Playground getting closer to being reality in Kirkland Lake community

KIRKLAND LAKE - A playground in a Kirkland Lake community is getting closer to reality. 

At its Sept. 5 meeting, Kirkland Lake council agreed to use money from reserves to cover the extra costs for a playground in Chaput Hughes.

According to a town report, the progress of the project was delayed because the exact location of the playground wasn’t determined by the end of 2022 due to regional delays attributed to staffing shortages.

Locates were requested once again this spring and once they were completed the area was measured and sent to several playground suppliers and installers.

“When suppliers did not respond to the request for quotes, community services staff reached out to determine why quotes and designs had not been received. The reason provided was that the legislated safety zones required for most play equipment is greater than the width of the area that is available,” the report noted.

“Additionally, suppliers indicated that with the price increases experienced over the past 18 months, that the budget provided was insufficient. Suppliers were subsequently asked to provide options for stand-alone pieces not requiring a safety zone greater than the area available, for the budgeted amount, and to provide additional options not to exceed $50,000.”

At the Sept. 5 meeting, director of community services Bonnie Sackrider provided council members with two options.

The option chosen includes a PlayFIT structure (slide, transfer station, steering wheel panel, rudder climber and wave slide), a double ridge rock climber, a free-standing mini airplane panel, free-standing bongo panel and a free-standing chime wave panel.

Sackrider said they also plan to add picnic tables and benches, however, a fence is not currently being planned for.

The total projected cost of the project is $43,918, which is $8,300 more than the $35,616 budgeted. The shortfall is being covered by the savings from a lighting project, which was placed in a reserve fund.

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“It’s not really the traditional playground that you have seen in other areas. There’s a lot of standalone areas. But, there is a play factor and a fun factor," said Sackrider.

Coun. Rick Owen is glad to see the project going ahead.

“The thought of making noise and music in a park is just marvellous. Kids just gravitate to a place where they can bang on a drum or whatever,” he said.

A small focus group of parents with young children helped look at different options for the playground.

“So, they were the ones who kind of boiled down to the two options. But I thought it might be nice to have council's input on this as well because it's not exactly what I envisioned to be happening in this location. And I wanted the public to have an opportunity to understand why this is what we are able to do because it's a narrower area,” she said.

Mayor Stacy Wight told Sackrider she really appreciates that she used members of the public to whittle down the options.

“I think it really reinforces that we're a community that tries to include our members when we're making decisions, and I think that'll really increase the amount of ownership in the community of this area. And definitely pride,” she said.