The design of the play structure slated for installation at Crozier Park.

A lengthy Council meeting on August 10 concluded with the approval of contracts for new play structures to be installed in the hamlets of Oxford Station and Oxford Mills. The structures will be installed at Crozier Park and Oxford Station Park, at a total cost of just over $67,000.

The Municipality’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Culture received two applications from companies wishing to be responsible for the designing, building, and installation of the new structures. The applications were evaluated based on the technical and financial criteria laid out by the department. Playground Planners was the company that ultimately won the contract based on the criteria.

The funding for the new play structures comes from last year’s ParticipACTION challenge, which saw North Grenville named as Canada’s Most Active Community, which came with a $100,000 cash prize. This year, the Municipality fought to keep its title, but ultimately won the less prestigious, but still significant, title of Ontario’s Most Active Community. This year’s award comes with a $7,500 prize. Community consultation is expected in the coming months to help decide what this new prize money will be used for.

Public consultation helped decide the design and colours of the new structures, with a “pool blue” structure decided upon for Oxford Station Park, and a “forest green” structure for Crozier Park.

Accessibility features will be included in the new structures, and the existing structures will be removed by municipal staff. Certain existing structures at the parks, including swing sets, will not be altered. The ParticipACTION prize money must be used within two years, meaning that there is a deadline of June, 2023 for the $100,000 prize. The new play structures in Oxford Mills and Oxford Station are slated for installation in May of 2023.

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