Should Cochrane be home to a future river wave park? Well, that has been a hot topic and heated debate among local residents for some time now.

A Facebook group with over 100 members has been formed and it's made up of Cochranites who stand strongly opposed to the idea. 

Local resident, group administrator and town council candidate, Bruce Townley says that the group is committed to protecting the community, natural environment and preserving the quality of life in Cochrane.

Townley says that during a November 2020 Town Council meeting the steering committee stated that neighbouring community associations had been consulted about the proposed concept, but he says that's not the case.

"We're over here in Riveria that would be the most impacted community of all and nobody knew about this, nor had there been any consultation or outreach to our residents here in our neighbourhood," says Townley.

According to the Co-chair of the River Wave Park steering committee, Jo-Anne Oucharek, the location hasn't actually been chosen.

"The conceptual drawing on the website is a concept of what a project could look like. There are several steps that need to happen before we decide if a river wave is the right fit for Cochrane, or what a river recreational area could look like," says Oucharek. She goes on to say that public consultation plays a key part in making those types of decisions. "We have a great decision process on our website which shows some of the things that need to happen before we even start to discuss a possible location," explains Oucharek.

According to Townley, the park’s design would have a significant impact on the River Avenue Boulder Garden which was built to protect the fish habitat downstream of the River Avenue bridge. 

"We're environmentalists that want to protect our natural resources here and our wildlife and not monetize the Bow River and our natural assets," explains Townley.

In addition to the environmental concerns and potential disruption to the neighbouring communities, Townley says the project is far too costly and he doesn't believe the projected plan on its return is realistic.

"During the presentation, they indicated that the return on investment would be three to seven years to recoup any cost," says Townley. "They based it on a nine-month a year usage of the river."

He goes onto says that the conditions of the Bow are far too unpredictable and he notes that for safety concerns, Cochrane Fire Services were warning residents to stay off it for half of this summer.

The project is estimated to cost between  $7.1 to $9.9 million to develop and the committee predicts it could generate between $2.2 and $6.2 million annually in economic activity.

Townley says it's a "pipedream to think that taxpayers should be on the hook for upwards of $10 million to pay for this project and  [for the committee to] present that the return investment would be that quick."

According to Oucharek, the steering committee is not asking the Town for funding and she says environmental concerns are a top priority on their end also.

"We have environmentalists, as well as Cochrane Fire Services, on our steering committee to ensure these issues will be addressed down the road," explains Oucharek. "The feasibility study determined a potential river wave project could in fact improve habitats in the river and along the riverbank. Several studies would need to be completed to ensure the protection of the environment before any decisions would be made."

Whether you stand for or against the proposed river wave park, you can have your say. The steering committee recently launched a survey for residents to provide feedback on river use and the potential river wave park. 

The survey will be available online on the Cochrane River Wave Park and Cochrane Tourism websites until September 15.

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