The Town of Sidney announced the completion of a new neighbourhood playground that offers a number of features that support children and caregivers with physical disabilities.
The playground, which is at Philip Brethour Park on Ocean Avenue West in West Sidney, came after residents first identified the need for a playground during the development of the 2019 concept plan for Philip Brethour Park, and in 2023, the community took part in a survey to identify preferred features in the park.
“It has been exciting to see this greenspace come to life with the addition of a neighbourhood playground,” said mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith in a news release. “Community amenities like this bring neighbours together, foster friendships between people of all ages and abilities, and give our youngest residents a fun way of staying active.”
The playground includes structure for school-aged children and another for toddlers and preschool-aged children, and accessible features include a fully rubberized surface, a "friendship swing," and a "We-Go-Round" which, according to the release, is the first wheelchair accessible merry-go-round of its kind on the Saanich Peninsula.
The cost of the playground was offset in part by external funding. Kal’s Replay Fund, a community program from Kal Tire, contributed $20,000 toward the playground’s rubberized surface, and funding for the project also included $156,000 from the province’s Growing Communities Fund.
“The new Philip Brethour Park playground with accessible elements invites all kids to have fun and connect with neighbours and friends,” said Anne Kang, minister of municipal affairs, in a news release. “The Growing Communities Fund is supporting Sidney and communities across the province to fund projects like this that improve infrastructure and support strong, healthy, and vibrant communities.”
The release noted that the park could have future enhancements that could include a paved parking lot, new multi-sport court, seating area, washroom, and tree plantings.
