With provincial cash for recreation and tourism areas drying up, Bowden council is mulling the idea of closing the Bowden Heritage Rest Area in the near future.
With provincial cash for recreation and tourism areas drying up, Bowden council is mulling the idea of closing the Bowden Heritage Rest Area in the near future.
Last month, Bowden mayor Robb Stuart received a letter from the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation, stating an annual grant program the foundation provides to the town to help with maintenance and upkeep at the rest area will end on March 31, 2014.
The rest area, which opened in 1984, is a campsite often used for picnics located just north of the Bowden Golf Course and adjacent to a rest stop on the southbound lanes of Highway 2.
When the town first started receiving the grant through the program in 1990, the amount was $20,000 a year.
But in recent years that amount was reduced to $8,000 a year.
The foundation’s letter states that due to a $2-million decrease in funding for the foundation from the province in the 2013 provincial budget, the grant will be phased out completely next year and this year, Bowden will only receive $4,000 for the rest stop.
The town typically puts roughly $30,000 into the operations and maintenance of the rest area.
At council’s April 8 meeting, Stuart said the town will keep the rest area open this year.
But council discussed whether the town should shutter the facility next year after the grant program ends.
Andy Weiss, the town’s chief administrative officer, said the building at the rest area is old and in poor shape and the town spent money this year to replace sinks and taps at the facility.
"Things are falling apart," he said.
Coun. Sandy Gamble said the town should not have to pay for the facility on its own, especially since the town runs the rest area as a service to travellers on Highway 2, which is controlled by the province.
Coun. Patrick Doll agreed, saying it’s the provincial government’s responsibility to close the site at its own cost.
"If you don’t want to fund it, take it down," he said.
Stuart said if council did decide to close the rest area, the town could rezone the land and sell it off and Doll suggested turning the land into a green space.
Coun. Wayne Milaney cautioned council against hastily deciding to close the rest area, since without such a community amenity, Bowden could end up looking like a "downtown Detroit slum."
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