City replacing playgrounds in 32 parks

Article content

When we emerge from the pandemic, large outdoor spaces for children and families will be more important than ever, Mayor Drew Dilkens said Monday as he announced the replacement of 32 playgrounds across the city.

Article content

“There will be work in every district and most of the residents will be within walking distance of some community space that will see construction activity over the next year,” Dilkens said, referring to a total of $ 26 million in park improvements to be made in the next year. next year. This includes $ 9.4 million for new playgrounds at an average cost of $ 300,000 each. These are replacing playgrounds that are approaching 30 years of age, are increasingly difficult to maintain, and lack the accessibility features needed in modern playgrounds.

The new ones will be installed in 2022 and 2023. The request for proposals process has just been launched, inviting companies to tender for the work.

“We are excited about these investments, I think the community is going to love them,” the mayor said at a news conference with the worn and rusty playground in Cora Greenwood Park as a backdrop.

Article content

“The playground behind us has seen great use by the community,” said Senior Parks Manager James Chacko. But it was installed in the late 1990s and has reached the end of its useful life. The new playground will be modern and fully accessible with rubberized surfaces. Like most playground projects, the new one at Cora Greenwood will be built within walking distance so that children can use the old one during installation.

Ward 7 Coun. Jeewen Gill, who represents the area around Cora Greenwood Park, said her neighborhood and the entire city are experiencing “unprecedented investment” by the city in outdoor spaces. “The pandemic has demonstrated the importance that families place on outdoor services and free activities,” he said.

Article content

The proposed 2022 budget includes $ 170 million in spending on park improvements over the next decade.

The 32 new playgrounds are divided into: three large playgrounds costing $ 400,000 each at Willistead, Gignac and Fred Thomas Parks; 19 mid-size playgrounds costing $ 315,000 each in McKee, Bradley, Matthew Rodzik, Lake Laguna, Patrick Maguire, Kenilworth, Maple Leaf, Kid’s Alliance, Garwood, Homesite, Mayfair, Robert, Thurston, Coletta, St. Paul Grove, Ganatchio / Little River Corridor, Stillmeadow, Seneca and Cora Greenwood Parks; and 10 small playgrounds that cost $ 225,000 each at Avondale Playlot, Brookview, Aboriginal, Alton C. Parker, Devonshire, Dynasty, Kominar, Francois, Shawnee and South Rendevous parks.

Article content

In the case of four to six of the smaller park play area projects with space constraints, new play areas must be located where existing play areas are, requiring existing play areas to be closed during construction. But for most projects, the existing playgrounds will remain open.

In addition to the new playgrounds, the city is embarking on a series of park improvements in 2022, the mayor said. These include: $ 75,000 to repair monuments and memorials such as the Boer War Memorial in Jackson Park, the Cenotaph, the Polish Monument, and Freedom Way; the complete redevelopment of McKee Park on the west end; $ 250,000 for the design phase of improvements at Lanspeary Park; $ 600,000 for new or renovated trails citywide; the construction of a new $ 400,000 splash pad at Fontainebleau Park; $ 425,000 to repair and replace the shoreline walls along the riverbank; $ 200,000 for a picnic shelter and trail at Mic Mac Park; completion of the $ 7.5 million greenhouse complex in Jackson Park; completion of all-terrain bike trails at Malden Park; construction of $ 600,000 restrooms in Elizabeth Kishkon Park; initiate public consultation on the replacement of the Fountain of Peace; Stodgell Park redevelopment; the $ 300,000 start of the $ 8.4 million Legacy Beacon project involving a glass structure to house the renovated No. 351 streetcar, as well as restrooms and other riverfront amenities; and $ 700,000 to transform the recently acquired Gateway Park into a complete linear park west of downtown.

Article content

The 2022 budget also has $ 800,000 to begin Sandpoint Beach’s expensive redesign and relocation by the end of the year, once an environmental assessment is completed and presented to the council.

“We make these investments because it is what the residents have asked for and it is what the residents deserve,” the mayor said. “We are a growing community with amazing potential. We are competing internationally to attract employers and create local jobs, and to do that we need to invest in our community’s infrastructure and provide vital social services. “

Dilkens is scheduled to launch this year’s Bright Lights Windsor with opening ceremonies at 6:30 pm on Thursday. The free event at Jackson Park will continue nightly from 5:30 to 10 pm until January 9.

Also at Monday’s press conference, Chacko said the outdoor ice surfaces in downtown Charles Clark Square and Lanspeary Park are preparing with eyes to open in two weeks, weather permitting.

[email protected]