The new 12-metre-tall playground caters to children aged 5 – 12 years and includes two covered slides, lookout towers, climbing ropes, sensory features, and wheelchair-accessible play components.
The pour-in-place rubber surfacing reflects local flora and fauna such as sturgeon, camas, and salmon.
It is located across from the natural swimming ponds and will be surrounded by an accessible gravel path, shade trees, a bench, and a bear-proof waste receptacle.
“We know the community and visitors have been patiently awaiting the opening, so we are happy to see it open in time for the busy summer season,” says City of Castlegar Project Manager, Anne Simonen.
“This project aims to enrich the lives of residents, promote tourism, and improve the amenities offered at Millennium Park & Ponds.”
This $1.866 million project was funded by the federal, provincial, and municipal governments.
A $1.2 million grant was provided through the Communities, Culture, and Recreation stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, which is supported by both the federal and provincial governments. The grant money was not transferable and could only be used for this specific project.
The federal government provided $654,400, and the province contributed $545,279, with the remaining $686,000 of the $1.866 million budget paid for by the city.
“Millennium Park & Ponds is a must-visit attraction for everyone to enjoy. With the addition of one of Canada’s tallest playgrounds, it is an amazing place for kids and their caregivers to be active, use their imaginations, and make new friends,” said Anne Kang, Minister of Municipal Affairs.
“I’m proud of the province’s contributions and the collaboration with all orders of government to support projects like this that bring people together and help build vibrant communities for many years to come.”
The playground concept and engineering were provided by Urban Systems Ltd., the playground was supplied by Parkworks, the accessible play components were supplied by Habitat Play Systems, and the contracting was completed by Marwest Industries Limited.
Construction began in 2023 and paused over the winter due to cold and wet weather conditions.
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