A piece of history is set to return to Mainprize Regional Park. For the past two months, carpenter Greg Rideout has been hard at work in the process of recreating the iconic Noah’s Ark, a massive vessel from the biblical Genesis flood narrative. “I got to build a new one, a new version of it and a new look,” he said. “Everybody likes it so far, it’s fantastic. It was super fun to build.” Donevan Hextall, president of the Dr. Mainprize Park Foundation, said it was one of the most visual things the organization has done. “We’re very proud of it,” he said. “We’ve spent a lot of money on the beach to get that to where it’s enjoyable and to have picnic tables and help out on the golf course. But the ark is probably the most visual item that we’ve done.” The old regional park was formed in 1961 but was forced to move due to the construction of the Rafferty Dam at Estevan, which flooded the valley. The park and foundation are named after Dr. William Mainprize, a travelling rural doctor who lived in the 20th century. Members of the Dr. Mainprize Park Foundation wanted to bring back parts of the old location, with just a church leftover. The ark was piece number two that they looked to bring back. “We want to bring them back for visual effects for the people that are in the community down here that have spent a lot of time in the old park and in the new park,” said Hextall. For Rideout, it was a seven-day process, with a bit more thought put into a project with this magnitude. “This project was a challenge simply because I had no drawings. I had nothing but an old photograph, and my boat really doesn’t look like that one,” he said. “It’s just completely made up out of my mind. I just ran with it, and it fell together.” Just three years old, the Dr. Mainprize Park Foundation wants to help out with the “infrastructure and beautification of the park”, in honour of Dr. Mainprize. “He brought a lot of people into this world. He was the doctor that everybody counted on right out of Midale,” Hextall said. “We want to keep that tradition of people knowing his name around here forever.” Though the inside of the new Noah’s Ark project is closed to the public, the foundation is holding an unveiling on Aug. 15 at 11 a.m. where people are invited to bring their stuffed animals inside. A new sign will also be unveiled, including historical details.
