Students at North Delta’s Jarvis Traditional Elementary will soon be playing on a new accessible playground, thanks to $165,000 in provincial funding, along with $1,117,597 in funding for school upgrades for the Delta School District.
On Friday, provincial government officials, at a press event in Richmond, announced a total of $10 million in funding to deliver 60 new playgrounds in 50 school districts.
The Delta School District received $165,000 for the new accessible playground, up $40,000 from previous years. This increase will allow the playgrounds to be designed with accessible features like ground cover, ramps and/or transfer platforms that connect to the play structure - to ensure there’s a place for all students to play. The playgrounds will be built over the next year and are expected to be ready for kids to play on by early 2022.
“All children deserve equal access to play," said Ravi Kahlon, MLA for Delta North. "I am proud our government is putting the needs of children and schools first by investing in more accessible playgrounds."
The funding comes from the Playground Equipment Program (PEP), created in 2018 to reduce the burden of fundraising on parents and help communities buy the playground equipment students need.
Students in Delta will also benefit from upgraded and more energy-efficient learning environments, with $240.5 million in school maintenance grants distributed across the province this year. The Delta School District received $1,117,597this year for projects which include:
- Roofing upgrades at Beach Grove Elementary, English Bluff Elementary, Hawthorne Elementary and Ladner Elementary
- Electrical system upgrades at Holly Elementary.
