At a ceremonial ribbon cutting Tuesday for the new playground in Little Lake Park, large scissors were carried from the official speech area into the main woodchip-lined play area.
“Those look like giant scissors,” shouted one boy. “Did you get them from the giant store?”
Nothing was going to stop the dozens of children from their day of fun, even as speeches from dignitaries off to the side were being held to commemorate the grand opening of three new accessible and inclusive playgrounds at Little Lake Park, Pete Pettersen Park and Bayview Park.
For Bess Van Zandwyk, who stumbled into the inauguration with her daughter, Maggie, it was an improvement from her time spent at the park in her own childhood.
“There’s many more people. This infrastructure definitely didn’t exist back then,” Van Zandwyk reminisced.
“It’s really nice to see the park so vibrant, and with so many different things for the kids to play on. It’s a real pleasure to bring my little one back.”
Maggie, 4, was glued to the zip line, one of the most popular attractions among the new park features.
When asked why she wanted to go on the ride, Maggie yelled, “’Cause! It’s fun!” When asked why it was fun, she said, “It’s fast.”
Crowds of families have been swarming the Little Lake Park installation daily since it was put in more than a week ago, increasing in growth through word of mouth.
Shanna Knowlton attended with her son, Nicholas.
“The improvements were definitely needed,” stated Knowlton. “The kids are having an amazing time. I see a lot more accessible things for the kids to play with.
“The slides are bigger. My son really liked that; I noticed that right away. The zip line is incredible. I wish they had parks like this when I was a kid.”
That was a sentiment shared by Dennis Ruppe, who was sitting quietly in an isolated playground item facing away from the screams of raucous youth, containing a number slide for fingers and traced handprints on its sides. With him was his two-year-old son, Noah.
“I think it looks like a lot of fun and I wish I had it when I was little,” Ruppe remarked. “As the dad of a two-year-old, a lot of it’s a little too big for him, but a lot of the other new parks that we’ve been around are more appropriate for his age and he really loves them.
“I think especially parents of smaller kids have to keep the kids from playing on things that are too big, but otherwise, with proper supervision, he enjoys it.”
At a nearby podium, speeches were made about how the playgrounds made possible through the Canada Community-Building Fund, previously called the Gas Tax Fund, from Infrastructure Canada.
Midland Mayor Stewart Strathearn mentioned how when he grew up, he had a rope and tire for a swing.
Simcoe North MP Adam Chambers talked about how playgrounds allow children to make new friends and develop new skills.
Andy Campbell, executive director of environment and infrastructure for the town, gave thanks to town staff for their efforts before informing parents more playground projects were coming this year and in 2023.
And when the microphone returned to the mayor, he mentioned the town was supplying attendees with cake and — more to his tastes — frozen popsicles.
“I hope they have one of those blue ones because I like those the most,” said Strathearn.
“I love the blue ones, too,” yelled a boy in the crowd.
Strathearn pointed to the boy and said, “You love the blue ones, too? Right on.”
At that point, all the children started shouting out their favourite flavours and colours, which seemed appropriate at a playground ceremony.
