By rdnewsNOW staff

A Look Back

Town of Ponoka releases annual report to the community

Sep 1, 2020 | 12:53 PM

The Town of Ponoka released its 2019 Annual Report to the Community on Tuesday.

Described as an annual reflection and celebration of the many accomplishments and milestones the Town has achieved over the past year, this year’s report is said to contain many highlights.

Some of the accomplishments highlighted in the Town’s 2019 Annual Report to the Community include:

• Expanded Green Cart Program for Kitchen Food Waste – This new, expanded program rolled out in January 2019, increasing service levels to Ponoka residents at no extra cost to our citizens;
• Ponoka Civic Centre Grand Opening – Hundreds of visitors attended the grand opening event to celebrate the opening of this new community hub which is home to the Ponoka Jubilee Library and the Ponoka Learning Centre on the main floor of the facility, along with Town Council and Administrative offices on the upper two floors;
• Joint Canada Winter Games Sponsorship – The Town partnered with the Ponoka Stampede Association as joint sponsors of the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer. The joint sponsorship allowed the Town to showcase Ponoka and our western heritage to a national audience at the Winter Games Festival Pavilion in downtown Red Deer;
• $12 Million in New Construction Values – The Town oversees the licensing and permitting processes for business and development each year, which saw more than $12 million of new commercial, industrial, institutional and residential construction initiated in the Town of Ponoka in 2019;
• Splash Park Upgrades – Major upgrades to the Splash Park resulted in increased hours of operation and a greatly improved user experience for the children and families who play at the Splash Park;
• Infrastructure Renewal – The Town replaced underground and surface infrastructure on 52 Avenue (between 50 and 51 Street), as well as numerous paving and concrete improvements throughout the community; and the Town kicked off a three-year road rehabilitation project in the southwest industrial park in 2019;
• Aquaplex and Park Improvements – The Town’s annual maintenance at the Ponoka Aquaplex included a completely refurbished sauna with new cedar paneling, benches and flooring;
• Implementation of Ponoka’s Downtown Action Plan – Implementation of the Plan continued in 2019 with the creation of new park design improvements for Central Park and Old Hospital Rotary Park. Work on the design development process also got underway for improvements to 51 Avenue and a Civic Plaza located adjacent to the Provincial building on the old Town Hall site; and
• Special Community Events – The Town hosted several successful community events in 2019 including the first ever Snow Much Family Fun event as part of the Festival of Trees, Family Day festivities at the Arena and Aquaplex; and the 5th annual Ponoka Day in the Park.

“The Town of Ponoka looks forward to building off of these accomplishments and continuing to move our community forward with new achievements to celebrate in the year ahead,” said Ponoka Mayor Rick Bonnett, in a press release. I would like to thank our Town staff who continuously work to improve services and infrastructure for our citizens year round. And a big thanks to our many community volunteers who generously donate their time and energy on Council Advisory Boards and Committees, and participate in citizen engagement sessions to help ensure Ponoka continues to be a place we are all proud to call home.”

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To view the 2019 Annual Report to the Community, visit www.ponoka.ca.