Vickers Park Playground Scheduled to Open by Tuesday

The new playground area at Vickers Park in Thunder Bay is expected to be ready in time for Tuesday’s Teddy Bears Picnic.

Werner Schwar, the city’s manager in charge of parks, announced on Friday that construction on the $1.1-million project is expected to wrap up this weekend. He noted that the playground area could open earlier than Tuesday if the weather cooperates.

The park’s iconic concrete turtle has also been refurbished and returned to a more prominent location.

Schwar emphasized the need to modernize the park and its playground equipment.

“The new equipment is necessary because the old equipment had reached the end of its life and was not inclusive or accessible,” Schwar explained. “Standards have changed, and with Boulevard Lake and the north end park, we created an accessible and inclusive hub. The idea was to create a similar hub for the south end at Vickers Park.”

The new playground structure features a rubber surface, replacing the old dirt and sand, and includes a variety of interactive activities, swings, slides, and climbing equipment.

Schwar highlighted the importance of revitalizing Vickers Park.

Crews were completing the rubberized surface on Friday, which needs some time to cure. Schwar asked the public to stay off the playground equipment until the fencing is removed.

To enhance accessibility, two accessible parking spots have been added, along with a concrete walkway from those spots to the playground area.

Visitors will notice a slight change to the turtle, now fully enclosed at the bottom by the rubber surface. Schwar mentioned that they were concerned a child might get their head stuck under the turtle or its head. Previously, workers could have dug around to free a child, but that’s not possible with the rubber surface.