Medstead will get much needed replacements for playground equipment. (submitted/Village of Medstead)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

Safety improvements

Medstead receiving more than $77,000 for playground upgrades

May 20, 2021 | 3:48 PM

Children in the Medstead area will soon have a safer place to play.

The village of Medstead recently received government infrastructure funding to complete a playground project that began three years ago. The federal government is contributing $42,379, while the province is providing $35,312. This will cover the replacement of park furniture and playground equipment.

Chief Adminstrative Officer Colleen Kitching said it was huge news for the community when they learned of the province’s announcement, saying it was a stressful period trying to provide information and keep the news confidential. A committee was formed in 2018 to address their playground situation, resulting in a strong fundraising effort before the pandemic hit.

“The outpouring was just incredible,” Kitching said. “Then COVID shut that door and the committee fund wasn’t enough.”

The park’s equipment was put in back in 1995, with a slight update 10 years later. However, nothing now meets mandatory safety standards.

BODY-WORM CAMERAS

RCMP begins nationwide rollout of body cameras for frontline officers

4h ago

Inflation

Rent inflation to slow in the next few years, Desjardins predicts

9h ago

North West U15 AA Sharks

AA Sharks continue success with tournament win in Regina

10h ago

“The park furniture had become so dilapidated and worn that it was breaking, becoming a danger,” Kitching said. “The equipment itself, the wooden structures that the children played on, were also compromised.”

“We needed to get something in there that was CSA approved, inclusive, environmentally safe and in step with COVID-19 safety as well.”

Medstead is providing the remaining $28,257 to complete the project, most of which was raised prior to the pandemic. However, Kitching said they had to get another burst heading into this summer and will have an auction May 28-29 through their Facebook page.

“We still had to fundraise a bit and we had a huge drive from the summer,” she said. “Support came out and we’re working to acquire the final portion of 26.7 per cent.”

Kitching said preparations are underway and while there isn’t a hard date set at this time, their plan is to have the park ready by the school year. She added this was an incredible effort from volunteers over the past three years and a big win for the community.

“The closer we’ll get, we’ll be much more specific on dates,” she said. “Soon as we get our ducks in a row and we muddle through any rain, we’re expecting to be completed this summer.”

“We are just thankful for all our volunteers and support for getting us this far.”

—

cjnbnews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW