The Town of Collingwood announced today it is using $500,000 from the money allocated to the town through the Canada Community Building Fund (formerly known as federal gas tax fund) toward the Sunset Park playground.
The 2022 budget has $1.45 million set aside for the SunsetPoint Enviropark, which includes $319,000 in development charges, $500,000 from the Community Building Fund grant, $481,000 from a reserve fund, and $150,000 in donations.
The former playground, built in 1993, was demolished in the fall to make way for a redesigned park with multiple play structures and activities.
The plan for the renewed park has been in the works since 2019, but has been delayed by the COVID pandemic.
A news release from the town indicates the playground structures will be in place and open by this summer.
"The goal is to create a final design that includes a variety of play features, surfacing needs, earthworks to create land forms, accessibility provisions and enhancements, integration of water into the play experience, and connections to the natural environment," states a news release from the town.
The plans for the new park include several play structures that will be geared toward different age ranges, including a lighthouse, a ship on the bay, a wetland, a town village, discovery beach (big sandbox with 'fossils to uncover') and a parkour climbing course with a zipline.
In the forest toward the west end of the park will be a boardwalk with a firefly forest. The ‘firefly’ effect is a canopy of lights that will respond to the sounds that kids yell into two megaphones on the ground.
Between the youth and tot play spaces will be a shaded social hub with picnic tables and USB charging stations where parents can clearly see both play areas.
There will also be a sensory garden separating the two spots with different elevations allowing people in wheelchairs to interact with the garden as well.
You can read more details and see drawings of the proposed park here.
