Winnipeg councillor wants to find new way to fund school playgrounds

A Winnipeg city councillor wants to see changes in how school playgrounds are funded. CTV’s Harrison Shin explains.

A Winnipeg city councillor is looking at new ways to finance school playgrounds, and it involves hearing from Winnipeggers.

Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital) is holding a 10-day task force to listen to community members and school divisions to find a new way to pay for playgrounds.

Kristin Hildahl-Shawn, a parent and a past chair of Bison Run School’s parent advisory council, said the council started fundraising in early 2024 for new play structures.

“We are looking at costs of upwards of $300,000 for the play structures, and these are not overly elaborate structures,” Hildahl-Shawn said.

Most school boards rely on provincial funding and parent fundraisers to build or repair playground structures. So far, Hildahl-Shawn’s group has raised $70,000, including grants —about 23 per cent of the total cost.

“We’re just barely not even halfway towards the goal of phase one of our structure and so how does this current system set anyone up for success?”

Mayes said the current funding model is inefficient and unfair.

“We’re going to try and work with some people in the community and get some ideas here and hopefully come up with a model that in the future, the burden isn’t all on the parent groups,” he said.

Mayes said he hopes “bring some attention to this issue and get some ideas” at the very least.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Education Minister Tracy Schmidt said, in part, the government recognizes playgrounds’ vital role in children’s physical, social and mental development, and they “look forward to the feedback from the task force.”

Hildahl-Shawn said she looks forward to talking with the task force.

“It’s really exciting. I have actually reached out to the councillors so that our parent council can be involved,” she said.

The task force will meet at the Norberry-Glenlee Community Centre at 1 p.m. on Jan. 19. A report from the task force is expected to be released on Jan. 28, Mayes said.