| Article | July 31, 2013
Community celebrates new playground in Toronto's Treverton Park
Councillor Paul Ainslie (Ward 43 Scarborough East), Chair of the Parks and Environment Committee, and Councillor Michael Thompson (Ward 37 Scarborough Centre) joined children from a Scarborough community at a ribbon-cutting ceremony this afternoon to celebrate the opening of a new $110,000 playground in Treverton Park.
Sponsor representatives from ING Direct, Sinking Ship Entertainment/Giver TV, the Children's Aid Foundation and the Scarborough Branch of the Children's Aid Society of Toronto also attended the neighbourhood celebration at the park on Oakworth Avenue.
"Partnering with TVO's Giver team, with its commitment to Treverton Park playground, has enabled us to engage young community members to participate in activities that lead to a sense of unity, encourage healthy activity - and learn how the City puts together a new, World-Park-theme playground," said Councillor Ainslie. "The experience and sense of accomplishment will stay with the community for years to come."
"The playground's World Park theme refers to both a geological and multicultural sensibility so appropriate for the Scarborough and Treverton neighbourhood," said Councillor Thompson. "One of the children's projects was the painting of wooden cut-out silhouettes of the kids on the building team. The children chose the colours, painted the shapes and received hands-on experience in creating an art installation as a permanent legacy for the day."
The new installation includes overhead ladders, a net climber, domed rock walls, an arched rock wall and net climber, a double-curved snake climber, a straight slide, a curved slide and stones for seating. A new sandbox and other features were also unveiled under the theme World Park. An existing set of junior swings was upgraded.
The playground construction was filmed on July 29, 30 and 31 for an episode of “Giver” on TVO Kids. The Giver show involves children in the design and construction of new playgrounds, with adult supervision. A total of 10 Giver playgrounds are being built across Ontario this year, including the Treverton Park playground.
The new playground was made possible through the generous donations provided by Sinking Ship Entertainment/Giver TV, its partner ING Direct, and the Children's Aid Foundation. The entertainment company donated playground equipment and supplies valued at $50,000, supported by a $40,000 contribution from ING Direct. The Children's Aid Foundation provided a $60,000 donation, for a total project value of $110,000.
Treverton Park, located next to the Scarborough Branch of the Children’s Aid Society, is popular with the children and adults who rely on the society’s services during visits.
Kristen McGregor, Producer with Sinking Ship Entertainment/Giver TV, commented, "We are thrilled to be partnering with the City of Toronto to build a World-Park-theme playground with kids and volunteers from the Treverton Park neighbourhood. This is a brand new public space that we hope they will enjoy for many years to come."
“The opportunity to get our hands a little dirty and work with other partners and the local community to help rebuild this new playground was important for us," said Brenda Rideout, Head of Marketing, Innovation and Service and Sales, ING Direct. "Getting involved and actively giving back to our communities is a cornerstone of our organization’s community investment program. We hope all local residents and community members will enjoy Treverton Park.”
“We want to make an impact by supporting the creation of a kid-friendly place to reduce some of the anxiety and stress that children may experience during visitations," said Joe Canavan, Chairman and Interim CEO of the Children’s Aid Foundation. "This will be transformative for the neighbourhood, the Children's Aid Society, and for thousands of kids."
Phillip Howe, Director of the Scarborough Branch of the Children's Aid Society of Toronto, commented, "We believe the new playground will be a wonderful thing for our community and the families we serve. Children love playgrounds. We know the new equipment will provide hours of fun and treasured memories, and we are grateful to everyone who helped make this happen."
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