If the RM of Corman Park and Meewasin Valley Authority (MVA) follow roughly the same plan for expanding a parking lot at the Fred Heal Canoe Launch, it will cost the municipality and the authority an estimated $440,000, with the RM bearing $280,000 of that cost.
However, the designation of a National Urban Park (NUP) within the Saskatoon region may provide funding opportunities for that project, though the timeline for accessing that money is unknown.
That was the upshot of a report delivered to the RM of Corman Park planning committee on October 14, which the committee members accepted for information.
Manager of Long Range & Regional Planning Kyle Strumbourg noted the committee had previously received a report on June 10, 2025 regarding the Fred Heal Canoe Launch, a popular beach area located on a 8.37 hectare (20.68 acre) site along the eastern edge of the South Saskatchewan River.
The site itself is Crown land, but it is operated and maintained by the Meewasin Valley Authority.
Back in 2017, RM councillors discussed concerns about parking issues at the canoe launch, particularly along the access road. At the time, the RM reached out to the province to explore the possibility of obtaining additional land for parking.
Then, in 2019, Corman Park prepared a concept plan for a parking lot expansion to accommodate 50 to 60 vehicles. The plan was shared with the MVA, which modified the plan to take up less land but still provide 62 parking spaces. The estimated cost at that time was $100,000.
Though the MVA board approved the design, nothing seemingly happened with the project. At the direction of council, however, RM administration reached out to Meewasin this summer and obtained updated cost estimates.
The design administration looked at was consistent with what was planned in 2019, with an additional 62 stalls plus drop-off and trailer parking being installed within an area of 43 by 66 metres.
As noted above, however, the original price tag had grown by nearly four and a half times. While Corman Park would be responsible for $280,000, the remaining $160,000 would be contributed by the MVA.
With that in mind, Meewasin has been working for some time in conjunction with Parks Canada on getting a National Urban Park designated within the Saskatoon region, just one of a network of such parks across the country.
That designation could yield federal funding for the parking upgrade, Strumbourg indicated, noting that council could also include the project in its 2026 Capital Budget planning or the Three-Year Capital Plan.
Division 5 Councillor Arthur Pruim said he attended a MVA meeting a couple of weeks ago and the authority was waiting for potential news of the NUP designation at a federal budget announcement in early November. And if no news comes then, an announcement could also potentially come in spring 2026.
Division 3 Councillor Lyndon Haduik expressed frustration over the project, adding that the ball has been dropped repeatedly.
“We could have had this done for $100,000 eight years ago,” he said. “I don’t know why this kept getting pushed aside.”
Haduik said anyone driving to the site on a hot summer day knows about the parking situation, as people are parking in farmers’ fields or blocking off driveways.
“Something needs to be done, and I don’t want to see us wait another four years and (the cost to increase to) a million dollars,” he said.
Division 4 and Division 6 Councillors David Greenwood and Steven Balzer said they would like the matter to come back, though Greenwood also expressed confusion as to why adding additional parking would cost $480,000.
“Maybe for a National Urban Park, $480,000 is reasonable for a parking lot,” he said. “But we could knock down some trees and plant some grass and let people park there. It doesn’t have to be hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Reeve Joe Hargrave said he had visited the site, and he also believed that additional parking could be provided for significantly less cost than what was being proposed.
