Two Vancouver Island Schools among 10 finalists vying for $100,000 in funding for new playgrounds

Two Vancouver Island Schools among 10 finalists vying for $100,000 in funding for new playgrounds
CHEK

“Our sad, little playground needs some love.”

Two Vancouver Island schools coping with playgrounds in dire need of repair are one big step closer to receiving some much needed funding.

Discovery School in Saanich and Ecole North Oyster School in Ladysmith are among 10 schools in the province vying for up to $100,000 in the final round of the BCAA’s Play Here competition.

Discovery School on Wilkinson Road is home to 76 students but their main play space is plagued by broken and condemned equipment.

Problems include:

  • Major parts of the playground have been taped off for the majority of the year due to safety concerns of the ageing equipment
  • One of the cables holding the climbing net has snapped making it unusable
  • The basketball court is a small area with 2 portable hoops that often need replacing as they are not designed for intense, multi-student use.

Ecole North Oyster School on Cedar Road has the only play space within a 7 km radius.

In 2013, it went from 80 students to more than 300 with he amalgamation of North Oyster Elementary and Ecole Davie Road.

“The school playground equipment does not meet the needs of our now 330 registered students nor the growing population of the region.”

Problems include:

  • Two pieces of the equipment have been condemned and removed, leaving only the swing set and an inadequate play structure
  • The play area is also completely inaccessible to any person or child with mobility issues

Now that judges have selected the final 10 play spaces, online votes will determine which three schools will be granted the funds to revitalize theirs.

The voting closes on June 15, 2018

You can see all 10 entries and cast your vote here  

Ben O'HaraBen O'Hara

Recent Stories

Send us your news tips and videos!