THUNDER BAY – The new playground area at Vickers Park should be ready in time for Tuesday’s Teddy Bears picnic.
Werner Schwar, the city’s manager in charge of parks, on Friday said construction on the $1.1-million project is expected to wrap up this weekend, noting the playground area could open earlier than Tuesday if the weather cooperates.
The park’s iconic concrete turtle has also been refurbished and returned, with a much more prominent home this time around.
Schwar said it was time to modernize the park and its playground equipment.
“The new equipment is basically because the old equipment had reached the end of its life and also the old equipment was not really inclusive or accessible,” Schwar said.
“Since that time standards have changed and with Boulevard Lake and the north end park, we created an accessible and inclusive hub. So, the idea was to create an accessible and inclusive hub for the south end and the city here at Vickers Park.”
The new playground structure includes rubber material, which replaces the dirt and sand of the old playground, and plenty of interactive activities, swings, slides and climbing activities.
Schwar said it was important to give new life to Vickers Park.
“It’s arguably one of the older parks in the former Fort William. We really do have nice tree cover in this park, and also the walkway that goes around – and in the winter, skating. So it is a respite for a lot of the residents around here to have a spot that’s natural and peaceful,” Schwar said.
“That makes it important for the neighbourhood in general. In terms of play, I know a lot of people from the south end of the city come here specifically to play in a relaxed area.”
Crews on Friday were completing the rubberized surface, which does need a little time to cure, Schwar said, asking the public to stay off the playground equipment until the fencing is removed.
To make the park even more accessible, Schwar said they’ve added two accessible parking spots and will be completing a concrete walkway from those spots to the playground area.
Visitors to the park will notice a slight change to the turtle, which is now fully enclosed at the bottom by the rubber surface. Schwar said they were concerned a child might get their head stuck under the turtle or its head. Previously workers could have dug around to free a child, but that’s not possible with the rubber surface.
