NORTH VANCOUVER – North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA Bowinn Ma says students at Larson Elementary School will soon enjoy a new accessible playground, thanks to $105,000 in new provincial funding.

“Playgrounds encourage outdoor physical activity, help students learn how to share, and be creative,” said Ma. “Norgate Elementary students were the first in North Vancouver to benefit from our government’s new Playground Equipment Program, and I’m so excited that the students at Larson Elementary will also be playing on a brand new playground.”

Funding for the new playground comes the new Playground Equipment Program announced last May by Premier John Horgan and Minister of Education Rob Fleming. The program provides up to $5 million each year to school districts to purchase new or replacement playgrounds. This year, 20 schools are receiving $90,000 for a standard playground, and 30 schools are receiving $105,000 for a universally-accessible playground.

In the past, schools’ Parent Advisory Councils would have to fundraise large sums of money for new and replacement playground equipment, and schools without that capability are left without playgrounds. The new fund ensures that kids don’t have to suffer for years with inadequate or unsafe playground equipment, and that parents can focus their energy on their children’s success.

“For years parents were burdened with fundraising for new playgrounds. We’re keeping our promise and delivering new, accessible playgrounds for kids around the province,” added Ma.

The New Democrat government has delivered historic levels of funding to B.C. schools, including the biggest operating and capital budgets in B.C. history, an extra $1-billion in classroom funding over 2016/17, and $2.7-billion over three years to build, expand, and seismically upgrade K-12 schools.​

Learn More: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2019EDUC0023-000409