Premier commits $8 million for school playgrounds
Channel: GovernmentofBC
Date: 2011-09-02

Premier Christy Clark announced $8 million for 44 new playgrounds and playground upgrades for schools across British Columbia to help provide safe play spaces for kids to be happy and healthy.

These 44 new school playgrounds and more than one hundred upgraded, replaced or recently installed playgrounds are thanks to $8 million over two years from the province.

Public elementary and middle schools provincewide will be eligible for the playground funding, which will ensure that every public elementary school - and every middle school that wants one - will have a playground for their students. Currently there are about 1,347 public elementary and middle schools in B.C. - 44 of which have been identified as having no playground equipment at all - and these are the schools that will be given first priority.

The Ministry of Education is currently working with school districts and parent advisory councils in the province to identify schools that had playgrounds built this year that will benefit from up to $50,000 in reimbursements. The remaining funds will go towards upgrading or replacing equipment at existing public school playgrounds.