DeAnne Pelchat, the school and community development agent with Ecole acadienne de Truro, and Robert Carreau, school vice-principle, spoke with Truro town council on Monday. They requested thousands of dollars to help get a community park off the ground. Monique Chiasson - Truro Daily News
Officials with the proposed Aberdeen Community Park asked Truro town council for $39,500 towards the project that they hope will begin this summer. The completed project is estimated to cost $435,000.
“We want to create a safe place to play … with the closing of the Alice and Douglas street schools there is no playground on this side of town other than Victoria Park,” said DeAnne Pelchat, the school and community development agent with Ecole acadienne de Truro, which has two available acres on its Aberdeen Street property for the community-based playground.
The concept is to include a natural playground, swings, slides, climbing equipment, a sundial, gardens, pathways, a Mi’kmaw and Acadian sanctuary to honour culture, usable green space, amphitheatre, model boat and butterfly garden, to name a few.
In addition, an onsite baseball diamond in disrepair will be disassembled, and a basketball court will be resurfaced. There will also be a wheelchair accessible path with stairs in the park, as well as a wet and dry brook.
Although many councillors said they thought the project is a good idea, they also indicated it was pricey.
“There’s not an extra $40,000 this year,” in the town’s budget, said Coun. Tom Chisholm. “Put it on the (request) list.”
“We have a full plate,” said Truro Mayor Bill Mills. He added the request would go through the budget deliberation process.
The town has already given $1,000 towards the project.
Pelchat confirmed $164,000 has been fundraised or donated. Financial requests have also been made to the province (for $153,000) and the Municipality of Colchester County ($39,500). No answers have been provided yet.
Pelchat told the Truro Daily News the plan to build the park will continue, with or without funding.
“But it would take us much longer,” Pelchat told the paper.
She said the Acadian school is the “fastest growing school in the province” with 291 students this year and 327 students projected for next year.
“And we don’t even have a playground,” she said.
Twitter: tdnMonique
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Officials with the proposed Aberdeen Community Park asked Truro town council on Monday for $39,500 towards the project that they hope will begin this summer. The completed project is estimated to cost $435,000.
“We want to create a safe place to play ….,” said DeAnne Pelchat, the school and community development agent with Ecole acadienne de Truro, which has two acres on its property for the community-based playground.
The concept is to include a natural playground, swings, slides, climbing equipment, a sundial, gardens, a Mi’kmaw and Acadian sanctuary to honour culture, usable green space, amphitheatre, model boat and butterfly garden, to name a few.
In addition, an onsite baseball diamond in disrepair will be disassembled, and a basketball court will be resurfaced. There will also be a wheelchair accessible path with stairs in the park, as well as a wet and dry brook.
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