Callander’s New Playground A Community Destination

The Municipality of Callander is excitedly awaiting the installation of a brand-new playground in its popular Centennial Park. The project is being funded, in part, by the Canada Community-Building Fund.

In 2020, the municipality had Centennial Park’s existing playground structure inspected, determining that the structure was in poor condition. Instead of taking on repairs, which would have been costly, the municipality opted for a full replacement of the equipment.

As part of the community feedback component, the Municipality involved the public and local schools to brainstorm what they would like the playground equipment to feature. Municipal council considered several different design options, eventually settling on a boat-themed playground that complimented the original play structure at the park and met the needs and wishes of residents. Many citizens expressed that they enjoyed the ship theming, as it encouraged imaginative play. The new playground expands on this theme, with new features to make it even better than before. Additionally, the municipality added four pieces of accessible playground equipment to help make the new play space inclusive to everyone.

Centennial Park is a space that attracts regional tourism on a daily basis, and especially during the summer months. Parents often bring their children for the day, as the park also has a beach and splashpad, and often visitors make their way to the downtown, which contributes to the overall economic wealth of Callander’s main street businesses.

The new playground is scheduled for installation in the spring of 2022.