The doors have opened at Portage la Prairie's Splash Island Monday.

Portage Regional Recreation Authority (PRRA) Recreation Manager Zapphira Neuschwander says she is thrilled to open the park for another summer of fun.

"A lot of effort goes into getting it ready, so it's really exciting to open the doors!"

She adds that while it might seem anticlimactic to open on a Monday, it allows the PRRA to open in the morning for schools and then for a public swim from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

"Then we're really ready to open full swing by the weekend," she continues. "We are super busy with schools this year, so that part is definitely packed. Hopefully, we will have a lot of people come out for public swimming if the weather cooperates."

file photoPortage Regional Recreation Authority (PRRA) Recreation Manager Zapphira Neuschwander.

She says that all summer staff positions have been filled, but they are always accepting more casual staff as well.

"It will be really exciting to see lots of new faces there at Splash Island."

An inspection must be passed to open the park, and Neuschwander says this was passed with flying colours.

"They go through it, check cleanliness, water quality and basically everything. They're looking after whether or not the public will be safe there. Everything that could ever harm anyone stepping foot in the facility is what they want to ensure we have a handle on."

Splash Island will be open all summer long and go until the long weekend of September. 

"There's nothing better than hanging out at the pool on a warm day. It's a great place to spend your day."

Something new this year in July and August will be breaking up the public swim sessions into two according to Neuschwander.

"This is just hoping to eliminate some of those longer lines. It should increase the user experience there."

Neuschwander notes that people might not be thinking about Splash Island with the weather we've had lately, but hopefully, Portage has some warmer weather coming.