Clifton kids to get input on play structure

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This article was published 22/03/2019 (2614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When part of the play structure at Clifton School became unusable last year, members of the parent advisory council decided it was time for an upgrade. 

The current structure at the kindergarten to Grade 6 school at 1070 Clifton St. was built in the early 2000s, and last April one of the slides had to be removed due to age and weather damage. Instead of simply replacing the slide, parents and school administration have decided to build a larger, more universally accessible structure.

“It became more evident with some of the needs of the children in the school that we needed one that was more accessible and of course clean and safe,” parent council member Dana Holt said.

The new structure will include a wood fibre ground cover, lower and more gradual steps and space for wheelchair users to manoeuvre between features. 

Currently, the school’s play structure is designed for older children and doesn’t accommodate individuals with mobility issues. Clifton principal Nancy MacTavish explains that in order to get on the structure’s existing slides, a child has to climb up a ladder or steps and make their way across the swinging bridge.

“We do have students with motor difficulties and that would be challenging for them to do without the aid of an adult, so we want a play structure where the children can practise their independence,” MacTavish said. 

Clifton is also welcoming a daycare into the building in the next year when Harstone Children’s Centre at 905 Sargent Ave. moves in. MacTavish said a new structure would give the group of three to five year olds more opportunities to play outside.

A new, fully accessible structure will cost approximately $200,000 to build. To cover the cost, the school and parent advisory council have been busy writing grants and planning in-school fundraisers. 

So far, the Winnipeg School Division has committed $20,000 from its Universal Building Fund and MacTavish has also applied for grants through the City of Winnipeg’s Community Incentive Grant Program and the Winnipeg Foundation. 

While the timeline for construction is dependent on funding, the goal is to break ground on the structure in 2020.

Holt’s son is in Grade 1 at Clifton and the family lives just up the street from the school. 

“That’s another reason I have a large stake in the project,” she said. “It’s a structure that he enjoys on the weekends as well, not just when he’s in school.” 

The plan for the project is being developed with the Clifton Kids CARE (Caring About the Rights of Everyone) leadership group, which includes students from Grade 4 and 6 and focuses on learning about human rights. Each student from the school will get a chance to give their input on the structure, such as features they’d like to see and how they want it to look. 

“It’s their playground, it’s not for us and it’s important that they get excited,” said Holt.