Costs of reopening Kinsmen Play Village fuelling debate
Keeping Kinsmen Play Village where it is could be costly on several fronts, a Saskatoon city council meeting heard Monday.
An online petition that has gathered more than 1,300 supporters to reopen the closed playground near City Hospital was presented at the planning development and community services meeting.
The playground has been closed as part of the Kinsmen Park redevelopment plan, which included last year’s opening of PotashCorp Playland, featuring rides and play areas.
Lynne Lacroix, the City of Saskatoon’s director of recreation and community development, said leaving the playground equipment where it is would mean replacing the rubberized surface at a cost of $145,000.
“There’s a number of moving parts connected to this,” Lacroix told Monday’s meeting.
Lacroix also noted the city has already awarded $10,000 in contracts to demolish the playground with another tender supposed to be awarded this week.
The other component involves the plan to move the equipment to build a new accessible playground at Ashworth Holmes Park in Caswell Hill. It’s not certain how any delay would affect that $400,000 project, including $115,000 in third-party funding, Lacroix said.
She said $50,000 to $100,000 in savings for the Ashworth Holmes project could be in jeopardy. Accessible playgrounds cost between $450,000 and $500,000, Lacroix said.
The committee voted unanimously to have administrative staff explore the possibility and implications of allowing the play structure to remain where it is. The committee expects to hear back in August.
Robin Hansen, a Nutana resident who started the petition, said the play village is “historically significant.” The village, located at the west end of Kinsmen Park just off 26th Street near the YWCA building, has been around in some form since 1930.
The play structure is also accessible for those with mobility issues and accommodates those under five years of age, Hansen said. She said PotashCorp Playland is geared toward older children.
Coun. Tiffany Paulsen countered she takes her young children to PotashCorp Playland and “they play just fine.”
Paulsen added some of those who support keeping the play village have taken to unfairly criticizing PotashCorp Playland, which features a Ferris wheel, a train and a carousel.
“That is a spectacular addition to Saskatoon,” Paulsen said. “I think we need to tone that down a little bit.”
Mayor Don Atchison said it’s important to acknowledge the donation by PotashCorp to resurrect the rides at Kinsmen Park.
“They gifted the city $9 million and I don’t think we should lose sight of that,” Atchison said.
Coun. Darren Hill said there has also been unfair “negativity” directed toward residents of City Park, which he represents. Hill noted those signing the petition to keep the play structure in Kinsmen have come from across the city.
“I certainly don’t want the Ashworth Holmes project to be shelved again,” Hill said.
The committee also heard leaving the play structure at Kinsmen could affect the planned expansion of cross-country skiing trails in the park.
Atchison said it’s important to make sure all who stand to be affected by any decision on the play structure are consulted.