Local news delivered daily to your email inbox. Subscribe for FREE to the rdnewsNOW newsletter.

Ribbon cut on Access for All playground

Sep 9, 2017 | 2:47 PM

Dignitaries gathered at Mattie McCullough Elementary School in Red Deer on Saturday to cut the ribbon on the brand new Access for All Barrier-Free playground.

The event marked the completion of phase one of the project which began two years ago when students expressed concern that not all of their peers were able to use the school’s playground, namely those in wheelchairs.

That set the wheels in motion for all three Red Deer Rotary clubs and Rotaract Club of Red Deer to get involved and support the students in their fundraising efforts to help build a new barrier-free playground. Along the way, the Government of Alberta, Government of Canada, Rick Hansen Foundation and City of Red Deer all became partners, adding to the $300,000 raised through grants and donations for phase one.

Mattie McCullough Vice Principal Kim Kirkwood says construction of phase two will get underway shortly and cost about $200,000. That’s hoped to be complete for the fall of 2018.