The City of Abbotsford holds an official opening of the new fountain and dock at Mill Lake Park on Thursday, June 23.
The event starts at 6 p.m. (take the Bevan Avenue entrance) and includes music by the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra and food trucks on site from 5 to 9 p.m. Deputy Mayor Sandy Blue will flip the switch to activate the new fountain.
Abbotsford council in April 2021 approved spending up to $200,000 on the project from donated funds.
The fountain is the first project to be approved from the Mill Lake Park Reserve Fund established by the city in 2019. A commitment of a $1 million donation over 10 years was made by an anonymous donor for improvement to the park.
RELATED: City approves $200K fountain for Mill Lake using donated funds
The aeration fountain is designed to improve the water quality of the lake – and, thus, its ecosystem – and to provide “a beautiful esthetic addition to the city’s premier park,” a 2021 staff report to council stated.
The fountain will spray lake water 27 metres into the air and will have LED lighting to allow for colour changes. The city will establish a policy to handle requests for seasonal and celebratory lighting of the fountain.
The fountain will be on a timer, which will shut it off at night. The expected lifespan of the fountain is 15 years, with annual power costs estimated at $7,000 and yearly maintenance costs at $1,500.
Another project that was recently completed at Mill Lake was the replacement of the floating wooden dock in the northwest portion of the park.
RELATED: Aging floating dock to be replaced at Mill Lake in Abbotsford
The dock – primarily used for nature viewing and fishing – was at “end of life,” according to the city’s request for proposals in July 2021.
That project had a budget of $220,000.
More comprehensive plans are underway for the future of Mill Lake Park, with the city having awarded a contract last year to IBI Group for the creation of a master plan for the area.
The project will include plans for future improvements and a phased construction strategy that is expected to start this year and last 15 to 20 years.
The completion of the draft plan was estimated for January 2022, but has been delayed and is now expected to come before council in the coming weeks.
vhopes@abbynews.com
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