Kids in Brooklyn no longer need to worry about losing their playground — the Brooklyn Recreation Committee announced they are receiving funding from the province to help refurbish the Hank Snow Playground.

Funding through the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage will cover roughly a third of the approximately $20,000 that it will cost to refurbish both swing sets, replace the maypole (spinning rings), and install a new merry-go-round.

The remainder will be paid through money raised by the local area rate.

The playground had been in danger of closing after community members raised concerns the equipment may no longer be safe.

Board member Wendy Vissers says the committee checked with their insurers and performed inspections on the equipment after reaching out to the Canadian Playground Safety Institute. Vissers says through those conversations the board learned that playground doesn’t need to be shuttered just because equipment doesn’t meet the most up-to-date standards. “The way it was described to me is OK if you build a house in the 40’s you build it to the code of the day which is the same as with the playground. And then as building codes change you don't tear down your house and start fresh,” said Vissers. “You just, any work going forward is done to the new code.”

The board presented what they learned to the community at a public meeting.

A motion to close the playground was unsupported and died on the floor, keeping the playground open.

The only question now for Vissers and her team is when they can expect to see the new equipment on site. “We're in the queue. So the equipment is officially, the order is in but it's looking like some of the swing parts will be here in in August. So, hopefully you know, sort of as soon as that stuff arrives within a week or two, we could get that project done,” said Vissers. “The other larger pieces of equipment unfortunately, it's looking like it's probably going to be December by the time they arrive.”

Once it arrives, the Brooklyn Recreation Committee will be installing the new equipment themselves as the only certified installer in Nova Scotia is booked up.

The committee has confirmed they can perform the work without voiding the warranty or jeopardizing their insurance.

Vissers says when they are ready to install, they will be putting a call out to the community to lend a hand. She’s confident there will be no shortage of volunteers.

“An announcement like this, yeah we've had nothing but positive feedback and suggestions from community members like, hey can we do any sort of fund-raising activities to help offset the cost and people coming forward to say yeah we’ll help, you know, donate some time to make it happen, and so you know it's been very positive.”

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