Joined by Cloverdale Traditional School students, Saanich mayor Dean Murdock held a grand opening for the new and improved Rutledge Park on Monday, June 24.
Park upgrades include a new washroom and change room building, more modern playground equipment and a "long-awaited" splash pad.
The playground also has accessible features, multi-coloured rubber safety surfacing and natural elements. The splash pad also has inclusive elements for children and youth of all abilities.
“On behalf of Saanich Council, I am thrilled to unveil these improvements to Rutledge Park just in time for everyone to enjoy this summer,” said Murdock in a news release. “Saanich’s parks are such an important part of our community as they provide people with places to connect with friends and family and to stay healthy and active."
The park improvements were mostly funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program and the Community, Culture and Recreation Program, which contributed a total of $905,992.
The new washroom building also has private universal and accessible spaces and will be open year-round. New paved pathways, benches, chairs and picnic tables, and a drinking fountain and water bottle filling station are now available to park users.
“Rutley the pink elephant and Rutledge Park have always held a special place in the Saanich community,” noted Anne Kang, minister of municipal affairs, in the release. “The new park improvements will help kids grow physically, emotionally, socially and imaginatively. It’s great to see when all orders of government team up to make public places easier to use for everyone.”
