Quispamsis Receives $450K To Upgrade Firefly Park

The Town of Quispamsis will receive nearly $450,000 in combined provincial and federal funding to upgrade the aging infrastructure at Firefly Park.

At a funding announcement on Friday morning, Saint John-Rothesay MP Wayne Long announced Ottawa will invest $227,500 through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, while the Government of New Brunswick will contribute $220,000 through the Regional Development Corporation.

Premier Blaine Higgs, who is also the MLA for Quispamsis, told the crowd that the playground is central to the community and said the upgrades would promote physical activity among families.

“Improving the community and recreation infrastructure will promote the active healthy lifestyle of the residents in Quispamsis and the entire region,” said Higgs.

Quispamsis Mayor Libby O’Hara said funds would go towards installing a new splash pad and replacing existing equipment. She said the current structure has reached its end of life, and town staff want to ensure it’s safe for use.

“We knew that Firefly had to be upgraded, and we knew that by taking that out, it gave us a footprint of openness that we could look to say, ‘okay, how can we arrange this so it’s going to use the property to our best advantage?’” said O’Hara.

O’Hara said town staff would look to see if crews can salvage any existing playground equipment. She also noted a redesign of the area would allow workers to install washrooms, changing rooms and picnic tables.

Crews are expected to break ground as early as next week and complete the work by summer 2023.

Provincial and federal officials also announced almost $100,000 in combined funding for a renewal project at the Lighthouse River Centre in Hampton to build a deck, accessible washrooms and an internet centre for residents and visitors.