Victoria – Victoria-Swan Lake MLA Rob Fleming announced today that students at Quadra Elementary are getting a new universally-accessible playground, thanks to $105,000 in new provincial funding.

“I’ve heard from parents that they need relief from fundraising tens of thousands of dollars for playground equipment – that’s a lot of bake sales and bottle drives for today’s busy parents.” said MLA Fleming. “Today we’re delivering this fund to help parents, and provide access to communities that don’t have the fundraising capacity to buy the play equipment students need.”

This funding is part of a new, ongoing Playground Equipment Program that will provide up to $5 million each year to school districts to purchase new or replacement playgrounds, and fulfills a central NDP campaign promise. This year, 26 schools are receiving $90,000 for a standard playground, and 25 schools are receiving $105,000 for a universally-accessible playground.

Generally, schools’ Parent Advisory Councils have to fundraise large sums of money for new and replacement playground equipment, and schools without that capability are left without playgrounds. The new fund will ensure that kids don’t have to suffer for years with inadequate or unsafe playground equipment, and that parents can focus their energy on their children’s success.

Playgrounds are important for children’s development and learning. They encourage outdoor physical activity and help students learn how to share, work together, overcome challenges and be creative. Outdoor play can help students focus and learn more effectively in the classroom.

See the Provincial news release here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PREM0023-000863