On January 17, École St. Adolphe School held a ribbon-cutting to mark the completion of a new playground. The school’s multipurpose room filled with eager students as they saw the big red ribbon and giant scissors. Among the delegates were Ritchot Mayor Jackie Hunt, Recreation Director Marcel Bazin, and representatives from the Seine River School Division, HTFC Planning and Design, Caisse Financial Group, St. Adolphe Child Care Centre, West Jet, Glenlea Greenhouses, and Valleywest Landscaping.
Lesley Gaudry, Ritchot’s economic development officer and a member of the St. Adolphe Community Green Space Committee, spoke about the importance of parks and green space. Namely, it promotes active and healthy children, and also helps foster community.
“This playground was important to development because the existing structure is quite dated and the play area has major drainage issues,” Gaudry said. “The new playground and play space area is a safe, fun, engaging, accessible recreation space for the students and the community. The way it is designed, it also helps assist with some drainage issues at the east end of the school.”
At one point, Gaudry specifically addressed the students in attendance. “You guys are all special and we want what is best for you,” she said.
The project has been in the works for the past five years, including decisions, planning, fundraising, and building with volunteers on the hottest day of the summer—July 20.
The playground fills a need not only for the school, but the community at large. St. Adolphe used to have a vibrant community park, but it has since been decommissioned due to riverbank erosion and flooding.
The park is centrally located and accessible for schoolchildren, the St. Adolphe Child Care Centre, and families and recreation groups to use in the evenings and on weekends.
After speeches concluded, a quick slideshow presentation was shown. Afterward, a couple of students from each grade handed large thank-you cards to members of the committee, and delegates also received handmade cards for their contributions.
The St. Adolphe Community Green Space Committee is a subcommittee of the École St. Adolphe School Parents Advisory Council and is comprised of Dijana Mutic Ens, Kirsten Quiring, Leslie McKenzie, Michael Hiebert, Susan Zimmerman, Lesley Gaudry, Laird Laluk, Kori Plesiuk, Joelle Sylvestre, and Chris Ens.
