Students at nine area elementary schools in the region will soon see changes to their schoolyards, following a recent announcement by the Quebec government promising funds for playground upgrades and enhancements.
The province is investing just under $4.5 million on 49 projects at schools throughout the Montérégie region as part of the School Playground Improvement Initiative, which is part of the broader Quebec Infrastructure Plan. A total of $850,719 will be shared between four schools with the New Frontiers School Board (NFSB) and five institutions from the Centre de services scolaire de la Vallée-des-Tisserands (CSSVT).
“All children need to move, play, and burn off their energy every day. A well-designed schoolyard will give them even more opportunities to do so,” said Education Minister Sonia LeBel. “These moments that encourage physical activity are essential for fostering their concentration in class and their academic success,” she added.
Within the NFSB, at least $368,000 in funding has been secured for playground projects at Franklin Elementary, Howick Elementary, Ormstown Elementary and Centennial Park Elementary in Châteauguay, where students will soon benefit from the installation of green relaxation areas, shade structures, outdoor learning environments, and playground equipment.
According to NFSB director general Mike Helm, the four projects are designed to create more green spaces for students. “The cost to do the landscaping, to do the installation, to get trees, and to create these green spaces and shared shaded areas adds up very quickly,” he said. “These funds give us the opportunity for our schools to create these outdoor spaces for our students,” he added.
“It is great to be outside and to get that sunlight, but we know the negative effects that being in the sun can have,” said Helm, while acknowledging the playgrounds in Howick and Ormstown are especially lacking in shaded areas.
“Not having the luxury of air conditioning in our schools means that we get extreme heat situations; we need to rotate our students through areas that are cooler. Having these shaded outdoor spaces where we can go are very important,” Helm explained.
The projects align with the board’s sustainable development goals to create and maintain natural outdoor spaces. The funding will also allow the board to purchase and plant more mature trees that will offer more immediate shade benefits.
John Ryan, the chair of the NFSB council of commissioners, acknowledged the work of local MNAs Carole Mallette in Huntingdon, Claude Reid in Beauharnois, and Marie-Belle Gendron in Châteauguay, as well as their support in approving the playground projects.
Helm confirmed that work has already begun at some schools, and the full implementation of the four projects will take place over the year.
Five projects at CSSVT schools
The CSSVT school service centre will receive $482,719 in funding to carry out five schoolyard improvement projects at the École Centrale-Saint-Antoine-Abbé in Franklin, the École des Jeunes-Riverains in Saint-Anicet, and the École Marie-Rose, Dominique-Savio, and Edgar-Hébert elementary schools in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.
The initiatives at these schools range from general schoolyard redevelopment projects to the installation of playground equipment, landscaping and tree planting for green spaces, safety improvements, to the addition of an ice rink for students in Saint-Anicet.