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Town of Ponoka responds to questions over playground removals

The Town of Ponoka provided further information on the two playgrounds that are set to be removed next week and other information in a written statement from communications manager Sandra Smith.
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Design plan for the Westview playground. File photo

The Town of Ponoka provided further information on the two playgrounds that are set to be removed next week and other information in a written statement from communications manager Sandra Smith.

Deconstruction of the two playgrounds will begin on Monday, July 29.

READ MORE: Two wooden play structures in Ponoka set to be removed

Smith reiterated that both Central Park and Lucas Heights playgrounds will be considered for future improvements under the design process that is underway.

The assessment of the two parks, Central Park and Lucas Heights, was conducted by third-party Parkland Playground Consulting, a local specialist.

“The assessment took into consideration the condition of the playgrounds and Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standards, and concluded the playground equipment had reached the end of its life cycle,” said Smith.

The design of older playground equipment often becomes outdated and doesn’t meet today’s standards, even though it may have been considered acceptable when it was originally built, says Smith.

“The town is proactive in its approach to playground inspections,” she said.

“Staff do regular weekly visual inspections of our playgrounds and request third-party professional assessments as needed.”

New playgrounds

Smith noted that the town currently has nine playgrounds in its inventory as well as the town’s skate park, splash park and green spaces such as the tractor park.

There are also several schoolyard playgrounds in town.

“The town, along with community groups, has been actively replacing and building new playgrounds over the past five years.”

Some of the newer playgrounds in Ponoka include the Centennial Park playground, installed in 2016 by the Kinettes and Lions, Westview Park, which had its play structure replaced by the town in 2018, the Co-op subdivision playground was replaced by the town in 2017 and the Tri-Services Park playground by the Lucas Heights soccer fields in 2014.

READ MORE: Kinettes gearing up for new Centennial Park playground



Emily Jaycox

About the Author: Emily Jaycox

I’m Emily Jaycox, the editor of Ponoka News and the Bashaw Star. I’ve lived in Ponoka since 2015 and have over seven years of experience working as a journalist in central Alberta communities.
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