New Conrad Playground gets Grand Opening Celebration

1,2,3 Play!  The Conrad Elementary Playground
 had its official opening today
(Port of PR photo)

Already battle tested through the Prince Rupert summer, the New Conrad Elementary School playground had its Grand Official Opening today as students, staff and parents took part in the celebration of the new play area.

The project which was assisted by $116,000 dollars from the Prince Rupert Port Authority's Community Investment Fund,  saw the the replacement of the previous aging structures with fully accessible playground equipment and rubberized matting material, making this the first park on the community’s east side available to all children, including those with mobility limitations.

The playground will fill a much-needed gap in recreational amenities for kids living and playing in the Conrad School area, serving to encourage physical activity and outdoor play opportunities.

Other partners that helped to bring the new play area all together included: The Province of BC’s Playground Equipment Program, School District #52, the Conrad Parent Advisory Council (PAC), Men of the Moose, and Prince Rupert Grain also contributed financially to the initiative.

Shaun Stevenson, President and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority, noted how the new facility not only serves the school environment but will make for a gathering place for the entire east side neighbourhood.

“The Prince Rupert Port Authority is proud to contribute to expanding the Conrad Elementary School Park into an inclusive, fully-accessible space for not only Conrad students, but all children residing in the community. This improvement to the Conrad playground facilities will serve as a legacy to enhance the quality of life for residents, namely children and their families, regardless of physical limitations. Encouraging an active lifestyle at a young age is vital and we’re pleased to be able to support it through our Community Investment Fund.”

Cutting the Ribbon at the New Conrad Elementary School Playground today
(Port of PR photo)

Melissa Boutilier, the Chair of the Conrad Parent Advisory Council, noted how the unique equipment offers a chance for equal opportunity for all youngsters that take advantage of the playground site.

“The Conrad School Parent Advisory Council, and the parents and children whose interests we represent, are thrilled with the new, fully-accessible playground equipment. We’ve received nothing but great feedback from parents and children who have played at the park and we look forward to maximizing use of the playground and its unique equipment throughout the school year. It’s very important to our PAC that barrier-free equipment be available in a school setting so that all children have equal opportunity to participate in recreational activities during a critical time in their physical and social development.”

Learn more about today's celebration from the Port Authority information release here.

The Conrad project is just one of a number of school improvements that the Port has assisted with in recent years.

The Prince Rupert Port Authority's Community Investment Fund has previously made over $240,000 in investments in local playground infrastructure at Roosevelt and Pineridge Elementary schools and community playgrounds including Mariners Park and Anne Neufeld Tot Park in the past five years.

For a look at some of the other community investments from the Port see our archive page here.

For more items of interest from SD52 see our School District archive page here.