With the help of some of Fort St John’s youngest residents, the city purchased a $253,000 set of playground equipment to upgrade Sureurs Park.
Fort St John city councillors agreed to the purchase with a playground equipment company. The exact price of $253,461.45 was provided to the council in a report by staff. This fee covers freight and the equipment itself but will not cover installation.
“Playground equipment will be installed under a separate contract that includes sub-base gravels, concrete border install, rubber play surface, and access pathways,” wrote city staff to council in their report ahead of the Jan. 12 vote. Staff did not say if an estimate on this cost is available yet.
To help decide between design mock-ups, city staff and the equipment developer visited two local schools. There, they showed students photos of the proposed equipment and handed out stickers, asking students to mark their favourites.
Based on the feedback, city staff rerouted the plan. One staffer remarked to council that certain features they thought would be a hit did not get the expected reaction.
“The data clearly showed what was the most popular piece of equipment. It was really innovative and engaged the students – they had a lot of fun. The feedback that we got was really clear,” said one member of staff, recounting his experience for city councillors.
Inclusivity and accessibility were also on the mind of the city, who said the “playground equipment must be welcoming and usable for children of all abilities.” Part of the playground and at least one quarter of the standalone equipment will be accessible by people in wheelchairs, according to the staff’s report.
Included in the mock-up of the new kids’ zone, there is a hopscotch climber, three small nets with “transfer areas,” and a playground – complete with a slide, skylight, and tower climber.
The playground upgrade is part of the city’s ongoing modernization of Surerus Park. Construction is expected to begin this summer, with the park reopening planned for September.
