Grande Prairie City Council made the decision to direct administration to negotiate and finalize a gift agreement with Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart regarding the installation of a new accessible playground structure.
The new “Jumpstart Inclusive Playground” was first pitched to the city in 2023, and now, construction is anticipated to begin sometime this spring.
The structure will replace the old playground at Lion’s Park, as it is near the end of its life, and the site was deemed the best suited to accommodate an accessible playground.
“They chose Lion’s Park out of, I think there were five different parks that were identified, and this one scored the highest,” Councillor Mike O’Connor says. “We’re very excited they stepped up and came and said they want to support Jumpstart in the community and I think this is going to be a tremendous asset for the community.”
O’Connor maintains that while the new structure focuses on accessibility through items like handicap-friendly parking stalls and bathrooms, the playground can be enjoyed by all.
“It’s for everyone, and Jumpstart is a large program across Canada, with Canadian Tire, so we are honoured they chose Grande Prairie, and in particular, they asked our city to come up with some criteria to say which playgrounds are at the end of life and need to be upgraded,” he says. “It’s a tremendous site, and it’s very adaptable, and all people can come and use it.”
The project carries a significant price tag; however, Jumpstart will contribute $950K, while the city will contribute a total of $211K in funding to support the project.
Additionally, during their 2025 budget deliberations, council approved $300K in capital funding for playground and amenity replacements. Of this, $155K will go towards site preparation such as the removal of the existing playground equipment, and a further $56K will go towards renovating the on-site washroom for accessibility.
