After three years of planning and more than $1.5 million raised, Kingston’s inclusive play project is now open, creating a space where children of all abilities can play side by side.
For Krystal Good and her family, the moment was a long time coming.
“It’s a pretty amazing thing … We’ve been waiting a long time for this park to open,” said Good, whose five-year-old daughter is nonverbal and has level 3 autism.
The new playground at Shannon Park was made possible through donations from private individuals and foundations, support from Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and land and funding from the City of Kingston.
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“It was something that everyone bought into and it was great to see how this project slowly built over time and just got moving,” said Kingston City Coun. Brandon Tozzo.
The goal was simple – to create a space where every child can feel included.
For good, that means being able to watch her daughter play without the same obstacles they’ve faced at other parks. She says features like the fenced-in play area make a big difference for their family.
“I think this is the first time I’ve been able to go to a park and just enjoy watching her play,” Good said, as her daughter has a tendency to run away during playtime.
“She’s an eloper, so it’s been really hard for us to find a park with fences, so it was important for us to have a fence here that’s safe from the road.”
The park also includes a communication board to help non-verbal children express what they need.
“She wanted to go home because she was so busy,” Good said, “so she was able to go to that board and say go and we knew she wanted to leave.”
The park features a rubber safety surface designed to help cushion falls and keep children safe while they play. The official grand opening is set for mid-September, but for families like the Good’s, the space is already making a difference.
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