THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay’s newest playground at Centennial Park is set to open within weeks, offering local kids access to a unique woodland-themed play experience.
The redesigned playground will be larger than the previous one and include a forest zipline and other features not seen at other local parks.
Crews have largely completed construction of equipment at the playground, which the city is hoping to open by the Labour Day weekend, said Werner Schwar, supervisor of parks and open space planning with the City of Thunder Bay.
The city initially estimated the playground at Centennial would be ready for use by the beginning of July.
Delayed delivery of one component in the playground, which arrived last week and is currently being installed, was one factor in the extended timeline, Schwar said.
When the playground is open, he believes residents will find it was worth the wait, saying its design and materials – its structures are constructed almost entirely out of wood –set it apart.
“When we went out for public consultation, everyone really liked the idea of getting wood back,” he said. “It fits with the theme of the park – the logging camp, the Muskeg Express, the forest trails. We were lucky to get a design that really brought that home.”
Users will play on equipment in several different “pod areas” meant to appeal to a range of ages, featuring a zip line, climbing structures, and ground-level activities for younger children that will be incorporated into the surrounding wooded area.
There will also be more traditional structures like slides, and a shaded seating area for families.
“Everything is made out of wood logs, so it has a really unique look to it, and it will have a different style of play – it’s much more of an adventure [theme], as opposed to the typical jungle gym, if you will, where things are pretty prescribed,” said Schwar.
It’s the first wooden playground the city has built in years. The use of highly compact, untreated hardwood will address shortcomings of the previous generation of wooden equipment like splintering, the city says.
The design uses Robinia wood, also called black locust, known as a very hard wood ideal for outdoor uses.
“It’s supposed to be guaranteed in the ground for 20 years, so that’s comparable or longer than chemically treated wood,” Schwar said.
The city has also incorporated carved wooden animals, featuring species that native to the area.
Staff hope to work with Indigenous elders to add interpretive elements to tell the story behind each animal, Schwar said.
The city budgeted $700,000 for the replacement of the Centennial Park playground.
With files from Kurt Black, TBT News.
