It's the news the Town of Sylvan Lake has been waiting for, the province has approved transferring ownership of Sylvan Lake Provincial Park to the Town of Sylvan.

Communications Officers for Sylvan Joanne Gaudet says now that the town has full control, it'll be easier to cater the park to the Town’s needs.

“Now with the transfer in place we can do a better job at maintaining the park and managing the park, so we can improve that visitor experience over all. And we can look at increased ways to improve the public recreational facilities along that space with a better understanding of our population and who comes down there to enjoy the area.”

Gaudet says this will make it easier for them to make improvements along the lakeshore, especially the former home of Wild Rapids, as part of their Sustainable Waterfront Area Redevelopment Plan.

“We can look at how we use that place, how we develop those recreation opportunities along that space as a whole, as opposed to municipal areas versus provincial areas, and where we can and cannot manage.”

The transferred land will no longer be designated as a provincial park, and allows the town to promote, license and manage waterfront business activity, authorize and manage large special events, and advance tourism and economic development.

The deal with the province included a $1.94 million grant from the province to cover upgrades and operating costs for the next 10 years, meaning there is no cost to the town.