Four Tri-City middle schools have been chosen by the province to get new playgrounds under an $8-million plan to ensure every elementary and middle school in B.C. has equipment for children to play on.
The news came as a surprise to Como Lake middle parent advisory council chair Jacquie Hutchins, who learned her school will get one of the $50,000 playgrounds.
"It hasn't been a priority but it sure will be nice," said Hutchins, who said the playground equipment will be a good addition to the sports court parents fundraised for and built five years ago.
Although playgrounds aren't top of mind for the PAC, which has been occupied by other priorities, such as fundraising for buses for field trips, Hutchins said she is looking forward to finding out more about the project.
Three other School District 43 middle schools - Citadel, Kwayhquitlum and Maillard - will also get up to $50,000 each for playground equipment. They were among 44 schools getting new equipment in the two-year playground grant program, which gives priority to schools without playgrounds.
SD43 secretary treasurer Rick Humphreys told trustees at a board of education meeting Tuesday that the schools were picked by the province after the district submitted an inventory of playground equipment over the summer.
Premier Christy Clark announced the plan at a press conference the day after saying she wouldn't call a fall election. Clark said she wanted to build new playgrounds and update older playgrounds so kids have a safe space to play and will be "happier, healthier and ready to learn."
She also said she will make changes to capital agreements for new elementary schools to require playgrounds to be part of the new construction.
As well, schools that are putting in playgrounds this year could also be eligible for reimbursements.
The board chair, Port Moody Trustee Melissa Hyndes, said she hopes that doesn't mean parents have to pay for playgrounds first and then get reimbursed. "Some of these PACs may not have the money to go forward,"said Hyndes, who wants more information about how the program will work.
Keeping playgrounds safe is an ongoing concern for the district, according to Humphreys, who told trustees playgrounds have to be continuously monitored for safety problems. Just this week, vandals unbolted playground equipment at an elementary school.
And one Port Coquitlam school is still without most of its school playground after vandals torched the slide, trolley and much of the climbing equipment over the summer. Insurance will cover $30,000 in replacement costs for the playground at Birchland elementary but it won't be delivered for another eight weeks. A representative for the school PAC said parents raised nearly $50,000 for the equipment, which was installed in 2008.
