Downtown Beautification and Art Walk Project The Downtown Brooks committee has three areas of focus one of these is:

• opportunities to make the area more attractive and appealing.

In anticipation of the arrival of more than 1,000 participants during the Alberta 55 Plus Summer Games in August, the committee is undertaking an Art Walk project to beautify downtown. The Downtown Art Walk will be a series of murals.

The Major Goals of the project are:

• Rejuvenate downtown by improving the visual appeal of buildings that will improve community perception and the morale of the businesses.

• Promote the “Art Walk” as an attraction to encourage visitors downtown.

• To generate a greater sense of pride in our beautiful community.

Dog Park Task Force - 23 residents have spent the past three months coming up with an initial design for the new Dog Park.

• The park will be fully fenced with a 6-foot chain-link fence.

• Gravel parking lot.

• Walking trails will be grass, cut short, to be more comfortable for dogs' feet.

• The grass turf will be rough cut. There is currently no water available for irrigating the turf.

• Dog drinking water will be available through an on-site tank.

• There will be an area designated for smaller dogs (about 0.5 acres) with some agility equipment, plus additional agility equipment within the larger park space.

• There are several mature trees (10+) already on the site that will be maintained.

• More trees will be planted when irrigation water is available.

• Small solar lights will be used on the pathways.

• Garbage cans, benches, picnic tables and poop-bag stations will be placed along the pathways.

• Plans for overhead lighting the parking lot and park are being worked out.

The design was circulated to the public to gather feedback and input. A total of 65 residents submitted feedback and for the most part, the results were positive. Most respondents were just happy to see that the Park was moving forward. Some commented about the location (felt it was too close to the highway), some requested a water feature for dogs to swim in, many requested doggy poop bags on site (which is part of the plan but not specifically identified on the design), and there were comments about the type of trails inside the park and the accessibility.

A number of local businesses have already expressed interest in helping with the project and staff is hopeful that with enough support from the community, construction can take place this summer. Currently, there is $56,000 designated for this project in the Parks and Recreation Carry Forward Reserve (originally budgeted in 2018) but it is anticipated that the costs will exceed this budgeted amount.

The Fire Department has a fire truck budgeted for replacement in 2024. It is budgeted in the 10-year Capital Plan for $550,000. The selected Fire Truck is just over $799,000. Funding will come from Protective Services Reserve, ICF County, Vehicle/Equipment Replacement Reserve, and Operations.

Duchess Farmers Market
Last Saturday of the month.

This is a Brooks Farmers Market satellite market.

2023 Alberta 55+ Summer Games ​take place August 17th - 20th. Volunteers are needed for sports chairs to run horseshoes, floor shuffleboard, cornhole, and cribbage. Sports chair positions are responsible for running the event, creating draws, managing event volunteers, and running the event with the help of the advisor/judge. Go to www.brooksnewellgames.ca to fill out a volunteer application or contact Games Coordinator, Kelly at ksanford@brooks.ca with any questions.

Duke of Sutherland Water Park will now only operate when the weather is above 25°C due to water restrictions. Learn more about the water restrictions.

Heartfelt Appeal is being made by the City of Brooks to all business and property owners. In an effort to ensure a visually appealing and welcoming atmosphere for visitors during the 55+ Summer Garmes, the City is requesting assistance in removing any remaining graffiti.

“While significant progress has been made in resolving the recent issues with graffiti throughout the City, some traces of unwanted markings can still be found in certain areas. Recognizing the importance of presenting Brooks at its best during the upcoming Alberta 55+ Summer Games, the City has taken the initiative to provide necessary cleaning supplies”.

To obtain the cleaning supplies, interested individuals and businesses are encouraged to contact the City of Brooks Public Works Office at 403-362-3146.