New playground for Westmount

Times Reporter

 

Westmount Elementary recently found out half of the current playground equipment will have to be removed within the year, due to potential arising safety concerns. 

Not all of the current equipment is going to be removed, though almost everything with a wood base and some of the metal equipment that is beginning to rust is on the list to be removed.

“Some of that stuff’s been here I think since the school opened. Things like those swing sets have been here for that long,” said Dana Graff, Westmount’s associate principal.

Golden Hills School Division (GHSD) has a maintenance department that inspects the playground equipment at its schools, and this year Westmount was told they have about a year left before they have to pull some of the equipment out. 

The playground is divided into two sections, with a Division I area and a Division II area. Between the two areas there are approximately 225 students using each of the playgrounds during recess every day.   

All of the swings in the Division I playground will be removed.  A Division II playground structure along with other various monkey and parallel bars and the Division II teeter totters will also be removed, said Graff in the letter to the parents. 

“The division one playground equipment is natural looking. So there’s big boulders and the colours and stuff will match the naturalization area, so it will all fit in there in sort of that natural theme,” said Graff. 

A playground committee has been set up to raise funds for the new equipment the school hope to purchase. The estimated cost of the project is approximately $300,000. 

“There’s no help at all, it’s totally up to the school to fundraise for it,” said Graff. 

Graff said the committee plans to apply for the Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) grant. CFEP will match up to $125,000 and Graff said they plan to have at least that before applying for the grant. 

Fundraising has already begun; there is a coin jar for anyone wishing to drop off his or her spare change to help out. Anyone wishing to donate can go to the office to deliver his or her donation. On April 21 a dinner theatre is being offered to also help raise funds. 

“April 21 we’re going to have a sort of dinner theatre with a silent auction, and our theatre will be our drama production,” said Graff. 

A design of what the equipment will look like can be found at Westmount School, just past the office at the front entrance of the school. The hope is to have everything completed and installed by this fall.