The Waltham Recreation Association (RA) has introduced a number of changes over the past few weeks in the municipality’s parks, improving recreation opportunities for community members.
Municipal workers and RA volunteers have been hard at work installing pickleball courts, skateboard ramps, an equipment shed, as well as benches and a picnic table at the town’s Paul Ryan Park.
The money for these updates was obtained last year through a $100,000 revitalization grant from the Quebec government, which the municipality divided up and used for different projects.
Some of the money went toward the construction of a new road sign, and some of it went toward the RA.
Last week, the municipality opened its new . . .
equipment shed, a building RA volunteer Megan Kelly said she hopes will improve access to recreation equipment for all.
“We had all this skateboarding equipment, kneepads, shoulder pads, but nowhere to keep it,” Kelly said. “Now people can come and get it out of the shed.”
Also inside the shed will be pickleball paddles, balls, and skateboards. The municipality is in the process of installing a camera on the grounds to make sure people are using the equipment properly and returning it to its home.
Along with upgrading the town’s recreation facilities, the Waltham RA has also increased its programming.
The new pickleball courts have been up and running for almost two weeks, and a local instructor is running weekly pickleball lessons throughout the summer.
In August the RA will host Summerfest, a community event featuring volleyball, pickleball, a horseshoe tournament, a BBQ and live entertainment.
It hosted the event in 2017 and 2018, then took a year off before, in 2020, having to cancel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kelly said a lack of volunteers over the last few years has prevented them from holding their first post-pandemic Summerfest, but this year’s call for volunteers was very successful.
“We almost doubled in size,” she said, noting that there are eight volunteers this year as opposed to the four or five that signed up last year.
All of these new features seem to be improving recreation uptake for residents of Waltham, as evidenced by the uptick Mayor Odette Godin has seen in people using the facilities.
“There’s like a new excitement in Waltham,” she said.
She hopes making more recreational opportunities available for kids will mean they stay out of trouble.
“I’m a firm believer that if young people have things they can do, they are up to less bad things.”
Godin is encouraged by the increase in volunteer numbers.
“This year is the first time they have so many people volunteering [ . . . ] We are proud of [them].”
She said this revitalization project represents progress for her municipality, because years ago there were very few opportunities to recreate in the town.
“There was nothing for them in Waltham before.”
