New Playground Opens On Community’s East Side

Thursday, September 12, 2019

A grand opening event was held today with students at Conrad Elementary School to kick off the school year and celebrate the new, accessible playground equipment available on site for all to enjoy.

The Prince Rupert Port Authority is proud to have partnered in the Conrad Elementary School Accessible Park project through its Community Investment Fund. The project saw the replacement of aging structures with fully accessible playground equipment and rubberized matting material, making this the first park on the community’s east side available to all children, including those with mobility limitations. The playground will fill a much-needed gap in recreational amenities for kids living and playing in the Conrad School area, serving to encourage physical activity and outdoor play opportunities.

PRPA contributed over $116,000 to the endeavour. The Province of BC’s Playground Equipment Program, School District #52, the Conrad Parent Advisory Council (PAC), Men of the Moose, and Prince Rupert Grain also contributed financially to the initiative. In particular, PRPA’s investment facilitated the ability to significantly expand the scope of the playground concept after the BC Government’s initial commitment to equipment replacement. The Parent Advisory Council and School District #52 were outstanding partners in executing on the new vision and making it a reality.

“The Prince Rupert Port Authority is proud to contribute to expanding the Conrad Elementary School Park into an inclusive, fully-accessible space for not only Conrad students, but all children residing in the community,” said Shaun Stevenson, President and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority. “This improvement to the Conrad playground facilities will serve as a legacy to enhance the quality of life for residents, namely children and their families, regardless of physical limitations. Encouraging an active lifestyle at a young age is vital and we’re pleased to be able to support it through our Community Investment Fund.”

“The Conrad School Parent Advisory Council, and the parents and children whose interests we represent, are thrilled with the new, fully-accessible playground equipment,” said Melissa Boutilier, Chair of the Conrad Parent Advisory Council. “We’ve received nothing but great feedback from parents and children who have played at the park and we look forward to maximizing use of the playground and its unique equipment throughout the school year. It’s very important to our PAC that barrier-free equipment be available in a school setting so that all children have equal opportunity to participate in recreational activities during a critical time in their physical and social development.”

“A new playground at Conrad Elementary means children and families throughout our community have a new, accessible and safe place to play,” said Jennifer Rice, MLA for North Coast. “This playground is the result of great partnerships between local organizations like the Prince Rupert Port Authority’s Community Investment Fund and our government’s Playground Equipment Program, which is helping build new playgrounds to benefit families in every BC school district.”

PRPA’S Community Investment Fund has previously made over $240,000 in investments in local playground infrastructure at Roosevelt and Pineridge Elementary schools and community playgrounds including Mariners Park and Anne Neufeld Tot Park in the past five years.