RESIDENTS CAN PARK THEMSELVES IN WARMAN
If Hasbro was ever to create a Saskatchewan version of Monopoly, it’s a safe bet that Warman would be situated at Park Place.
Warman is known for its incredible access to parks and recreation facilities. There is a total of 17 parks within the community including: Prairie Oasis Park, Centennial Park, Crystal Lake, Diamond Hill Park and Lions Park. Eleven of these parks have playgrounds and four have ponds or lakes. The city also has nearly 12 kilometres of asphalt walking paths.
Paul McGonigal, recreation and community services manager for the City of Warman, said the city invests heavily in recreation because of the benefits it brings to its residents.
“We think that we’ve got a great network of parks and trails in our community, which are all important because they serve different folks in our community,” said McGonigal. “Our parks and trails system provides our residences with opportunities to socialize with each other, gives their children places to play, and provides opportunities for healthy, active lifestyles.”
With the number of businesses in Warman expanding, residents can do their shopping close to home and not always travel to larger centres like Saskatoon. In that same vein, the city is hoping that its residents can stay and play close to home, as well.
“When people are buying a home and looking at a prospective city, they want to know what you have in terms of recreation opportunities. It’s important for parents, after a long day of work, to not have to pack their children up and take them to the larger centres to realize these opportunities,” said McGonigal. “Our council understands that in order to build this community, they need to have recreational opportunities available for residents.”
McGonigal noted that city officials are always considering new recreation opportunities. Recently, the city resurfaced its spray park and added a 12-acre off-leash dog park. The city is also undergoing a major renovation to one of its original parks: Prairie Oasis. An exciting new feature of Prairie Oasis is the 14,000 square foot skate facility that opened last year. Over the next couple of years, the city will be adding two ball diamonds to the park, replacing the playground equipment and finishing the lake, stocking it with fish for catch-and-release.
In Warman, recreation opportunities aren’t limited to the great outdoors. In December of 2011, the Legends Centre opened and McGonigal describes the 100,000 square foot facility as the “hub of the city.” The Legends Centre boasts an arena with nearly 1,200 seats; two large gymnasiums containing nine badminton courts, three volleyball and junior basketball courts; one regulation basketball court; and one non-regulation soccer pitch. There are three meeting rooms and three activity rooms also within the facility. Six businesses also operate from the Legends Centre, offering a complement of services.
“We offer a ton of programming, from toddler programs like Move It, to children’s programs such as Kids in the Kitchen, to cake decorating, to fitness classes for all ages and skill levels,” said McGonigal. “We try to do as much as we possibly can to keep people in our facilities and keep them coming back.”
Moving forward, McGonigal said an item that will continue to be high on the city’s agenda is to ensure there is no shortage of recreation opportunities.
“It can be anything from just going for an evening stroll on our walking paths, taking your furry buddy to the dog park, or going to play tennis. The option for participation is key,” he said. “The opportunities that we provide our residents allow them to participate and make that choice for a healthy, active lifestyle. As a result, you have happier residents.”