By Mark Squibb/November 4, 2021
Those excited for upgrades to St. Anne’s playground (as councilor Isabelle Fry said members of council certainly are) will be glad to hear that work is expected to start soon.
Fry informed council during the October 26 public meeting that site work is expected to start this month, though playground equipment and rubberized surfaces are not expected until next year, 2022.
The upgrades were announced in August and include the introduction of smart technology, improved lighting, and the addition of two new gender-neutral washrooms. The playground will be built using an accessible rubber surface, which features elevated platforms accessible by a transfer station. There will be two play structures and a Biba Smart Park Add-on, in which kids can play augmented reality games. The add-on also tracks data such as peak hours, days of usage, weather impacts, and equipment condition.
The total cost is estimated to be $963,695, less tax rebates. The city will be paying about $661,400, while the provincial and federal governments will borrow roughly $150,100 each.
