The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Recess could be getting a lot more exciting for Ecole McIsaac School students. A hockey rink, amphitheatre, hill slide and climber are among the planned additions to the school's playground in the coming years. 'There's too many kids and not enough equipment to play on,' says Kara Plamondon, chair of the school's parent advisory council, which is spearheading the project. 'There's so much empty space and so much space we can use.' The upgrades would cost an estimated $50,000 and be completed in three phases over the next three years. 'It's a work in progress and it's going to depend on what funds we have available,' says Plamondon. More than $16,000 has already come through grants, donations and fundraisers, with McIsaac students doing their part to generate dollars. At Plamondon's request, the Flin Flon School Board is now debating whether to contribute $10,000 toward the first phase of the overhaul. The spacious playground already includes a jungle gym, swings, seesaws, soccer nets and an asphalt basketball court. Upgrades The upgrades would add a hockey rink at the northeastern corner of the property, near the fenced-in bus stop area. Placed nearby would be a series of large rocks. The current makeshift soccer field would be replaced with two side-by-side soccer pitches between the existing jungle gym and the fenced-in staff parking lot. A climber play structure would go up on the western half of the playground, not far from the entrance doors for the younger students. Nearby, a set of 12 new swings would be installed. At the far north end would be a large hill slide on the existing hill as well as an amphitheatre. Both additions would require permission from City Hall since they would be on municipal property. Parent council also had plans for a massive sandbox near the younger children's entrance doors, but it turns out the rules prohibit it. The goal is to have the climber and swings up this year, the soccer pitches and hockey rink next year and the large rocks, amphitheatre and hill slide in 2014-15. Plamondon says the current situation leads to disagreements and difficulties on the playground as children lack sufficient play options. She recently presented the plan to the school board, with Trustee Tim Davis commending her and her fellow volunteers for their work. The board then referred Plamondon's request for a $10,000 contribution to the Finance Committee for further review. With 419 students, McIsaac is by far Flin Flon's largest school.
