Editor:
I note the government announcement of a $5-million fund to provide ongoing support for school playgrounds. As a person who has been an activist in play and playground matters in this province for more than half a century, I applaud this development but must also voice a strong caution to those in charge of funds.
There is a danger that rather than looking to the real needs of children and youth, those responsible for enhancing school yards will resort to commercial playground catalogues and purchase expensive playground equipment that has some novelty appeal for kids but little lasting impact on their true play needs. If this approach is taken it amounts to the Disneyfication of school grounds.
On the other hand, there is a broad program of school ground naturalization that is emerging across the globe that has more to do with trees and plants, hand-crafted structures, reintroduction of time-honoured play forms, and creation of learning and play environments by children and adults in their community.
Those who will be involved in these developments might well look to the work that we have done at a number of schools over time such as the Greening of Lord Tennyson in Vancouver, the University Hill Playground Project, and the Lord Roberts School Playground (which won an award as the most improved community space in the city).
Each of these very successful endeavours was marked by design by community residents, much creativity on the part of all, adults and youth working together to reinvent their own space, reintroduction of nature in a variety of ways and real enhancement of their community amenity.
To turn over this wonderful opportunity to commercial interests and playgrounds made of plastic and steel would be a tragedy. My fervent hope is that the government, the educational establishment, and parent bodies will look beyond convenience to do what is in the best interests of childhood and the community.
Gary Pennington, Roberts Creek
