The St. Adolphe Community Green Space Committee (SCGSC) has been hard at work creating a new community space at the St. Adolphe School.
The much-needed upgrade to the park started in 2010 when the school’s parents advisory council formed the SCGSC to focus on planning the playground. In 2011, a land and drainage survey was conducted on the entire school parcel. Following the survey, HTFC Planning and Design was hired to undertake a community survey and consultation to develop a master plan for the school site. This process was completed in 2012.
From the master plan, the SCGSC held a strategic planning session. The outcome was to develop it in six phases, with the first phrase being the development of Zone E, the portion of the school parcel with the least amount of drainage issues. Currently, the SCGSC is only focusing on this phase.
“Zone E consists of excavating and resurfacing the east entrance of the school,” says Lesley Gaudry, who sits on the SCGSC. It also includes repaving the basketball court, fixing a drainage channel, and adding granular pathways. “This work was completed in 2015. Starting in the summer of 2016, the rest of the project will be completed.”
Currently, the large play zone area is being constructed. It will include a play structure, an igloo climber, a satellite spinner, an orbit spinner, benches, bike racks, and a large play zone with sand and an accessible digger. An accessible digger is a piece of playground equipment designed like an excavator, and which can be used by people in wheelchairs.
A second play zone area will include a number of spinners and a wee saw.
Zone E will be fully accessible, using wood fibre matting throughout. There will also be an outdoor classroom to get students in touch with nature through the use of logs, stumps, boulders, trees, and shrubs.
“With the loss of the infrastructure at the old St. Adolphe Park due to flooding and riverbank erosion, and the critical need for upgrades of playground equipment at the Ecole St. Adolphe School, this project was very important to undertake,” Gaudry says. “St. Adolphe needs a central community outdoor recreation greenspace and the St. Adolphe School parcel is at the centre of town and accessible to all residents. It is the most utilized greenspace in town for students, local residents, [and] soccer and baseball programs.”
The SCGSC would like to thank supporters of the park, including Manitoba Hydro, the Rural Municipality of Ritchot, the Seine River School Division, the staff at Ecole St. Adolphe School, the Ritchot Community Development Corporation, West Jet Inc., HTFC Planning and Design, and many businesses, families, and residents of the community.
