A radically revamped inclusive playground at Maffeo Sutton Park is now open for public use. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

inclusive play

New inclusive playground opens at Maffeo Sutton Park

Jun 22, 2020 | 1:33 PM

NANAIMO — A much-anticipated inclusive playground at Maffeo Sutton Park in downtown Nanaimo is now open for excited children and their caregivers.

The City officially unveiled the new infrastructure virtually during a special council meeting on Monday, June 22.

The new playground features soft, mobility-friendly surfacing and socially and physically inclusive amenities to improve motor, cognitive and social play for users. There’s an accessible bucket zip line and merry-go-round which accommodates wheelchairs, among numerous pieces of equipment.

It replaces the older playground near the Frank Ney statue in the park.

Richard Harding, general manager of parks, recreation and culture, said the project is geared toward five to 12-year-olds, while the projet’s price tag was $650,000.

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Harding said the next phase of upgrading the playground will be inclusive play features for two to five-year-olds within the same space, which the City expects will occur in 2023.

City of Nanaimo project manager Scott Newlands oversaw the day-to-day implementation of the new inclusive playground.

Newlands said there was plenty of interest while the equipment was installed over the past few months.

“People were congratulating us on a great project and the kids banging at the gate to get it to play and enjoy the space, it was a really special project,” Newlands said.

Newlands said the new inclusive playground will be referenced in future similar projects the City has in mind.

“The City wants to adapt and use our park spaces and have it available for everyone,” Newlands said. “That’s a critical part for us and absolutely this will be a template.”

In 2017 the City identified a number of inaccessible playgrounds playgrounds around Nanaimo and selected the Maffeo Sutton Park playground as a priority project.

A $100,000 grant was successfully accessed by the Nanaimo Child Development Centre from the Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island for an equipment tower at the playground.

Renowned Snuneumuxw First Nation artist Noel Brown incorporated unique First Nations art into the new-look Maffeo Sutton Park playground.

The completely revamped playground was previously updated in 1999, according to the City.

Other Inclusive playgrounds have been established in recent years at McGirr and Quarterway elementary schools.

Ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes