J.J. Nearing Elementary School Playground Replacement

This project will replace the JJ Nearing Catholic Elementary School Playground in the St. Albert community of Dear Ridge.  The JJ Nearing Playground Committee is working hard to secure the $350,000 needed to complete the project and has collaborated with the City of St Albert in extensively in the process.  The committee recently issued a formal Request for Quotation package to seven (7) companies specializing in the manufacturing and installation of playground equipment. We received budgetary costs and design proposals from six (6) of the companies contacted and short-listed the proposals down to the three (3) design concepts that are attached. 

All concepts meet the key design objectives of our RFQ and have a varied suite of playground equipment that delivers:

1. inclusive play opportunities, including physical, cognitive, communicative, social/emotional, and sensory development
2. features and functions that support continuous movement including interconnecting slides, bridges, ramps, or tunnels, that bring games, like tag or grounders, to life by allowing quick traversing or running from one element to another.
3. Progressive challenges geared towards the various age groups at the school

The committee's goal is to construct the selected playground in the summer of 2026.

This project will benefit the JJN Elementary School plus the neighboring communities of Deer Ridge and North Ridge as well as the SIGIS after school care program.

Re-development of the playground will help enrich the lives of children / family in the community. This project supports the goal of creating a healthy city and community through the improvement of recreational facilities and will provide a venue for socialization and connection for decades to come. A recommendation from a 2020 City inspection of the playground provided a targeted timeline of 5 to7 years for the playground’s replacement to address the concerns associated with deteriorating equipment. Children need safe playgrounds for interaction, physical and mental health plus social development.

More specifically, the playground will be a neighborhood destination for children to experience positive interactions. Visitors to the space will feel a sense of joy utilizing a park that connects them to the area. The new playground design will emphasize inclusive play opportunities, and will encourage physical, cognitive, communicative, social/emotional, and sensory development Barrier Free Access Design Standards will be deployed in the design so that the playground can be appreciated by a diverse group of users. In this way, the new playground will enhance the quality of life for the widest possible cross-section of community residents.