WHITEWATER REGION (Haley Town Site) — The wooden play structure and swing set at Haley Town Site will be removed due to its unsafe conditions. However, Whitewater Region council also directed staff to review options for the replacement of park structures in next year’s budget.
Hugh Martin, supervisor of arenas and parks, has completed the playground inspection course. This will allow Mr. Martin to identify maintenance of playgrounds and structures, inspect playgrounds and structures to ensure they are in compliance with the Community Standards Association, and if not, how to make them so, explained Jordan Durocher, manager of community services.
Mr. Durocher noted the parks Mr. Martin will oversee include La Passe, Haley Town Site, Foresters Falls, Beachburg and Cobden.
“After the first round of inspections, for the most part, they were pretty good,” he said.
Some had to have minor adjustments to bring them into compliance, he noted, such as adding sand, and extending some of the encroachment areas.
The Haley Town Site playground had several deficiencies, Mr. Durocher said. Using photographs, he showed council some of the problems, which included broken or rotten spindles; the deterioration of the swingsets, which included being past the grind-it-down repaint-it stage; the wooden swingsets being way out of compliance; and the cracks in the slides.
He noted the beams are rotting out and the structure is swaying, he added. The ground has no sand and is “as hard as concrete. It’s quite compacted. It would be no different than bringing that play structure to the asphalt and have the kids jump off the swing sets or even fall off.”
There would be little to no costs if the structure is removed by staff, Mr. Durocher said.
Mayor Hal Johnson questioned what type of play structure would be replacing the one removed, noting there is a play structure on the other side of Haley Town Site. He also wanted to know what age groups can use the play structures.
Mr. Durocher said the options have yet to be reviewed.
The play structure that is remaining meets all the standards, he noted.
As for the ages of young people, Mr. Martin said there is currently five to 12-year-olds for the play structure that is remaining, while the new one could be for one-and-a-half to five years old.
Mayor Johnson suggested talking to the residents in the area to see what their needs are.
Chief Administrative Officer Robert Tremblay added that it would be best to consult the community members. It could be as simple as a trail, benches and trees.
If the community is asked, they will be more receptive to what is eventually installed, he explained.
Councillor Chris Olmstead agreed.
It’s a good idea to advise the community that while a hazard is being taken away, it will be replaced “with something bigger and better.”
Councillor Daryl McLaughlin said the tennis court could be improved, including putting in more picnic tables.
“We have to do one of two things,” he said. “The tennis court has to come out of there or we have to spend the money and fix it up.”
He said there are only two to three children who would use the playstructure.
“I think Robert has a good idea, to take a consensus around the townsite and see what they need,” he said. “Something, and I’ve said this before, something needs to be done with the tennis court. Either remove it or spend money.”
Putting in another play structure does not make sense, Coun. McLaughlin said.
