in slalom and a world medalist in freestyle kayaking.
“The team is composed of professional designers who are also avid whitewater paddlers who specialize in the design of sustainable whitewater. They have worked with fish biologists to tailor designs for specific fish species and studies have shown increased fish populations in parks,” Savage stated. “The parks are designed to preserve macro-invertebrate habitat and the riparian community.”
Everybody is welcome to the open house. For information visit: facebook.com/FernieWhitewaterPark .
Ian Cobb/e-KNOW
