Unwin Park in Surrey Will Feature a Universally Accessible Playground
Located in Surrey, Unwin Park is a 36-acre community park that boasts a number of amenities. It includes baseball diamonds, a public outdoor swimming pool, a basketball court, a batting cage, cricket fields, a water park, lacrosse boxes, a tot lot, and a fieldhouse with restrooms.
In addition to the sports facilities, the park also includes a large playground that provides developmentally appropriate play spaces for children of all ages and abilities. There is a wheelchair accessible merry-go-round, a quiet play area, and ramps that crisscross the entire play space. Besides its traditional amenities, the park also features early childhood elements such as a dinosaur themed playground.
The park has received several awards and recognitions, including the BCRPA's 2021 Provincial Award for Parks Excellence. It is a community-level park that has been designated for its inclusion of diverse groups of people. The park has become a destination for families in the City of Surrey and across the lower mainland. The park is currently being constructed as a result of a partnership between the City of Surrey and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, a registered charity that supports kids from disadvantaged backgrounds participate in physical activity.
The Play Finds A Way movement focuses on removing accessibility barriers to play and sport. It is through this program that Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities is funding the construction of a universally-accessible playground in Unwin Park in Surrey's Newton neighbourhood. This project is one of seven playgrounds that Jumpstart has built throughout Canada. Previously, the organization has funded playgrounds in Calgary, Prince Albert, Saint John, and Winnipeg.
The new universally-accessible playground will be located at Unwin Park in Surrey and will feature a large footprint of up to 12,000 square feet. It will include a double-wide accessible ramp system, transfer platforms, and other features that promote imaginative and collaborative play. The playground will also include a sensory-rich environment and a water spray park. Among other things, the playground will feature early childhood elements and a large Canadian Tire logo.
The project is expected to be completed in fall of this year. In conjunction with the construction of the playground, the City of Surrey has embarked on a full consultation process with the community. The park will also be the largest of its kind in the City. As part of this effort, the City has relocated trees that were nearby to provide adequate shade for the playground.
The playground will be the first of its kind in the City of Surrey, and it will have a number of features that will benefit all types of users. It will offer an array of play components, such as a teeter-totter, a wheeled merry-go-round, and a play structure with transfer platforms. The flooring in the playground will be lined with a giant Canadian Tire logo.
In order to prepare for the playground, the City of Surrey has relocated a number of large maple trees from around the park. The relocations are part of the park's tree management plan.