Three Midland parks will undergo significant face-lifts next spring.
New playgrounds are coming to Little Lake Park (eastern section), Bayview Park and Pete Pettersen Park with the tender process for the new playground equipment now complete.
“The most exciting features kids can be expecting at Little Lake is a zipline, a quiet grove allowing for five calming sensory activities and the height of the main structure, which will provide an amazing view of the lake from the 14-foot enclosed platform,” Midland operations manager Dylan Flannery told MidlandToday.
Over at Pete Pettersen Park, meanwhile, will feature a nautical-themed playground with a a ship/boat, captain’s wheel and telescope included in the design along with a triple slide, a steep double slide and a variety of challenging climbing apparatuses.
“Bayview features include an inclined rock climbing wall, hoopla bridge, twisted infinity climber and a bongo and living art panel for kids to make sounds and music,” Flannery said.
Last summer, several playground structures in town parks were cordoned off following an extensive inspection that identified several pieces of equipment needing repairs and/or removal.
And earlier this year, the town asked for the public’s help in determining where to spend the nearly $500,000 on new playground equipment. The funding was approved by council as part of the 2021 budget.
It noted that public consultation through Engaging Midland was extremely valuable and a significant amount of data was received with residents providing excellent feedback. This helped guide the request for proposal process in a manner that aligned with the goals and priorities of Midland residents and will continue to do so in future playground replacement projects.
Little Lake Park East and Bayview Park playground projects have been awarded to Play Power Canada while Pete Pettersen Park playground has been awarded to Openspace Solutions Inc.
But like pretty much everything else during the pandemic, Flannery said COVID-19 has slowed down the supply chain with lead times that were five to seven weeks now being five or six times that.
“And even then, companies are having difficulty getting guarantees on delivery times so there really is no certainty when equipment would arrive," Flannery said. "As a result, we will have to remain flexible for installation times and are setting tentative dates with the two vendors for early to mid-May."
As well, he noted that they will not be able to confirm with the suppliers until the beginning of spring when they have received the materials and have a better estimate on when the frost will be over.
“Tiffin was not included this time around as there was not a sufficient budget,” he said. “Many of the vendors have seen significant price increases for materials so bids received were coming in over budget and thus there was not sufficient budget remaining for Tiffin.”
Flannery said playgrounds can vary dramatically in cost since it’s all dependent on what design/features/materials/size a municipality chooses.
Flannery added: “It is not uncommon for larger municipalities in the province to spend the Town of Midland’s entire budget on one playground, and even up to double that.”
Some restoration and playground work has already been completed at several town properties, including Quota, Gawley and Harbourview Parks.
