Town Beach ready to be a hub of community activity once more

Tim Brody - Editor

Sioux Lookout’s Farlinger Park (the Town Beach) is ready to once more be a hub of community activity.
After almost three years of being under construction, the park and beach were opened to the public on July 1 for Canada Day firework.
Municipal CAO, Michelle Larose said in a July 25 media release, “We’re very excited for the reopening of the park and beach. While it definitely took longer than expected, due to the pandemic and the issues it caused, we’re very happy with the end results and think everyone else will be too.”
The Municipality of Sioux Lookout shared, “The multi-million dollar waterfront development began with the closure of Farlinger Park back in September of 2019. It included the construction of a boardwalk, playground, and pavilion area, an administration building with washrooms and an office space for staff use, a stage building, and a kayak kiosk that can store kayaks and other water equipment which will be available as rentals in the future. Two spaces were included for food trucks with access to hydro, water, and sewer services. An exterior shower was also installed, along with ramps down to the beach. Plus, there is a new covered pavilion area on a concrete slab as a sheltered outdoor space.”
Sioux Lookout Mayor Doug Lawrance stated, “A lot of work has taken place at our Town Beach over the last few years, but there is still a bit more to go to finish things off. Some electrical work remains, as does putting the roof on the pavilion and the sun/wind break on the side of the stage. Even with without those finishing touches, the new Farlinger Park is really a place we can once again enjoy and be proud to welcome visitors to.”
Larose added, “The completion of this project offers the Municipality some great new recreational opportunities and revenue streams like waterfront kayak rentals. It will have been worth the wait.”
The Municipality noted, “Another important addition that isn’t immediately apparent to visitors to Farlinger Park/Town Beach is the bio-sparge system that was installed. This state-of-the-art system is remotely monitored by an engineering firm on behalf of CN Rail. Monitoring wells are located throughout the site and water samples are taken at regular intervals to ensure the safety of everyone using the area.”
Costs to date on the waterfront development project come in at $3,469,370.68, which includes a Council-approved $600,000 overrun. The cost overrun is being funded from the Municipality’s portion of the Municipal Accommodation Tax. 
The project expenses break down as: Funding received - $1,751,473, Municipal Accommodation Tax - $601,201, Utilities Reserve - $189,486, and Long-term Debt - $927,210.68.
The Municipality noted that these numbers are not final, “as we are still waiting on final invoices to submit claims and receive the balance of Provincial and Federal funding.”
An official grand re-opening of the Town Beach will take place at a later date.