LeBourdais Park improvements

Public consultation for this project has now been completed. Thank you for your input.

Shade Improvements!

We heard you! In our 2021 survey, the community wanted more shaded areas at the playground and spray park. Three shade structures are currently being installed. Two shade structures will be positioned at the playground and one shade structure will be at the spray park.

New images of the structures are coming soon!

What we heard:

We had 345 responses to the LeBourdais Park survey. Please see the questions we asked you and the City’s answers below.

Spray Park:

A popular area of the park, the spray park has seen lots of use and is getting worn. What type of upgrades would you like to see? Are there any types of amenities you’ve seen at other spray parks you would like added?

Responses:

Top 5 upgrades/amenities people would like to see:

A limited amount of respondents wanted the park to stay the same.

A significant upgrade to this park is likely a few years away. The City has increased its maintenance of this park to reduce the issues with slippery surface and is looking at whether any small upgrades could be made to the park in the short term.

Stage:

Key to outdoor entertainment and celebrations in the park, the performance stage needs updates. What kind of upgrades do you think the stage needs?

Responses:

Top 5 upgrades people would like to see:

Are there technical upgrades that would be useful for performing or viewing (sound equipment, lighting, digital screens, etc.)?

Responses:

Top 5 upgrades people would like to see:

Some residents wanted the stage to stay the same, and some were worried about security if it was improved.

The City is working on putting out a request for proposal to do the planning to improve the stage to make it more useable, including more plug and play capabilities. The intent is to try to complete upgrades before the Winter Games in 2024.

Connectivity Trails

The City wants to ensure that the park is connected to amenities around the park like the arena precinct. Are there any updates to trails in the park that you would like to see to improve this connectivity, such as a paved path within the park to connect the playground to the water park?

Responses:

Top 5 upgrades/amenities people would like to see:

Approximately half the respondents wanted no changes to the green space.

The City recognizes that there is currently no accessible connection between the Visitors Centre and the Hosting precinct. The City is looking into the possibility of putting a trail that goes up the hill by the cemetery and then goes along the curling rink to the hosting precinct. This would limit the effect on the green space.

Rotary Ball Park

The Rotary Ball Park is used for only 2 to 3 months each year, requiring significant maintenance during that time period. The City and Cariboo Regional District have been working to build two premier ball parks located at West Fraser Park and Barlow Creek. If additional funding could be directed to those two parks, additional amenities such as lighting to extend the season could be considered. Is the ball park the best use for this space in LeBourdais Park?

Responses:

The majority of responses from both City and CRD residents was that they did not want the park moved

Are there other uses you could see for this space?

Responses:

Top Suggestions: Dog Park, Parking lot, additional green space, off season ice rink

The City is working on a planning process to review the needs of ball field users for the whole community. The intent would be to review all the various types of ball played in the City (baseball, softball, slo pitch etc.) and determine whether or not upgrades to West Fraser Timber Park could be made that would enable consolidation of baseball fields. Until the this process is complete, there will be no planning for this area.

Additional feedback:

Are there any other improvements you would like to see at LeBourdais Park?

Responses:

Top 5 upgrades/amenities people would like to see:

Shade has been a concern raised in several of the questions. The City has put into the draft 2022 Capital Budget funding for looking at shade options at LeBourdais Park. The City will continue to review the other suggestions.

Engagement background:

LeBourdais Park is an outdoor centrepiece for our community. It is one of Quesnel’s two destination parks and our largest feature park. We gather there for play, entertainment, and activity.

The citizens of Quesnel and the area make frequent use of the park. It is the main location for the Billy Barker Days festival in July and the Quesnel Show and Shine in August. It is also home to our beautiful rose garden and bell tower.

The park has benefited from many recent updates. It has a new playground, a new parking lot, more picnic tables, and an updated Museum and Visitor Centre. Upgrades like these attract both residents and visitors and support Council’s Economic Development Transition Strategy.

The City has been very successful in obtaining grant funding over the last few years. We would like to make plans to update areas of LeBourdais Park that are starting to show their age. Doing this in advance makes grant applications much easier and more likely to succeed.

Areas for possible improvements:

How will my input be used?

Ideas and suggestions from this public participation will be shared with the City, could inform the plans, designs, and decisions for the park improvements.

Council will take all input and consider it along with other factors, like budget, timelines, etc. when the final plans for the park are confirmed. At all times, we’re thinking of the best interest of the community as a whole.

And, as we move through each stage of the project, we commit to keeping you informed.