Town Marks Grand Opening of Saugeen Shores Rotary Club Accessible Playground

Today, the Town held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the grand opening of the Saugeen Shores Rotary Club accessible playground. The ceremony also marked the completion of Phase 2 development for Lamont Sports Park, where the playground resides. The playground was years in the making, with input from the Town’s Accessibility Committee and community members ensuring that the design would be fully accessible. A special thank you to Whitney Bonnett and Jeff Virgo for their contributions and input.

“The opening of this playground marks the successful completion of the Lamont Sports Park’s Phase 2 development, and the fulfilment of the vision that began when we won Kraft Heinz Project Play in 2019," said Mayor Luke Charbonneau. "We are grateful for the significant feedback by the Accessibility Committee and the public in promoting the adoption of accessible playground design features. We also thank our wonderful donors for their contributions in bringing this regionally significant park to Saugeen Shores.”

The playground includes features that are almost all fully accessible, such as:

• Poured-in-place rubber surfacing
• Play equipment that is accessible by ramp
• Wheelchair-accessible gondola
• Accessible swings
• Sensory learning panels
• Accessible tables and benches

Funding towards the accessible playground included donations from the Saugeen Shores Rotary Club and Kraft Heinz, with the Town being the successful recipient of the Kraft Heinz 2019 Project Play contest.

Completion of Phase 2 development includes the opening of the central square, second parking lot and trail access from the west (near Walmart) for the park. The two additional ball diamonds and double batting cage with storage will open in 2025.