Workers at the Vanderhoof Neighborhood Space are working on a proposal to have a paintball park built in town.
Diversity coordinator Reg Mueller and youth worker Nick Phillips, brought the idea of a paintball park to council during the last regular council meeting on August 17.
Paintball is a sport in which players compete to eliminate opponents by tagging them with paintballs containing food coloring and gelatin propelled from a paintball gun. A park usually contains a number of obstacles which players use as tactical cover.
“We think it would be a good way for youth to release aggression safely, and it can also be used by companies for team building exercises,” said Mueller.
The park would be a not-for-profit business and Mueller said he would like to see it run by the youth.
Right now they are looking for a piece of property for the potential park.
The park would be 50 by 100 feet minimum and would have 10 to 12 obstacles inside.
Youth worker Nick Phillips said the park would be enclosed but could be built indoors or outdoors or both so that paint-balling could be a winter activity too.
“A paintball park would provide a fun activity for the youth to do,” said Mueller.
The project is looking at start up costs of $10-15,000 and would then pay for itself through user fees.
A fundraising bike-a-thon is being organized in September to help raise money for a park.
The Neighborhood Space will now be working with the district on any permitting issues and to look at an appropriate piece of property where a park could be constructed.
There have been paintball parks in the area before, but none are in business at the moment.