Shovels in the ground as playground equipment will begin its installation in August at the latest local inclusive playground.
West Shore Parks and Recreation is gearing up for the first phase of its Rotary Picnic Playground.
The playground will be built next to the Colwood Rotary Picnic shelter on the lower area of WSPR. Next week the ground will begin being prepared and the playground is expected to be open by the end of September.
“This is a little club in terms of Rotary, but a giant club in terms of community involvement,” said Pete Taylor, district governor of Rotary District 5020. The Rotary district spans from Port Hardy down to Washington State.
The Rotary Club of Colwood approached WSPR in 2010 with the idea of building a second destination playground at the facility.
“The Rotary Picnic Playground is about inclusion, providing opportunities that support children of all abilities. The benefits of providing inclusive spaces to play encourages diversity, respect, and an environment where children feel nurtured,” said Bobbi Neal, community development co-ordinator for WSPR.
The playground will offer accessible features including a butterfly net, duo disk swings, multi-level platforms and accessible ground surfacing.
“This project is more than adding a new playground; it’s about creating a new place to play,” Neal said. “We will continue to fundraise and add phase 2 equipment as we have the funds.”
The group raised $173,660 of funds and in-kind donations. To cover Phase 2 an additional $49,000 needs to be raised.