Cumberland Council has approved up to $26,000 in extra funding for accessibility upgrades at Village Park.
Manager of Recreation Leah Knutson notes that the monies will go towards plans already in place to improve accessibility to the playground and splash pad.
“We are going to be able to benefit greatly. We are going to be able to install an accessible picnic table, the accessible walkways, a water fountain that everyone can reach as well as two new parking stalls, which are going to be levelled out and paved so anybody that has mobility issues will be able to use those parking stalls,” she says.
Knutson says some of the original funding came from the Village Park capital budget, which included just under $41,000.
“We did receive approximately $17,000 from the Federal government’s Enabling Accessibility grant program. Then Council approved the $26,000 and that is coming from the DCCs, which are cost development charges. We collect those form developers who come into the community and that allows us to improve park-land.”
Construction is expected to begin this fall.