Meeting Lake Regional Park officially launched its new water treatment plant Sunday and dedicated the facility to the man who helped spearhead the project.
The state-of-the-art site is now called the Bob Scott Memorial Water Treatment Plant.
A view inside the new water treatment plant. (Submitted photo/Bruce Chatterson)Scott, who spent years helping get the project off the ground, passed away in February of this year after battling cancer.
For Scott’s wife Darlene, the dedication was a touching tribute to her husband’s efforts.
“We’re very proud of the work that he did. He was very passionate about it. We’re honoured that they would name the plant after him…,” she said. “He spent many hours working with the park.”
Scott devoted numerous years as treasurer on the board, working to advance the project.
Darlene said the family built their summer cabin at Meeting Lake in 1980, and has always been dedicated to trying to make improvements for the park.
“I had sat on the park board previously as well,” she said. “We have always felt very strongly about various qualities of this park, and ensuring that it [the project] goes forward and continues to have a high standard of functioning.”
Darlene added her husband Bob valued the community, and “really recognized how important the regional park is.”
A picture of the late Bob Scott who spearheaded the new water treatment plant project. (Submitted photo/Darlene Scott)Bruce Chatterson, chair of the Meeting Lake Regional Park Authority, said it was important for the board to recognize Scott for his dedication to the project over the years.
“It was very easy for the park board and the members of the park to dedicate that to Bob, because Bob had put in countless hours for numerous years, not only with the park board but with the cabin owners’ association, and any other club or organization trying to better the regional park…,” he said. “Bob was very involved in every step of the way, from the pilot project, all the way up almost to the completion of construction. It was unfortunate that he didn’t get to see it come to fruition.”
During the official launch of the new water treatment plant, visitors had an opportunity to take a walk through the state-of-the-art facility.
The project was funded directly through support from the Meeting Lake Regional Park.
“The regional park has taken it upon itself to generate all of the funds to build this project, to support the project currently,” Chatterson said.
The old plant had to be replaced as it was nearing the end of its useful life. So it was crucial to have a new facility.
“Basically, if we wanted to have drinking water, we had to build a new plant,” Chatterson said. “We had a plant there, but it had ran its course. The old plant, it wasn’t going to serve the purpose for much longer.”
The new plant, with increased capacity, was needed to continue to provide potable drinking water to the regional park. It will also be able to supply water to the neighbouring communities around the lake as well.
Chatterson noted the newly upgraded plant incorporates a bio-filtration system, which uses fewer chemicals than a traditional water treatment facility, and has considerably less wastewater.
“We thought it was very important being at a lake that we were being as environmentally cautious as possible,” he said.
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angela.brown@pattisonmedia.com
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