Burnaby is ready to kick its playgrounds up a notch.
After a budget increase to the parks department, city staff have come up with a timeline of playgrounds to be upgraded in the next five years.
The first enhanced playground up for improvement will be Jim Lorimer Park, near Gilmore SkyTrain station in Brentwood town centre.
The development is set to begin this year and will include creating a “flood-proof plateau” in the park for the playground’s location.
The city has planned for four basic playgrounds to be upgraded every year, as well as either a larger scale enhanced or destination playground.
Enhanced playgrounds are designed to serve more children in higher density areas, and use by schools and daycares, while basic playgrounds serve neighbourhood residents within a 15-minute walk.
Basic playgrounds have a capacity of about 30 children and cost about $300,000; enhanced playgrounds have a capacity of 70 or more and cost about $750,000, according to staff reports from December.
Enhanced playgrounds can be located on sites that are “more expensive to develop,” due to issues like flooding or tight spaces which need more resilient, rubberized surfaces, according to a new staff report.
Destination playgrounds are larger facilities planned to serve kids from Burnaby as well as draw families from out of town. The playgrounds will meet maximum accessibility standards and could include features like ziplines, 10-metre tall “tree house” towers, spiral slides and rope walkways, according to the December reports. They can handle about 200 or more kids at a time and cost about $3.5 million.
The first destination playground to be built will be in the northeast of Central Park. Staff will bring more details for council to decide on before construction begins in 2025.
The money for the new destination playgrounds will come from development cost charges (DCCs) collected from developers rather than residents, according to city staff.
2024 playground construction:
- Lochdale School Park (Basic)
- Forest Grove Park (Basic)
- Lobley Park (Basic)
- Poplar Park (Basic)
- Jim Lorimer Park (Enhanced, 2023-2025)
2025 playground construction:
- Richard Bolton Park (Basic)
- Greentree Village Park (Basic)
- Froggers Creek Park (Basic)
- Mary Avenue Park (Basic)
- Jim Lorimer Park (Enhanced, 2023-2025)
- Ernie Winch Park (Enhanced, 2025-2026)
- Central Park (Destination, 2025-2027)
2026 playground construction:
- Suncrest School Park (Basic)
- Cariboo Hill School Park (Basic)
- Riverway West School Park (Basic)
- Willard Park (Basic)
- Ernie Winch Park (Enhanced, 2025-2026)
- Lewarne Park (Enhanced, 2026-2027)
- Central Park (Destination, 2025-2027)
2027 playground construction:
- Graham Park (Basic)
- Burnaby Heights Park (Basic)
- John Matthews Park (Basic)
- Deer Lake, Shadbolt Centre (Basic)
- Lewarne Park (Enhanced, 2026-2027)
- Maywood Park (Enhanced, 2027-2028)
- Central Park (Destination, 2025-2027)
- Barnet Marine Park (Destination, 2027-2029)
2028 playground construction:
- Broadview Park (Basic)
- Bell Park (Basic)
- Central Park, ponds (Basic)
- Beecher Park (Basic)
- Maywood Park (Enhanced, 2027-2028)
- Barnet Marine Park (Destination, 2027-2029)
Playgrounds marked for enhanced upgrades:
- Jim Lorimer Park
- Ernie Winch Park
- Bonsor Park
- Cameron Park
- Kensington Park
- Keswick Park
- Lewarne Park
- Maywood Park
- Ron McLean Park
- Taylor Park
- Willingdon Park
Destination playgrounds to come:
- Central Park
- Barnet Marine Park
- Fraser Foreshore Park
- Burnaby Lake Sport Complex West
- Burnaby Mountain Centennial Park
- Confederation Park
- Deer Lake Park
- Edmonds Park
