North Bay has a new jewel in its downtown waterfront crown.
Even on a gloomy, overcast Saturday morning, the new Rotary Playground managed to attract a great many parents, childcare providers, and excited youngsters of all ages.
The air was punctuated with squeals of delight from children who discovered something new to play with at every turn.
“Offering a fun, safe, and inclusive environment for everyone to enjoy,” Mayor Peter Chirico pointed out.
It was roughly two and a half years ago when Rotary began talking about another feature to compliment the Rotary splash pad.
Those talks led to the creation of the $1.2 million playground project.
The playground was officially opened with the assistance of Mayor Peter Chirico and Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli, along with North Bay Family of Rotary (North Bay and Nipissing clubs).
The playground allows for a seamless flow from the Rotary Splash Pad to the accessible playground.
Guided by consultations held during the creation of the Downtown Waterfront Master Plan, the project received nearly $438 thousand from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation and $110 thousand from the Rotary Clubs.
The nautical-themed playground features two free-standing play structures, incorporating a ”boat” design, which is meant to represent the Chief Commanda, and a lighthouse design with slide, which is the “port” of North Bay.
Other highlights include an accessible rubber safety surface, sensory play centre, seating areas, lighting, and landscaping.
Maryse Guillotte liked what she saw.
“It is quite nice. I like that there are a lot of sensory play stations as well as physical playthings in here. And I appreciate the thoughtful details like the foam padding as well, because a lot of other playgrounds have stones and wood chips which are very sharp especially for ones who are very young, like the two-year-old I’m here with today,” shared Guillotte.
“Kids fall and you want a soft surface. It is very nice.”
As Mayor Peter Chirico pointed out, it is more than just a play area.
“It is our central hub within our downtown waterfront, perfectly situated near the North Bay and Dionne Quints museums, our multi-use courts, the soon to be pump track, and the now almost completed Main Street reconstruction.”
Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli commended all those who made contributions towards the project, including Rotary for the work it has done in the community, for the betterment of the community.
“It is not just the money from Rotary or from the NOHFC it is really the contribution to the community that really builds this community.”
Following the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, Chirico and Fedeli, released their inner child, each taking a turn going down the slide.
As it turns out, the project came in under budget allowing for some extras.
Rotarian Bill Hagborg who served as a member of the Rotary steering committee explains.
“We’re looking at putting in at least two more sun shelters, because it is going to take a while for any trees to be big enough here to provide adequate shade. A lot of visitors to the site say they love it, but boy oh boy on a hot day it is hard to find shade,” said Hagborg.
“So, that is one of the things that is going to be done, at least two, maybe three more sun shelters and some more colourful benches. We’ve got people who have donated funding for three more benches, so those will be put in around the playground as well. That should happen sometime between now and the end of September.”
Hagborg also hinted that there may be a Phase Three down the line.
“We are talking with the City, it is just preliminary right now, about a Rotary Trail that would come from the waterfront,” said Hagborg.
“What we would be looking at doing is putting in some type of underpass or bridge where the Heritage Railway runs, to get people under that set of tracks and then they would actually come up right next to the playground, and it would be a multi-use trail. So, we’re seeing benefits of that for the residents of Marina Point as well.”
