KAMSACK — After years of fundraising, a new playground in Pelly is now open to the public.
The Friends of Pelly planned to have a grand opening on July 1. Due to the extreme weather in the area, the grand opening is now scheduled for Canada Day 2027.
The playground installation is complete, with the exception of the beach volleyball court. The ground had too much moisture to be able to be able to finish the build.
“We decided just to wait until we have drier conditions for excavating, because you have to go down 12 inches, then put in a 6 x 6 wooden border to hold a layer of gravel in, then a layer of sand,” said Friends of Pelly Chair Elie Lussier, “so we can put a net up, but we couldn’t get any of the groundwork done.”
Friends of Pelly plans to continue fundraising over the next year, with a potential half court basketball court in the works if funds allow.
“To be able to go by now and see kids in there playing, and families in there sitting at the picnic tables and enjoying it, and how happy they are to have it, it just makes my heart full,” said Lussier.
Lussier also commended the community in Pelly for coming together in the wake of a tornado hitting the village, followed by heavy flooding.
“Unbelievable support from the communities looking after their own people, that’s what I’ve seen in Pelly.”
Fortunately, the playground wasn’t damaged by the tornado or the flooding.
