Lodgepole Playground Replacement

The City of St. Albert is seeking feedback on inclusive and accessible playground features to be incorporated into the design of the Lacombe Lake Park - Lodgepole Playground project.

The Lodgepole Playground was identified as the City's Repair, Maintain, Replace (RMR) playground lifecycle capital project for 2023. As the project progressed, an area resident identified a need for an inclusive and accessible design focus and partnered with a local charity, Variety - Children's Charity of Alberta to raise funds and work with the City to enhance Lodgepole playground. In partnership with Variety and the area resident, the City is leading the design of Lodgepole playground to be focused on inclusion and accessibility for all including individuals of all ages and abilities, and their caregivers.

Lacombe Lake Park – Lodgepole Playground was built in 2003 and includes a swing set, a single slide, and a small play structure with sand play surfacing. Lodgepole Playground ↗ is found along the trail network that makes up Lacombe Lake Park.

The City is seeking your feedback in designing and constructing a fully inclusive and accessible playground.

Definitions

Inclusive Play/Playgrounds

• Inclusive play, and correspondingly, inclusive playgrounds, are intended to remove physical and social barriers to participation that aim to support equitable access to diverse play opportunities by providing various types of play equipment that enable children to challenge themselves at different levels, to enjoy quality play experiences and to have fun playing together. (Adapted from Creating Inclusive Playgrounds: A Playbook of Considerations and Strategies ↗).

Universal Accessibility

• Universal access refers to creating environments, programs and services that respond to the needs of the widest population range possible, enabling persons with varying abilities and ages to participate in the community on an equitable basis. (City of St. Albert Universal Access Plan ↗)