Centennial is one of 22 schools vying for funds for a new playground from the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. The board has allocated $300,000 this year toward improving play areas.
“Back in the ‘80s, we built a bunch of play structures under ministry funding. Once they get to the point where they’re deemed unsafe, we pull them out,” says manager of facilities Peter Wright, adding that the average lifespan of a playground is about 25 years.
Before the additional funding allocated for this year, the board would match the funds given by the City of Ottawa’s “minor capital grant program,” which was usually about $7,500 per play structure. Now, the board portion has been increased to up to $25,000 per play structure.
Centennial Public School officials are now in the planning stages of redesigning their kindergarten yard, which was removed last year after being deemed unsafe. Some refer to the current state of the yard as the “litter box,” says Julia Robinson, member of Centennial’s parents’ council and one of the organizers of the project to renew the yard.
“It’s absolutely horrific.”
The kindergarten yard is now a flat courtyard scattered with toys and separated from the junior yard and playground.
Centennial partnered with Evergreen, an organization that advises schools on how to incorporate green initiatives, for the “kinder yard” plans.
Robinson says the collaboration with Evergreen, along with support from teachers, has allowed them to design a naturalized play area.
This model includes play elements like logs and boulders to crawl on or a playhouse, rather than the traditional yellow and blue structure, explains Robsinson. She says they are hoping the redevelopment of the play area will take off within the next two years.
Glashan Public School, on Arlington Street, also applied for the funding with hopes to implement a similar naturalized play area as part of their greening project, explains principal Jim Tayler.
Like Robinson, he says the opportunity to apply for increased funds from the board this year is great, especially as Centretown schools are “urban areas with limited green space.”
Erica Braunovan, trustee for Somerset/Kitchissippi and a parent whose children attend Centennial, says after the take down of the kindergarten yard, she also saw the demand for increased funding from the board.
“They didn’t do a lot of expansion last year and they don’t want to leave that for too many years because everyone needs a playground,” she says. “So it’s great they’ve been able to find some extra funding that they could put towards that for this year.”
The naturalized play area that Centennial is planning to create will cost about $160,000 and “the onus is still on the school to fundraise most of the funds required,” says Robinson.
She emphasizes that the increased funding from the board is a step in the right direction, but added it’s important to look at the amount realistically.
“The board is committing more resources and they are open and encouraging schools to think about a whole range of what’s needed, like play structures and more naturalized areas,” she says.
“It is fantastic news that there’s more money, but let’s not kid ourselves that it’s enough.”