Minister of Education and Child Care Rachna Singh stands by the Alexis Park Elementary playground as she announces a $5 million investment to build 25 accessible playgrounds throughout B.C. (Liam Verster/Vernon Matters Staff)

By Liam Verster

Accessible Playground Funding

Province supporting accessible playgrounds in North Okanagan, across B.C.

May 16, 2023 | 1:33 PM

The B.C. government is supporting the creation of accessible playgrounds at schools throughout the province, including in the North Okanagan.

Speaking outside Alexis Park Elementary in Vernon, where a previous round of funding supported the installation of an accessible playground, Minister of Education and Child Care, Rachna Singh, announced plans to enhance the playground equipment program and create more accessible playgrounds throughout the province.

“New accessible playgrounds are part of our government’s priority to ensure that all students have positive learning and they have access to spaces no matter where they live,” Singh announced Tuesday, May 16.

“This year I’m really excited that there will be $5 million in new funding that will go towards funding 25 new accessible playgrounds in 25 school districts throughout B.C. which will benefit more than 6,200 students.”

Singh noted global inflation and supply chain issues affect all forms of construction, including playgrounds, and to offset those impacts, each playground project will be able to receive up to $195,000 in provincial funding, which is more than double project funding totals through previous editions of the playground equipment program.

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The province has already selected the 25 recipients for the program, with Armstrong Elementary, located within School District 83 (North Okanagan-Shuswap), being the only local project.

Despite there not being any more local projects supported through this initiative, SD 22 (Vernon) Superintendent Dr. Christine Perkins said it is great to hear the announcement because there is a need for these playgrounds within the area.

“We need playgrounds like this on every single school, we want the entire community to be included in every single playground,” Perkins told Vernon Matters.

“The more we have them, the more children get to play and learn and collaborate and be together and be creative. So we want them on every school ground.”

Perkins noted accessible playgrounds benefit not just the local students but the entire community. The Alexis Park accessible playground was supported through a previous round of the provincial playground equipment program. Perkins said it is used every evening and weekend, adding families from throughout the North Okanagan visit the school to take advantage of the accessible features.

The Alexis Park school playground features padded ground, swings that can be accessed by people in wheelchairs or with other mobility issues, and a layout that allows people with visual impairments to progress through the playground and utilize the equipment.

Minister of Education and Child Care, Rachna Singh, Vernon-Monashee MLA Harwinder Sandhu, and local students using one of the accessible swings at the Alexis Park Elementary accessible playground. (Liam Verster/Vernon Matters Staff)

Students using the accessible swing at the Alexis Park Elementary playground. (Liam Verster/Vernon Matters Staff)

To see a list of the 25 projects, click here.