Before the ribbon could be cut on Hackett Park’s new playground, children were clambering all over it, swinging from monkey bars, and zipping down the slide. The fun had begun.
On March 17, dozens gathered at the park in Sechelt to celebrate the installation of updated equipment.
“This new playground will provide kids with quality play spaces that are exciting both physically and mentally,” mayor John Henderson said at the official opening. “Hackett Park is an icon in the centre of Sechelt. The revitalization of this entire park is a great step toward the District offering more spaces for all residents and visitors to Sechelt.”
He thanked everyone who worked on the playground, including his predecessor Darnelda Siegers for keeping the project under her watch during her time as mayor. Henderson also gave a special thanks to parks manager Jayme Anderson, who was marking his last day with the District after 11 years of employment.
The funding for the project came from the province’s Tourism Dependent Community Fund’s $300,000 grant. The new landscape design and two areas of play structures with multiple features were especially created for the space.
With its addition, the revitalization of Hackett Park is complete. The District of Sechelt had received more than $500,000 in grants from the Tourism Dependent Community Fund and a federal and provincial grant from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program – Community, Culture and Recreation Program, a press release said.
In between turns on the slide and rushing over to snack on Timbits, multiple excited children took time to thank Anderson for their new playground.
