A new playground for children of all abilities is planned for Yellowknife and will receive $100,000 in support from the co-owners of the Yellowknife Canadian Tire, the City of Yellowknife announced in a news release Thursday.
The Jumpstart Playground, a 1,021 square metre project, will be built in Somba K'e Park and will be the city's first inclusive playground.
Inclusive playgrounds have such features as double-wide ramps, roller slides, bucket seats with harness swings and quiet zones for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorders.
Ground for the project will be broken in 2021, when other Jumpstart Playground projects will also kick off in Whitehorse, Montreal and St. John’s, NL.
The new playground will receive $100,000 in a personal donation from Yellowknife Canadian Tire Dealer Jason Butorac and his wife Karen, as well as unspecified contributions from Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities.
The total cost of the new playground will come to about $1.7 million, said Butorac.
The project is a partnership with the City of Yellowknife.
The Jumpstart Charities’ Inclusive Play Project aims to remove accessibility barriers to sport and play.
“My family and I could not be prouder to work with Jumpstart and contribute $100,000 to help bring this playground to Yellowknife,” said Jason Butorac. “After a year that has been difficult for many families, bringing more joy and play to our city is just what we need.”
Mayor Rebecca Alty called the project an "exciting addition" to Yellowknife's facilities and an important step towards making the city more accessible for everyone to enjoy.
Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities President Scott Fraser said the charity is pleased to be introducing the playground to Yellowknife.
“The playground, designed with world-class community organizations and industry leading partners, will remove barriers and give kids of all abilities in Yellowknife, access to sport and play.”
Jumpstart’s Inclusive Play Project has to date developed 10 playgrounds across Canada.