BANFF – Banff residents are kicking in up to $100,000 toward new playgrounds at Banff Elementary School.
Council approved the financial contribution in its 2019 operating budget to Canadian Rockies Public Schools for the two new school playgrounds, estimated to cost about $450,000 overall. The budget gets final stamp of approval January 28.
“I feel we have to do this because of the public use of this playground,” said Mayor Karen Sorensen, noting the Town of Banff also runs after-school and summer programs out of the elementary school.
“There’s huge public use of this playground and when you start counting weekends and summers and evenings, there’s more hours the public are potentially using it than school kids are.”
The school has secured $250,000 in provincial funding and school council has raised about $22,000. The school council is looking at other fundraising and grant opportunities.
The $450,000 cost includes design, site preparation, excavation, play equipment, construction, landscaping and Canadian Standards Association’s compliance inspection and certification.
The new school playgrounds are scheduled for development in late summer or early fall. One play space will be geared toward children in grades K to 3, with the other built for grades 4-8.
Councillor Corrie DiManno supported the spending request, but wanted the municipality to have input into the design given the amount of the contribution.
“I don’t want to see another monster plastic playground,” she said.
Amanda Arbuckle, recreation services manager for the Town of Banff, said there’s been discussion with school officials on what playground elements and components should be included.
“I would say, overwhelmingly, there’s a lot of support from administration at CRPS to support nature-based elements,” she said. “If funding weren’t a limitation, we could explore that opportunity even more.”
Councillor Ted Christensen was the lone voice opposed to spending taxpayer dollars on the playgrounds at this time.
“I’m not convinced $100,000 is money well spent,” he said. “I think $100,000 is not appropriate at this time and I would like to see it withdrawn.”
