New play structures for Transcona
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/09/2020 (986 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
As we move into autumn, I look back on recent weeks which saw several new play structures open up to the joys of children and parents alike in Transcona.
The first playground is a testament to the great fundraising efforts of the parent advisory council at Joseph Teres School, where they welcomed a fully accessible play structure that also included a wheelchair swing. This has been a challenging year for families and the completion of this play structure is as a bright spot going into the new school year. I want to again commend Jen, Nicole, Tiffany, and the entire Joseph Teres parent advisory council on a job well done. The City of Winnipeg contributed $50,000 towards this project.
Another neighbourhood that welcomed a new play structure was Waterside Estates. This is an area of Transcona that was newly added to our ward boundaries in 2018. Formerly a part of St. Boniface, this community was built just south of Dugald Road nearly 10 years ago and many young families call the neighbourhood home.
However, there was one thing missing to complete the neighbourhood. You guessed it — a play structure. Unfortunately, when this community was built there was nothing in the initial development agreement to ensure a play structure was created.
This was brought to my attention by many residents when I was door knocking on the campaign trail in 2018. On Oct. 19, 2018 ,at the Transcona council candidates town hall meeting, I reiterated my wholehearted commitment to making this a priority to right this challenge.
After the election, I connected with local resident Lorraine Stuart, president of the Waterside Estates Residents Association. From here, I connected Lorraine to Peter Martin, former president of the Transcona Playground Renewal Association (which was key in renewing several old parks in its time. The addition of Dr. David Marsh from the Transcona Rotary Club set in motion lots of positive momentum to see this project forward. The City of Winnipeg contributed $85,000 to this project.
The city budget has seen a significant reduction in park renewal funding, meaning only one park in Transcona is renewed every two years (based on a cost of nearly $200,000 each depending on size). So I was happy to see the completion of the 2019 park renewal project at Thomas F. Copeland Park, an important space for a nearby daycare. It took longer than expected but turned out nicely. The City of Winnipeg contributed $144,000 to this project.
As always, I’m proud to represent Transcona at City Hall, and I hope you find my articles informative.
I currently have a Facebook page, Instagram account and website (www.shawnnason.ca) to regularly inform our community on items of importance.
Should you want to discuss this or other items of concern, please call 204-986-8087 or email snason@winnipeg.ca
Shawn Nason
Transcona ward report
Shawn Nason is the city councillor for Transcona ward.