In 2010, the Kitsilano Beach playground was the new cool kid of Vancouver play spaces. A legacy of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, it’s the city’s largest fully accessible playground and the rotating climber and saucer swings are super fun. A couple thousand illegal cigarette butts later, plus overcrowding, and proximity to the young adult meat market, and many neighbourhood moms are willing to make the trek to another neighbourhood.
Where are they heading? The new $1 million playground Terra Nova in Richmond is the one to visit.
Designed by Vancouver’s Hapa Collaborative, this magical wonderland is the result of over decade of planning. The play landscape is inspired by the environment of the parkland on a middle arm of the Fraser River. The design includes an jaw-dropping spiral slide, a treehouse, meadow maze, zip line, and a “log jam” climbing structure that is meant to be like the classic West coast experience of walking on logs.
The Richmond community played an integral role in shaping the park, as kids from local schools were consulted on the design of the playground, and even asked to share their ideas for the design.
The playground cost $1 million, and has been in the works since 2012, when the plan was approved. In the last three years, civic politicians have approved a total of $2.2 million in spending for the play environment and supporting features, including $650,000 this year for washrooms and landscaping.
Although kids have already been playing on some of the features, the official grand opening has been set for September 27. Terra Nova Park is located in the northwest corner of Lulu Island, at the west end of River Road in the Thompson area of Richmond.
Tell us what you think. This could always turn out to be like those eco-friendly, overpriced, wooden toys that look hip on the shelf in your living room but your kid never finds amusing.
Last modified: September 24, 2014
They should have left up the old Kits playground. I’ve taken my nieces and nephews to the new one and I’m not a fan. It’s too close to the path. Kids want to run in all directions when they play and here they are stopped in one direction from the lifeguard/washroom station and another direction from the seawall full of people and bikes. Plus it’s a really boring playground, it’s too safe, there are no big scary slides and they have removed the big swings that were just a few steps away. There has to be a slight sense of fear or a challenge at playgrounds for kids to continue to be entertained.