Petrolia will be paying for the new splash pad at the Oil Heritage Centre under a new agreement which sees the Petrolia Kiwanis Club donate money toward the project.

In July 2021, the newly formed service club came to council offering to pay for a new splashpad which located near the Y.

At the time, the club asked the town to foot the upfront costs and offered to pay back the anticipated $150,000 cost over the span of six years.

Dave Menzie, director of parks, recreation and facilities, presented council with an agreement where the Kiwanis signs an unsecured contribution note with the promise to donate $150,000 to the project over 10 years.

In his report to council, Menzies says the town will pay the contractor, Open Space Solutions directly as invoiced for the manufacturing and installation of the splashpad with the Kiwanis club “reimbursing the town.

“If the Kiwanis Club is unable to make a yearly contribution to the town, the organization will be required to provide, in person, in an open public Council meeting, an explanation and produce their yearly charitable tax returns to the town.”

Menzies says the unsecured contribution note allows the service club to look for grants where a direct loan to the club from the municipality would rule that out.

The infrastructure for the splash pad is expected to occur this summer.