Jasper school community works toward a new place to play, heal and grow
For more than a decade, the dream of a new playground at Jasper Elementary School has been a work in progress.
What began with conversations between parents about replacing the aging equipment has gradually become a multi-phase project involving parents, school staff, volunteers, donors and the wider community.
The playground is a shared space between Jasper Elementary School and École Desrochers, and organizers say the ultimate goal is much bigger than simply replacing old swings and climbing structures.
They want to create a safe, inclusive and inviting place where children can play, socialize, challenge themselves, learn and, particularly in the wake of the 2024 wildfire, have a place to heal.
“It’s been wonderful to see the project starting to take shape and to see some of the improvements already beginning to benefit the students and school community,” said Danielle Duffy-Mills, parent and volunteer with the École Jasper Elementary Playscape Renewal Committee.
Phase One of the project includes a new outdoor classroom, basketball hoops, resurfacing of the lower asphalt area and additional benches around the lower playground.
Attention is now beginning to turn toward Phase Two: the much larger undertaking of replacing the existing playground structures.
The wooden playground was installed in 2000. More than two decades later, parts of the structure are reaching the end of their useful life, while some existing equipment no longer meets current safety or accessibility standards.
For Duffy-Mills, accessibility is one of the most important parts of the new design.
She points to her own family experience as an example of why an inclusive playground matters; her brother uses a wheelchair.
“This is equipment for children with different abilities,” she said. “They can still access and use the equipment safely.”
But the playground’s importance extends beyond accessibility. Jasper Elementary School assistant principal Jodi Campbell said recess provides children with an important opportunity to socialize, test their abilities and regulate themselves after time spent learning in the classroom.
“You can watch them progress, even over the course of one year,” Campbell said, describing the way children gradually develop the strength and confidence to reach playground bars and take on new challenges.
“It’s a place for them to regulate as well,” she said. “You’re learning in the class all day, and it just gives them that place.”
Campbell said the importance of play can be easy to underestimate.
“Recess and playground time are so much more than just a break; they are an essential part of the school day,” she said.
Campbell recalled watching students making clay and mud pots, setting up a “store” on the purple climber, and spending long stretches digging in the sand or snow to create trenches, dams and waterways.
“Play is rich with learning,” Campbell said. “Children develop social skills, engage in physical activity, and solve problems in real time. They negotiate roles, test ideas, take risks, and learn through trial and error.”
In that sense, the playground becomes an extension of the classroom, crossing subject areas without looking much like a lesson.
For Duffy-Mills, the playground represents something important for Jasper children following the 2024 wildfire.
“They’ve been through an awful lot of trauma,” she said. “I think it’s giving back to them. It’s getting something that gives them a place to heal, and to connect, and to thrive.”
And the playground isn’t used only by students during school hours.
Duffy-Mills said her own children, like many others in town, use the school playground during weekends and school breaks because it is a familiar, central place where they feel safe.
The playground also gets plenty of use from visitors.
Campbell noted that families visiting Jasper often seek out playgrounds when travelling with children, meaning the school playground is also an amenity for the wider community.
“It gets a lot of wear and tear because it’s used by not just our children, but kids from all over,” she said.
That community use is one reason organizers are now hoping to broaden awareness of the fundraising effort.
The cost of building a modern playground has increased dramatically since the original fundraising efforts began. Organizers estimate the equipment planned for the larger renewal phases at approximately $502,000, with additional costs associated with site preparation and other work.
The project has already received grants and donations, and organizers continue to pursue additional funding. They have also been working to keep costs manageable, including sourcing Canadian-made equipment and looking for opportunities for discounts and donated labour or materials.
Fundraising efforts have included a school cookbook and smaller events such as popcorn fundraisers, while organizers are also looking toward local businesses, organizations and individuals who may be interested in contributing.
The fundraising isn’t simply about writing a cheque, either.
Organizers say there are opportunities for local businesses and tradespeople to contribute materials, equipment, expertise or labour as the project moves forward.
The hope is that enough community support can eventually turn the aging playground into something that will serve Jasper children for decades to come.
“We’re trying to make sure that we are going to do all that we can,” Duffy-Mills said.
After more than 10 years of work, the volunteers behind the project know it won’t happen overnight.
But they also know what they are working toward.
It is a playground, certainly. But to the children who use it, it is a classroom, a gathering place, a gym, a laboratory, a social space — and sometimes simply somewhere to run around and be a kid.
For a community still rebuilding, organizers believe that’s worth investing in.
Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com
