Contract for Coney Island playground awarded

Work to construct a new playground on Coney Island should begin this summer.

Director of Engineering and Infrastructure for the City of Kenora Greg Breen says they have awarded a contract for the project.

“Work is planned to start in July on that project,” Breen updated city council on the project recently.

“It’s a really interesting construction strategy. When the existing playground is removed, the contractor is going to lay down a grid structure, just above the surface level, where the existing playground is, and all the playground features get attached into that grid structure.”

Breen says when complete the playground structure will be fully accessible.

“It’s going to be fully rubber matted. Lots of accessible features. We are exceeding the AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) requirements by almost 50 percent, in term of the amount of features that are accessible and inclusive.”

The Kenora Rotary Club is helping to fundraise for the new playground and has committee $66,000 towards the project.

Blue Imp has the contact to install the playground equipment for $714,138.53.

City council will vote on the contact at Tuesday night’s open meeting.

(Photo: proposed accessible play structure on Coney Island)