Olds has a new playground thanks to the Olds Rotary Club, in partnership with several different organizations and individuals.
The new tot park for children aged two to five – at the corner of Destiny Way and Destiny Place – was officially opened last week. Several youngsters tested the equipment out during the announcement.
Richard Marz, MLA for Olds, Didsbury, Three Hills, said the government was pleased to be able to help fund the project – and provide safe equipment for children to play on.
“It's nice to see children of all ages to come out for the inaugural day of the playground,” he said.
Mayor Judy Dahl said one of the objectives of the town is to have a playground in each new subdivision as they come on stream.
Carol Johnston, coordinator of the Kiwanis Club's playground committee, said the club wanted to help the developer fulfil the need for a recreation space in the area.
“We wanted to put a playground in up here as the developer had to (provide) recreation lands. There's a lot of young families in this area,” she said.
Alec Zec made a donation to the club to go toward youth and recreation – some of which went toward the playground equipment. The provincial government also helped the club in securing an estimated $30,000 Community Facility Enhancement Program grant to go toward the project.
The playground equipment, supplied by The Playground Guys, was installed in the middle of October with volunteer labour from the Kiwanis Club, the Ag Mechanic club at Olds College, students from shop classes at Olds High School, and even some help from the neighbourhood.
This was the eighth playground the Olds Kiwanis Club has helped with in Olds. Johnston said the club is currently in the process of upgrading some of the other playgrounds over the next five years.
“Some of the older wooden structures are not going to meet the safety standard as they come out with their new safety standards, so over the next five years we hope to upgrade many of those that aren't up to code,” she said.
The Kiwanis Club will be replacing the equipment and the sand surface at Beech Crescent in coming months. The club will also be replacing one piece of equipment at Neil Leatherdale Park over the next while.
"We wanted to put a playground in up here as the developer had to (use) recreation lands. There's a lot of young families in this area."Carol Johnston, coordinator, Kiwanis Club's playground committee
