By Matthew Liebenberg
mliebenberg@prairiepost.com
The playground at a popular park in Swift Current is set to receive a new surface, but only after users have enjoyed the play area during the summer.
The tender for the playground resurfacing project in ACT Park was approved during a regular City of Swift Current council meeting, May 15.
General Manager of Community Services Nicole Spenst indicated the installation of the new pour and play surface will take place between Aug. 27 and Sept. 27.
“This allows the community to enjoy the summer months of the park and provide the opportunity for a summer Parks Play program to be based out of ACT Swift in July and August,” she said.
The work will be carried out within this time frame, depending on the weather, and the intention is not to close the playground area for the entire time.
A notable feature of this playground is that it offers a full wheelchair accessible experience. However, the resurfacing project can be carried out without a need to dismantle or move the playground equipment.
“They will be able to work around it and within that it will have to be fenced off and coordinated for safety purposes during that time frame for the public,” she said.
The City received three tender proposals for the project with prices ranging from just under $125,000 to over $195,000. The City selected the submission by Shercom Industries Inc. of Saskatoon as the preferred bid at a cost of $124,924.95 (PST included, GST excluded).
“Submissions were evaluated based on unit price, installation time, warranty and references,” she explained. “Shercom Industries Inc. of Saskatoon received the highest evaluation score and is therefore deemed to be the best value for the City. The submission includes a 10-year warranty on the surface.”
The existing pour and play surface was installed in 2014 with a seven-year warranty. It has deteriorated and therefore needs to be replaced. According to Spenst the deterioration of the surface is weather related.
“There’s a lot of shifting with our cold winter seasons that we do have in Saskatchewan,” she said. “The company that we are working with, Shercom Industries out of Saskatoon, they do have a 10-year warranty on the product. So that was one of the main reasons we chose that company.”
The playground surface is still safe to use over the next few months until the resurfacing work is done.
“It was just one that is identified that could have some repair to ensure the longevity of the use and that there is no potential hazards there,” she said.
ACT Park is classified as one of five destination parks in Swift Current with a variety of amenities for users.
“The destination parks in Swift Current typically have a larger playground as well as a washroom service and outdoor rink or some sort of a feature such as a soccer pitch or athletic field with it,” she said.
