Potential new playground design standards for the City of Courtenay are ready for public review. The community is invited to provide feedback on the overall standards, plus help shape an upcoming playground replacement at Woodcote Park.  

The Let鈥檚 Play, Courtenay! project will create new playground design standards so that new and upgraded play spaces are meeting the needs of the community.

The second phase of the project is running from now until July 12. 

The draft guidelines can be reviewed and feedback can be share at . 

Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells said the check-in is an opportunity for the public to weigh in on the work completed to date. 

鈥淒uring Phase one, we received lots of input on how our community likes to play,鈥� said Wells. 鈥淏efore we do that, we want to check back to see if we got the draft standards right, or if there is anything we may have missed. Once they are finalized, replacing Woodcote Park playground is first on the list, so the survey also asks if there are any specific suggestions for Woodcote that aren鈥檛 already reflected in the playground standards. This is a great chance for the public to influence that design.鈥�

Feedback through the survey will be considered in the final standards, which will be presented before the city council next September for approval. 

The new design standards will be put to use immediately, as the City of Courtenay allocated an extra $1 million in grant funding from the Province of BC for Courtenay playgrounds over the next two years.

Woodcote Park playground is a top priority for replacement in 2024, and would be the first playground to be replaced using the updated playground design standards. An optional question on the survey seeks community feedback on this upcoming playground replacement project.

Planning for specific playgrounds across the City will happen over time.