BEDFORD, NS – DeWolfe Park is a popular playground frequented by many families on the Bedford waterfront, but the decade-old play structure at the park is being torn down and replaced.
A tender for the design and installation of the new facility has been issued by the city for a park remodel.
The play structure is loosely modeled after the destroyer HMCS Haida. It opened in 2004, but the mainly wooden structure is starting to show it’s age. It’s being replaced because it no longer meets many of today’s standards.
“Safety requirements, visibility, accessibility, all these standards have changed,” said Councillor Tim Outhit. “It’s a wooden structure largely, also the padding on the floor, the wooden base, is rotting.”
A couple of young children were seen enjoying the facility on Tuesday, their parents were surprised to hear it’s being replaced.
“I love it here,” said Marcie Johnson, who’s son Owen was enjoying the slides. “I do feel it’s safe, think it would be disappointing if it did get torn down.”
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Meagan Parnell was at the Park with her 2-year-old daughter Zoe.
“We come here from Lower Sackville,” said Parnell. “We come and have a picnic usually and go for a walk on the boardwalk and she’ll play on the play structure and she enjoys it, but she really wants a swing set here.”
Alex Smith writes a blog called Playgroundology. He says sometimes safety is taken too far.
“Kids are not going to learn how to manage risk later in life if they’re sheltered constantly from risk when they’re kids,” Smith said.
He says kids will play anywhere, like on The Wave on the Halifax waterfront.
Smith also says there needs to be a new way of thinking on playground structures.
“Really the majority of them are what you’d call ‘off the shelf’, they’re pre-fab and plastic and steel pipe and I think we can do better than that.”
One of the complaints Coun. Outhit hears is that the wooden structure makes it difficult for parents to see their children.
“I never really thought of that, but I do agree with that, that it is a little difficult to see them,” said Parnell.
Outhit says the new structure will be built at the same location and he hopes the nautical theme will continue. That’s something parents would like to see.
“I do think this one is quite nice,” said Johnson.
As for public input, Councillor Outhit said “there will be some consultation.”
The present playground structure will remain until the fall.
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