PELLY — After five years of fundraising, Elie Lussier of Friends of Pelly is excited to announce that the playground equipment has been purchased and will be constructed in June after raising $85,000.
“We decided to just go for the gusto,” said Lussier.
The contractor Friends of Pelly purchased their playground equipment from is out of Medicine Hat Alta. and includes equipment will be fully accessible for those who need a wheelchair, such as a swing, a path leading to swing, and a Bouncy Bus, which will be in the playground structure.
"This is so that everyone can enjoy the playground,” said Lussier.
There will be an activity board at the top of this ramp to the right in the photo.
There is also a swing – baby, wheelchair, and child friendly – s spinner, a teeter-totter, hoe to sit on and dig in the dirt, a slide, monkey bars, and different climbing activities.
There will be two tether balls for the older kids as well.
“This will be away from the playground structure and swings,” explained Lussier.
There will also be a beach volleyball pit for teenagers.
“This will be a safe distance away so that they are not going to interact and run over the little kids or the little kids wander over onto the volleyball pit,” explained Lussier.
Friends of Pelly has also added four benches, two tables, and rubbish bins in their park design. These items were purchased by residents and businesses to support the playground.
“There will be a place for people to sit and watch the children and be comfortable,” said Lussier. “Maybe bring a picnic lunch or celebrate a birthday.”
Lussier is proud of how the designs turned out.
“We are excited about what we are doing,” said Lussier.
“We did the best we could with what we had to build a nice playground for the community,” continued Lussier.
At the time of publication, Lussier says builders from Moose Jaw’s Madera Playscapes are scheduled to come June 11 to 13 to construct the playground on the old park property behind the daycare in Pelly.
Madera Playscapes will supervise the stripping of the topsoil so they can put in the sand and base. They will then bring in the timbers to hold all the sand in place. They will then construct the playground and beach volleyball area.
Although the playground equipment is fully paid for, Friends of Pelly is still looking for financial support.
Friends of Pelly is still raising money for a certified supervisor consultant ($6,643 before taxes), sand ($6,825 although a local person with a quarry has agreed to donate some, they have to wait until spring to see how much is there. They will need 195 cubic yards), six x six 12’ timber boarder ($4,800), hardware (rebar and GRX anchors for equipment ($750), three-quarter-inch base gravel for foundation of the path going to the fully accessible swing ($500.), and rental of safety fencing (Lussier unsure of the cost at time of publication).
“There are so many moving parts when you are doing something like this,” said Lussier.
Friends of Pelly has also partnered with a graphic artists in Langley, B.C., who is working on a gratitude board to be constructed in the playground.
“We want to acknowledge everybody who has helped support us, whether monetarily or with a gift of kind,” said Lussier.
At the time of publication, Lussier is estimating the gratitude board to cost $7,500.
“It’s quite beautiful,” said Lussier. “We are excited about it because it's going to be one of a kind in our area.”
“It’s a little pricey, but after all the hard work, we deserve to have something that is going to stand the test of time (and) be there and acknowledge all the people who made it a reality,” continued Lussier.
Friends of Pelly is also still looking for support for installation, whether it be someone helping with timber, gravel, sand, or the cost of the Gratitude board.
Knowing it is only four months until construction is supposed to start, Lussier gets more excited day by day for everyone to see the fruits of this labour.
“It’s exciting but nerve-racking at the same time to know that we are so close, but we still have this gap of finances that we need to come up with,” said Lussier.
“It’s exciting to see that we are almost there,” continued Lussier.
Lussier says that besides their barbecues Friends of Pelly has no formal plans for fundraisers as they have done in the past. Lussier says to keep an eye on their Facebook Page (FriendsofPelly) for updates on events.
On July 1 Friends of Pelly plans on having a grand opening, and Lussier has spoken with Canora-Pelly MLA Sean Wilson about attending.
“We don’t want to give too much away because we want there to be an element of surprise when people see it because it's going to be beautiful,” said Lussier.
Those with any questions, wanting to make a donation, offering installation help, or any other enquiries can reach Lussier at thefriendsofpelly@gmail.com.
