The Burnett Recreation Site is nearing completion after more construction was completed this week.

The Swift Current Wildlife Federation's project saw construction begin around two and a half years ago to upgrade the site to make it a trout pond.

"We started by digging it deeper and then added a wheelchair accessible dock and groomed out the dirt left from the dredging," said Clark Schultz, a member of the Swift Current Wildlife Federation. "The exciting news this week is that Mobile Paving just completed paving a path from our parking lot to our wheelchair dock and this is a straight donation by Mobile Paving in the range of about $21,000." 

Schultz said, with the paved pathway they are entering the final phase of the project.

"We have a couple of things left to do," he said. "Some irrigation systems to reinstall, we've seeded the grass on the hill, and basically the last step will be putting in a gazebo at the top of the hill. It's coming to the point where we will be wrapping it up, and they will be stocking it this year. There should be rainbow trout going into it in the next two weeks."

Schultz said to see the project finally getting trout put in it and finally be put to use is fantastic.

"It's something that we've really been working towards," he said. "The project has been something we are quite proud of, but being able to upgrade it the way we have, and making it so it will be a facility and a site that everyone can use and enjoy, is something that our local branch takes great pride in and is really looking forward to seeing it completed and seeing people get some enjoyment out of it."

Schultz added that they are opening the site two years ahead of schedule thanks to the help from local business and community members.

"When we decided to upgrade the project, our budget for the entire project was between $100,000 - $120,000, and we gave ourselves a five-year time frame to complete it," he said. "Between the generous support of several major businesses and local people, we've been able to raise back approximately $65,000 of that funding and come in just about two years ahead of schedule."

He added that the fish wouldn't be catchable until later in the year, around late August or early September, and he believes people will be able to keep the fish they catch if they want, due to the possibility of winter kill.

"There is a pretty good chance that, for the first year until the vegetation really gets a chance to re-establish itself, that the fish could possibly winter kill, so when we get later into the fall we are going to encourage people to catch and keep what they catch if they like to,"he said. "It's governed by provincial regulations, so it has to be during fishing season and limits apply, but anyone can go use the facility, and once the trout go in, hopefully they grow, and there will be somebody able to catch something there."

The project's goal was to get people outdoors and enjoy the outdoors and wildlife. Schultz believes that everything will be completed by next summer.