By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

‘Very critical:’ Nanaimo’s water parks heavily leaned on for summer fun

Jun 1, 2018 | 2:31 PM

NANAIMO — While pools, lakes, and rivers get the glory, water parks have emerged as a primary place to cool down in the harbour city.

Al Britton, Nanaimo’s parks operations manager, said their three main water parks open annually around May long weekend and are spraying during daytime hours until the end of September, drawing between 500 and 1,500 children on a typical sunny day.

Britton said their wildly popular water parks at Harewood Park, Departure Bay Park and Deverill Square Park have risen the ranks as an important, accessible recreational offering.

“They’re very critical to the city itself and the Parks Department in order to give the kids a pleasant, nice cool experience in the heat of summer.”

Britton said the City receives a steady stream of complaints when water parks aren’t working due to occasional maintenance issues. He said the parks were introduced 20 years ago and quickly evolved as a go-to alternative to swimming pools and lakes.

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Britton said their water amenities, which include a smaller spray feature at Mansfield Park, have become extremely efficient due to constant upgrades.

“We use nozzles that spew less water…they shoot harder but actually use less water. We’ve put in shut-off valves that are more efficient.”

Bill Sims, the City’s director of engineering and public works, said water parks are required to use only fresh water, but it’s not known how much is used annually.

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