City issues tender for 4 new playgrounds

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This article was published 07/05/2024 (858 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The City of Brandon issued a tender for the construction of four new playgrounds this year, including Olivia the Brave Park.

Located at the corner of Goldenrod and Plateau drives, Olivia the Brave Park was the subject of a short fundraising campaign by neighbourhood residents to boost the budget from the $100,000 earmarked by the city for the project.

After the campaign raised more than $155,000 toward the project, the tender confirms that the city has boosted the budget to $200,000. The park is named after Olivia Baessler, a four-year-old girl who loved playing at the site before her death in 2020.

Lead organizer Amber White previously told the Sun that any excess funds collected would be used to add amenities to the park like picnic benches and shade areas.

Beyond the installation of new play structures at Olivia the Brave Park, the city is asking the winning contractor to add pea gravel as a fall protection measure on the site.

At Monday’s Brandon City Council meeting, Coun. Shawn Berry (Ward 8) praised constituents for raising so much money in just three weeks, saying it was an example of what the community can do when it comes together.

“We’re really looking forward to it because come September, we’re going to see a real nice playground there,” he said.

“I can’t thank the residents, and Amber White especially, enough.”

Mayor Jeff Fawcett said he hoped that Olivia’s parents would see the recognition the community is giving to their daughter when they see people enjoying the park.

Gravel will also be added by the winning contractor to another playground on the list, Patricia Heights Community Park and Playground at 5 Young Ave. The budget for that playground is $100,000.

The other two projects are at Argyle Courts Playground at 1600 24th St., with a $150,000 budget, and Jacobson Park at 45 Mulberry Cres., with a $75,000 budget.

All existing play structures at Olivia the Brave Park and Jacobson Park will be left in place, while the contractor will remove the old structures at Patricia Heights and the city will do the same at Argyle Courts.

The city specifies the play structures provided must meet national safety standards and cannot include wooden structures, enclosed slides and crawl tubes, play panels with small moving parts, cable rides, tire swings, talk tubes, binoculars or telescope and barrel rollers. The winning bidder must provide a one-year warranty for the play structures and must carry out an on-site inspection of them at least two weeks before the warranty expires.

The tender closes at 5 p.m. on May 21. No deadline for the completion of the work is listed in the tender.

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