Plans are moving ahead on the construction of an inclusive playground within Riverside Park. The new playground, built to incorporate the existing playground within Riverside Park, will be the first fully accessible playground in Kamloops.

Several new inclusive amenities, including a "We-Go-Round", "We-Saw", "ZipKrooz" and more, will enhance the experience at the playground, allowing for children of all abilities to enjoy the City's most cherished park. In addition, the entire playground surface will be upgraded to an accessible impact surface. 

"Whether a child is transferring out of their mobility device, or not, there’s plenty to do. Activities like the ZipKrooz with both a molded bucket seat and a standard seat provide a level of choice to each user. That way, regardless if I’m standing or sitting, I can also jump in for a race with my friends. The integrated shade on the structure and We Go Round provide additional comfort for users who need to be cognizant of heat, allowing them to play for longer with their friends," commented Jill Moore, a wheelchair athlete who aids product development for inclusive play environments with Landscape Structures (the playground vendor). 

Construction on the new playground will start September 12, and is expected to be complete by the end of November 2022. Although the current playground will be closed during construction, there are other excellent downtown playground options such as Prince Charles Park and Stuart Wood school park. There are also many accessible features at the large new playground at the west end of McArthur Island Park for the public to enjoy.

The City gratefully acknowledges a contribution of $200,000 from the Trans Mountain Expansion Project towards the construction of this new accessible playground. 

“Trans Mountain is proud to contribute to the new inclusive playground at Riverside Park,” said Jeff Robinson, Director of Stakeholder Engagement, Trans Mountain. “We appreciate our ongoing collaboration with the City of Kamloops and are pleased to be a part of this exciting new playground for all children to enjoy.”

Work on the multi-use pathway is now complete and it fully reopened for use on Friday, September 2.