The golf course at Sandy Beach Regional Park received a green upgrade, as community volunteers braved the elements to plant 60 new trees to mark the park’s 60th anniversary.
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Planted May 31, the trees replace dying 1970’s growth at the golf course, creating a lasting, personal connection to the park’s future.
Organizers Joan Hill and Amanda Kotlarchuk led the project, marking Sandy Beach’s milestone regional park anniversary.
“We got 60 trees brought in and we’re going to plant 60 trees to commemorate the 60 years of Sandy Beach being a regional park,” said Hill, a resident who has owned a cabin in the area for 35 years, early Sunday morning.
The turnout drew a mix of long-time year-round residents, community newcomers and seasonal visitors.
For Kotlarchuk, the event underscored how deeply the community’s personal histories intertwine with the park.
“I’ve been out here since I was 10,” she said, reflecting on the generations of families returning for the project. “It was cool to see there was a whole other history of people … I met my significant other out here while I was working at the first concession.”
A late-season snowstorm delayed the project by two weeks. However, volunteers successfully planted every tree on a rainy Sunday morning, saving them from hauling water.
Dan Bryce, a seasonal resident who travels from Calgary every summer, planted trees for his 16 and 13-year-old children along his favourite section of the golf course.
“I took my first steps here and I’m glad to be a part of this,” Bryce said, noting that the community relies on its non-profit, volunteer-driven spirit.
“We’re just trying to (provide) the next generation of trees for the next generation of residents and golfers.”
The park will continue its milestone celebrations with an official 60th-anniversary event on June 13.
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