Progress On Playgrounds

By Michelle Cyr-Whiting

Playground equipment at Foothills Elementary, one of the majority to be replaced

What a difference a year makes...

Trish Bella, a parent at Austin Road elementary and member of SD57's Playground Replacement Committee, says last year, parents were not sure where to go, or what to do, after safety inspections found most wooden playgrounds within the district needed to be removed.

Today, the Playground Replacement Committee is hosting a vendors fair at the Van Bien Training Centre, with six playground vendors in the city to offer up their wares for comparison.

Bella says the cost of a basic playground is pegged at $25-thousand dollars and the committee is launching a donation campaign to solicit "Playground Friends". 

"We're hoping that we get some support from people out in the community, whether it be from businesses or citizens.  She says, "The district is handling all the accounts for us and tax receipts can be issued for a minimum amount of $25-dollars."

Bella points out that some schools involved in the 22-member committee are already well down the fundraising road and will be looking beyond the basic "starter" playground.  "We're mainly concerned that the schools that are less likely to be able to raise funds to get something basic in there, they're the ones that we really, really want to make sure that they have the opportunity to get in there.

To that end, Bella says the schools that have raised a lot of money have committed to giving a portion of those funds to those other schools to ensure they at least get a basic playground.

Today's vendors fair will be open to the public from 11:30am until 2pm.  Bella points out that many daycares may soon find themselves in the same spot as more stringent playground equipment regulations at those facilities are coming soon.

Email | Print | Facebook | Twitter | Digg | Del.icio.us