Neil Kennedy went to Wednesday's finance committee meeting determined to let councillors know that playgrounds are more than just physical structures.
Kennedy, who works at Rose Marie Playground in New Sudbury, said the facility has become a community of its own, where everyone gets to play. It's one of 10 parks recommended for closure by staff.
"I don't think they understand what happens at Rose Marie Playground," he said. "Rose Marie is right between geared-to-income housing and a pretty nice area.
The geared-to-income kids, we get them skates, we provide everything for them. We've had a good system for a few years now. A lot of people make donations."
When he first started there, he noticed there were kids playing hockey while others stood around and watched. He quickly realized the spectators were lower-income kids who didn't have the equipment.
"We organized and did a lot of work to get this going," Kennedy said. "Now they have equipment and everything and they just love it.
"There's Twin Forks up the road, but there's no rink there. If they close down ours, our kids will have to go across Lasalle Boulevard to Westmount, I guess. A 10-year-old should not be walking across Lasalle."
Kennedy and other supporters of playgrounds were pleased to see the finance committee refer a plan to close Rose Marie and other playgrounds to the community services committee, where staff will be asked for a lot more detail on what they're proposing.
Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh said she would like to see more demographic and usage information on the facilities before making any decisions.
“I don't think anyone wants to vote to close a playground without a lot more data,” McIntosh said.
Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer said while the city may have more playgrounds than they need, as the staff report said, much more detail is needed and councillors have to consult with residents in their wards before making any decision.
“There's certainly more work that has to go into this,” Sizer said. “I want an opportunity to consult with residents in those areas. (Although) with the condition some of them are in, it's no wonder no one uses them.”
Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier said it was “shameful” for councillors to even consider closing parks.
“A lot of these were paid for and donated by volunteers,” Montpellier said.
The staff report said the city has 189 playgrounds – more than we need – and 58 of them were in poor condition. Upgrading them would cost about $40,000 per facility, or $2.3 million. A report from last September said another 45 playgrounds in the city are in satisfactory condition, meaning some improvements were needed, with full replacement within the next 10 years. The remaining 86 were in good condition, meaning they were replaced within the last eight years.
Ward 5 Coun. Bob Kirwan moved a motion to use capital money from the Healthy Community Initiative funds to immediately upgrade the parks that are in poor or satisfactory condition.
“We should be bringing all 103 playgrounds up to standard this year.”
But Mayor Brian Bigger pointed out that would mean upgrading some playgrounds before the equipment was past its life expectancy. And Cormier said it was hard to support the motion when they have already told staff they need a lot more information.
“It's a $6 million request (and) we're being asked to decide that now,” he said. “I have concerns about that part of it.”
In the end, they referred the matter to the community service committee, with direction that information be ready in time for the 2018 budget process.
