Flood-Affected Park Repairs

The 2021 flood damaged the City’s Claybanks RV Park, Centennial Park and Voght Park.

Claybanks RV Park

UPDATED SPRING 2024

The City’s Claybanks RV Park, on the banks of the Coldwater River, was devastated from the November 2021 flood. The Recreation Center building, located at the back of the park, was destroyed. All of the underground utility infrastructure was compromised. And thousands of loads of mud and debris were removed.

Plans to rebuild the campground were postponed until summer 2022 while engineers needed time to determined the design height and width of the planned dike along the Coldwater River.

With the assistance of insurance-covered restoration contractors, remediation work was completed on the office trailer and living accommodations. The stand-alone restrooms and mechanical room were renovated. And the outside sheds were rebuilt. Insurance-covered civil engineering work was also required to deal with underground damage and ground stability. This involved the input of electrical engineers, geotechnical specialists, and qualified environmental professionals, as well as external agencies such as BC Hydro. With input from all parties, the redesign of the park, involving civic engineering and electrical design, was completed fall 2023. Throughout Winter 2024, the park underwent the replacement of underground utilities. In Spring 2024, the project was sent out to RFP and contractors were hired to rebuild the park.

While the park is expected to be completed by late summer 2024, pending approvals from BC Hydro, the entry into the park will remain closed, as it is impacted by active work on the Middlesboro Bridge on Voght Street, which is targeted for completion in early 2025.

Due the road closure (and the related Sani-Dump closure), the Claybanks RV Park is slated for reopening in Spring 2025.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Sean Strang,
Director, Flood Recovery
and Mitigation
250-378-1903
sean.strang@merritt.ca

Voght Park Running Track

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2023

Thanks to funding from the Province of BC and Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA), the City is working on replacing the previous oval track with a standard 8-lane running track that meets the size and shape requirements for competitive provincial track and field events. While DFA does not normally provide disaster funding for fields, the City received an exception for this maintained structure, receiving nearly $450,000 in funds to build back to the previous state. However, the previous track did not meet the standards necessary to attract sporting events moving forward, and the underground water and drainage system was insufficient.

Thanks to the Province of BC’s Build Back Better initiatives, the City is receiving an additional $500,000 in funding to improve the track’s size and shape to meet Provincial and Canada Games standards. The project also includes a new irrigation system and long jump pits with concrete curbing. The City is very appreciative of all the funding received to date.

The City is also seeking additional funding to improve the surface of the track from the previous gravel to an all-weather polymer surface, which would cost an additional $1.1 million. However, at this time funding for a rubber or asphalt surface has not yet been approved. Present funding only provides for a surface of high fines clay shale (similar to a baseball field diamond), which is installed over a course base aggregate (as you see on roads). With a long-term plan to install a better surface, current work is proceeding with the expectation that we will be able to make further improvements in the future.

At this time, construction of the facility is almost complete, with the new fine clay shale surface to be installed during the last week of September 2023. It may be worth noting that the new sod installation must be irrigated as part of the contract, and that this type of installation is not governed by the City’s Outdoor Water Conservation Policy. To reduce water usage, the project was upgraded from hydroseeding to sod.

Voght Park Restoration

COMPLETED | FEBRUARY 2023

DOG PARK

The fenced Dog Park section of Voght Park is complete and fully funded.

GRASS

The City has gained funding to replace the turf with sod as opposed to seeding. This is a huge win for residents who want to be able to use the grass come spring.

Centennial Park Repairs

COMPLETED | SUMMER 2022

Work on repairs to Centennial park are virtually complete. This includes path repair, planter replacement, and ground seeding preparations. It should be noted that some memorial plaques may be missing. If any family member notices a missing plaque, contact info@merritt.ca.