The Battlefords river valley has received an infusion of funds thanks to the provincial government.
Battlefords MLA Herb Cox, appearing on behalf of Parks Minister Kevin Doherty, was at King Hill Lookout to present a cheque for $83,000 to go towards river valley maintenance.
The grant goes to the City of North Battleford who provide the administrative and management services for the park.
"The beautiful river valley enhances the quality of life for the residents and the surrounding area," said Cox in making the announcement. "It makes the area more inviting, providing recreational opportunities for everyone living in and visiting the Battlefords. It makes our province one of the best provinces to work, play and live."
He said quality of life is one of the government's primary goals.
"We don't want growth for the sake of growth. We want growth so we can help our residents lead the highest quality lives possible. And as more and more people are moving to Saskatchewan and more people are visiting our parks, its important we keep investing in them."
While the City provides the administration and management of the river valley, both the City and the Town of Battleford provide matching funding per capita for the urban park.
"It is a joint effort - we all benefit from the river valley. We share it, it's a great asset to this community and we intend to preserve it," said Mayor Ian Hamilton.
It is one of seven urban park areas provided with annual grant funding from the province.
The $83,000 is the same amount as last year. The annual funds go towards continued maintenance of the walking and jogging trails on both sides of the river, as well as enhancing infrastructure in the area, including in the Flats.
Hamilton noted there is a multi-year master plan for development of the river valley and acknowledged some challenges, but said the announcement was "a reminder to us all that it's time to get back in the saddle and get moving with lots of other initiatives that we had already planned on."
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