A west Edmonton neighbourhood is celebrating the culmination of five years of rallying behind a student with disabilities who now has a playground built with him in mind. Francis Lahaye is a kid as bright as the yellow sunglasses he wore on Saturday at the newly redesigned Lynnwood Playground. He’s quick to make a ‘6,7’ joke and he loves to hang out with his friends at the nearby school. Francis has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, so in past years, joining his friends at the playground has been a struggle – one his dad, Vincent, described as “heartbreaking.” “(Francis) describes sitting in his chair by himself, watching everybody else play. It’s a very isolating feeling,” Vincent said on Saturday. The old playground’s structure made navigating the ground like “riding a bike on the beach,” he added. So, five years ago, the community saw that need and reimagined the park. “This particular playground was unique because behind the scenes, we had volunteer members who worked professionally in inclusion. We had occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, we had social workers who are embedded in the fabric of supporting inclusion in other settings to bring their lens in,” said Lynnwood Community League Vice President Justin Duval. The league, school and city banded together to fundraise for each new feature of the park, which includes wheelchair-friendly rubber pathways and structures designed to meet sensory and accessibility needs. “There was a monumental effort by several volunteers … There were bake sales. There were book exchanges and sales. We had plant swaps, bike repairs, and a lot of these pieces were brought forward by volunteers in the community themselves,” Duval said. The community ultimately fundraised more than $100,000 in Lynnwood alone and received another $1.1 million in grant funding and donor support. The kids checking out the grand opening of the playground on Saturday all said it was far better than the old wooden equipment. “This is all about the kids. They’re the ones who will be forming relationships, they will be the ones building experiences here alongside friends and family,” Duval added. “I think we need to look at public spaces from a universal design perspective. What is good for one is good for all.” Area Coun. Thu Parmar says the city played a part in project management, but the playground was a testament to the dedication of Lynnwood residents. “People would be surprised to know that a lot of (parks and playgrounds) were built with community volunteers, and sponsorship, and in partnership with two levels of funders,” she said Saturday. “I think this is actually a gold standard.” One of Francis’s favourite parts of the new playground is the swings. He’s also glad he can now play with his friends at one of his favourite places. “Feels amazing, getting to be free, getting to play games, to do whatever you want,” he said. He’s taking his new role as park inspiration and community leader seriously. “You have to take care of other people, you have to make sure they’re safe, make sure they’re not doing anything bad.” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Connor Hogg
