The Municipal District of Opportunity council has approved a major $300,000 capital budget increase to salvage a stalled tennis court upgrade in Wabasca and finish long-standing park amenities, after learning that contractors refused to touch the courts without extensive base repairs.
The decision, made during council’s Sept. 14 regular meeting, marks a dramatic jump from the $38,720 originally set aside for the project earlier this year.
The sharp increase highlights the hidden costs of scaling back infrastructure work during municipal budget debates, where partial approvals can sometimes stall a project entirely.
According to a Request for Decision presented by Director of Recreation and Culture Angela Lightning, the tennis court upgrade was first brought to council during the 2026 capital budget process as a two-stage project.
Engineering estimates prepared by Milestone Engineering Services Ltd. showed the court needed an asphalt overlay estimated at more than $82,000 to repair cracks, eliminate sunken low spots where water pools, and create a solid base. Once the asphalt was cured, specialized sport surfacing company Tomko Sports Systems was slated to apply acrylic coats and paint new playing lines for $38,720.
However, during winter budget cuts, council voted to fund only the $38,720 resurfacing portion while denying the $82,000 asphalt overlay.
That decision created an administrative dead end. When recreation staff attempted to hire a contractor to perform the resurfacing, every company approached turned down the job.
Contractors warned the municipality that applying acrylic coatings over crumbling, cracked asphalt would fail almost immediately. The surface requires a structural foundation, and without a fresh asphalt overlay, no firm was willing to guarantee or warranty the work.
To break the stalemate, Lightning requested an additional $100,000 from municipal reserves to fund the overlay and bring the total tennis court budget to $139,000.
The logistical challenge grew as the council discussed the physical condition of the existing court.
Everett Gottfried, presenting for the capital projects and facility maintenance department, explained that he brought a paving contractor on site to inspect the grounds. The contractor raised serious concerns about the old rubberized acrylic coating already on the court, warning that hot asphalt cannot simply be poured over the top because it will fail to bond.
“He’s scared that it won’t bond to it,” Gottfried said.
Gottfried suggested the old coating would have to be stripped off down to the base before any paving could take place. While public works crews in Red Earth Creek managed to scrape off an old coating at a local splash park in-house, staff were uncertain whether municipal crews had the equipment or time to strip the larger Wabasca tennis court.
If the municipality had to hire an outside contractor to mill and remove the old material, costs would climb even higher.
Gottfried noted that Pave-It, a paving contractor based in Slave Lake, was already working in Wabasca on provincial highway projects. By using a company already mobilized in town, the municipality could save significant equipment transport fees if council acted quickly.
Chief Administrative Officer Chad Tullis advised council to include a healthy contingency fund rather than cutting the numbers too close.
“Typically with capital projects, we have contingency in there because every project there’s unforeseen delays or issues,” Tullis said. “In this case, because it’s a fairly low budget, I’d recommend maybe a 25 per cent contingency.”
Tullis recommended adding $125,000 for the paving work along with a $25,000 contingency, bringing the new funding request to $150,000.
Councillor Darlene Jackson argued that council should provide enough money to ensure the job gets completed properly without staff having to come back to council for more approvals. Jackson initially made a motion on the floor to approve a $200,000 increase.
The debate then intersected with another delayed recreational project on the agenda: long-overdue upgrades to municipal parks.
In a separate report, Lightning noted that park improvements across Wabasca—originally budgeted at $862,000 before being scaled back by council to $500,000—were running short of money to finish landscaping and swing set installations.
Among the remaining items was Eli Cardinal Park, which sits near 90 per cent completion. Administration proposed purchasing a $51,500 mobile washroom trailer for the park so children and families would not have to cross busy traffic or parking areas to access bathrooms.
Councillor Gerald Johnson asked whether the $200,000 on the floor was enough to cover both the tennis courts and the washroom facility, or if council should expand the funding.
Tullis confirmed that council could approve a friendly amendment to raise the amount.
Jackson agreed to the change, amending her motion to approve an additional $300,000 in capital funding.
Council voted unanimously in favour of the $300,000 budget increase, drawing the funds from municipal reserves.
The approved funding will allow administration to strip the existing court, lay down a full asphalt overlay, apply the acrylic colour and court lines, and finalize the seasonal washroom trailer and landscaping at nearby park sites.
Armaan Khanna
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter