The second phase of Legacy Park was officially opened in north Lethbridge on August 10, 2022. (Photo: LNN)

By Drew Stremick

Community members celebrate the completion of Legacy Park in Lethbridge

Aug 10, 2022 | 4:51 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Lethbridge residents now have a beautiful new option when it comes to beating the heat this summer. The second and final phase of Legacy Park was officially opened to the public in north Lethbridge on Wednesday, August 10, 2022.

Phase two amenities that were unveiled at the park include a discovery playground, spray park, pavilion and picnic shelter. City officials are excited that Legacy Park has now been officially completed after many years of development and construction.

Members of all levels of government were on hand for the opening, including Lethbridge MP Rachael Thomas, Lethbridge-East MLA Nathan Neudorf, Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen, as well as a handful of other city councillors.

Representatives of all levels of government were in attendance as Legacy Park phase two officially opened to the public on August 10, 2022. (Photo: LNN)

Chris Witowski is the Parks Planning Manager with the City of Lethbridge. He says Legacy Park wouldn’t be what it is today without the input from the community.

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“It was the community that turned the idea into the vision,” said Witowski.

He continued, “We want to get public input because the worst thing for us is to spend the resources into building a facility, building a park, taking the fence down, and no one comes in to use it.”

The City of Lethbridge doesn’t have hard numbers in terms of how many people come to use Legacy Park, but Witowski says he thinks a few hundred people use it each day.

“It’s pretty hard in a space like this, there are so many open entrances to track usage. We’re estimating around 500 people a day using the spray park. And that’s just it’s kind of a rough estimate on our part on our part,” Witowski said. “The park has increased in use since phase two opened, and that’s contributing to a couple of things. The park is getting more developed, so people are coming out, I think the word is getting out that there’s this awesome park on the north side.”

Dozens of children were seen playing in the discovery park at Legacy Park on August 10, 2022. (Photo: LNN)

Lethbridge-East MLA Nathan Neudorf says multiple levels of government came together to fund this project, and it’s fantastic to see it already getting so much use.

“You want to see it used, that’s what makes it really valuable,” said Neudorf. “When people come out and appreciate it, [and] to see, I would say literally hundreds of people here enjoying the playground, the spray park, the concession, that’s great. That’s what it’s meant for.”

Helping make Legacy Park a reality, the federal government contributed just under $5-million in funding from the Canada Community-building Fund (CCBF), which was formerly the Federal Gas Tax Fund. The provincial government contributed just over $4-million towards the project from the Municipal Sustainability Initiative, and the City of Lethbridge covered the remaining costs of around $5-million to bring the total to roughly $15-million.

Parks Planning Manager Chris Watowski showed an initial sketch made by a Lethbridge resident of their dream of Legacy Park on August 10, 2022. (Photo: LNN)

Legacy Park first got underway over a decade ago, and Mayor Blaine Hyggen says it is thanks to the current and previous councils working together that made this project a reality.

“We are very excited to show off the new features at Legacy Park,” said Hyggen. “On behalf of the current Lethbridge City Council, I would like to thank all those who have had a part in making today a reality, including past City Councils, our provincial and federal governments – and everyone who advocated to have a regional park on the north side. This park will certainly turn into a lasting legacy for our residents and visitors.”

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