United Way Centraide North East Ontario is dedicated to helping kids be all that they can be.

While each renewed municipal playground has an accessible feature, the United Way Centraide North East Ontario is committed to making playgrounds more accessible for all to enjoy.

Over the next three years, the United Way Centraide North East Ontario will work to unite community partners, businesses and individuals to purchase additional play options that will enhance and enrich the lives of individuals with special needs.

Watch for the campaign launch in the spring of 2019.

When determining which playground to renew in a given year, the city looks at each neighbourhood for socio-economic factors, degree of equipment deterioration and recommendations of the Parks, Open Space and Leisure Master Plan review for more accessible options for playgrounds.

Additional municipal playgrounds scheduled for renewal will be announced in 2019.

The City of Greater Sudbury hosted a citywide community consultation in October 2017. The purpose of this community consultation was to provide Greater Sudbury Council with information about frequency of use, level of satisfaction, preferred play structures, landscaping and design to develop a citywide standard of quality for all municipal playgrounds.

The citywide standard of quality and specific design parameters for 12 municipal playgrounds are included in the Request for Proposal for Phase One of the municipal playground revitalization project.

Each renewed municipal playground must:

• be reflective of the existing landscape and be noticeable from a distance,
• incorporate a variety of equipment that enables group, pair and individual play,
• provide a variety of play activities and stimulating movement including but not limited to: climbing, swinging, co-ordination, spinning, upper body strength, agility, imagination, social interaction, balancing and jumping,
• meet the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation, Ontario Regulation 191/11 and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) with respect to outdoor play spaces,
• consider all persons, including seniors and those with disabilities.

The City of Greater Sudbury hosted a second community consultation in May 2018 to gather feedback specific to each of the 12 municipal playgrounds scheduled for renewal in 2018.

Open house "Neighbourhood Huddles" were scheduled at the 12 playgrounds to provide opportunity for face-to-face interaction. Surveys were also available online and on paper.

Residents were asked to choose their favourite playground theme (traditional, fitness or imagination), play activity, playground service or facility, to identify what the most important thing the city needs to address/do at the playground and to share what they like best and least about their municipal playground.

Results were compiled and included in the Request for Proposal for phase one of the playground revitalization project.

Results are summarized on this page under the Municipal Playground Renewal tab.

A municipal playground is an easily accessible park space, serving the recreational needs of homes and apartments within an approximate 10 minute walking distance.

A municipal playground may contain any or all of the following: play structures, sand boxes, benches, informal playing fields, natural areas, community gardens and outdoor rinks.

Municipal playgrounds are usually no more than 1 hectare (2.5 acres) in size but may also be located within a larger community park.

The City of Greater Sudbury is responsible for 189 municipal playgrounds. This represents an approximate ratio of one playground for every 87 children from birth to age nine, which is one of the highest rates of access in Ontario.

86 playgrounds were installed within the last five to eight years and are in good condition.

45 playgrounds are in satisfactory condition but require replacement within ten years.

58 playgrounds are in poor condition and require replacement in less than five years.

See a map of all playgrounds in the City of Greater Sudbury.

Municipal playgrounds in each community are available in text format.

For more information about this municipal playground community consultation:

Email: leisure.services@greatersudbury.ca
Telephone: 705-674-4455, ext. 2446
Visit: Tom Davies Square, 200 Brady Street, Sudbury, ON