Vancouver’s Creekside Park delights, challenges kids
Posted August 24, 2017 4:59 pm.
Last Updated August 24, 2017 5:02 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A new park, designed to engage and challenge kids — and the young at heart — has opened in downtown Vancouver.
Creekside Park, located just outside Science World, boasts a range of activities including a climbing tower, tube slide, swings, play hut, musical instruments, water, sand and a 22-metre long zip line.
“That’s something we’ve really looked at our playgrounds is how to we challenge our children at our playgrounds?” Vancouver Park Board commissioner Michael Wiebe said. “How do we make them more useful for different age groups? How do we get kids to really want to be involved and hang out at the playgrounds?”
The space was also designed to accommodate a range of abilities, including wheelchairs.
All the equipment has been safety certified, Wiebe said, adding the zip line can hold up to 300lbs, should any adventurous – and possibly inebriated – adults wish to give it a try.
“But there is a challenge where kids may be falling from certain distances and we can’t protect every kid from every injury, and that’s part of these new playgrounds,” he said. “We need to understand there’s a certain amount of risk needed for youth too really enjoy our parks.”
Rangers will regularly patrol and clean the area, which is located close to the Downtown Eastside. Staff will go through every morning to ensure any hazardous materials such as needles are removed.
The $900,000 park, $500,000 of which was donated by Concord Pacific, replaces two older structures that were on the land.
