THUNDER BAY – Anyone approaching the McKellar boat launch, located one kilometre away from Mission Marsh Conservation area, will find a newly constructed playground designed to evoke a pirate ship.
The location may be surprising to some, but Werner Schwar, supervisor of parks and open spaces, says, “everything that's brand new is often met with skepticism.”
“I think the once you hear the rationale for it, I think it makes sense.”
Under a mandate from city council, the parks department is instructed to develop the waterfront.
The waterfront not only encompasses Lake Superior; but also, the Kaministiquia River that flows around the southern edge of the city.
“That's not just Marina Park. It’s the whole 52 kilometres of it,” Schwar told Newswatch.
“This provides really a hub and a possibility for people that don't wanna go to the place where everyone else is. It's a little bit more quieter.”
“You can launch your boat, whether that be a motor boat or a canoe or kayak in the river, hike the trail or bike the trail. The main thing is it gives families an opportunity to do something at low cost in another place in the city.”
The new accessible playground replaces an old decommissioned playground in a location Schwar said was unknown to the public.
Instead of rebuilding in that space, the parks department felt the boat launch was a more recognizable place.
The pirate ship-themed playground was built under Ontario’s mandate to ensure all parks are accessibility-friendly under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
Unlike the Vickers and Boulevard parks, which are deemed accessible inclusive hubs, McKellar playground was designed to have wood fibre instead of rubber flooring. The wood fibre is also considered accessible under the AODA, but it can be less forgiving than the bounce of rubber on little feet.
Moreover, rubber padding would have been too costly. The total cost of the Vicker Park rebuild was $1.1 million whereas McKellar playground was $250,000.
Schwar said next year, when the playground area is complete, the park will have a sitting area with a concrete access walkway which will fulfill the park's accessibility requirements.
