In the end, the treehouse design stumped the other entry, as Central Saanich opened its newest playground.
After 65 per cent of participating youth voted for the ‘treehouse’ theme over the ‘colourful tunnel’ theme earlier this year, officials with the District of Central Saanich opened the new playground on Sept. 29 in Tanner Park located at 6245 Rodolph Rd. on the south end of the Tanner neighbourhood.
“Whenever I speak with the children in our community, parks are the top of their wishlist,” said Mayor Ryan Windsor. “This park has been slated for a playground for a number of years, and this is great timing as this neighbourhood has had a recent influx of young families.”
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The municipality designed the playground for ages two through 12. It includes a disk swing and ground-level play opportunities for users of all abilities. Also included is an accessible pathway to the playground. The park, with its scenic views, will soon include a picnic table.
Central Saanich resident Emily Holfeld welcomed the opening. “Celebrating the opening of Tanner Park has sure brought a lot of joy to this community,” she said. “With the last couple years marked with uncertainty for these kids, it’s such a gift to be able to see their faces light up to do what they do best – play. We’re so grateful to the municipality for investing in this safe and hope-filled spot.”
The municipality acquired the park in 1999 for future use as a neighbourhood park in line with the parks master plan strategy. The municipality had budgeted about $80,000 from reserves for the project.
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