Ecole St. Cecilia Outdoor Recreational Improvement

St. Cecilia Elementary School is a French immersion school in Calgary serving students from kindergarten to grade 6. St. Cecilia is part of the Calgary Catholic School District, a publicly funded school board that is open to all students. St. Cecilia is a small school, with a population of approximately 290 students. In 2023, the School Board informed us that our beloved playground had reached the end of its life and was to be removed in Summer 2024. Parents successfully advocated for two extensions, and the current playground is now expected to be removed in Summer 2026. Without a replacement, nearly 300 students and countless community members and families will be left without access to a safe outdoor play space.

The new playground will directly support active living by providing a safe, no cost, barrier-free space that encourages physical activity, outdoor play, and community connection. Located in the community of Acadia, it will feature an accessible safety surface, ground-level and elevated play structures, an elevated transfer platform, and a connection to the pedestrian pathway. The playground will meet the Government of Canada’s Enabling Accessibility Fund guidelines, and a secure perimeter fence will ensure children can play safely without risk of entering adjacent streets.

The playground will benefit all community members of Acadia, serving as a hub for families to connect, engage in active living, build social bonds, and foster wellness, inclusion, and a sense of belonging. This project will serve not only St. Cecilia’s students and families but also the wider Acadia community and surrounding neighbourhoods, offering a welcoming space for children of all abilities. By removing barriers and promoting equity and inclusion, it will empower children to grow and thrive, support families, and strengthen community wellness for years to come.

This project will directly benefit the approximately 290 students in kindergarten to grade 6 that attend St. Cecilia school, as well as their families and siblings that don't attend the school. It will provide these families a place to meet and socialize after hours, and provide the children a place to develop their social skills and relationships outside of the structure of the classroom.

The playground will benefit the nearby childcare providers that rely on the playground to provide outdoor activities which support the development of gross motor skills, confidence, and social skills.

Most importantly the playground will benefit the approximately 1200 children under 14 that live in the neighbourhood of Acadia, this does not include the children and families that live in the nearby neighbourhoods of Willow Park and Maple Ridge that also utilize and enjoy the playground. Acadia lacks accessible playgrounds in the community, our goal is to build an accessible playground that provides a welcoming space for children of all abilities. The additional benefit of the playground being enclosed within a secure perimeter fence will ensure children can play safely without risk of entering adjacent streets. This playground will serve as a hub for families to connect, engage in active living, build social bonds, and foster wellness, inclusion, and a sense of belonging.