New accessible playground opens
Accessible playground officially opens in New Glasgow
All abilities welcome at New Glasgow site.
After a couple of years of fundraising, a new accessible playground officially opened at the West Side Community Centre Oct. 27.
“We started this about two years ago,” said Michelle Mullins, fundraising chairwoman for the WSCC. “We had two ball hockey tournaments and a ball hockey league to raise our share, and we received a federal grant for $44,000.”
The ball hockey tournament and league raised more than $16,000 toward the project and the Town of New Glasgow also helped with some of the labour to prep the area for the playground equipment and laid down an asphalt pathway.
“That was part for the process in getting this set up,” said Nicole Walsh, vice-president of the WSCC. “This is kind of Phase 1 of having the first accessible playground in Pictou County, so, we’re going to continue to raise money and build from here.”
Mullins said they attempted to have the playground designed to accommodate as many types of challenges as possible.
“The playground is set up not just for children in wheelchairs, but for children with autism or with abilities, physically, mentally or emotionally.”
For example, “we have different climbing structures for children of different abilities,” she said.
“We want to have accessible swings, and we’d like to get some more equipment that draws in more people to the playground.”