The Lions Club had hoped to install a new playground at Mariners Park by the spring, but after waiting for city approval, the dream will be realized in the fall.
By January, the service club had raised $100,000 to replace the wooden toys it had purchased 23 years ago for the city park. But, when the Lions Club asked the city to remove the old structures and install the new toys, the city had to minimize any impacts to its budget before it could approve the project.
The City of Prince Rupert must have found enough financial support because on Friday, Aug. 18 Mayor Lee Brain posted on Facebook, “Happy to see this project moving forward through a collaborative effort! Communities get results when people and organizations work together toward common goals.”
The same day, a notice went up on the city website informing the public that Mariners playground was getting upgrades starting late August and the park will be closed until the work is complete in early October.
“The playground renewal, led by the Prince Rupert Lions Club, includes the installation of new playground equipment as well as rubber surfacing that will increase the accessibility of the play area,” the public notice stated, adding that slider equipment will be included in the final installation.
The city also thanked sponsors from the Port of Prince Rupert, Shell Canada (Prince Rupert LNG), Macro Properties and the Lions Club for making it possible.
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More to come.