Kelso Beach at Nawash Park is set for another round up upgrades after Owen Sound city council passed all but one of the Community Services Committee revisions to the park's master plan this week.

The following proposals have been approved to move forward:

• Designate Kelso Beach at Nawash Park a cultural heritage landscape
• Update the official name of the park to Kelso Beach at Nawash Park
• Encourage and support ongoing culturally appropriate programming at the Gitche Namewikwedong Reconciliation Garden
• Support and promote the use of Kelso Beach at Nawash Park for special events
• Supply and install a flagpole proximate to the Gitche Namewikwedong Reconciliation Garden to fly the Saugeen Ojibway Nation flag
• North washroom location determination and construction
• Playground relocation and replacement
• Internal park wayfinding signage and park map
• Update and improve park entrances
• Parking area improvements from 135 to more than 300 spots, paired with the park entrances updates
• Decommission the ball diamond – summer 2022 saw one rental of the Class 3 field
• Gitche Namewikwedong Reconciliation Garden area noise abatement from Grey Road 1 traffic
• Amphitheatre accessibility improvements in the form of a central stairway with handrails
• Support the establishment of a canteen and/or beach rental service, or possible permanent food truck availability
• Create regulation beach volleyball courts for league and public use – nearly 100 local enthusiasts currently travel to Saugeen Shores for action
• Modify the main stage pavilion to permit operation as an open air or closed facility as was done with the Farmers Market
• Create park boundary delineation along Eddie Seargent Parkway and the north end boundary with Georgian Shores Marina with traditional 6x6 wooden bollards
• Construct shade sails in strategic locations

Not approved by Council from the committee's recommendations:

• Replacement of the stone pedestrian bridge over the Brooke basin drainage channel with a vehicle-rated structure

Council has left some considerations for the future, including fixing the grading and drainage of the sports field by installing slot drainage, paving the rail trail from the northern boundary of the park to its intersection with 24th Street West on the lake side of Grey Road 1, and finally replacing the aged electrical systems in the park, including the vendor areas and amphitheatre stage infrastructure.

- by Hub staff
David Galway