A space to play: Hamilton families on a hunt for quality playgrounds

When Briann Gallant moved to Ancaster just before the pandemic, she had few places to go with her young family.

Playgrounds became a refuge. After the woodworker landed on an Instagram account reviewing city parks this year, she and her kids - four and two years old - tried to visit a new playground every week.

But Gallant noticed that while Hamilton's playgrounds tend to be well-maintained, the quality depends on where you are in the city.

I feel like a lot of them downtown are a little bit older," said Gallant, who has a wooden toy business. On the Mountain and as you get closer to Stoney Creek or closer to Burlington ... they get newer and better."

When schools and recreational facilities were closed and gatherings limited, families with young children had few options for play. Playgrounds were among the casualties, closed for months under the Ontario emergency order beginning March 2020. While families are glad they can again access the free outdoor amenities, residents have observed that not all city playgrounds are created equal, and some neighbourhoods seem better served than others.

Some of the biggest and newest playgrounds definitely tend to be in the newer neighbourhoods," said Oliver Veit, the resident behind the Playgrounds of Hamilton, ON" (@hamontplaygrounds) Instagram account.

The design engineer started the page in January because, like Gallant, he felt he couldn't do much with his kids during lockdown.

There's lots of neat spots in Hamilton that we had never heard of," Veit said. I thought we would try to give some other families a place to go."

There are 282 city play structures in Hamilton. A park and open space development guide informs decisions about playgrounds in all city parks, no matter the newness or affluence of neighbourhoods," said a statement on behalf of Kara Bunn, manager of parks and cemeteries.

Playgrounds are replaced based on their age and condition. A structure has a typical life cycle of up to 20 years.

We choose to focus on the ones which are failing first as there are a number of old structures needing replacement," the statement added. The size of a structure is based on the amount of space in a park and the park type.

There are four categories of park, with citywide parks tending to be the largest. Defined as significant destinations" that attract residents and visitors, these parks often offer activities and special features. They include Pier 4, Gage Park and William Connell Park.

Citywide parks are designated bigger play structures, Bunn said.

But Veit said not even all citywide parks are given the resources they deserve.

In November 2017, Gage Park's playground got a $200,000 replacement to improve accessibility and other features. Veit was surprised" by the size of the outcome given the park's popularity.

It just wasn't that big," he said. Every time we go by there, there's tons of kids on it."

But according to a city release from the time, the footprint at Gage Park's playground wasn't meant to change.

The city said updates to the playground on Gage Park's west side underwent community consultations and the replacement has been very well received," especially the wheelchair-friendly swing. There are also plans to update the east structure, Bunn said, noting consultations will begin once funding is determined."

For Veit, playground access is an equity issue, especially downtown in denser neighbourhoods where not everyone has a backyard. Playgrounds also encourage community-building, he added.

It's a shared space," Veit said. That's really important for our sense of community."

Maria Iqbal is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator covering aging. Reach her via email: miqbal@thespec.com.