If the Sleeping Giant ever goes missing, chances are you can find him at Picton Park.
That’s because more than a dozen volunteers have started turning the play area on Picton Avenue into a space that’s roomy enough for giants, with new giant swings, chairs, game board and tables.
The rejuvenation of the park is part of a TVO show called Giver. Volunteers were given three days to have the project finished by Saturday. Volunteers come to the park around 9 a.m. and then stay to about 5 p.m.
Brandon Moonias was one of those volunteers.
The 11-year-old from St. Pius X Catholic Elementary School said the old playground had been in the neighbourhood for a long time and was starting to show its age.
“People were bored with the old playground that was here so we’re making a new one and making it 10 times better,” he said. “We’ve added giant swings, giant tables. It’s funny because you can climb up on the giant table and the Sleeping Giant might be sitting there.”
Story continues after video ...
While he rarely used the park before, he said he plans to stop by the new Picton Park whenever he’s in the area.
He also believes it will bring in more people to the park.
“It’s something new here,” he said.
Tessa Schwar also volunteered for the project. She helped by framing the giant table and made sure that it was held steady.
The 12-year-old said she it was a neat opportunity to build a playground.
“I was just amazed by how many people there were and how many it took to build the playground,” she said.
“I think it is good to help out in your community. I think it’s neat that it’s the Sleeping Giant’s park. I think it is unique and not just another jungle gym. It’s really something special.”
Giver’s producer Kristen McGregor said the show is about children working with their community to make a better playground. McGregor believes that when the community gets involved with improving a park there’s a sense of ownership and personal attachment, which helps in attracting more people to the park space.
McGregor added having the project done in three days is a challenge but also makes for good television.
“This is my 15th time building one of these things and you get a sense if you’re behind schedule or ahead of schedule and three days gives us a tiny little wiggle room but not a lot,” she said. “This park was compelling. We wanted to come to Thunder Bay and put in the extra work to come up from Toronto. We wanted to do a Thunder Bay episode and represent the kids that are here.”
The city contributed about $90,000 for the project with the show pitching in $10,000 from its set budget.
The city’s park planning coordinator Werner Schwar said it would have cost the city more than $100,000 to do the project alone and would have taken much longer than three days.
“Picton was picked because it was going to have its play area restructured anyway,” he said. “It was 20 to 25 years old. It was a perfect fit that we were doing the project anyway and it happened to fill the criteria that the show wanted.”
The unveiling of the new park is expected to take place on Saturday at 2 p.m.
