INNISFIL — An Alcona park is lining up for a substantial makeover in 2025.
Previn Court Park, at 1160 Quarry Dr. near Lake Simcoe Public School, is slated for a nearly $1-million “enhancement” next year.
The current playground structure was installed in 2007. It’ll be replaced with new junior and senior equipment, swings, a zip line and spinner. The main feature in the senior playground, the Volo, will be packed with bouncy, connected play options to encourage children to define their unique play style while exploring ways to climb, slide and investigate, town capital project manager Meredith Goodwin said.
“We usually aim for a 15-year life cycle for playground replacements,” she told InnisfilToday in an email. “However, budget constraints can delay updates. Council has the difficult task of balancing these needs with other town-wide priorities, like road rehabs (and) stormwater improvements. Availability of replacement equipment can also shift priorities; if a playground gets vandalized and major pieces need replacement, we sometimes can't order those pieces and have to move that playground up in the order of replacement.”
The current amount allotted for the park work is $451,081. However, staff have requested an additional $574,376 in the draft 2025 budget, which is currently under deliberation by council.
“Substantial work is necessary at the park, such as replacing shade structures, repairing trails and walkways, fixing playground curbs, repairing park lights, parking lot improvements, and replacing park furniture,” Goodwin said. “Our goal is to avoid these costs impacting the budget for play equipment while also (streamlining) works by completing all construction through one contract.
"The additional budget will also assist with some new amenities we are reviewing for the park like a cricket pitch, new picnic structures, additional park trails and lighting, additional park plantings," she added.
Goodwin noted zip lines have become quite popular in new playground designs.
“People go on vacations to zip line, many love the thrill and that's why kids seem to love them too — they want a challenge and they provide kids with (an) exhilarating sense of speed and adventure,” Goodwin said. “The sensation of moving swiftly through the air is thrilling and feeds their need for excitement, and with safety being a priority in their design, parents can feel reassured as well. They also give kids a confidence boost by allowing them to overcome their fears and take on new challenges.”
Calling it “a bit of an aggressive timeline,” Goodwin hopes improvements can start in the summer and be complete by fall.
More details on the proposed work can be found at innisfil.ca.
