NEWS

Playground plans unveiled

Sharon, Lois and Bram playground is about to get a facelift.

The plans for upgrades to the play area in June Rowlands Park were unveiled during a community meeting at Greenwood College School on March 25.

The project — which includes replacing the junior play structure, creating a welcome area, and refurbishing some of the other existing play structures — is being funded through money set aside from local development projects. Councillor Josh Matlow directed $300,000 of it to be used for this project.

Construction is to begin after Labour Day, according to Dan Connolly, senior project coordinator with the City of Toronto. There is no known completion date yet, but Connolly says the project shouldn’t take too long.

“If it’s not done by this time next year, I’ll be shocked,” he said.

The proposal that garnered the biggest reaction from the community is an area to be called the Itsy Bitsy Spider Garden, featuring a raised platform to be used like a stage, with musical instruments around it.

Two elephants will also come out to play, one standing and welcoming people to the Itsy Bitsy Spider Garden, and another reclining in the playground for kids to climb on.

Trio member Bram Morrison attended the meeting, calling the proposal “great” and saying he considers the playground a greater honour than the Juno Awards or the Order of Canada.

“This is something different, this is something organic,” he said. “I’m very honoured and I know [Sharon and Lois] are too.”

Matlow joked he wasn’t trying to start any rumours, saying the proposed stage may be put to good use when the playground has a grand re-opening.

“When we do a ribbon-cutting, there might be a concert,” he said, turning to Morrison, posing the statement as a question.

“Could be,” Morrison replied.