A legacy project that would have transformed Lindahl Park into a centenary landmark is now in limbo after town council learned a crucial grant application was rejected by the federal government.
In a May 3 letter from Heritage Canada, director of community engagement Missy Marston-Shmelzer said the proposal did not meet “the eligibility criteria of the program.”
“A public garden or park must be deemed to have over half the costs devoted to the arts and heritage elements (the legacy) of the anniversary in order to be considered,” Marston-Shmelzer said.
Councillors received notice of the grant’s rejection at their May 24 meeting, and while the project hasn’t been officially cancelled, mayor Ralph Leriger said it certainly delays it.
“We were very clear, it was an ambitious project and that it would be contingent on the grant funding,” Leriger said.
He added that while the project was meant to help commemorate the town’s 100th anniversary, its loss for the time being will not diminish upcoming celebrations.
“Bricks and mortar are a lasting legacy, but if you look around town, there’s a lot of bricks and mortar things going on,” he said.
“We hope that people come out in droves and enjoy themselves thoroughly and have a great celebration to remember.”
The Town of Westlock’s application for the Legacy Fund Component of the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage program would have funded half the $500,000 price tag.
The rejection, CAO Dean Krause added, means the town will likely suspend the project until budget deliberations later this year.
While it doesn’t mean the end of development at Lindahl Park, a substantial roadblock now lies ahead.
“There aren’t a lot of grants out there for playground park structure,” Krause said.
The Legacy Fund Component, Krause said, is designed to help municipalities mark significant events in their history, diminishing the chance it will be received once the town’s centenary has passed.
“They want something that’s built permanently and has that legacy logo on it for the future generations to use,” Krause said.
“It obviously didn’t meet what they felt was their criteria.”
The centenary project would have transformed Lindahl Park, currently a field with several trees, into an outdoor community area with the ability to hold public events.
Construction, if completed at a later date, will add a gazebo and meeting space for public events, along with landscaping and fencing along Highway 18.
Though he didn’t comment directly on the government’s decision to decline the application, Krause agreed that the development paid sufficient tribute to the town’s centenary to warrant further funding consideration.
“It should be up to a community what they want their legacy identified by,” Krause said.
