Lively/Walden: Help Shape Your Future

The Project
City Council has agreed to the sale of Meatbird Lake Park to Vale Canada Limited for $4 million. Funds from the sale will be reinvested into the Lively/Walden community to develop new recreational opportunities and will ensure local residents have access to safe ways to play in the area.
Proceeds of the $4 million sale are being held in the Capital Financing Reserve Fund – General, and are dedicated to the improvement of leisure infrastructure in the Walden (Lively) area.
In the interim, a supervised beach at Centennial Park, located at 400 Graham Road in Whitefish, is available for residents until a new recreation opportunity is established.
Lively Recreation Advisory Panel
The Lively Recreation Advisory Panel was formed in the fall of 2021 with ten members from Walden/Lively community.
Update: On April 12, 2022, City Council approved the nomination of to fill the older adult resident vacancy on the panel. The new panel member has been formally welcomed and introduced to the project by City staff. They will join the panel for the next meeting on April 27, 2022.
Watch the recorded Nominating Committee Meeting here
The panel continues to meet monthly to discuss options for new recreational amenities and prepare to move forward with the next round of community engagement. Meetings are recorded and available on this page.
First Round Community Engagement
The initial engagement took place from September 17 to November 8, 2021. A survey and idea board were available on Over to You. There were several online tools and information sources available, including background reports, frequently asked questions, posters, a survey and an idea board. Paper copies were also available at Citizen Service Centre//Library locations, and residents could submit their feedback via 311.
The Over to You site received a total of 3,000 visitors with 513 engaged visitors. The survey received 396 responses through the online portal, 311 and paper copies.
Second Round Community Engagement
In April, residents will be notified of a notice of collection for telephone survey and second online survey to provide their input as we continue to present recommendations to Council for consideration by the summer of 2022. A variety of online and print communications will inform the public of input opportunities.
Members of the panel are working with City staff to present the next set of recommendations to City Council in early summer of 2022, supported by results of polling/engagement and the work of the Lively Recreation Advisory Panel.
Read the full report and process update