The Editor:
The City of Burnaby's recent open house for Central Park Master Plan was in fact not about a master plan for the Triangle, but simply a new playground plan.
The problem is that there is already one of Burnaby's most popular playgrounds a few hundred metres to the west of the proposed site.
The playground, once known as "Variety Park," officially opened in 1986 by Prince Charles and Lady Diana as a state-of-the-art accessible playground.
Now surrounded by large mature trees, the site continues to be one of the park's most beautiful and cherished spaces.
Yes, the equipment and spray pads need replacing — so let's take the opportunity to relocate the "one-of-a-kind destination playground" where one already exists?
It is badly in need of an upgrade and unlike the Triangle site, this one is well shaded and buffered from the noise and sights of Kingsway.
The existing playground provides a far more attractive setting while allowing a true Master Plan process the time and space required to do it justice.
The strange thing is that there was no mention of the existing and adjacent playground in any of the city's information.
Go figure.
- Kate Clark, Burnaby
