Even though the mercury is expected to climb above twenty degrees later this week, the outdoor pool and splash parks in Steinbach are now closed for the season.

Russ Dyck is Head of Parks and Recreation. He says as per usual, the outdoor pool and splash park at the Aquatic Centre closed just after Labour Day. According to Dyck, there was a lot of activity at the outdoor pool again this summer.

As for Steinbach's newest splash park near the Jake Epp Library, Dyck says it has been closed since late last week. The goal is to keep that one open as long as possible, but he says with cooling temperatures and howling winds the last week, there weren't many people using it as a place to cool down anymore. Dyck says that splash park too got a lot of use this year.

While Dyck says City Council is probably open to the idea of adding another splash park, there are no definite plans at this point. There are also no plans for constructing permanent washrooms at the splash park near the library.

With outdoor summer activities starting to wind down, Dyck says it is a time of transition for city crews. He notes there is still a lot of mowing and trimming to be done, but says they have already started cleaning up some of the flower baskets that have been deteriorating.

Dyck points out the tennis courts will remain open as long as the temperature allows for the sport to be played. He notes the nets are usually up until the end of October and sometimes even into November.

Meanwhile, at city parks, public washrooms will probably stay open until about the third week of October, as the result of football, baseball, soccer and other programs still running. And he says though delayed somewhat, the plan is still to construct a BMX track at A.D. Penner Park. He says work should start this fall and wrap up next year.