Town of Burstall's dog park very close to opening
By Stu Salkeld
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Your West Central Voice
BURSTALL —Dogs in the Town of Burstall very soon will have something to wag their tails about. Oh, and their owners may be happy too.
In an Aug. 4 interview, Burstall Mayor Colleen Bodnarchuk confirmed councillors got an update on the new dog park at their July 23 council meeting. The mayor said Burstall Lions Club volunteers are close to finishing fence work on the dog park site, new signs have been ordered and the town is looking to install a stoop-and-scoop bag dispenser to keep the park tidy.
Bodnarchuk said the dog park isn't open to the public yet but she is confident it should open sometime this summer. She said the public is looking forward to it because dogs are very popular in Burstall.
Construction work continues around Burstall, with curb stops being replaced and sidewalks upgraded. A contractor surveyed the town's sidewalks and reported 133 repairs were needed. Bodnarchuk said 125 have been completed. Crack-sealing and hydrant repair are scheduled for August.
Councillors also reviewed their recent Canada Day event. Bodnarchuk said by all accounts the July 1 event was quite successful. She said there was much positive feedback about the fireworks display and it appears surrounding communities are taking part in Burstall's Canada Day festivities. The live entertainment was also very popular.
Councillors discussed untidy yards around Burstall and a letter the town sent to those owners. Bodnarchuk said the response was very good and councillors were happy with the clean-up efforts. She said five or six properties remain a concern.
Council also discussed the town's nuisance abatement bylaw. The mayor said the intention is to update the bylaw so everything related to it is in one place.
The town has ordered a sea can for secondary containment, allowing residents to drop off materials such as used motor oil and radiator fluid. Bodnarchuk said the container replaces the previous one and will be kept at the landfill, available during regular business hours. She said it was felt the drop-off station should be somewhere a town employee can monitor it. The sea can is expected to be ready for use around mid-August.
The mayor said no further information has come up about a historical bell stolen from a municipal park earlier this year. Bodnarchuk said the town is willing to accept the bell back, no questions asked, if the thief simply returns it.
Preparations are underway for Burstall's next big fundraising event, the Fall Fair, scheduled for Sept. 19. The mayor said the event offers a parade at 10 a.m., a German kitchen, an estimated 28 to 30 vendors and a large garage sale at the curling rink, horse and wagon rides and a caricature artist who draws visitors for $5. A Kids Zone at Lions Park includes bouncy castles, and face painting is offered at the Friendship Centre. Local band The Kangaroo Rats will perform. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The next day, a non-denominational church service is offered, followed by soup and a bun.
The mayor said the event started as a benefit for the municipal swimming pool but now supports many different town-owned facilities.
One gap left. The parade is listed at 10 a.m. but the event runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Get Stu to confirm before this goes to layout. Readers will show up at the wrong time.
Two changes worth noting. I moved the sidewalk paragraph up ahead of Canada Day because 133 repairs with 125 done is the hardest news in the piece. And the headline still promises an opening the story cannot deliver. If Stu can pull a firm date out of the town, run it as is. If not, consider "Burstall dog park nears completion as sidewalk repairs wrap up."