City of Powell River’s parks, recreation and culture department wants to hear from children and parents about new playground equipment to be installed at three city parks.
“Our goal is to provide unique play experiences throughout our community and we all know when we were children some of our fondest memories were created on the playground, whether it was at school or in the parks,” said city manager of recreation Neil Pukesh.
Department representatives will be at DA Evans, Grief Point and Willingdon Beach parks to show the community plans for the new playground equipment.
“We'll be visiting the three playgrounds and have viewings at [Powell River] Recreation Complex to get input from the public on the type of playgrounds that they'd like to see,” said community recreation program coordinator Shawna Rahier.
There are three playground equipment plans for each park for the public to view at these locations:
Monday, July 8, Powell River Recreation Complex, 2:30 to 4:30 pm. All three playground options will be on display for public viewing and input.
Wednesday, July 10, Grief Point Park, 10 am to 12 pm.
Wednesday, July 10, DA Evans Park, 5 to 7 pm.
Friday, July 12, Willingdon Beach, 9:30 to 11:30 am.
Friday, July 12, Powell River Recreation Complex, 2:30 to 4:30 pm. All three playground options will be on display for public viewing and input.
“Playgrounds are important for children’s development on so many levels,” said Pukesh. “They get children into action so they can grow physically. They encourage children to build social skills when they play and interact with one another. Playgrounds also teach children to learn to problem solve and think creatively in terms of trying how to get from one point to another or how to overcome an obstacle. We also know that playgrounds encourage healthy emotional development as they can be a means to dealing with stress and boredom.”
The total cost of the project is $110,000. Powell River Community Forest approved funding of $95,000 for the new playground equipment. The Rotary Club of Powell River is also providing $15,000 in funding toward a preschool playground at Willingdon Beach Park.
