After many years of planning and preparing, the City of Duncan is finally moving forward with the construction of a new playground in McAdam Park.
Council approved the spending of more than $420,000 towards the project at its meeting on Aug. 19, and its expected the project will be completed this fall.
While McAdam Park currently has many amenities, including well-maintained green spaces, public washrooms and playing fields, there is no community playground there. During the community engagement process in the development of the city’s McAdam/Rotary Parks Master Plan that was completed in 2021, the community requested the installation of a new playground in McAdam Park as there are currently limited playgrounds for young children in that part of the city.
The new playground has been designed to include play areas for toddlers and younger children, a separate play area for older children, swings, accessible playground elements, and accessible pathway loops.
The city also intends to install a water fountain, picnic tables benches and trees in and around the new playground.
Brian Murphy, Duncan’s director of public works and engineering, said a contract of more than $173,000 has been awarded to R&H Williams Trucking Ltd. for the initial civil construction in McAdam Park, which includes clearing the site and creating the base for the new park, as well as the construction of pathways and sidewalks around the planned play areas.
Green Roots Play Equipment Inc. has won the contract to supply the equipment for the park’s large-play area, which includes slides and climbing features intended for kids aged five through 12, for more than $68,000.
Playquest Recreation was given the contract to supply play equipment for the park’s small-play area, designed for children aged two to five, at a cost of more than $56,000 and this play area will have accessible components, and plans are to construct a separate accessible play area and a swing set in the playground when finances allow in the future.
Softline Solutions Ltd. was awarded a contract of more than $52,000 to install rubber surfacing for the parks small-play area and the planned accessible play area.
The city was successful in acquiring $45,000 through two grants to help pay for the rubber surfacing. The rest of the required funds is for wood chips for the large play area and the swings area, accessories and for construction-contract administration.
“Things cost more than what we hoped, but we can make it work with the funds available,” Murphy told council. “We do have a small budget gap of $21,000, but it’s primarily for contingencies and would only be spent if needed, and we recommend those funds come from the Gas Tax Fund.”
Murphy said work on the civil construction at the site may begin in the late summer or early fall. He said the play equipment typically takes between 12 and 14 weeks to manufacture and deliver.
“If all of these elements of the new McAdam Park playground line up as hoped, the new playground could potentially open in October or November,” Murphy said. “That’s not an ideal time for a new playground to open, but it’s better than waiting even longer.”
