Work nears completion on Diamond Vale playground
The playground at Diamond Vale Elementary underwent groundwork over the summer and is nearing completion.
Principal Val Edgell said she anticipates the playground will be finished by the end of the month.
“The part that has been started, in the ground, you can’t really see,” she explained.
The anchors for the climbing structure are installed, new footing for the playground was dug out and fresh gravel was laid.
“We’re waiting for the craziness of the first week of school to settle for the maintenance department, and then [this] week the concrete should have cured enough for the anchors and then they can start putting up the rest of the structure,” she said.
In addition to money that was donated by the community, Nicola-Similkameen School District 58 contributed several thousand dollars from a Play Possible program, Edgell said.
The grant matches up to 15 per cent of costs for new playground, to a maximum of $50,000, the program’s website stated.
The parent-advisory council had a target to raise $39,000, which it achieved in May.
They held meat orders, catalogue sales, bottle drives, raffles, donations through Christmas concerts, and hot dog and pizza sales.
It took approximately four years to raise the money to replace the former dilapidated equipment that was installed nearly 30 years ago.
Since that time, structures became so damaged that they had to be removed, leaving only a few pieces of equipment remaining.
Edgell has said she expects the new playgound to last 25 years.
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