Indus set for playground upgrade

By Tyler Lowey, Times Reporter

The rusty old playground at the Indus School might be in line for a new facelift with the help of the Calgary Hitmen.
Led by Monique Williams, the Indus School Council Society submitted a plan to the Calgary Hitmen Foundation Community Restoration Program for a new playground at the school.
“Our current playground is 22 years old; it’s rusty, has old wooden panels that give the kids splinters and most importantly it isn’t accessible for all kids,” said Williams. “There are wooden boards that stick up out of the ground that keep the pea gravel inside.”
For the second year, the Hitmen Foundation announced a $50,000 grant for a community project for a neighbourhood or community within a 50-kilometre radius of the Calgary city limits.
“We were amazed by the thoughtfulness and creativity that went into all the responses we received last year,” Hitmen vice president and alternate governor Mike Moore said in a press release.
After sorting through all the applicants, it was revealed Feb. 8 that the Indus School project was chosen as one of three final candidates for the grant.
“I was ecstatic when I heard the news,” said Indus School vice principal Colin MacDonald. “This is an incredibly positive experience to provide an opportunity for a significant portion of kids in our community and help get even more kids active to lead more healthy lifestyles.”
As it stands now, anyone with walking disabilities struggles to use the playground. The wooden boards prevent wheelchair users access to the equipment, while a hilly, bumpy walk from the school’s doors can make it hard to access as well.
“We are a rural school, so kids with higher needs are drawn to us because of our smaller class size and more one-on-one teaching. There are kids and parents who haven’t been able to access the old playground,” said Williams, who is a nurse and also a volunteer at the school.
Talks of a new playground have been in place for more than a year now, as the plan is to replace the gravel with a poured rubber surface, cancelling the need for any wooden barriers. That, along with a new sidewalk from the school to the playground, would accompany the new digs.
The Indus School is home to 213 students, from kindergarten up to Grade 9, all of whom use the old playground before school, during recess and lunch, and after school hours.
The council already has a $20,000 contribution from Rocky View County and a $15,000 contribution from the Rocky View School Division. They are waiting to hear back about a $125,000 grant application with the Community Facility Enhancement Program. Another $50,000 from the Hitmen would be enough to break ground this summer on a new playground.
Upon hearing they were a finalist, MacDonald was instructed to create a video showing why fans should cast their vote on the project. The video will make the rounds on social media for all to see. Voting opened Feb. 17 on the Hitmen website (hitmenhockey.ca) under the Community Restoration page and will remain open until March 2.